The Builders of The Silent Cities Lodge No. 4948

 

About the Lodge

Freemasons' HallThe Lodge first met at Andertons' Hotel, in Fleet Street, then known as the Horn Tavern, last of a succession of taverns and coaching inns dating back to the 15th Century. Andertons', the name changed around 1930, remained our home until the outbreak of War in September 1939.

The War naturally influenced the nature of Lodge meetings. Dining subscriptions were suspended and both the day of the week on which meetings had customarily been held and their venue varied with the vagaries of the situation. The Lodge then met at The Rembrandt Hotel, Thurloe Street, from 1945 until 1954 followed by The Mostyn Hotel, Portman Square, from 1954 until 1970 when it moved to The Royal Commonwealth Society, and then in 1980 to The Park Court Hotel in Bayswater which became its home for the next twenty one years, before finally returning home in 2001 to Freemasons' Hall in Great Queen Street to where the Lodge now meets and was originally consecrated.

Working in the Lodge as laid down by our Founders and stated in Lodge By-Laws is Emulation. As we have no Lodge of Instruction our Director of Ceremonies and his Assistants assemble with the Officers on regular dates prior to Lodge Meetings to rehearse the work for the next meeting.

At the end of every meeting the hymn "Oh Valiant Hearts", or as it was originally titled "The Supreme Sacrifice" which was specially written for a War Anniversary Intercession service held at Westminster Abbey in August 1917, is sung. After which the Lodge stand to Order "in memory of those who dwell in the Silent Cities". This was adopted from the moment the Lodge was consecrated and continues to be observed in its original form since, besides being a tribute to those who died in the Great War it is also a reminder to us of the gift by the Peoples of France, in common with Belgium and Italy, and other Allied Governments, of the land required for the permanent Cemeteries in which to honour our War Dead.

Details

Meetings:
Meetings are held at Freemasons' Hall Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ

Ritual:
Emulation

Meeting Dates:
Regular Meetings of the Lodge are held on the 3rd Fridays in January (Installation), March, May and November

Freemasons' Hall Exterior Freemasons' Hall

John Kiplings grave War Grave Cemetary showing John Kiplings grave