A different visit

A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to visit the Navy Lodge, no. 2612, where they were performing an initiation.

What's different about that? Well, the Navy Lodge is a fairly different lodge. It only admits serving or past members of the Royal Navy or the Royal Marines as its members. Although one would often expect that to mean that the ritual would be very strict and militaristic, that was not the case. The workings were good, but there were no "tut-tutings" when someone made an error, and they knew how to have fun.

However, it is the Navy Lodge's history is one of the most interesting things about the lodge. It has had some extremely distinguished brethren as members, including Sir Ernest Shackleton, who was initiated into the lodge on 9th July 1901. Shackleton was not passed to the second degree until 2nd November 1911, in a different lodge entirely - the Guild of Freemen Lodge, no. 3525, and then raised in that same lodge on 30th May 1913.

Another famous member was Rear Admiral Eric Gascoigne Robinson, who received the Victoria Cross for military manoevers during the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. Indeed, Rear Admiral Robinson was initiated into the Navy Lodge on the same day (in 1907) as another VC holder, Captain Lumsden, who received his VC in 1917, and was killed in action in 1918. It is interesting that these two (later) holders of the VC would be initiated together - what a co-incidence!

There was, however, a third VC holder to be initiated into the Lodge, that of Rear Admiral C C Dobson (a Commander at the time), in October 1925. He received his Victoria Cross in 1919, for a daring attack on the Kronstadt Harbour.

However, the lodge can claim even more distinguished members than these three.

It is also a lodge that members of the Royal Family have joined. On 2nd December 1919, Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George (later King George VI and father of our present monarch, Elizabeth II) was initiated into the lodge, by the Pro Grand Master, Lord Ampthill. He became Master of the lodge two years later, and held that position permanently until he came to the throne in 1936, following his brother's abdication. He was Provincial Grand Master for Middlesex from 1924 until 1936. On 30th November 1936, he became Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland - a position he held for all of 11 days, as he became King on 11th December, following the abdication of Edward VII. On his accession to the throne, he was appointed a Past Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, and he was still a very active Freemason until his death in 1952, installing several Grand Masters.

Somewhat more recently, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, husband of the Queen, was initiated into the lodge on 5th December 1952. Although he is no longer active, I am told that he is still a member of the lodge.

It was an honour and a privelege to visit a lodge that was not only very fun and very friendly, but also one that has such a fantastic history.