Freemasons lodge returns ‘home’ for monthly meeting

SMYTHESDALE’S local Freemasons lodge enjoyed a literal homecoming when it held its regular meeting at the Court House Hotel last week.

The hotel was the site of the lodge’s foundation meeting when it was established in 1862, and the move back there – a one-off – was organised by its current worshipful master Ian Getsom.

Mr Getsom, a former Golden Plains Shire councillor and deputy mayor, said the lodge met at the hotel for about 44 years before its Masonic Centre was built facing the Glenelg Highway.

He said he had just wanted to do “something different” for the recent meeting and to invite the public in.

“We had about 46 people turn up; there was probably 23 Masons there,” Mr Getsom said.

Another innovation for the event was music, provided by Masons David Law (keyboard), and Merv Romeo (guitar) and Ian Drever (drums), who is not a Freemason but handles the lodge’s signwriting and similar requirements.

Mr Getsom confirmed that last week’s meeting was the first time the lodge had gathered at its original home since the centre was opened – and he is very proud of the initiative.

“I’ve had five phone calls already today, [asking] when are we having the next one,” he said.

Mr Getsom said he would like to hold further monthly meetings at the hotel, the management and staff of which had been a delight to deal with last week.

As well as giving people an insight into what the Freemasons movement is all about – it has long been regarded by some as a secret society – the meeting might also have given the lodge its next community project.

Mr Getsom said a representative of Ballarat’s SoupBus spoke during the meeting, and as a result the lodge was now pursuing ways of offering the service financial support.

He acknowledged that some people thought of Freemasonry as a secret society, but stresses that it is not.

The Smythesdale Prince of Wales No.40 Lodge, for example, is a non-denominational group focused on fellowship and community work – much of which goes unacknowledged.

The movement is basically open to anyone who is of good character and wants to help their community, Mr Getsom said.

And he said aspects of Freemasonry like the legendary secret handshake and secret words were no longer very secret.

“You can get all that on the internet now; if you want to read up on it you can get it all on the internet,” he said.