LODGE HISTORY

From early 1922 to the present day.

     As we near our centenary we look past at our proud history.  Due to unfortunate loss by fire, of many of our early records have been lost and a number of gaps exist. Some of the facts, which do emerge, were taken from a copy of the first By-laws and minutes of Lodge meetings. 

     On the 29th day of December, 1922, there was an "Assembly of Master Masons" held.  Thus our Lodge was conceived four days after Christmas Day, ninety-two years ago.

     The following 19th of February 1923, a " Lodge of Instruction" was formed, and on May 26th of that same year,  the Lodge was permitted to meet "under dispensation".

     The Lodge would have met for more than a year before it proved itself, and on June 19th, 1924,  a Warrant was granted by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, and the Lodge was named Malahat Lodge and numbered 107 on the register of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia.

     The great day in our history was a month later on July 16th, 1924 when the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Stephen Jones assisted by Officers of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, duly constituted Malahat Lodge No. 107 and installed our Charter Officers.  W. Bro. G.W. Yates, our first Worshipful Master, must have been a very proud man on that historic occasion.

     These same "ancient" By-laws tell us other facts.  Fees for the Degrees were $100 and the annual dues were $9.00.

     Another interesting fact emerging from these old By-laws reminds us that travel in those days was not as easy as nowadays because  Regular Communications were held on " the first Monday on, or after the full moon" in each month.  This was a common practice in the old days, the Lodges sometimes being called " Lunar Lodges."  The first Lodge meetings were held at Shawnigan Lake, later moving to Mill Bay in the southern most end of the Cowichan Valley.  This area was named "Me Iuhul", or "good place to secure bait for fishing" by the First Nations people of the area. Malahat is the English pronunciation. Hence our forefathers chose the name Malahat Lodge.

     The " Cowichan Leader" dated May 6th, 1937 gives the story of the fire which destroyed our Temple and many of our records. The building had been completed in 1935, and was jointly owned by Bro. G.E. Scollard and the Malahat Masonic Temple Association. It was completely destroyed in the early hours of May 1st, 1937.

     On the 20th day of July, 1937, Bro. Scollard deeded the property "free of all emcumbrances" to the Malahat Masonic Temple Association.

     According to "Articles of Agreement" in 1939, the late W. Bro. Robert M. Aitken was contracted to finish and complete our present building. It was constructed on the original foundation. This contract did not include the finishing of the ground floor, comprising the present Banquet room and facilities. These rooms were completed and finished by a number of our devoted Brethren in their spare time as money became available. This extraordinary Temple has been cared for by committed Masons of Malahat Lodge since that construction. It now stands as one of the oldest and grandest buildings in the South Cowichan Valley.

     Our Lodge celebrated its Twenty-fifth Anniversary on Thursday, July 21st, 1949, its Fiftieth Anniversary on Saturday, July 20th, 1974, its Sixtieth Anniversary on Saturday, July 21st, 1984 and its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary on April 15th, 1999.  Many Grand Lodge Officers and members as well as a goodly number of our own Brethren attended all of these meetings.  Many happy memories were recalled on these occasions.

    We may all take honour and pride in our dear Lodge as we count down to our 100th anniversary which will take place in the year 2024.

     Malahat Lodge has been honoured on eleven different occasions by having one of its members appointed District Deputy Grand Master.  R.W Bro. Fred Tomlinson, 1948 - 1949;  R.W. Bro. Alfred J. Mendum, 1954 - 1955; R.W. Bro. Albert H. Fox, 1959 - 1960;  R.W. Bro. Wilbur C. Werthner, 1964 - 1965; R.W. Bro. C Monty Jasper, 1972 - 1973;  R.W. Bro. Vernon H. Archer, 1980 - 1981;  R.W. Bro. Jack S.H. Green, 1988 - 1989; R.W. Bro. J.E. Des Hutchinson, 1996 - 1997; R.W. Bro. Ron Henning, 2008 - 2009, R.W Bro. Phillip Archer, 2014-15 and R.W. Bro. Ken Christofferson, 2018-19. Four of these distinguished Brethren are still active in the affairs of the Lodge, and we are justly proud of them.

     Besides these distinguished Brethren, we have a good number of Past Masters who never fail to come forward and fill in when one of our officers may be unavoidably absent and thus our meetings are always able to proceed with a full complement of the chairs being filled. They set a wonderful example to the younger members and make us feel that the Lodge will always continue to flourish.

     While we celebrate the past we look forward to a bright future knowing that we continue to attract a high quality of men to our Order. Men who are committed to following the teachings and symbolism of our gentle Craft.

