A Brief History Of Lodge St Andrew No.601

On 9th November 1876 a petition for a working charter was sent to Grand Lodge Of Scotland. This was duly approved and the working charter was granted on 7th May 1877.
Life began at Fort George and had strong military connections, hence the reason for not having a summer recess and for meeting once a month.

The first recorded charity collection was in January 1910 and amounted to 1/71/2d. (8p).

In February 1910 a Lodge Building Committee was formed to look in to the prospect of purchasing a site in Ardersier for a new Lodge building.

The site was duly bought and Bro. A.F. MacKenzie P.M. laid the Chief Corner Stone on 11th November 1911. Bro. W. MacKay P.G.M. performed the Consecration ceremony of the new Lodge on 4th December 1912.

By February 1921 the charity collection reached 10/- (50p) for the first time.

In 1940 the Lodge was temporarily closed due to WW2, and by the following year the building was being used as a store for emergency foodstuffs.

A replacement organ was purchased in 1953 for the princely sum of £11.

Lodge St. Andrew celebrated it’s Centenary in 1977.
 

Rt.WM and His Office Bearers in The Centenary Year

The Lodge as it is today

Although there are not the same number of army personnel at Fort George nowadays, we do occasionally have visits from servicemen who are passing through the base.

As with other Lodges, we experience peaks and troughs of incoming Initiates.  We have been very fortunate of late, and have been enjoying a steady influx of candidates for Apprenticeship, and The Lodge continues to flourish.