Consecrated 7th April 1905
Meeting at: Johannesburg - Freemasons Hall, 8 Park Lane, Parktown
Meeting Dates: 4th Thur Ex Dec Inst Apr
Contact 082 898 0983
Lodge History
Civil Service Lodge started off by creating a record - that of having 70 petitioners. What is more these all fell within the definition 'Civil and Municipal Servants and Regular Army'. A busy first year saw 49 degrees conferred and by 1908 there were 127 members. There were two significant developments in 1913, the first being the admission of a non civil servant and the second the sponsoring of 'Mkonto Lodge at Piet Retief. The first reflected an accepted change in admission policy, provided applicants were 'good men and true'. The second was to develop, eventually, into a 'pairing' between Civil Service and Mkonto which was of especial help to the latter before it closed.
Three members of the Lodge died on active service during the First World War. During 1922, the Rand Miners' strike led to the declaration of martial law and the Lodge had to obtain certificates from the Criminal Investigation Department - which are filed in the minute book permitting meetings. Then 1932 saw a change in the by laws to extend the requirement for Country membership from 5 to 10 miles. Apparently bicycles, rather than cars, were still the order of the day!
The Lodge membership, no longer restricted to civil servants, slowly declined from its earlier levels, to 56 in 1946 and 42 in 1960, and then stabilised at around the lower figure. It has had some distinguished members, with perhaps its I greatest son' being Bro P A D (Dave) Kohler, who was initiated in 1932, went through the chair three times, attained high Grand rank and was the first Deputy Grand Superintendent in the Royal Arch. Others attaining Grand rank are W Bro A E Oliver, District Grand Secretary shortly after the Second World War; W Bro Frank Topham, Third District Grand Principal in the Royal Arch from 1969 to 1975, and District Grand Master of the Mark from 1972 to 1987; and more recently W Bro the Revd G W F Schaafsma, who was appointed District Grand Chaplain in 1990, and honoured with Grand rank to mark the 275th anniversary of the founding of the Grand Lodge. W Bro Roland Coldrey, one of the earliest recipients of the District Grand Masters Certificate of Service, was Chairman of the Library Committee at Park Lane for a number of years.
Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler