The Lodge was consecrated on Friday 7th September 1951 in Big School.  There were twenty-six founder members present and the meeting was attended by many distinguished visiting masons.  The Lodge continued to meet in Big School until 1999 when the Governors withdrew their permission for Masonic meetings to be held at the School.  The Lodge now meets at the Walker Hall in Ampton Road, Edgbaston, by permission of the Vicar of Edgbaston.  We have settled in there very comfortably and happily.  Whilst the architecture of the hall does not compare with Big School we felt at home from an early stage as we possess our own Lodge Furniture which was most generously provided by the Founders at the time of the Consecration.  Sadly only one Founder remains alive, namely W Bro K M Young.

Old Edwardians have always made a substantial contribution to Freemasonry in the Midlands and it was the intention of the Founders that the Lodge should provide a focus for Old Edwardians and their common interest in the well-being of the School and its old boys.  The Festive Board held after each meeting is distinctively 'Old Edwardian' in character and the Lodge maintains a School Fund which is used to provide a book prize and a cup for the boy who is considered in the opinion of the Chief Master to have made an outstanding contribution by way of personal service to the community at large or to the School community.  It has also provided gifts for projects where other funds have either not been available or have needed supplementing.  A substantial donation was also made to the Rugby Tour to Australia a few years ago.

The late W Bro Leslie Pountney was a distinguished Worcestershire Mason who became a joining member of the Lodge.  Following his death a Memorial Fund was established by the Lodge and numerous Lodges in Worcestershire to provide grants to schoolboys in Worcestershire and Warwickshire to enable them to engage in various broadly educational activities which would otherwise have been beyond their means.  A number of boys from King Edwards have benefited and the Lodge provides one of the trustees of the fund.

Although the original intention was that membership of the Lodge should be confined to Old Edwardians and Masters at the School, freemasonry is universal and therefore the area of recruitment has been widened to include anyone who has a connection with the School or who is an old boy of any of the Schools in the Foundation.

The Lodge currently has thirty-two subscribing Members and two Honorary Members.  One of the Honorary Members is R W Bro Barrie Cooper who recently retired as Provincial Grand Master of Worcestershire.  He was at the School in the late 1940s and will be remembered by many as an excellent sprinter and rugby player.  Also among our members is the current Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire, R W Bro Michael Price who is a Foundation Governor.  W Bro Richard Price is another of our number to have achieved Masonic distinction, having recently been installed as the Grand Superintendent of the Royal Arch Province of Worcestershire.  He was at the School during the 1950s and achieved success in the School Rugby team and in the Swimming team.  There are currently six Officers of the United Grand Lodge of England amongst our members, one of whom, W Bro Don Beere, is a Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the Masonic Province of Staffordshire.

The Lodge meets on the 4th Thursday in September, October, February and April and on the 1st Thursday in December.  Any Old Edwardian who is a Freemason can be assured of a very warm welcome at any of these meetings.  If you're not yet a Mason but are interested in the Lodge and its activities, you should contact Nick Plotnek on 0121-456 3399.

What is Freemasonry?

For centuries Freemasons have followed these three great Principles:-

Brotherly Love  ―  means that every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others and will behave with compassion and understanding to his fellows.

Relief  ―  From earliest times Freemasons have been taught to help, to the best of their ability, those in distress without detriment to any who are dependent upon them, and to give their support to outside Charities.

Truth  ―  Freemasons strive for truth both in their view of themselves and in their dealings with others.  Masonry requires high moral standards and its members endeavour to uphold these principles in their public and private lives.

Those who would like to know more about Freemasonry in general and Freemasonry in the West Midlands in particular should pay a visit to the following websites:-

 King Edward's School, Edgbaston, Birmingham ― click here

 The Old Edwardians' Association ― click here

 Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire ― click here

 Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire ― click here

 Provincial Grand Lodge of Staffordshire ― click here

 United Grand Lodge of England ― click here

Walker Hall Location Map ― click here (Streetmap) or here (Multimap)

If you'd like to know more about the Lodge or how you can become a Mason, or if you're already a Mason and would like to join us on a Lodge night, you're welcome to contact the webmaster, Bro Nick Plotnek, who's also a member of the Lodge, by telephone on 0121-456 3399 or email at boel7115@plotnek.com.

Disclaimer
Please note: We cannot guarantee that the links from this page have been approved by the United Grand Lodge of England or Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire.  Neither can we guarantee that all links from their pages are recognised by, or have the approval of the United Grand Lodge of England or Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire.