Welcome to the home of Scottish Freemasonry in Rustenburg
Freemasonry in Rustenburg
Freemasonry in Rustenburg consist of 3 Constitutions. They are Scottish constitution (Grand Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Freemasons of Scotland), English Constitution (UGLE) and South African Constitution (GLSA)
There is also side degrees available in the form of Royal Arch, Knights Templar and 18th degree Rose Croix.
About Lodge Peglerae
They had an informal chat at No. 2 Avondrust Mews, Brink Street, Rustenburg regarding Scottish Freemasonry in Rustenburg and it was decided that a Scottish Lodge would be an asset to the existing Fraternity. Feelers were put out at subsequent local Masonic Meetings and it was found that there was a concerted interest shown among certain other brethren. The first documented meeting was called and held later that year with Bro. Harry Kerr Cruikshanks, Bro. Clive Douglas Maginnis, Bro. Charles Peter Bint, Bro, Daniel François Malan, Bro. Ernest Rand Hayward and Bro. Woodrow Bernard Wilson in attendance. Bro. Malan proposed that the Lodge be named Lodge Peglerae because of the association of the Peglerae aloe with Rustenburg and the surrounding district which was accepted by all present. It was also decided that we needed to get as much exposure in Scottish Masonic circles by visiting as many Scottish Lodges in the District as possible.
Bro. Cruikshanks being the most senior member and being retired, undertook to contact the District Grand Secretary, Bro. Don Rennie of the then District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal, Orange Free State and Northern Cape S.C. and discuss the necessary requirements for us to form a new Scottish Lodge. We initially decided to work to the Standard Scottish Ritual because most of the brethren present worked to different rituals in their respective Mother Lodges.
This did not happen because the District advised us that it was a lot easier and cheaper to obtain the Rainbow Ritual from the District direct and most lodges in the District worked to this ritual. In forming the new Lodge, it was not the intension to encourage the recruitment of local Rustenburg Freemasons of other constitutions unless they had a connection. Bro. Malan was a personal friend of the IPM of Lodge Unity No. 1006 S.C. who met in the Masonic Centre, Van Der Walt Street in Pretoria and he organised our first visit as a delegation of Scottish brethren to a Scottish Lodge. This was the first of many to Scottish Lodges in the District (Pretoria, Johannesburg and the West Rand). We were even eventually received as an official visit from a delegation of brethren seeking a Charter in some Lodges.
During these visits we were approached by brethren from different Lodges who were interested in becoming Foundation Members and our number soon grew to 20. Of the 20 only 11 lived in Rustenburg and the surrounding area, 2 from Pretoria, 2 from Johannesburg, 4 from the West Rand Area and 1 from Zimbabwe, the District Grand Master of Zimbabwe Bro. George Alexander Scott. We required the sponsorship of two Sister Lodges of the Scottish Constitution in the District for the submission of our application to The Grand Lodge of Scotland to open a new Lodge. On one of our visits during 1982 to Lodge Unity No. 1006 S.C. we approached them to sponsor us and they jumped at the opportunity. Our next visit was to Krugersdorp Lodge No. 994 S.C. who unfortunately were celebrating their Ceremonial of Installation and it was not the appropriate time to approach them. The next visit was to Randfontein Lodge No. 979 S.C. where we approached them and the response was equally positive. We now had our two sponsor Sister Lodges and we were able to continue with our application to The District Grand Lodge early in 1983. The Charter arrived later that year. After we had submitted our application to Grand Lodge we officially notified Lodge Orange No. 12 GLSA and Rustenburg Lodge No. 8254 EC of our intention and were about to apply for acceptance from the Moths Association to hold our meetings at the Moth Hall on the same conditions as the other two Lodges, to be informed that animosity from the Moths against the Freemasons existed and they were about to quart triple the rent for the Lodges. The two other Lodges had decided to move out and we were not in a position to pay the exorbitant rent. A meeting was arranged with the representatives from the Moths and senior members of the two Lodges in the conference room of Lionel Motors and Bro. Cruikshanks and Bro. Maginnis were invited to attend as representatives of the New Scottish Lodge. After a lengthy discussion the Lodges made an offer to buy the Moth Hall back from the Moths in the sum of R54,000.00, because the building was originally built by the Freemasons. We were to be part of the transaction and to hold a third share of the premises. The offer was rejected and the Lodges were to move out at the end of their lease agreements. We all had to find a new meeting place. Bro. Cruikshanks, Bro. Maginnis, Bro. Ken Green of Lodge Northern Province No. 1576 S.C. and Mr. Bill Nairn (General Manager of RPM Rustenburg Section) met for a lunch time meeting at the Golden Cave to discuss a venue for the Lodges and Mr. Nairn offered us a venue on mine property in Kroondal for a rental of R50.00 per month per meeting which we offered to the other two Lodges and they started meeting there shortly after. We did not take up the offer because the venue was a little off the beaten track and we felt that it might deter our visitors after travelling from afar. We approached the Rustenburg Municipality initially to rent the Town Hall for a fee of R100.00 to hold the Consecration and First Installation of Lodge Peglerae and later negotiated a monthly rental of R40.00 per month for the use of the Supper Room to hold our monthly meetings. This created a challenge regarding furnishing the Lodge for monthly meetings but we were able to overcome this challenge by using the carpentry skills and ingenuity of Bro. Ernie Hayward who designed and constructed the collapsible Master and Wardens Pedestals and raised platforms, gavels, glazed frames for the tracing boards and Charter, and the easel for the Charter. Bro. R.P. Spencer-Scarr undertook to design the front page of our agendas which had to be proof read and sent to the printers early every month and once received back, then posted to all required and necessary recipients. Mrs May Cruikshanks made the navy blue covers for the Master and Wardens pedestals, the alter cover, the VOSL cushion, candidates kneeling cushion and the cover to the kneeling stool. A large chequered carpet was donated by DGL and a smaller one was donated by Lodges from Roodepoort. Bro. Danie Malan leant his trailer on a permanent basis to the Lodge to store and transport all of the Lodge furniture to and from the Town Hall Supper Room every month. The trailer was delivered to the Supper Room at about 6pm in the evening of a meeting and it was unloaded and the members present dressed the Lodge for the meeting and undressed it after the meeting and the collapsible furniture etc. was packed back into the trailer, ready for the next meeting. Mrs. Penny Maginnis offered to provide and deliver the meals for our regular meetings, which she did for about 15 years, which was greatly appreciated. We borrowed the necessary furnishings required for the Consecration and First Installation from The District Grand Lodge and the two local Lodges. During the period between us receiving the Charter and the Consecration we arranged many informal meetings where we selected Office Bearers for the first Installation and ensuing Year of Office, the colour of our regalia, the joining Founder Members fee (R250.00), annual subscriptions (R50.00 per annum) and all other fees related to joining the Scottish Craft and Mark Degree. We also arranged braais over weekends where rehearsals of perambulations and workings were practiced.
