The year which elapsed between the closing of the last chapter and the start of the war, passed very uneventfully. The usual progress took place, and in that year the last of the money which was owed to the guarantors was repaid. Quite a number of candidates came forward and the work went on very smoothly.
With the outbreak of the war, however, the number of candidates coming forward naturally decreased, due to the fact that many of those who might have become candidates were at this time in the Forces. In consequence of this, many of the regular meetings saw no Masonic work being carried out at all. Many of the members did not think that this lack of ceremony was helpful to the office-bearers, and so it was suggested that that rehearsals of the various degrees should be held if and when there was no other work to be done. At the same time it was also suggested that as there were so few candidates the Lodge funds might suffer, and so a collection should be made at all regular meetings in order to keep the funds steady.
Of the two suggestions the first was readily accepted, and at the very next meeting a rehearsal of a First Degree took place. The other one was again raised at another meeting but it did not receive such a favourable hearing, and after some discussion, it was agreed upon to do nothing in the matter for the time being.
Although there is no mention of the actual war in the minutes there is found to be references to the fact that some of the Brethren who were in the Forces, were not altogether forgotten by the other Lodge members. At Christmas time, 1940, parcels were sent to all Brethren of "1055" who were serving in the Forces, and many of these were acknowledged in time for the letters to be read out on the Installation night.
Another feature of the war years found in the minutes is that the Lodge had to be adjourned when the Air Raid Warning sounded, but the Lodge always found the time to have all its business transacted after the "All Clear" went.
The first member of the Lodge to lose his life by enemy action was Bro. Peter Gatt, jun. His death is recorded in the minute of the Regular Meeting of the 1st. April, 1941, which states that, "He had lost his life through enemy action while serving his country in H.M. Navy". The next Brother to lose his life through enemy action was Bro. J. Smith, P.M., who was killed in an air-raid on Fraserburgh on 26th. June, 1941. This was indeed a great loss to the Lodge and one which the Lodge must have felt for some time to come.
Fraserburgh at this time was receiving its share of the enemy's attention, and in case of either of the Lodges in the town being put out of action, both Solomon 197 and "1055" came to a mutual agreement that they would allow the other to carry on working in their rooms. This was a precaution which fortunately was never required to be carried out.
1941 saw a great upsurge in the affairs of "1055". That year no less than 12 candidates were made members of the Lodge, and when compared wit the fact that only 2 had entered the Lodge in 1940, it can be appreciated that the financial standing of the Lodge had increased considerably. As an institution can continue to function without being solvent "1055" in that year seemed to have turned the corner and looked forward to a better and more settled future.
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National Savings Certificate poster
Masonry is universally known all over the globe, and a number of letters from Brethren of "1055" serving in the Forces were minuted. Most of these letters tell of visits to Lodges in many different parts of the world, but one letter in particular shows that even as a visitor, one can be surprised. This letter came from Bro. Cpl. Goode, who was at this time (1942) serving in Kenya. He had visited a Lodge in that country and he had, as is the custom, conveyed fraternal greetings from Lodge Fraserburgh No. 1055. He was very surprised when one of the members of the Lodge he was visiting claimed Lodge Fraserburgh No. 1055 as his Mother Lodge. It is unfortunate that no mention is made of the name of the man who claimed "1055" as his Mother Lodge, because then at least, one more member could have been kept track of.
As has already been noted the Lodge seemed to have turned the corner into financial stability, and the balance-sheet for 1942 was the best that the Treasurer, Bro. A. J. Russell, P.M., had submitted for the past 17 years. This was the outcome of many initiates - 27 in all - and as a result the Lodge was no longer in debt. All the money left over was now for the good of the Lodge, and it is good reading to see that any surplus money was to be invested in Savings Certificates rather than to be used to reduce outstanding accounts.
More about National Savings Certificates CLICK HERE.
Brethren of the Lodge of 1942 also had their share of honour for the part they had played in the struggle with Germany. Bro. Newstead had been Mentioned in Despatches, while Bro. R. T. Duthie had been decorated with the D.S.C.
In 1943 the Common Goods Fund was started. It was proposed that a collection should be taken at every Second and Third Degree after the Apron Investiture, and that this money should be kept separate from the Lodge funds. At the same time it was also proposed that all the monies should be kept in a Trustee Savings Bank. Both motions were carried unanimously.
Up to this time members of the Lodge had always been notified of the various meetings by a circular. This proved to be very expensive method of advertising, so it was decided in December, 1943, that in future all meetings should be advertised in the local papers. This practice has, of course, continued ever since, although in 1944 the question of inserting the advertisement a week in advance was given a trial run. This proved to be the more successful of the two, and thus it was adopted as the method of bringing forthcoming meetings to the notice of the Brethren. It also served a very useful purpose in letting other Brethren outside the Lodge know when a meeting was taking place and what sort of meeting it was.
Just over a year after the Common Goods Fund had originated the Harmony Fund was instituted. When a report had been given of the financial affairs on the Festival of St. John in 1944, it was stated that there was a balance of £3 in hand. It was therefore proposed that the Lodge "should institute a Harmony Fund", and that the £3 mentioned should form the nucleus of such a fund. The idea of this fund seemed to fire the imagination of some of the Brethren, who spoke in favour of stressing, the social side of the Lodge activities, and a committee was appointed by the Lodge to go thoroughly into the matter and report back to the Lodge.
At the installation ceremony on 28th. December, 1944, Bro. A. Ferguson, who was demitting the office of R.W.M., presented a Bible to the Lodge as a memento of his Mastership. This Bible was to lie upon the R.W.M.'s pedestal and to be used when required. This handsome gift was accepted on behalf of the Lodge by Bro. A. J. Russell, the senior
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Past Master and a Founder Member of the Lodge. Shortly afterwards, Bro. J. McCormick, P.M., presented a box for the safe keeping of the Bible.
J. M. Buchan
On the 20th. February, 1945, three Brethren were raised to the Degree of Master Mason, and after the ceremony the R.W.M. rose to congratulate them and especially to congratulate one of them Bro. J. M. Buchan of Inverallochy, who had received the award of the D.F.C.
John May Buchan - born 1919 - from Inverallochy. (Later settled in Newcastle, near Toronto, Ont., Canada).
Flight Sergeant, 12 Squadron R.A.F..
Distinguished Flying Cross February, 1945
At this same meeting the R.W.M. also intimated that he had received from a Brother who wished to remain anonymous a gift to the Lodge of an elaborate letter "G", which was to be hung in the centre of the Lodge. This gift was cordially accepted, and is still to be found in the Lodge to-day.
Although the war was by this time in its last year, the fighting was still continuing, and at the next meeting of the Lodge it was intimated that one of the Brethren, Bro. Lewis Tait, had been killed in action. The Lodge observed a Minute's Silence in his memory. This shows how the war affects people at different periods, because at the previous meeting the Lodge had showered congratulations on Bro. Buchan for his decoration, and now the Lodge was in mourning for the loss of another Brother.
However, the war was in its last year, and after V.E. Day (8th. May, 1945) and V.J. Day (15th. August, 1945), it was heartening to see some of the Brethren returning to their usual places in the Lodge. For one or two it was the first visit for nearly six years, but they all seemed to keep in touch with Freemasonry wherever their travels had taken them. One of the returning Brethren had even remarked that since the commencement of hostilities, he had seen degrees worked in Lodges in several countries in the world and that the work of "1055" could be held to be as good as the best of them.
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