Chapter Five, Ladies Day

We now-a-days have our annual “Ladies Day” which the Lodge usually celebrates in March or April. Many Lodges celebrate over a weekend but Three Graces still retain the traditional one day for this celebration and later in the year have a Lodge weekend.

For the first time it is recorded that in 1856 a “Ladies Day” was held on the Wednesday after “Rush bearing Sunday” being the first Sunday after the 18th July. This was an ancient local festival said to derive from the time when the parishoners brought rushes to cover the Church floor. The minutes record that the provisions were provided by each Brother. Six ladies attended and the result was a great success, a departure from the established practice when the ladies were rigorously excluded.

The 1850’s and 60’s saw few new members and it was not unusual for a candidate to be put through the three degrees in consecutive months. In October 1863 the minutes are headed “Three Graces Lodge 408 formerly 591″. One presumes that October was the month when the Lodge received its present number.

Our close connection with Lodges in Halifax originates in 1867 when three Brethren from Halifax became joining members, to be followed by others at a later date, resulting eventually in a daughter Lodge. In October of this year three new features are recorded, (1) First instance of Test questions being put round the Lodge (2) first time that the minutes were signed by the Master and (3) first occasion when an attempt was made to elaborate the workings of the Lodge by recording that the Lodge was opened in the 1st Degree, then the 2nd and 3rd. and closed in the 1st Degree. Minutes were becoming longer and at times repetative. Our first Minute Book was only half full after 38 years, our second Minute Book was filled in 12 years.

Our Minutes for this period conclude with a communication from Grand Lodge which warned all Brethren against “promiscuous fraternising with those who professed they were Masons but who would not give satisfactory evidence of being such”. Furthermore Brethren were instructed not to admit men into a lodge without strict proof. The full letter was recorded and the Brethren were warned that to comminicate with persons belonging to irregular lodges would incur very serious penalties. After the experiences of earlier years, we doubt whether the Brethren of Three Graces needed this warning !!

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