SQUARE WHEELS START ROLLING WITH A NEW LODGE

The Square Wheels Lodge No. 9966 Consecration

Saturday 13th October 2018 at The Heritage Motor Museum

Saturday 13th October saw the consecration of a new Warwickshire Lodge – the Square Wheels Lodge No 9966 with around 200 masons from a variety of Provinces coming to see the display of masonic ritual at its very best.

The number of founders was incredible, over 75, demonstrating the enthusiasm for the new Lodge, which caters for the classic vehicle enthusiasts and will be a fully working recruiting and initiating Lodge. At least 21 Provinces are involved in this Lodge, with Founders from each one and many from Warwickshire. The good thing from the Warwickshire point of view is that the Province immediately gained 53 new members from the Provinces involved, which stretch from the Isle of Man down to Cornwall and up to Yorkshire.

The Consecrating Officer was our Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro David Macey, assisted by the PGM Hampshire and Isle of Wight, R W Bro Michael Wilks, acting as Senior Warden, and the PGM for Worcestershire, R W Bro Robert Vaughan, acting as Junior Warden. The three undertook a wonderful ceremony of Consecration, with the usual scatterings of corn, wine, oil & salt, capably directed by the Provincial Director of Ceremonies, W Bro Peter Clarke and with an inspiring oration from the Provincial Grand Chaplain, W Bro John Cowan. R W Bro David Macey was insistent that the oil was of course best quality Castrol R, much to the amusement of the audience.

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W Bro Chris Rogers, rounded off a splendid morning of ritual and masonic enjoyment, when he installed the Primus Master, W Bro Peter Manning, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, in a very relaxed and competent manner.

The extract below is reproduced from the Consecration Programme:

"The core of the Lodge has emerged from The Square Wheels Classic Car Club which was formerly the Masonic Classic Vehicle Club, which having existed for many years was re-launched following the success of the national Classic 300 classic car runs supporting the Tercentenary celebrations in 2017.

The Square Wheels Club was relocated to Warwick and it seemed appropriate that the home for the new Lodge should also be based at Alderson House, Warwick being close to the centre of the British Car industry in England.

It is the belief of the founders that consecrating the new Lodge will not only serve to be widely supported by Square Wheel Club members but will act will act as a most useful recruitment catalyst for classic vehicle enthusiasts not currently Freemasons.

It is worthy of noting as a statistic that independent research shows the Classic vehicle industry alone in the UK employs 34,900 people, and is worth £5.5 billion giving a serious indication of the size of the hobby serving on wide and predominantly male demographic.

The lodge will of course be open to all classic vehicle enthusiasts and owners as well as any other suitable applicant for membership. It is not intended to operate as a closed Lodge.

There are interestingly two different aspects to membership of the new Lodge. The Lodge has 75 founding members primarily drawn from within the membership of the Square Wheels Club, which itself has a strong and growing membership to draw upon. In addition there is much larger and untapped body of Freemasons who own, use and enjoy the classic vehicle hobby, who will want to be come in voter who will become interested.

The primary aim will be to nurture a real understanding of Freemasonry, to encourage the new Brethren to assimilate into and enjoy the Lodge and Freemasonry and to encourage their Masonic aspirations. We hope to foster relations with the other special interest Lodges and all based on a common enthusiasm for the hobby the Lodge serves."

The Consecration and Festive Board was appropriately held in the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, a location not used by the Province before, but likely to be used again for larger meetings.

Photographs provided by W Bro Simon Grove.

JBH