04/06/2026
It was Gloucestershire Installed Masters Lodge this evening and which met in Wootton-Under-Edge Masonic Hall, where the in-house catering team made a mouth watering curry and nobody went away hungry. W Bro Gary Shellard was particularly proud to tell everyone about his home made onion bhajis as part of the starters.
Installed Masters Lodges, found in most provinces are relaxed, wonderful and extremely friendly lodges to join. It's a lodge of thanks for all of those masters of their own lodges who can join as soon as they are installed in the chair or when the time is right and the cost of membership is around £15 a year. "Yes, you heard that right", as long as you are in a lodge already then it's around £15 a year or £1.30 a month. It's a way to keep your masonic circles alive as well i.e. the 2025/2026 circle can all join Gloucestershire Installed Masters Lodge. That's what they did in Somerset, not just WMs but Provincial Teams as well. Never losing touch with the circles and great friends that you have created in your year.
Here is a lodge that meets twice a year and it is full of well known and friendly faces, usually one meeting at one side of the Province of Gloucestershire and the next at the other side. Their next meeting in the autumn will be in Lydney Masonic Hall.
Seven Brethren will join in the autumn and at least four so far next June but this may easily climb to 15 or more. You have to have been a WM with the Province of Gloucestershire to join and it's the same with all provinces, but guests are always welcome, even those who are new to Freemasonry.
PPGM MW Bro Tim Henderson-Ross is currently in the Chair and the lodge was honoured by the presence of the of DPGM VW Bro Mark Smith and the ProvGJW W Bro David Bisp, along with several Grand Officers, most of whom are also members of the lodge as well.
Downstairs the lodge enjoyed a presentation by a member of the Bristol Masonic Society W Bro Tony Baker about the the three craft tracing boards and the various designs found of the boards in Freemasonry, why they were designed the way that they are and a fascinating insight in to the artists involved in the mid 19th century. Here's a snippet of W Bro Baker at Bristol Park Street https://research2429.org.uk/2025/02/02/a-deep-dive-into-bristols-masonic-history-at-the-lodge-of-research/
W Bro Dick Smith PQM is currently in the Chair of the Bristol Masonic Society and it's good fun as they question, interrogate and scrutinise each other's research and thoughts and findings with banter and fun while producing great work which is shared widely.
Anyone can join the Bristol Masonic Society at https://www.bristol-masonic-society.org.uk/
You can also join Gloucestershire Masonic Society for £5 a year at https://www.glosmasons.org.uk/gloucestershire-masonic-society-gms/
Gloucestershire Installed Masters Lodge with just under 200 members meets on the first Thursday of June and the last Tuesday in October.
Visit https://www.glosmasons.org.uk/lodges/gloucestershire-installed-masters-lodge-no-7900/
