WIMMERA Lodge members witnessed a history-making event at the weekend.
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Lodge members and people from the Masonic Grand Lodge in Melbourne were part of Horsham Masonic Centre’s rededication on Saturday.
The ceremony marked the centre’s refurbishment, which took about a year to complete.
The centre – built in 1937 – has a new roof, lift, split-system units, new carpet in the lodge room, and a modernised kitchen.
Wimmera Lodge immediate past master Philip Nicks said dignitaries including Most Worshipful Grand Master Hillel Benedykt from the grand lodge attended the event.
“When a lodge is first established, they have a consecration ceremony, similar to what a church would have,” he said.
“Because we have refurbished the building, we call it a rededication.
“The Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother Don Reynolds and the immediate past Worshipful Grand Master Bob Jones attended, and they brought with them about 20 members of the grand lodge ceremonial team.
“We had about 110 people there, which is massive for our lodge.”
Mr Nicks said Horsham Mayor Mark Radford and Horsham Cr Heather Phillips also attended the event.
“We had representatives from other service clubs there too, and the directors from Locks Constructions who did the refurbishment,” he said.
Mr Nicks said the ceremony went for about an hour and a half.
“We will never see that ceremony in Horsham again,” he said.
“There are a lot of lodge people who had never seen that ceremony.
“It will go down as part of Horsham’s history.”
Horsham Masonic Centre also hosted an open day on Sunday.
Mr Nicks said about 40 people took the opportunity to walk through the centre and see the lodge room.
“We were hoping to attract some possible new candidates, but we had more of the older generation wanting to see the hall and how it had changed,” he said.
“Everyone was pretty impressed with the refurbishment.”
Mr Nicks thanked Locks Constructions, painter Craig Bennett and other tradespeople involved in the refurbishment. “Everyone did a fantastic job,” he said.