     From the eldest Past Master to the youngest Master Mason in Malahat Lodge, we are all proud of "Our Mother" who will soon be 100 years old.  As we step out into our countdown towards our hundredth year, let us all pledge ourselves to uphold the traditions handed on to us by those wonderful Masons who came before us and vow that to the best of our ability we will attend regular and emergent communications and assist in whatever capacity we can. 

 *1924-25...W.BRO.GW GATES 

*1925-26, 27-28, 28-29.... W BRO JH BUTLER 

*1926-27...W BRO J FORD 

*1929-30, 30-31..W BRO GPI TAGGART 

*1931-32, 32-33... W BRO EA BURNETT 

*1933-34....W BRO HM STEWART 

*1934-35...W BRO JH MCINTOSH 

*1935-36...W BRO RM BARLOW 

*1936-37...W BRO SR HUGHES 

*1937-38...W BRO WH SCALES 

*1938-39...W BRO W MAY 

*1939-40...RT W BRO F TOMLINSON 

*1940-41...W BRO SJ VAN VALKENBURG 

*1941-42...W BRO AM PERRINS 

*1942-43...RT W BRO AH FOX 

*1943-44...RT W BRO AJ MENDUM 

*1944-45...W BRO R THOMAS 

*1945-46...W BRO MW COLVIN 

*1946-47...W BRO R LOWE 

*1947-48...W BRO HA WARNER 

*1948-49...W BRO J TODD 

*1949-50...W BRO WA NELSON 

*1950-51...RT W BRO WC WERTHNER 

*1951-52...W BRO PT MCLEAN 

*1952-53...W BRO AH LOWE 

*1953-54...W BRO JW LEASON 

*1954-55...W BRO CB MCINTOSH 

*1955-56...W BRO JSR GREEN 

*1956-57...W BRO W WICKS

*1957-58...W BRO GF GRANT 

*1958-59...W BRO FA  DELISLE 

*1959-60...W BRO S HILL 

*1960-61...W BRO A POYNTZ 

*1961-62...W BRO LC ARNOLD 

*1962-63...W BRO A MACKAY 

*1963-64...W BRO WD TINDALL 

*1964-65...W BRO TH COLLOM 

 1965-66, 84-85, 97-98, 04-05.RT W BRO JSH GREEN 

*1966-67...RT W BRO CM JASPER 

*1967-68...RT W BRO VH ARCHER 

*1968-69, 83-84...W BRO PA WARNER 

*1969-70...W BRO AM ANDERSON 

*1970-71...W BRO WA CUDLIP 

*1971-72, 99-00...RT W BRO AT GORDON 

+1972-73...W BRO  LG MAYCOCK 

*1973-74...W BRO VF NORIE 

*1974-75, 89-90, 03-04...W BRO W ROLLS 

*1975-76...VW BRO MC MCDOUGALL 

*1976-77, 06-07...RW BRO RG HENNING 

*1977-78...W BRO TWJ MARSDEN 

+1978-79...W BRO EW ELLIOT 

   1979-80...W BRO GS MCGREGOR 

*1980-81...VW BRO HJ BOWMAN 

   1981-82...RT W BRO JED HUTCHINSON 

*1982-83...VW BRO CE LONSDALE 

   1985-86...W BRO TW MITCHELL

 *1986-87...W BRO A HUTCHINS 

+1987-88...W BRO A MCMULLAN 

*1988-89...W BRO DA DAVIS 

+1990-91...W BRO PJ PHILLIPS

+1991-92...W BRO JM MCGHEE 

+1992-93...W BRO AE SHARMAN 

   1993-94...W BRO GA HUDSON 

   1994-95...W BRO JS GIBSON 

*1995-96...W BRO WL STUBBS 

   1996-97...W BRO OT GAVAGHAN 

   1998-99...RW BRO PH ARCHER 

*2000-01...W BRO J FENMOR-COLLINS 

*2001-02, 02-03...RW BRO B DOWN 

*HONORARY...W BRO HJ LAPPIN 

   2005-06...W BRO HM ENGELSON 

   2007-08...W BRO D BRAUN 

   2008-09...RW BRO B MUSGRAVE 

   2009-10...W BRO J KIRALY 

+2010-11, 2017-18 W BRO M. WHITFIELD 

   2011-12...W BRO G HEALEY 

   2012-13...W BRO C JOHNSON 

   2013-14...W BRO F MINCHIN 

   2014-15...W BRO R .COLLINS 

*2015-16....W BRO W.  CHURCH 

   2016-17... RW BRO. K. CHRISTOFFERSON 

  2017-18... W BRO P BOLGER

  2018-19...W BRO S MAWDSLEY

  2019-20...W BRO S MAWDSLEY

  2020-21...W BRO S MAWDSLEY

  2021-22...W BRO S MAWDSLEY

2022-23...W BRO P BOLGER

2023-2024...W BRO R McLEAY

* Deceased  + Demitted