THE curtain was peeled back for the first time over the weekend for a local branch of a centuries-old organisation.<\/p>\n
Members of Freemasons Victoria\u2019s Smythesdale branch, Prince of Wales Lodge No. 40 opened the doors of their nearly-130-year-old building to the community as part of a ceremony on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Master of the Lodge, Bill Stephens, oversaw the ceremony and said the aim of it was to show people what the Freemasons are all about.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to open this up to the public so they\u2019ve not got that misconception that we\u2019re a secret society which we\u2019re not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aim of today is to invite the people in so they can see the Lodge and see part of what we do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe give two scholarships each year to the local primary school. Freemasons Victoria have a masonic taskforce that go around helping with fires, floods, whatever.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also give grants to organisations that need something. We\u2019re out there for the public. A lot of people don\u2019t really know this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The day was the branch\u2019s first Ceremony of the Vacant Chair open to the public, which is an event aimed at recognising people who\u2019ve fallen in wartime conflicts.<\/p>\n
The event included an explanation from Mr Stephens on Lodge members\u2019 different roles and seating arrangements.<\/p>\n
Following the ceremony, which included a speech from Ballarat Legacy\u2019s Ron Fleming, the supper room was opened up for attendees with tea and biscuits on offer.<\/p>\n
Lodge member and former Master, Gavin Myers, said the event would give people a better idea on the history of the branch and their building.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met over at the Courthouse Hotel across the road at that point,\u201d he said. \u201cIn 1906 our building was constructed and that\u2019s when we moved over here.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack then they would have had to set up and pack down each meeting whereas here it\u2019s a purpose-built. It\u2019s our history up on the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Stephens said the event will be their first of many to be opened up to the community, with another aim of the event being to gauge how they might assist local organisations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE curtain was peeled back for the first time over the weekend for a local branch of a centuries-old organisation. Members of Freemasons Victoria\u2019s Smythesdale branch, Prince of Wales Lodge No. 40 opened the doors of their nearly-130-year-old building to the community as part of a ceremony on Sunday. Master of the Lodge, Bill Stephens, […]<\/p>\n