Consecrated 25th August 1934
Meeting at: Messina - Whyte/Great North Roads
Meeting Dates: 2nd Thursday (2nd Sat Aug) Inst Aug
Contact 083 734 8306
Lodge History
In the early 1930s a number of members of Lion of the North (Louis Trichardt) were working in Messina, and under the leadership of W Bro T H Jackson (according to the Lodge history, the 'only brother with any masonic experience'!) they agreed to petition for a lodge to meet there. Meetings were held at the Huke Memorial Church while the masonic hall was being built. This was completed in January 1937, at a cost of some £1200.
An early candidate was Dr H R le Helloco and he was followed a few years later by J E (Boet) Scholtz, the younger son of one of the first two initiates. These brethren both went through the chair of Messina Lodge before moving elsewhere to continue masonic careers of high distinction.
The first 30 years saw the Lodge making very good progress, with one very sad occurrence, the murder of W Bro Yeats, the Master in 1948/9. In those days the Lodge saw many visitors, passing through on their way to or from 'Southern Rhodesia'. But the year 1965 brought 'UDI' and Messina felt the full effects of a close neighbour at war with itself. Holiday traffic via Beit Bridge virtually fell away and with it, much of the visiting of the past, while members living north of the border could rarely attend their lodge, Nor did the end of the war bring relief, as the economy of Messina had been badly affected and South Africa's relations with its northern neighbour were anything but good. Indeed, following the closure of the Messina Transvaal Development copper mine, and the transfer of employees elsewhere, attendances at regular meetings of the Lodge fell to an average of six. However, under the leadership of W Bro George Grobler, members of Lion of the North came to the rescue and in addition to visits, some of them joined Messina Lodge, including W Bro G D Boyd, who served in the Messina chair for three years.
So by 1993 the Worshipful Master was able to report on an 'extremely successful year, including exceptionally sound finances for a small Lodge with its own, far from young, masonic hall to look after. In the previous years Messina Ltd. had given the Lodge the ground on which the hall was situated, while the Lodge also received a donation of R3000, earmarked for local charities; and encouraging news was that Messina was to be the headquarters for the new Venetia diamond mine.
So the Lodge is confident of a sound future.
Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler