Masonic lodges have a long and venerable history in the UK ....
,%20Hill%20Street.jpg "The Lodge of Edinburgh No.1 (Mary's Chapel), Hill Street") |
| The Lodge of Edinburgh No.1 (Mary's Chapel), Hill Street |
.... with the Scottish Rite lodges amongst the oldest in the world.
The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel), No. 1 has written records going back to the 31st of July, 1599 and there are references to Aitchison's Haven in Muddelburgh, Scotland which date back to January 9, 1599 but the lodge records them selves are lost.
In England, the The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is considered to be the oldest Masonic Grand Lodge in the world, and claims its descent from the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster (founded on the 24th of June, 1717, at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in London) and is still the governing body for most Freemasons in England, Wales, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
So as I say, a long and venerable tradition, but sadly they have been in decline as membership has declined over the last few decades. I can only assume that this is because of the selective method of inviting membership (no one ever asked me haha) .... and possibly the relevance and advantages of being members of a lodge have not been as apparent as they were, say 60 years ago.
So as desperate times mean desperate measures, the UGLE has sanctioned the creation of a number of biker lodges .... they insist that they are not Hell's Masons. but rather that they represent the reality of the situation facing the lodges of England.
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| Hell's Freemasons |
There are now a number of these unusual lodges, with names such as the Mike Hailwood Lodge (former biker champion racer), the Chevaliers de Fer Lodge, and the Freewheelers Lodge .... who all wear their lodge colours on their leathers .... however insist that they are 'Lodges not Gangs.' Provincial Grand Master Ian Chandler said "Motorcycle Lodges might be a long way from people's idea of the Freemasons, but it's the reality now."
Personally as Groucho Marx once said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member ... "
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