CHAPTER NINE Moving On – The Next Ten Years The next few years in the Lodge were busy ones, with most of the meetings having two Candidates. Although there were only two Initiates and four Joining Members during the remainder of the centenary year, by May 1967 there were a further seven Brethren Passed to the Second Degree and six Raised to the Degree of Master Mason. In the March 1967 meeting, still as part of the Centenary year commemorations, the Senior and Junior Wardens’ columns were presented to the Lodge by WBro. D. Bellinger and WBro. W. G. Baxter. It was also in the summons for that meeting that the first reference appeared of there being a Junior Lodge of Instruction. At that time, the Junior Lodge was on the Monday after the Regular Lodge of Instruction, rather than before. But not always! At some stage it changed from the week prior, so may have been something of a moveable event. The total of 173 Lodge members recorded in 1966 increased to 174 by 1976, including 51 new Masons and 16 Joining Members. The net growth of only one member was the impact of resignations, some expulsions and sadly the passing to the Grand Lodge Above of 23 Brethren. The Installation Meeting in September 1967 saw Bro. K. A. Lintott installed as Worshipful Master, and for reasons which are unclear, he was again installed as Master the following year. WBro. Flisher was the Installing Master on both occasions. This was only the fourth time in the Lodge History that a Master has served for two consecutive years.
48