Federation of School Lodges meets in Bath

Attended by Freemasons from all over the country, the Annual General Meeting of the Federation of School Lodges was held at Kingswood School in Bath on Saturday 23rd October 2021. The meeting was hosted by the Kingswood School Lodge No 4197 and their Master W.Bro Michael Jakins.

Consecrated on 9th Dec 1920, Kingswood School Lodge celebrated its Centenary on Saturday 23rd Oct by planting a Centenary tree, complete with commemoration plaque in the newly designated Orchard area of Kingswood School in Bath. The occasion was a triple event as Kingswood not only hosted the Federation of School Lodges AGM, but also saw them install as the Federations new President, the Assistant Grand Master RW Bro. Sir David Hugh Wootton – who of course was briefly made to turn gardener to plant the tree and W.Bro Michael Button, PM of Taunton School Lodge No 8215 as the Chairman.

The beautiful buildings of the School were a wonderful backdrop for the 70+ Lodge Members, guests, dignitaries and partners, and in a masterful piece of planning all the children were on half term – which was just as well as the main Drama Theatre was taken over and changed into a Lodge – some may consider the idea apt.
After the AGM the Lodge went into full swing and a superb talk from W.Bro Malcolm Toogood took the entire gathering on a fascinating journey through almost 300 years of Masonry in Bath. Dinner in an amazing dining hall straight out of Hogwarts completed the day. Congratulations to W.Bro Michael Jakins and his team for organising the event.

Report by W.Bro John Townsend ProvADC, with additional information from W.Bro Michael Button PPrJGW

Next year the festival will be held on Saturday, the 3rd of September 2022 at Bradford Grammar School under the banner of the Bradfordians Lodge No 9886, the Assistant Grand Master being a member of the lodge, it’s Primus master, present DC and the governor of the school.