LODGE INFORMATION
Our Lodge meetings and Festive Boards are an excellent example of Freemasonry at its best
THE LODGE PROFILE
The Lodge holds several social events throughout the year with Sunday lunches, Christmas parties, BBQ and when viable, Ladies' Nights. All of which can include all the Lodge members' families and friends.
As we are a very old and established Lodge, we have our own unique ritual that loosely follows the standard ritual used throughout the Province of Sussex.
We hold regular ‘Lodge of Instruction’ meetings which enables the Lodge to maintain the high standards expected within our ‘Lodge Workings’.
The Lodge has a very active WhatsApp Group for the formal masonic business of the Lodge.
We are looking to set up a Facebook page to provide the public with a greater awareness of our particular Lodge, which will also enable the Lodge to post photos and more detailed information etc about the members and the Lodge in general. Thereby raising our profile within that media and prominently, putting us out into the public domain.
THE FORMATION OF THE FOREST OAK LODGE
In 1930 The Provincial Grand Master of Sussex, Major R. L. Thornton noticed that in the Official Returns to Province, the names of Crawley, Ifield and District Masons were occurring in greater frequency. WBr W. T. Shepardson of the Howard Lodge of Brotherly Love No. 56 at Littlehampton, was commissioned to enquire into the possibility of forming a Regular Lodge to meet in Crawley. A meeting was held in the George Hotel Crawley on the 4th July 1930, attended by 3 Past Masters and 20 Master Masons. A motion was proposed and seconded, that preliminary steps should be taken towards the formation of a new Lodge in Crawley and a Petition to Grand Lodge be prepared to this effect.
2 Past master’s and 18 Master Masons from various Lodges agreed to become Founders if suitably qualified. The Petition prayed for a Warrant of Constitution for a new Lodge to be named St GEORGE’S LODGE meeting at the George Hotel Crawley, on every third Wednesday in the months of October, November, January, February, March and April. The day of Wednesday was chosen, as a considerable number of the founders were shopkeepers etc and in those days, shops were closed on a Wednesday afternoon.