CARDENDEN FREEMASONS’ ANNIVERSARY

The Freemasons of Lodge St Fothad’s in Cardenden will celebrate the Centenary of the Lodge with a Re-dedication Ceremony on Saturday 19^th September this year.   The celebration will start with the Lodge being opened in the Bowhill Centre  when the Ceremony of Re-dedication will be conducted by representatives of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland.  Afterwards the company will sit down to dinner in the Bowhill Centre before returning to the Lodge for an evening of harmony.

The first Hundred Years.

Lodge St Fothad’s was founded in 1909 when a petition to grant a Charter for a Masonic Lodge was raised by Freemasons living and working in the ‘A,B,C & D’ villages (Auchterderran, Bowhill, Cardenden and Dundonald) which came to be known jointly as Cardenden. Foremost among the founding members were Bro Charles Hunter and Bro A McNeill Houston, author of the definitive history of the Parish of Auchterderran. These Freemasons represented 21 different Lodges located around the Central belt of Scotland and most were miners, working in one of the 3 collieries in the area, i.e. The Lady Helen Colliery at Dundonald, the Minto at Brighills or the Josephine in Bowhill itself. There was a preponderance of miners from Midlothian and Lanark among the founding members which gives Lodge St Fothad’s a unique history among Fife Lodges.

Sponsors of the Petition were Lodge Thane of Fife No 781 in Cowdenbeath and Lodge St Clair of Balbeggie No 867, Thornton and with the support of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Fife and Kinross the Charter was duly granted on 5^th August 1909. The Lodge was given the number 1059 on the Membership Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ( a most appropriate coincidence as 1059 AD was the year Bishop Fothad was appointed as the Chief Bishop of St Andrew’s and became in effect the Patron Saint of Auchterderran Parish). One school of thought is that Bros Hunter and Houston, knowing the significance of the number, delayed Registration to ensure the ‘coincidence’ occurred.

The Lodge Consecration Ceremony was held in Auchterderran School and the Ceremony was conducted by Bro Henry Brown, the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Fife and Kinross.

Bro Charles Hunter was installed as the first Right Worshipful Master of the Lodge and his office-bearers were: Depute Master – Bro Robert Lessels; WSW - Bro Andrew Blackadder; WJW -  Bro John McLachlan; Secy  - Bro James Finlay; Treasr Bro William Strang; Chaplain - Bro A McNeill Houston; SD - Bro Andrew Simpson; JD - Bro David Patterson; Architect - Bro David Arnott; Inner Guard - Bro William Craig and Tyler - Bro John Barclay.

The newly Installed Office-bearers and their guests then moved to the Bowhill Hotel and enjoyed luncheon provided by Bro Alf Wilson, Manager of the Hotel where the Lodge held its early meetings until being forced to find alternative accommodation when the hotel was damaged by a fire.

The Lodge moved back into Auchterderran School until the Lesser Gothenburg Hall, part of the Gothenburg building in Station Road was purchased and from where the Lodge operated successfully for many years until the building started to deteriorate with age.

 After investigating the possibility of purchasing the Picturedrome Building in Derran Drive and the Old Institute Reading Rooms in Main Street the Lodge eventually purchased the former Baptist Church and Church of Christ Building in Orebank Road. The building was extended to form the present home of the Lodge which was consecrated on 18^th April 19970, the Ceremony being performed by Brother the Lord Elgin, Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Fife and Kinross. The following day the Brethren of the Lodge, accompanied by guests from Lodges: Minto No 385, Thane of Fife No 781, Macduff No 940, Balcarres No 1240 and St Monan No 1348 paraded in piped precession to St Fothad’s Church in Cardenden Road where a Divine Service was held.

Leading up to the re-dedication, the Lodge hosted a Burns Supper in February to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the birth of the Bard and a Ladies’ night in the form of a Dinner Dance in March. The Re-dedication will be followed by a Divine Service to be held in Auchterderran St Fothad’s Parish Church on Sunday 27^th September. The Lodge Brethren will also participate in the Annual Remembrance Parade in November and hold a St Andrews Night Celebration at the end of the month. Reports of the events and further information can be found on the Lodge Website :- http://stfothadsauchterderran.bravehost.com

All members of Lodge St Fothad’s as well as visiting brethren are invited to attend the Re-dedication and Dinner in numbers to make the event a success.

Any brother who wishes to attend the re-dedication event should contact the Lodge Secretary to reserve tickets as soon as possible as they are expected to be in great demand.