Alpha Crucis Lodge No. 980 Centenary.

A few years ago I had the pleasure to meet Bro. Bob Law who originally came from Hamilton and now lived in South Africa. Bob has kept in touch by E mail and has recently let me know that he has been Elected as District Grand Master of Central South  Africa and the Grand Master Mason and Grand Secretary were due to Install him in February 2005. Those who know Bob are delighted at his appointment and as he says “the Lanarkshire boy done good”.  Bob is also a keen reader of  The Right Angle on the Homepage and likes to keep up to date with our news and views.

During the course of our correspondence I asked if he would like to write a few lines on Freemasonry in South Africa for our  Magazine and this he agreed to do. The first article is a brief     history of Alpha Crucis Lodge No. 980, Johannesburg.

The third of November 2004 marks the hundredth year of Alpha Crucis Lodge No. 980 holding a charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. This paper is intended to give the reader information of the Lodges birthplace and home, for the past century, in the     suburbs of Johannesburg.

The formation of the Lodge and many of her sister Lodges in the Johannesburg area, took place in the early part of the twentieth century. It was during this time that Freemasonry experienced a boom period, coinciding with the huge numbers of immigrants arriving in South Africa from all quarters of the globe. Among these numbers were Freemasons, eager to make their fortunes and just as eager to propagate their Craft. It was largely from these Brethren that the Alpha Crucis Lodge was born. The Lodge derived her name from the brightest star in the Southern Cross constellation, being part of the Milky Way. The logo on our    agendas and on the top of the Lodge jewels exhibits the five main stars of the cross, Alpha Crucis situated at the southernmost point. The constellation is also depicted on the national flags of Australia and New Zealand. Incidently the four main stars Alpha Crucis, Beta Crucis, Gamma Crucis and Delta Crucis on the   Australian flag, are meant to represent the four moral virtues of Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude. 

From her consecration, until 1911, the Lodge met in the Government School Rosettenville. This being a more than amicable relationship, as the use of the building was granted “free of charge”. The Lodge flourished and became part of organised society in the south of Johannesburg. A vacant stand on the corner of Main St. and Fraser St., Kenilworth, was purchased and “The Masonic Hall, Kenilworth” was duly erected for the princely sum of five hundred and seventy seven pounds and eight shillings,   including “outside water closet”. To assist with the upkeep of the building, the hall was rented out to various bodies such as the Friendly Society, the Labour Party, Photographic Clubs and the local Ratepayers Association. The hall was used on several occasions as a Parliamentary Voting Station and regularly held various Provincial and Municipal meetings. Social functions such as weddings and birthday parties were also catered for and for several years parts of the buildings were, by way of a reciprocal agreement, as classrooms to supplement the local Government School. Indeed for many years the Lodge donated the annual Dux Medal awarded to the brightest pupil.

During the early part of the Great War (1914-18)  The Brethren of the Lodge voted, “in accordance with the wishes of His Majesty the King”, to abstain from imbibing strong drink until the hostilities in Europe ceased. . Indeed several members of the Lodge served in the Armed Forces during that conflict and it would seem that on leave from their tour of duty, must have informed the rest of the Brethren that the war would not be speedily resolved, as several months after this vote, another took place rescinding the original decision. The minutes of the regular meeting on November 1918 record the names of Brethren who had done service for King and Country in the following fields, German South West Africa Campaign, German East Africa Campaign, European Campaign. With the onset of peace the Lodge experienced a period of re-generation.  

Initiates were abundant, a good number of them coming from the Gold Mining Industry. The Miners Strike in 1922 curtailed the Lodges activities marginally and the fact that the membership numbered Brethren on both sides of that particular conflict, was all the more remarkable in that “peace and harmony” prevailed.

The following decade was in the “Halcyon Days” category, unfortunately it was not to last.

In 1939 the world was plunged into another terrible war, and the Brethren of the Lodge were not found wanting. Many, seeing active service “up North” and in Europe, some never to return. The remaining Brethren also did their bit for the War Effort by taking part in various fund raising projects, such as the Foster Stoker Memorial War Fund. Until the end of 1945 the Lodge meetings were opened with a “moments thought for our fighting forces” and throughout the    minutes recorded during this period, cognisance was taken regarding the sacrifice the Brethren on active service were making. The Lodge managed to battle along gainfully under the leadership of Bro. H.G. Cooke who served as R.W.M. from 1943 to 1946.

The war took its toll on our membership and on our ability to meet our commitments and a loan was sought in order to help pay for much needed repairs to the buildings. This proved only to   delay the inevitable. After much deliberation and under severe financial constraints, it was proposed and approved to sell the rapidly deteriorating Masonic Hall, Kenilworth. The repairs and running costs being prohibitive. The sale realising the magnificent sum of £10,000 less agents fees. The last meeting was held on 12^th. April 1956.

The Lodge then took up residence as a tenant in the Kenilworth Hall, owned by the Southern Johannesburg Caledonian Society, also in Fraser Street, Kenilworth, a short distance from the original home.

After 17 years in the Kenilworth Hall, the Alpha Crucis Lodge in partnership with Lodges Braemar, Gordon, Glen Douglas, Towerby and English constitution Lodges, Fordsburg, Ionic, Southern Cross and Vrede purchased the present day Southern Masonic Temple Glensands Ave., Rewlatch. The building, being a former Church was added to and restructured into the Masonic home as it is today.

The Lodge remains committed to furthering the Principles of Scottish Freemasonry as an integral part of the District Grand Lodge of Central South Africa. District Grand Master, Bro. M.G. Staines and his Brethren have maintained the standards set by our Founding Fathers which can only bode well for the future.