LODGE EASTERN STAR

Lodge Eastern Star, No. 368 S.C was chartered on 6th November 1854. The first Installation Meeting of the Lodge was held on Friday, 1st July, 1856 with W. Bro. Daniel Hart as Installing Officer and Bro. P.G. Des Lisle as S.W. both members of Royal Philanthropic Lodge, No. 405 E.C. Lodge Eastern Star was, in effect, a creature of Royal Philanthropic Lodge, which was itself chartered on the 29th March, 1831. In its early days, Lodge Eastern Star met at premises owned by Lodge United Brothers, however in November 1923, Lodge Eastern Star was permitted to use the Temple of Royal Philanthropic Lodge and has remained there ever since.

In the early history of the Lodge a large portion of its membership was drawn from the French, Spanish and Portuguese elements of the community, many of whom were master mariners. In due course, that membership was drawn from a wide variety of trades and professions. Among these were carpenters, contractors, school teachers, merchants, civil servants, land surveyors, engineers, chemists, doctors of medicine, journalists, lawyers and agriculturalists.

With the growth in number and prestige of the Civil Service, beginning in the 1940’s or thereabouts, the Lodge had an unusual influx of senior civil servants and professionals into its membership. Many of these new members were old boys of Queen’s Royal College but today the number of Q.R.C. old boys who seek membership of the Lodge has reduced remarkably. This is of course, due to the founding of Lodge Royalian No. 1605. S.C, a Lodge of which Lodge Eastern Star, along with Royal Philanthropic Lodge was the sponsor. Recently, Past Students of St. Mary’s College have filled this gap.

Today membership of Lodge Eastern Star has changed somewhat, not so much as being reflective of the trades and professions in the society but more especially regarding ethnic and religious backgrounds. Recently, the Lodge has had a welcome influx of members of East Indian descent and of different religious persuasions so much so that it now makes use of three volumes of the Sacred Law at its ceremonies reflecting Christian, Hindu and Muslim religions.

The Lodge is now abundantly blessed with young masons whose demonstrated enthusiasm could only redound to the advancement of the Craft and the fortunes of the Lodge in particular. The Lodge remains blessed with seven distinguished octogenarians, all Past Masters. They are Brothers Carlton Dore, Fitz-James Williams, Eugene Blackett, Andrew Ganteaume, Cecil Blaize, Leonard Butcher and Roy Cuffie. Brother Fitz-James Williams has had a scholarship inaugurated in his name.

Regrettably, the Lodge has not embarked on any special community-based projects that require structured interfacing with the wider community. Nor has it been influenced by any significant social or political events in the country. But the Lodge has had some influence, admittedly small, on the political landscape, in that it has produced two leaders of different fledgling political parties that did not figure prominently in the General Elections of 2007.

The Lodge has maintained its unique identity among the practicing Craft Lodges in the country by preserving and enhancing certain ceremonial customs and conventional usages. Starting with our Installation, which is always on the third Friday in December, the Lodge celebrates the event with its traditional singing of carols in the temple. The invocation embraces the faiths of all masons in its membership and since three holy books are open on the altar, a three-part invocation is used to sanctify the ceremony.

It has been a tradition of LES that Past Masters perform its Mark Degree, often with brethren from other lodges invited to participate. In 2002 on the eve of the installation of Dr. Wilbert Hilton Winchester as DGM, LES treated the craft to a testimonial performance in the form of a special dramatised Mark Degree in which the parts were sung by the cast. I. On July 7th 2006, LES celebrated its 150th anniversary, with a special Divine Service at All Saints Church and a Rededication Ceremony at the Lodge. The Masonic Fraternity of both districts was a part of this celebration.

The Masonic Interfaces of Lodge Eastern Star have been very deep. The Lodge has made a significant contribution to the growth of the District Grand Lodge. The Trinidad and Tobago Masonic Provident Society (TTMPS) today through the efforts of Brother Carlton Lewis is proud of its record of immediate delivery of financial relief to assist in funeral expenses of bereaved families. Eastern Star still boasts of its plants, cakes, jams and jellies stall in the Masonic October Fair. In more recent times, the Masonic Chefs Delight has offered Lodge Eastern Star “men who cook” the opportunity to show off their culinary skills to raise money for the District.

In the last 25 years we saw the emergence of the Continuing Masonic Education (CME) through Brother Rupert Jack Harewood. In 1991, Eastern Star had its first publication of “The Lodge Eastern Star Year Book”, again through Brother Rupert Jack Harewood. It was described quite correctly by then reigning master, Brother Raymond Parris as “making a significant contribution to the body of Masonic information available to us”. Following that rich tradition is the Lodge Newsletter publication, “The Eastern Star”, occasionally produced by Brother Eden Shand.

Lodge Eastern Star was especially proud to have sponsored Lodge Hesperus 25 years ago and has watched with pride the full development of that seed. Thanks especially to foundation members like Brothers Fitz-James Williams, Gordon Toby, Andrew Ganteaume and Vincent Callender. As well, it boasts having four members in the National Hall of fame – Brothers Lance Pierre, Prior Jones, and Andrew Ganteaume for West Indies cricket and Brother John Cumberbatch as a West Indies national sprint champion

If present trends continue, and the influx of young enthusiastic masons proceeds unabated, there is no doubt that Lodge Eastern Star will continue to thrive and the Craft as a whole go from strength to strength