Birnbeck Lodge

Meets at 19:00 except September, on the third Wednesday Months – Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep (Installation 17:30), Oct, Nov and Dec

Birnbeck Lodge No 7160 is situated in the seaside town of Weston-s-Mare. It prides itself on being a very friendly and traditional lodge but with a very forward thinking attitude. The lodge has an excellent reputation for some of the best ritual in the province and is extremely proud of its charitable fund raising, by which it helps to support National ventures as well as many local groups. The lodge has over 60 members who are drawn from all backgrounds and occupations, such as the Armed Forces, emergency services, self employed, financial sectors and many others. We feel that this gives a good balance of members with different interests and knowledge, this makes our gatherings very diverse and interesting. As well as being friendly, it is a very sociable lodge and holds several social events during the year which are organised by either the committee or individuals of the lodge, and vary in type and frequency. An important feature is that all our social events are open to family and friends including those that are not Masons.

Contact the Lodge Secretary: Jonathan (Jon) Taylor

What Makes a Suitable candidate? – It is very true that a wrong choice when proposing somebody to become a Mason can have disastrous effects on the Lodge and the person themselves. Therefore, the choice must be well considered by both the proposer and seconder and the candidate themselves. They must all be sure that it feels right. It is usual that the proposer and seconder will have known the prospective candidate for a number of years and be very familiar with how he conducts himself and the standards he sets. He will also be known to put his family affairs, financial and pastoral, first. This requirement comes before any commitment to Freemasonry. However, this is not always so and applicants should not be discouraged because they do not know any Freemasons. First an applicant must declare a belief in a Supreme Being. Freemasonry does not align itself with any particular religious belief and is therefore open to men of any faith. Whilst religious conversation is not allowed in Lodge, the candidate must not have a closed mind to all opinions and faiths or he may bring disharmony to the membership. It should be understood that the principles on which the order is founded is Brotherly Love (Friendship), Relief (Charity) and Truth (Integrity). Other than in exceptional circumstances he must be at least 21yrs old. In some circumstances it is possible for younger men to join but they must be at least 18 years old. He should be able to afford the fees and charitable donations without detriment to himself or his family. Is it believed that he would have the time available, not only for monthly meetings but for Charity functions and later for classes of instruction and rehearsals, again without detriment to himself or his family. These are the “administrative musts” before the next step is considered there are other attributes an ideal candidate should demonstrate. Are you tolerant of the beliefs of others? regard every man as an equal and deserving of your respect and assistance? Then Freemasonry is for you To join you would normally need to be 21yrs but this can be lower in certain circumstances. We require a belief in a Supreme Being, (God if you like) although it doesn’t matter by what name you refer to him/her. We embrace Men of all Ages, Race, Sexuality, Ethnicity or Religion. In fact at our meetings the discussion of personal subjects, such as politics or religion are frowned upon. We aim to create a place where divisions are left outside, so that we can engage in activities that unite rather than separate. We teach honourable behaviour in all that you do, decency, honesty and responsibility. If this sounds like you, welcome!

Characteristics We Require – Kindness and support in the home, Honesty and fairness in work and elsewhere,Truthfulness, Courtesy, Love for his fellow beings, Friendliness, Humility, A willingness to help others, Concern for the unfortunate, Giving without the motive of receiving, Eagerness to take on new challenges, Patience, A capacity to enjoy Freemasonry as a hobby

The History of Birnbeck Lodge – The name for Birnbeck Lodge was taken from a large rock, once an island guarding the entrance to Weston Bay, but now connected to the mainland by a pier and housing the local RNLI lifeboat. The Lodge was consecrated on 11th June 1952. It is the only Lodge in Weston-super-Mare to start meetings at 7.00 pm. The Founders agreed this so that members could arrive in a relaxed frame of mind after having more time to get home from work. Despite the pressures of contemporary life, we still try to maintain the traditions and standards of our Founders but remain open minded enough to embrace the modern world.

The Future of Birnbeck Lodge – Birnbeck Lodge has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, being consecrated on 11th June 1952. The Lodge meets on a Wednesday, nine times a year from September to May and is the only one in Weston-super-Mare to start at 7pm (a time introduced by our founders so that Brethren could arrive in a relaxed frame of mind after having more time to get home from work). We are extremely fortunate in having very good attendances and attracting a goodly number of guests. Although we enjoy our Masonry, we work extremely hard at our ceremonies and, in general, this results in Ritual of a very high standard. We are also, we believe rightly, proud of our Charity giving, an effort helped in no small way by our Charity status. We have surveyed our membership and, it is fair to say, Birnbeck is a happy, content Lodge. We are well regarded by our fellow Weston Lodges and throughout the Province. Many Brethren are comfortable with the way we do things but agree there is always room for improvement and complacency must be avoided at all costs. Member’s views have been taken fully into account when formulating the following “plan”, they will be involved all through the process and consulted as and when necessary. We have taken the opportunity offered by “The Future of My Lodge” initiative to undertake a thorough assessment of ourselves; where we were, where we are and where we are going. It is more than interesting to note that fifteen to twenty years ago Birnbeck had over 90 members, today we number in the mid-sixties. We are resolved to work together to first stem this tide and then, with some effort, reverse it. We do realise, however, that numbers are not everything and are determined to maintain the high calibre of Membership we have enjoyed in the past. We realised some time ago that there was a problem in the area of recruitment and retention so formed a Standing Subcommittee on these issues. It still sits today and will drive through many of the ideas outlined in this document.