FOUNDER'S JEWEL 1954
CATEGORIES OF JEWELS
ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765
FOUNDER'S JEWEL 1954
CONTENTS:-
[TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO A SECTION CLICK ON NUMBER ]
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1. DESCRIPTION OF JEWEL.
2. SHORT HISTORY OF WARRANT No. 765.
3. HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765, 1900 - TODATE.
4. DETAILS OF WHEN ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765 MEETS.
5. ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765 WEBLINK
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OBVERSE OF JEWEL
An unnamed silver gilt Founders Jewel, suspended from a single silver gilt blue enamel bar and sky blue ribbon.
On the bar is the word "Founder".
The Jewel is suspended from the sky blue ribbon. The Jewel comprises of a enamelled crest of a red Saint Patrick's Cross. The crest rests upon a bed of silver gilt shamrocks.
The legend on top of the plaque reads "Lodge St. Patrick", and on the bottom, "No. 765 I.C.".
REVERSE OF JEWEL
As the Jewel is unnamed there is no inscription,
but it has the Makers Mark "GK&S" (George Kenning & Son").
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2. SHORT HISTORY OF WARRANT No. 765.
Warrant No.765 issued to brethren in STEWARTSTOWN, Co. Tyrone on the 7th June 1792.The Lodge was Compounded for arrears on the 7th March 1811.
Warrant No. 765 was removed to Kilion, County Tyrone on the 15th September 1836. Warrant No. 765 was returned to Grand Lodge on the 27th December 1848.
[The above represents the barest of facts relating to Warrant No. 765 before same reissued to St. Patrick's Lodge No. 765 - the IRISH MASONIC RECORDS cd-rom gives a very full account of the Lodges who held Warrant No. 765 for the years setout above]
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3. HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765.
The Minutes of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes dated 17th February 1954 show concerning Warrant No. 765 -
"17 February, 1954 - Read Memorial from various brethren praying for a warrant to establish a Lodge at Singapore to be called the St. Patrick. The Memorial was recommended by Lodges Nos. 7178 EC., 1437 SC., Singapore and Shamrock Lodge No. 712 Hong Kong and by R.W. Bro. Harold E. Swabey Grand Inspector for Hong Kong and China. Recommended."
The Recommendation of The Board was followed,as is shown in the Grand Lodge Minutes of 4th March 1954 as "Confirmed"
Warrant No. 765 reissued to `St. Patrick's Lodge' in SINGAPORE, on the 4th March 1954 to William E. Hutchinson, Medical Practitioner (33); Robert T. Grove-White, Medical Practitioner (GML) and Alexander Rhind, Personnel Manager (463) registered along with forty-nine others from various lodges and Constitutions.
St. Patrick's Lodge No. 765 was Consecrated on the 5th June 1954.
It was not until 1952 that positive action was taken to establish an Irish Masonic presence, when R.W. Bro. H.E. Swabey, Grand Inspector of the Inspectorate Area of Ireland for Hong Kong & China, wrote to W. Bro. W.E. Hutchinson suggesting that a Lodge under the Irish Constitution should be founded in Singapore.
The views were sought of the Sister Constitutions, both of whom replied that a Lodge under the Irish Constitution would be welcomed. At the same time the Masonic Hall Board agreed to place the present facilities in the Temple at Coleman Street at the disposal of such a Lodge, if it were formed.
Accordingly, a meeting of Brethren associated with the Irish Constitution was held on the 2nd April, 1953. At this meeting, which was also attended by some Brethren from the Sister Constitutions, it was decided that action should be taken to establish a Lodge. The decision was taken at a subsequent meeting, that same year, to open a Petition for a Warrant and settle the issue of Dues and so on. A decision was finally taken late in 1953 to proceed with the project.
The Petitioners met in January 1954 (some forty Brethren had signed the Petition) and the name St. Patrick was adopted as that of the proposed Lodge.
The founding officers designate were elected, viz:- W. Bro. W.E. Hutchinson, Worshipful Master; W. Bro. R.J. Grove-White, S.W.; W. Bro. A. Rhind, J.W.
The Brethren elected to the three Principal offices were all Initiates of Irish Constitution Lodges.
The Petition, finally signed by over 50 Brethren, was forwarded to R.W. Bro. Swabey in Hong Kong and the news was received in March 1954 that the Warrant had been granted at a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, held in Cork, in March 1954. It is interesting to note that the Petition included the names of such well known Singapore Freemasons as W. Bro. B.C.J. "Buck" Buckeridge and W. Bro. Derek Coupland.
Lodge Singapore No. 7178 E.C. and Lodge St. Andrew No. 1437 S.C. supported the Petition and, to this day, play a role in the Installation ceremony of the Master-elect of Lodge St. Patrick.
The Constitution and Dedication Ceremony of Lodge St. Patrick No. 765 Irish Constitution was held in this Temple on 5th June, 1954, presided over by R.W. Bro. Swabey, and assisted by Brethren of the English and Scottish Constitutions. The foundation of Lodge St. Patrick resulted in the boundaries of the Inspectorate Area of Hong Kong and China being extended to encompass Malaya. Following the death, in 1956, of R.W. Bro. Swabey; W. Bro. G.F. Rhodes was appointed Grand Inspector, with Bro. A.W.S. Smith as Assistant in Hong Kong and Bro. Dr. Charles B. Wilson as Assistant for Singapore.
Bro. C.B. Wilson became the very first Initiate of Lodge St. Patrick and subsequently enjoyed an active Masonic career, achieving the honour of being appointed Grand Inspector for the Inspectorate Area of South East Asia.
The Minutes of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes dated 19th May 1954 show concerning Lodge No. 765 -
"19 May, 1954 – The Board unanimously approved of the design submitted for a Founders Jewel in Silver for St. Patrick’s Lodge No. 765, Singapore."
A total of 436 brethren registered up to 27th November 1984. In most cases the dates when the issue of certificates is shown, together with the occupation of the brother.
From 1984 the registration of members of ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765 is held, in alphabetical order, in a computerised register by Grand Lodge, Freemasons’ Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. The Registration of the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Secretary of Lodges are held in separate Registers, the first Volume covering the period 1983 to 1994 inclusive and the second Volume covering from 1995 to date.
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4. DETAILS OF WHEN ST. PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765 MEETS.
SAINT PATRICK'S LODGE No. 765 MEETS ON THE 2nd WED AT 6.30p.m. (except for the Installation Communication in March which is held on the Sat. following the 2nd Wed.) AT FREEMASONS HALL, 23-A COLEMAN STREET, SINGAPORE 179806.
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5.WEBLINK ~ ST. PATRICK'S LODGE NO. 765
[It is clear from the website of St. Patrick's Lodge No. 765 that the Lodge is a very active and vibrant and does not believe in taking a Summer Break !]
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EMAIL
~ IRISHMASONICJEWELS.IE