ALMENNT UM FERÐINA

Eddubræður og systur fara nú í ferð til London.

Flogið er með Icelandair og við komu á flugvöll ytra er rúta sem keyrir okkur á okkar hótel. Þeir farþegar sem velja brottferðardag 26. Nóvember þurfa sjálfir að koma sér á hótel. Farþegar geta breytt heimferðardegi en ekki brottfarardegi. Fargjaldamismunur getur átt við og er þá rukkaður sérstaklega. Óskir um breytta heimferð þarf að senda á Egill Örn. Skv. hópareglum Icelandair er ekki hægt að greiða með punktum og farþegar fá ekki punkta vegna flugsins. Þegar velja á ferðapakka með brottför 27. Nóvember er valinn Ferðapakki 1 en ferðapakki 3 er valinn fyrir brottför 26. Nóvember.

Boðið verður einnig upp á það að bræður og systur geti bókað hótel ytra eingöngu og sjálf séð um flugið og er þá valin Ferðapakki 2 þegar br. og systur skrá sig í ferðina.

Eddubræður sækja fund á I° gráðu í stúkunni Westminster & Langbourn Lodge No. 3647 og meðan þeir funda er stefnt að því að skipuleggja sér hádegisverð fyrir systur sem verður auglýstur nánar síðar. Fundurinn hefst kl 10:00 og stendur dagskrá til kl 14:00 í Regluheimilinu í London.

Stefnt er að því að halda sameiginlegan kvöldverð bræðra og systra ytra og verður það auglýst sérstaklega síðar.

ATHUGIÐ - Hægt er að bæta við aukanóttum á hóteli ef heimferðarhluta í flugi er breytt þegar bókun er gerð og skal þá bóka sig líkt og birtir ferðadagar segja til um en tölvupóstur sendur vegna breytingar heimferðar og auka gistingar ytra sendur á Egil Örn. Fargjaldamismunur vegna breytts flugs getur átt við og er háður ákvörðun hópadeildar Icelandair.

Farþegar í ferðina eru minntir á að vera tímanlega með það að sækja um ferðaheimild til Bretlands.

Hægt er að hafa samband br. Egil Örn Arnarson Hansen hjá Bræðraferðum auk ferðanefndar Eddu, Magnús Pál Halldórsson og Harald Eyvinds Þrastarson, vegna ferðarinnar.

FERÐAKOSTNAÐUR

HVAÐ KOSTAR FERÐIN?

AÐRAR UPPLÝSINGAR

MIKILVÆGAR UPPLÝSINGAR

BROTTFÖR



HEIMFÖR



SKRÁ MIG Í FERÐ

FERÐALÝSING

Hér er að finna ferðalýsingu bræðra- og systraferðar Eddu til London

STÚKAN

STÚKAN

Westminster & Langbourn Lodge No. 3647

"The suggestion for the lodge came from three managers of the London County and Westminster Bank, who foresaw the need for a lodge which would enable fellow bankers and clients to meet together conveniently and in Masonic harmony. The idea also appealed to four of the bank’s directors, who were all influential businessmen in the City of London. They were soon joined by 38 brethren from branches in London and the South east in the petition for the new lodge.

So, in April 1913, the lodge was consecrated by RW Bro Sir Edward Letchworth, Grand Secretary. Lord Cavendish was the first master. More than 100 brethren attended the ceremony and dined afterwards at a superb banquet of 13 choices in the Connaught rooms at a cost of 7/6d. The entertainment which followed included new songs by a young composer of the day, Eric Coates.

In May 1923 The London County Westminster and Parr’s Bank Chapter No 3647 was consecrated and in December the lodge sponsored Three Banks Lodge No 4557 which like the mother lodge drew its members exclusively from the bank.

The Lodge changed its name to Westminster Bank Lodge in 1930, seven years after the bank adopted the shorter title. The word “Bank” was dropped from the name in 1974 because it was considered too restrictive to the closed lodge as the merged National Westminster Bank expanded through subsidiaries into wider financial services including “Hire Purchase”.

Despite these changes both Lodges and the Chapter have maintained close ties with each other for many years. The Portcullis Seal which is traditionally associated with Westminster has survived in the emblems of the lodges and the chapter despite the changes of names.

Our association with bankers was further expanded in 2000 when the Chapter merged happily with Lothbury and Dominicos Chapter No 3612, formerly restricted to members of Barclays Bank.

In 2002 RW Bro Sir Rex Thorne, Chairman of London Management presented a Certificate of Amalgamation when nine brethren from Peace and Goodwill Lodge No 5801 joined the lodge.