The Consecration and Installation of Lodge Peglerae No. 1749 S.C. took place in the Rustenburg Town Hall on Saturday, 3rd September 1983. We were inundated with visiting Brethren not only from Lodges throughout the District of The Transvaal, Orange Free State and Northern Cape but Natal, Zimbabwe and Botswana. There was also a large contingent of Brethren from Rustenburg Lodge No. 8254 E.C. and Lodge Orange No. G.L.S.A. The Consecration and Installation was attended by between 270 to 280 Brethren overall and the result was a great success. At the Consecration the Lodge received gifts from various Brethren in the form of furniture etc. i.e. VOSL, box of Working Tools, hand made Wardens Columns, Gavels and Knocking Blocks with rubber inserts for Pedestals. The Banquet was held at the Safari Hotel in the Kloof and was attended by 180 Brethren at a charge of R10.00 per head for a three course meal including wine. The visiting Brethren appreciated the evening so much that they took a collection which they donated to Lodge Peglerae to assist with any losses incurred. Our first ambitions were to grow the Lodge with new candidates who resided in the Rustenburg area, to try and attract as many visitors to our meetings by making our Workings slightly different and interesting but not detracting from the Ritual and by maintaining a high standard of workings. We decided to hold our meetings on the fourth Friday of the month because it was close to payday and many visiting Brethren could continue through to Sun City and spend the weekend there. During the first three years attendance generally varied between 7 to 35 brethren and during the third year at an Initiation meeting we were surprised by the arrival of 86 visiting Brethren from Lodges that we had visited in the past, as a show of their appreciation for our efforts. To achieve the standard of the Workings we decided to have rehearsals on the Tuesday evening before our meetings on the Fourth Friday of the month at Bro. D.F. Malan’s surgery where we also held our committee meetings and our following months meeting and agenda was drafted. Our first candidate was Mr. Reg. C. Bentley who was employed by Impala Platinum Ltd., Bafokeng South Mine Stores and had resided in Rustenburg for many years. Bro. Bentley attained the Chair as Right Worshipful Master of the Lodge for the Year 1988-89. The Lodge grew quite rapidly over a relatively short period of time to about 35 members of which 20 to 25 were quite regular. Due to the support that we had received from the Ladies before and during the first year Lodge Peglerae existed, we decided to hold a Formal Ladies Night at the beginning of September 1984. We hired the Rustenburg Recreational Hall and catering facilities, and organised the SAP band for the evening, a disco and raffles, inhouse games and entertainment. A four-course meal was provided and each Lady received a gift. Bookings were open to any Freemason and his good Lady, any prospective applicants and their wives and close family of Masons. The evening was attended by 60 couples and it was a total success, and all had a wonderful evening. Due to the success of the evening we held a similar Ladies Night for the next two years which also were well attended. Another event that started in the Lodge at our January meeting in 1986 was our Annual Robert Burns Memorial Night celebration which were also great successes and well attended. Both these events were open to family and friends from the public and were great fund raisers for our Charities both local and masonic. Lodge Peglerae was privileged to have Bro. Harry Kerr Cruikshanks Hon. Grand Bard, Wor. Past District Grand Superintendent (Zimbabwe) as the Charter Right Worshipful Master who set the standards of the Lodge at such a high level and the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal, Orange Free State and Northern Cape in recognition of this conferred on him the title of Hon. District Grand Senior Warden. Tragically Bro. Harry and his good lady May being passengers on the South African Airways Helderberg 295 flight from Taiwan to Johannesburg, South Africa died on the feted flight that crashed in the sea off the coast of Mauritius. Later Bro. Andrew Norris Kerr Howie and Bro. Clive Douglas Maginnis both attained the Rank of Worshipful Substitute District Master which they both held for a term of three years and they then had the title of Hon. Junior Grand Deacon conferred on them by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for duties performed for the Craft.