News

Tuesday Club - Sowing the seeds of our sucess Mandate Lodge has a new team organising the Tuesday Club and the next Tuesday Club will be on 7th October at 6:30pm at Antalya Restaurant, 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1 4BH. The topic for the evening will be "Why I joined Freemasonry" and the talk promises to be most interesting. All are welcome.

The Tuesday Club has been a great success for Mandate Lodge in attracting interest in the Craft in general and Mandate Lodge in particular. Run as part of Lodge of Instruction, the Tuesday Club is a good example of some of the ideas that were promoted by Metropolitan Grand Lodge at their recent Seminar 'Sowing the Seeds of Success' on Thursday 4th September 2014.

September 2014

First Turkish Master after Twinning with Freedom Lodge Mandate Lodge has long had an association with Turkey after initiating our first Turkish member back in the 1970’s and over the years the Lodge has welcomed further Turkish members, with a number progressing to become the Master of the Lodge. Naturally during this time, our links grew with the Grand Lodge of Turkey, which culminated on 19th April 2007 when several members of Mandate Lodge travelled to Istanbul to take part in the Twinning Ceremony with Freedom Lodge No35 of the Grand Lodge of Turkey. Since that momentous day seven years ago, Mandate Lodge’s membership has steadily grown truly international with members from around Europe, the Middle East, West Africa and West Indies.

At the Installation Meeting on 28th May 2014, our first Turkish Master since the Lodge was twinned was installed into the Chair of Kind Solomon and the Master and Immediate Past Master of Freedom Lodge travelled over from Istanbul to join in with the celebrations. To mark the occasion, the collection at the Festive Board raised the magnificent sum of £700 to aid those suffering from the Soma Mining disaster when on 13 May 2014, an explosion at a coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, caused an underground mine fire, which burned until 15 May and sadly resulted in over 300 fatalities.

Since the twinning of our Lodges, members of both Mandate Lodge and Freedom Lodge regularly visit each others Lodge without the need of a personal invitation. Each Lodge also produces newsletters in an electronic format which are regularly circulated to the members of both Lodges thereby keeping the brethren up to date with news and activities from each Lodge.

May 2014

The Tuesday Club is hailed a success: In 2012 Mandate Lodge introduced a new format to Lodge of Instruction with the launch of The Tuesday Club where discussions or lectures of an esoteric nature take place with a light supper afterwards.  With average attendances of 20-25, The Tuesday Club has transformed Lodge of Instruction into becoming a focal point for non members, in particular non masons, to learn more about Mandate Lodge with a view to joining. For more information on Lodge of Instruction and the Tuesday Club, please bookmark this page - LOI.  The page is regularly updated.

June 2013

Mandate Lodge to consider changes to embrace the new thinking from UGLE: Following a speech given on 12th September 2012 at Quarterly Communications on the Future of Freemasonry, Mandate Lodge has set up a sub-committee to look at ways of nurturing interest in Freemasonry and membership of our Lodge, especially focusing on the younger Brethren.   The Chairman of the Forward Planning sub-committee sent out the following letter to encourage members to make suggestions:

“Those of you who were fortunate enough to attend the Meeting earlier this week will attest to the wonderfully warm and friendly atmosphere that Mandate is proud to continue to offer. Mandate Lodge has a reputation for being a very successful Lodge; indeed we have two potential initiates and eight potential joiners. However we must not be complacent. To survive, Mandate must continue to attract brethren to join our fraternity, particularly those who have the potential to progress through to the chair and beyond. Without this new blood, the Lodge will inevitably stultify.

UGLE has recognised that things have changed. It is now not as easy, financially or otherwise, as it might have been in the past to leave work in the afternoon to attend a Lodge Meeting. The Lodge Committee has accordingly appointed me to co-ordinate a Forward Planning sub-committee to examine any constructive ideas that members might have to make Mandate even more appealing to new members, particularly younger individuals.

Before the sub-committee meets, it has been thought appropriate to invite members to let us have any thoughts they might have on this very wide subject. There are no parameters as to what modifications or changes can be considered. LOI, Lodge proceedings, dining, finance, start and ending times, social functions, membership considerations; the list is almost endless.

This is an opportunity to re-model Mandate so that it better meets the needs of existing and potential members. This committee needs guidance from every one of you whether or not you regularly attend. We want to initiate any appropriate changes so that they can be in place and established by the time we celebrate our centenary in just a few years’ time.

You may rest assured that any changes we may recommend will seek to preserve the valued traditions of Mandate. Can any contributions please be directed to me in the first instance and can these please be received by 31 December. Should any member wish to discuss his thoughts before corresponding or if he would prefer his suggestions to be treated anonymously, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

November 2012