On Friday 10th May 2024, The Lodge of St James No.6838 held a very special meeting to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Lodge in May 1949.
With the Provincial Grand Master RWBro Mark Constant, together many Grand and Provincial Officers, along with over 100 Brethren present, the evening featured a superb presentation by the Past Provincial Grand Master, RWBro Max Bayes entitled;
A Retrospect of the Recent History of the Lodge
& The Transition from St George's Avenue to Sheaf Close - now 'The Griggs Centre’.
In the first part, RWBro Max outlined his own journey into Freemasonry and as now the longest serving member of the lodge, brought to life many of the wonderful Masons he has had the pleasure of meeting along the way.
Then in the second part of his presentation, RWBro Max Bayes highlighted the many locations where Masons have met in Northampton since the first Northampton Masonic Lodge was recorded in 1730.
However, his main focus was on the period since 1971 when the Provincial Centre was located in St George’s Avenue and the background to the purchase of the site in Sheaf Close in 2012, and following substantial redevelopment work, leading to taking up occupation in March 2013, with the first Provincial events taking place in May of that year. Negotiations for the sale in St George’s Avenue and purchase of Sheaf Close were both lengthy and difficult, requiring great leadership and determination.
RWBro Max also highlighted the financial support along the way from the Griggs family, given when it was most needed most and commented that it was fitting that WBro Stephen Griggs could be present on this special evening.
To read RWBro Max Bayes' presentation in full, please click the following link:
- pdf Lodge of St James No. 6838 - Presentation by RWBro Max Bayes - History Remembered (76 KB) (members only)
All in all, a wonderful evening and a great reminder of this period in the history of our Province for a significant number of members particularly those in Northampton, who have not known any other residence than 'The Griggs Centre’ at Sheaf Close, Northampton.