The demand for a bank lodge was confirmed when there were 22 initiations in the first year; by the end of 1925 there had been a total of 100 initiates. Membership was buoyant at an average of 106 until 1969. After the merger in 1970 and as senior members retired membership declined to 60 in 1990 and again to 26 in 2013. Attendances in the past war years to 1970 were 83 per meeting of whom 35 were visitors. In 2008 the averages were 21 members per meeting and 3 visitors.

The lodge has always had strong Overseas connections. Many brethren were involved in the bank’s international operations in London and abroad. The Founder Directors were international businessmen. Lord Sandhurst was Past Pro District Grand Master of Bombay and a former Governor, and Sir Alfred Gent was credited with establishing the British North Borneo company by Royal Charter. In recent years beginning in the fifties, overseas postings of brethren have included Burma, France, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bahrain.

Even in 1913 we welcomed five visitors from the USA, followed by others from Australia, China, Natal, and South America. Continuing the tradition we have welcomed other visitors from abroad including a fraternal visit in 2007 by 25 brethren from Mælifell Lodge No 13, Grand Lodge of Iceland. I hope that by the time this summary is read we will have welcomed a distinguished brother from that lodge in Masonic friendship as the sixth ever honorary member of the lodge.

There have been two World Wars during our history. There are no records of events during the Great War. However a letter in 1946 from a founder member referred to fraternisation between French, Belgian and German officers “on the square”, and which was said to have resulted in saved lives.

World War II was a different story and there were instances of deaths of a spouse or sons. Although many lost homes and possessions the lodge meetings carried on, and apart from one all meetings were eventually held. The strength of purpose at the time was summed up by one brother who, at the end of the war reported “Hoping to return anon … a prodigal son returning after seven years”.

Charity is a key tenet of our profession and the Lodge is proud of its charitable record. The Lodge was a Founder Member of the Freemasons’ War Hospital and a vice patron of the Royal Masonic Hospital. All of the four Masonic Charities were supported in turn from Lodge Funds through the Master’s list. Initially the amount was 10 guineas, increasing to 50 guineas from 1938 to 1968. The Royal Masonic Hospital Samaritan Fund was also supported every year from 1930 until its disposal.

In 1922 it was agreed to support the Masonic Peace Memorial Fund and in 1931 became a Hallstone Lodge. To complete the financial obligation on time £250 was borrowed from the bank by way of an unsecured advance. The request was sanctioned by a new Master Mason, who subsequently became Treasurer and an active Grand Officer. Although the lodge took seven years to repay, no complaint from the bank was ever received, so its credit rating remains intact to this day.

In 2009 the lodge achieved the Silver Award from the RMBI and today we will have the great pleasure to present a cheque for £6000 in favour of the Metropolitan Masonic Charity to supplement the contribution of £4000 destined for the Cyber Knife Appeal already made. We then qualify for the Gold Award. Since 1963 the lodge members have raised £47,000 for charity.

This is the first time a history has been documented and we appreciate that the details of the full report which accompanies this summary may be of limited interest to those not directly connected with the lodge. However it adds colour and shows how the brethren of National Westminster Lodge have met and worked together for one hundred years to prove the continuing relevance and value of Freemasonry today. We hope that this inescapable fact will motivate the new freemasons who will join us in the future to appreciate and carry on our traditions.

In thanks to our founders and brethren, including those key officers including Secretaries and Treasurers who have written carefully and preserved 100 years of records, it cannot be better than to conclude and repeat the resolution passed by the lodge at the Silver Jubilee in March 1938:

“Westminster Bank Lodge, … place(s) on record its gratification that this Lodge has fulfilled its purpose. We express our deep gratitude to the G.A.O.T.U. for providing the lodge with a body of founders, who revealed their sturdiness of character and loyalty to Masonic principles … to found a lodge where men who are colleagues in one great Financial Institution could band together and meet in fraternal fellowship for the furtherance of the ideals and interests of Masonry. Today we honour those who by example and precept have done much to further the best type of Freemasonry".

• W Bro John Bennett, SLGR, Worshipful Master, October 2013

HÓTELIÐ

STRAND PALACE HOTEL 4★

Þægilega staðsett í lifandi miðborg Lundúna er að finna okkar hótel sem er staðsett á einni elstu götu borgarinnar. Í lítilli fjarlægð frá þekktum kennimerkjum eins og og Trafalgar Square og iðandi mannlífinu í Covent Garden.

Hótelið hefur tekið fagnandi á mótum gestum síðan 1909. Hótelið fór í mikla endurnýjun 2019 þar sem nútímaleg hönnun með breskar hefðir voru hafðar að leiðarljósi.

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