Although some kind of disposable income is necessary, annual subscriptions tend to be no higher than £300 annually in this Province, and some are significantly lower.
Of course, there are meals, raffles, regalia and the cost of a black suit to factor on top of subscriptions, but members can keep their expenses as affordable as necessary to their circumstances.
Freemasons come from all walks of life, all traditional ‘classes’ and all levels of education. The criteria for joining is relatively simple.
Candidates for joining must :
• be over 21 (or 18 via United Grand Lodge of England Universities Scheme or by dispensation)
• be of good moral standing
• hold a belief in a Supreme Being
• •
25/01/2021
17/12/2020
Octa Lodge members and guests packed into the dining room at Knole Road to celebrate Christmas, with Poole Town Brass Band providing musical entertainment and accompanying the singing of carols. A fine Christmas Festive Board was enjoyed by all. W Bro Paul Challis presented a donation of £1,500 to the Friends of Zetland Court, resulting from his successful year as Master. W Bro Derek Gurr, who presided over the occasion thanked everyone for supporting the event, wishing them well for the Festive Season and the year ahead.
Rodney.
01/11/2020
Brother Harry Houdini passed away on this date in 1926. He was a member of St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 in New York.
Portrait by Brother Travis Simpkins.
31/10/2020
RIP Sean Connery. May the Light illuminate His path in the Heavenly Valleys.
We understand he isn’t a Mason, and we are not trying to connect him to Masonry.
He stared in one of the best known Masonic themed movies around.
I'm trying to find out if anyone knows which Lodges / Chapters my friends Grandfather was a member of. We are currently cataloguing his vast amount of memorabilia!
John phillip Smith, a Freemason between 1966-2005
Areas thought to be connected to : Surrey, Middlesex, Hampshire and IOW.
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Founded in the early 1920’s, the Founders of Octa Lodge were considered as some of the key pillars of Bournemouth’s Masonic society, and most were well-known in the local community.
The Sponsoring Lodge was Lodge of Hengist No. 195, and many of the founding members came from this Sponsoring Lodge.
In Saxon history, Hengist was thought to have been King of Kent and was succeeded by OCTHA, who ruled from AD 455–488. However, Saxon history is confused using many similar names to describe their rulers. Suffice to say that Octa and many of the Bournemouth Lodges which were spawned by Lodge of Hengist are named after Saxon personalities of that era. The Octa Lodge logo often wrongly described as a 'Galleon’ is in fact, a Saxon Longship.
The first meeting was held at Freemasons’ Hall, St Michael’s Road, Bournemouth. The lodge continued to meet there until its current venue at Knole Road was acquired and made available in 1958. Meetings were to be held nine times a year on the third Thursday of the month, from October to June. In 1924 it was decided to omit the June meeting, and meet in September. During the Second World War, 1941–1945, the November, December, and January meetings were replaced in favour of the summer months, June, July and August.
The Knole was purchased in 1956 and became operational as a Masonic Centre in 1958. Octa Lodge held its first meeting at the new Centre in January 1958. Octa members played a significant part in the various negotiations involved in the move to new premises, and the lodge was able to meet the financial demands which entailed in the purchase and development of the Knole. Such was the growth of Freemasonry in Bournemouth, that an annexe was built in 1969 to accommodate the increased demand on space.
As Octa Lodge approaches its Centenary in 2022, we hope to continue our successful contribution to the advancement of Freemasonry in Bournemouth.
