South African Freemasons King Edward Lodge No. 3004
in the District of South Africa North
King Edward Lodge No. 3004 P.O. Box 95
Potchefstroom
District Potchefstroom
Consecrated: 1904
Meetings: 4th Thursday Jan, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, 4th
Sat Feb
Meeting place:off St Mary Lane, Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom made masonic history in 1865 by being
the home of the first lodge to be formed in the old
Transvaal Republic, the Netherlandic 'Flaming Star
of Africa. A Scottish lodge came on to the scene in
1889 but the English did not move in until after the
South African War, when a strong garrison of British
troops was stationed outside the town, and English
masons among their number combined with some of the
townsmen in petitioning for a new lodge. This was
named 'King Edward' as a token of respect for King
Edward VII, our Immediate Past Grand Master. The
initial prominence of military members soon
declined, and with Potchefstroom emerging as an
educational centre, there was a useful influx of
teachers and lecturers into the Lodge. Then the
establishment of a large military camp at
Potchefstroom at the outbreak of the First World War
led to renewed military membership, and the Lodge
flourished albeit that the soldier members naturally
'came and went'. With the advent of the Second World
War the process repeated itself and the Lodge
emerged from the war strong enough to be able, in
1946, to help revive its sponsoring lodge, Royal
Albert No 2315, in Klerksdorp, which had not met for
several years.
Over the years the lodge venue has changed several
times. Until 1912 it met in a building in Kerk
Street (then King Edward Street). Then it built its
own hall in St Mary's Lane, borrowing £500 for the
purpose. This was only paid off in 1960, making the
lodge initially reluctant to support the Jubilee
Memorial Fund. However the finances were sorted out
and the lodge remained in St Mary's Lane until its
property was expropriated by the Town Council in
1989/90.
In the meantime the lodge had had problems.
Membership declined and this, coupled with venue
problems following the expropriation, led to such a
serious fall in attendance as threatened the future
of the lodge.
However after using various meeting places, the
lodge is now meeting in the St Mary's Memorial Hall
in Potchefstroom and may well stay there until it is
strong enough in numbers to warrant acquiring new
premises, possibly in conjunction with the Scottish
lodge. The resources are available but, sadly, there
is hostility towards Freemasonry in Potchefstroom,
making recruitment difficult.
To mention a few of the lodge's distinguished
members, W Bro F G (Sammy) Tyers, headmaster of the
Potchefstroom Boys High School, moved on to take
charge of Parktown Boys High School in Johannesburg
and served as Assistant District Grand Master from
1948 to 1950; W Bro T J Crous was to become Chief
Commissioner of Police, with the rank of General;
and W Bro Tommy Coulter, Worshipful Master four
times and Secretary for some thirty years, was the
recipient of Grand Honours in 1987. Of interest,
too, is that Bro Dick Hollard Amm, later to become
District Grand Master of the Scottish District, was
initiated in King Edward Lodge by his father, in
1916.
Exsequi Lodge meets at Park
Lane in Johannesburg, South Africa on the fourth Monday of
February (Election Meeting), April (Installation Meeting),
June, August, October and November. Exsequi is a Freemasons
Dining Lodge and masonic guests are most welcome.
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