Lodge St. Andrew No 524

1985 - 1996

1985

During the session we held 18 Regular and 2 Special Meetings with an average attendance of 93. 16 Initiates and 1 Affiliate were introduced and welcomed and for the prosperity of the Lodge we need their continued support and attendance. Due to the number of applicants the average waiting time is approximately twelve months. A healthy sign and long may it continue.

Once again the Old Man with the Scythe has swept through the Lodge and, with regret, we record the deaths of many well known and loved Brethren. During the past session we had the pleasure of welcoming deputations from Lodges Sir William Wallace No.1504, Union No.332, and the Rolls-Royce Travelling Masons. One of the highlights of the year was the visitation of Lodge Neptune No.419, Mother Lodge of RWM, Bro. A. Gordon. We, in turn, had the pleasure of conferring the E.A. Degree in Lodge Neptune No.419. On that occasion Bro. Gordon, R.W.M., was presented with an inscribed gavel and stand. Brethren of the Lodge have carried the Lodge name near and far. A large deputation from P.G.L. Renfrewshire East headed by W.P.S.M. Bro. F. Johnstone and containing one of our own P.Ms. Bro. J. Leggat as W.P.G.J.W., attended the annual visitation. The Lodge was given a "clear" minute and Bro.W.. Bell, I.P.M., whose year was under review, was congratulated on his successful term of office. The 75th year of the dedication of the Hall was celebrated by a presentation of a special scroll. Photographs of the 1910 and 1985 office-bearers now adorn the wall.

P.G.L. was again represented on that occasion. Further donations to the Lodge consisted of photographs of H.M. the Queen and Prince Philip; a letter dated 1908 pertaining to alterations of boundary walls; the addition of painted figures to further ornament the West wall of the Lodge rooms. Our thanks to the donors.

Again the Lodge has been involved with non-Masonic charities such as Bone Marrow Appeal, Guide Dogs to the Blind, Kittoch Residential School, Wooddean Children's Home, Glasgow and District

Burns Houses at Mauchline, and Royal National Institute to the Blind. A cheque for £1,000 was presented to Bro. A.G. Hutton, R.W.P.G.M., towards the J.S. Lochrie Memorial Appeal. This figure was realised by the Brethren in Bro. W. Bell's year as R.W.M. and Bro. A. Gordon's year as R.W.M. The Brethren have been involved in various activities such as golf, bowling, darts, dominoes, fishing, five-a-side football and sponsored walks. Bro. A. Johnston was the winner of the George Wallace Memorial Trophy and Bro.D. Fulton won the John Feeley Memorial Trophy. During the year there was a full social calendar.

1986

Bro. McGregor, son-in-law to the late Bro. Jonathan MacLachlan, P.M. took the lodge into 1986 and we had the pleasure of welcoming into the lodge brethren from near and far. We had the added pleasure of a lecture from Bro. Frank Johnstone, P.G.S.M. Provincial Grand Lodge were looking at properties in the west of Scotland for a masonic home.

The lodge had the misfortune to lose our oldest P.M. Bro. John Shedden, in his 95th year. This was The Grand Lodge of Scotland's 250th anniversary with celebrations in Edinburgh, garden party at Hamilton Racecourse, service in Glasgow Cathedral and a civic reception in Glasgow City Chambers. One of our members, Bro. Ron Fordyce, was part of a winning choir at the Mod in Edinburgh and Bro. John Henderson received his 50-year Diploma. Twelve initiates and 1 affiliate were welcomed and 13 brethren took their Mark Degree. Bro. Joseph F.Fellowes was installed as Master for 1987.

1987

A good start to Bro. Fellowes' year was the imitation that Bro. W. Cunningham and Bro. G. Wilson and their respective wives had celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries.

Donations to the lodge were received in the form of a M.M.'s apron belonging to Bro. R. Aitkenhead (R.W.M. 1905-07), possibly worn about 1890-96. P.M.'s jewel from Australia, pay wicket, deacons's box, hand V.S.L and glass square and compasses. Bro. W. H. Wallace P.M. was thanked for bringing life and test fee book to date. Mortgage on the hall was paid off to the delight of the brethren.

Unfortunately, Bro. Tommy Greig, P.M. passed away. There were fewer applications for membership, however the brethren soldiered on and kept up their commitments, masonically and outwith the craft.

There were 7 initiates and 3 affiliates added to the roll with 10 brethren advanced to the degree of M.M.M. At the end of 1987 Bro. Patrick J. Clenaghan was installed as Master.

1988

In Bro. Clenaghan's year word was received from the lodge solicitors, John Wilson & Co., Glasgow - mortgage paid off, title deeds to the hall in their possession and a cheque for overpayment of mortgage!

The lodge lost Bro. Walter MacLaughlan, organist for many years, Bro. Willie Grant, well known for his ceremonial work and Bro. John Henderson, a recent recipient of his Jubilee Diploma.

