About the Lodge
Clifton Lodge meets on the first Friday in October through April for regular meetings at 6pm at Masonic Hall, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 5LB. Following each meeting, we sit down for a meal which is friendly and jolly, whilst still maintaining the decorum and discipline required of a Freemason. All members enjoy working together to deliver traditional ritual and ceremonies to the best of our abilities. We normally leave around 10pm.
Further meetings for practice are on the third Monday of the month at 7pm and rehearsals for Ceremonies on the Monday pre-ceding the regular meeting at 7pm. These meetings last around one hour and normally end with a drink in the bar.
The Hall is a traditional masonic hall built in early 1900’s in the centre of Nottingham, which has a member’s bar, car park and several dining rooms and other bars with facilities for social events. It has excellent transport connections with a tram stop within 100 yards.
The Lodge has retained a membership around 40 for at least two decades and currently has a membership of 39 with ages ranging from 20’s to 80’s.
Professions include motor trade, salesmen, security engineers, IT, building trade, surveyor, accountants, lecturers, teachers, NHS, retailers, police officers, students, hospitality, company directors, graphic designer, and researchers.
Hobbies include Golf, Gardening, Travel, Sport, Martial Arts, Shooting, IT, Rotary, Photography and Running.
CHARITY AND SOCIAL EVENTS
The two are bound as our objective in Freemasonry is to advance ourselves personally, whilst improving the enjoyment of ourselves and others perhaps not so fortunate.
We have a separate document outlining our history and social events, which include our Annual Ladies Night, Barbeque, Shooting event, Golf Day, and Quiz Night which generally mean we are able to donate around £4000 annually to local and national charities.
Visiting other lodges countrywide and internationally is promoted – in as much as ‘Clifton Wanderers’ is an organised group within the lodge for visiting.
We have also held ‘Open Nights’ occasionally to introduce candidates to Freemasonry and hosted them to a Festive Board afterwards. This was done in conjunction with leaders of the craft and has worked very well.
Lodge History
A preliminary meeting was held at the Albert Hotel in Nottingham on 14th Nov 1924 by four Brother Masons to discuss the formation of a new Lodge. From these ten founders were selected and the Old Priory Lodge [No. 2594] was chosen as the sponsor, or Mother Lodge. The annual subscription was set at £3.15, which included the cost of 4 suppers but excluded the Installation dinner. The initiation fee was set at £15.75
The Lodge was consecrated on 29th October 1925 at the Nottingham Masonic Hall and became the 44th Lodge in the Province. At the opening of the Lodge the WM’s chair was taken by W Bro. J Holmes and the Consecrating Officer was the Deputy Provincial Grand Master V W Bro. H J Hayman MA who proceeded to install W Bro L E Button as the first Worshipful Master.
After the Consecration Ceremony, the Brethren sat down to a 9-course dinner [cost, 42.5 pence per person] which included hors d’oeures, consommé, boiled Turbot, sweetbreads, roast chicken and ham, roast mutton or roast beef, roes on toast, dessert, cheese and Coffee.
Originally the Lodge met at the Masonic Hall, Styring Street, Beeston until 5th April 1939 when the building was sold. The Lodge Committee then decided to move to the Masonic Hall, Goldsmith Street.
The first Initiates of the Lodge were Mr Henry Betterton, aged 53 of Ware, London a Barrister by profession and Tory Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe and Mr Frederick Horace Martin, 26 a Dyer and Bleacher of Beeston. They were to have been initiated at the same meeting but owing to fog Mr Betterton’s was postponed until the following meeting on 1st Jan 1926. His political career saw him progress to become the Minister of Labour under Ramsay Macdonald and after retiring from the house of commons he was raised to the peerage as Lord Rushcliffe
Ideal Candidate
Clifton Lodge prides itself on being a welcoming and friendly group who commit and support Freemasonry and its ideals. We would look for similar candidates who can afford the regular costs involved (annual subscription £160, Festive Board and Charity donations) , contribute to the lodge in whatever way they wish, attend regularly and enjoy and improve themselves. We would also hope that the candidate’s family support and participate in the Lodge family.
Such is the nature of the Lodge that any person would fit, with a commitment - and a sense of humour.