Sadly too, the lodge had a brother expelled from the craft. Bro. W. Bell, P.M./ Asst. Secy. installed Bro. D. Laverty into the chair of lodge Kil Bryd, No. 1667. Bro. Edward Mahoney, sergeant in the

K.O.S.B. and a M.M. of the lodge along with a colleague ran the 108 miles around the Berlin Wall in Germany in record time. Two local charities, Self Help Epilepsy East Kilbride group and the Saint Vincent De Paul each received £550 towards their funds. Eight initiates and one affiliate were welcomed into the fellowship and six advanced to the rank of M.M.M.

Bro. Robert L. Alexander was installed as Master for the year 1989.

1989

During Bro. Alexander's year the lodge received from Bro. A. McGregor, P.M. a set of square and compasses placed into the V.S.L., history of Lodge Prince of Wales, No. 426 signed by the P.G.M.,

Bro. A. L. Tannahill, masonic jug from Bro. R. Aitkenhead, P.M. On attending the annual dance of our local lodge, McLaren, No. 1688 the Master had received an inscribed ashlar and a Mark Token.

A letter opener from Britannia Lodge, No. 18 Canada and a masonic plate from Bro. D. McJimpsey, M.M., Lodge Tollcross, No. 1194. The lodge also received a financial donation from Bro. T. Naismith.

Notification from the minister of the West Kirk in East Kilbride, that from 1990 the church hall would no longer be available for masonic purposes. A great disappointment to the brethren who had attended the lodge installation in the church hall for many years. Ten brethren and one affiliate joined with us and eight brethren were advanced.

In December 1989, Bro. Peter M. Linstead became Master.

1990

Into the 1990's with Bro. Linstead at the helm and to help keep the lodge on a sound financial footing a feasibility study was commissioned. Two brethren of the lodge, Bro. M. Hillhouse, S.D. and

Bro. G. Fraser, Chap., photographed some of the lodge treasures which subsequently appeared in the 1993 Grand Lodge of Scotland year Book. A framed masonic scroll was among the donations received and the lodge accepted a new regalia quotation of £4,000. The sum of £1,000 was donated to Special Needs Adventure Playground (SNAP) and a 40oz. bottle of whisky was donated to the S.V.D.P. prize draw. Bro. Willie Moffart, a prime mover in the raising of money for non-masonic charities was presented with a pewter tankard for services freely given. Six initiates and one affiliate were added to the roll with nine M.M.s being advanced.

Bro. Alexander S. Johnston was installed as Master for the following year.

1991

Bro. Johnston went to the chair of the lodge one year earlier than anticipated as Bro. Ian H. Scott, W.S.W. had requested that he be allowed to stay in the position as Senior Warden. Bro. Johnston went from Junior Warden to the chair. In this year Bro. Ian H. Scannell, Org. received honorary citzenship of the town of St. Catherine's, Canada for his part in saving the life of a young girl.

Bro. N. Robb, P.M. and his wife Liz, celebrated their golden wedding. The lodge received a gift of a miniature altar from the masonic firm of D. M. Goulielock, Glasgow.

A possible extension to the hall was being looked into but proved too expensive to be practical. The lodge lost one of its long-serving members Bro. Archibald P. MacLachlan, P.M. Information was received that Bro. Jim Neilson, M.M. of the lodge had been installed into the chair of a lodge in South Africa and Bro. R. Aitkenhead, P.M. became Master of The Princes Lodge, No. 607, Glasgow.

Five initiates and one affiliate were added to the roll and six brethren advanced. Bro. Ian H. Scott was installed as Master for 1992.

1992

Bro.Scott's installation commenced with Bro. A. Bruce Watson, P.G.M. dedicating the lodge's regalia. Bro. James F. Nicol, P.M. received honorary P.G.L. rank of P.G.L. Standard bearer. Bro. Nicol was for many years P.G.L. representative for '524'. As changes were being proposed by Grand Lodge in the craft, Bro. W.H. Wallace, P.M. and Almoner was thanked for going over the roll of the lodge and coming up with a more realistic figure. Wind of change was blowing through the Village and a Village Facelift Project was being implemented. Bro. Joe Prowse, M.M. of the lodge became Master of a lodge in England.

The lodge lost a good brother when Bro. William J. Wilson, Almoner for many years, died and one of our senior citizens, Bro. James Pearson, M.M. made his debut on the floor at the young age of 72!

Bro. A. Ralston, Jewel. took up the vacant position as lodge Treasurer. The sum of £3,500 was gifted to the Scottish Motor Neurone Society. Five Initiates and one affiliate were welcomed. Five brethren were advanced. Bro. William J. McJimpsey was duly installed as Master for 1993.

1993

At the start of Bro. McJimpsey's first year as Master, a former Treasurer of the Lodge, Bro. George Pennington received a hand copy of the V.S.L. for his seven years in that office. With regret the Lodge were informed of the death of Bro. James F. Nicol, P.M. (R.W.M. 1966) and P.G.L. representative for twenty-five years, also Bro. Alex. Brown, founder Master of Lodge Kil Byrd, No. 1667.

The Lodge was remembered in the will of Bro. Jimmy Noble, an old member of the lodge. Because of pressure of numbers attending Grand Lodge of Scotland, the meeting on the future of the craft in

Scotland had to be postponed until a later date. A pleasant event took place when the P.G.M., Bro. Alexander G. Murray, accompanied by Bro. Alex. G. Hutton, P.P.G.M., presented the lodge with the

Major Allan Golf Trophy won by Bro. Robert Brown and Bro. Gordon Fraser. Bro. Robert L. Alexander, P.M. installed his son into the chair of our sister lodge, Douglas, No. 1557.

Sadly, on the night of the 1993 installation, Bro. William H. Wallace, P.M., Almoner for eleven years passed away. Five Initiates and three affiliates were welcomed. Five brethren were advanced.

Bro. James B. McBride an affiliate from Lodge Thorntree, No. 512, was installed to take the lodge into 1994.

1994

Bro. McBrides's year started by being installed into the chair by a long-time friend, Bro. John E. Goldie, P.M., Lodge Kil Byrd No. 1667. At the very beginning of Bro. McBride's year, the Treasurer

Bro. A. Ralston went on holiday and Bro. C. W. McCall, P.M., went to Canada to see his wife's nephew being installed as W.M. in a Canadian lodge. Among the donations to the lodge was a masonic jewel from Saudi Arabia, gifted by Bro. Frank D. Orr, P.M. Bro. C. W. McCall, P.M., lead a sponsored walk, organised by the local Duncanrig Rambling Club, of which both he and the late Bro. William H. Wallace, P.M. were members. The sum of £1,725 was raised in memory of Bro. Wallace and donated to cancer research. In the Mark Degree the ceremonial mallet was used instead of the lodge mallet as it was twenty-two years to the night it had been presented in memory of Bro. W. Carrick, I.P.M. The lodge visited the mausoleum at Hamilton. Six Initiates and three affiliates were welcomed. Two brethren were advanced as M.M.M's. Bro. William Elliot was installed as Master for 1995.

1995

Bro. Elliot, a local boy, took the lodge into it's new year and one of the first reports received was that at the end of the last Master's year the Lodge donated £1,000 to the East Kilbride and District Hospice Appeal. Donations to the lodge were received in the form of lodge centenary jewels, 'peace' stamp and a small name plaque for the outside door of the hall. A '100' club was formed, run by Bro. Willie Babes, Architect, with the proceeds going to the 125th Year Anniversary Fund. The lodge contributed to the Common Good Fund set up by the Provincial Grand Lodge. An invitation had been received from Lodge Douglas, No. 1557 to participate in talks in view to developing the Douglas Hall as a Masonic Temple for the Masonic organisations in East Kilbride. The invitation was accepted to attend the talks, but the invitation to participate was declined.Dispensation was received, after correspondence with Grand Lodge, which allowed the lodge to bring forward a gentleman living in England to be considered for membership. Sadly, there was another letter confirming a sentence of suspension sine die on a brother of the lodge. Among the many brethren who passed away were Bro. Hugh Morrison, P.M. and Bro. Alex. Andrewson, a church elder for sixty two years. The grounds in the front of the hall are a credit Bro. Willie Rowan, M.M. of the lodge.

Our sister lodge, Lodge McLaren, No. 1688, celebrated it's twenty-first year. Four Initiates, three Affiliates were well received with six brethren being advanced. Disappointingly, Bro. Stewart Littlejohn, W.S.W. because of work commitments had to move to England and could not be considered for the position as Master.

At the very late hour, Bro. William J. McJimpsey, P.M./S.M. stepped forward to take up the reins as Master for 1996.

1996

Near the beginning of Bro. McJimpsey's second term as Master he had the pleasure of presenting to Bro. S. Littlejohn, former Senior Warden, a M.M.'s dress apron, suitably inscribed.

This year being the bi-centenary of the death of Bro. Robert Burns, poet, the lodge purchased a pew chair to be donated to Glasgow Cathedral and for the lodge room one of a limited edition of a print depicting certain aspects of the poet's life. Bro. W. Bell, P.M./Asst. Secy. donated to the lodge a commemorative first-day cover relating to Robert Burns. Flowers had been presented to Mrs Bilsland one of our senior ladies on her moving to Aberdeenshire and a floral tribute was taken by our Almoner, Bro. Tom McCutcheon to Mrs McMillan on attaining her one hundredth birthday.

A sorrowful moment in the lodge was the passing of one of our younger brethren, Bro. Ruairigh J. Fordyce, aged 26. Two of our long-time tenants, Lodge Kil Byrd, No. 1667 and the East Kilbride R.A.C., No. 781 moved out and joined with Lodge Douglas, No. 1557 at the Douglas Hall. Social Club Committee due to lack of attendance at meetings was disbanded. Bro. Alex McGregor, P.M., became District Grand Patron of the O.E.S. Five Initiates and one Affiliate were admitted and four brethren advanced to that of M.M.M. Bro. William Greig was installed into the chair for 1997.