I am still a member of Lodge Bridge of Fellowship No.929.  Nobody sends me summons and the brother Secretary just ignores whatever I write to him.

They all seem to have very short memories.  I hope to get some correspondance from Bill Hayler soon or else I will, once again, have to consider other measures.

This is a situation which is not of my doing.  The brethren of the lodge confirmed last year that I was indeed a member and also the Master-Elect.  Since then Frederick Colbran rode into town and made "everything better".  I have had no correspondence from the lodge.  As far as I am aware I am still the elected choice of the Brethren as Master.

This Grand Lodge has a very unusual method of dealing with difficult or at least difficult to understand correspondence.  It just ignores it.

This seems to be the policy of Bill Hayler too, but I imagine that he will soon be sending me correspondence and lodge summons.

Watch this space-I'll keep you all informed. 

It seems that the Lodge Bridge of Fellowship is now just a shell of what it was and what the majority of it's resident members wanted it to be.  What we have experienced is a lodge being disenfranchised by the total arrogance and lack of basic Masonic knowledge of the Grand Lodge.  This lodge will never be the same again.    It was a vibrant lodge with members who were interested in Masonry in general and their lodge in particular.  Now they view it not so much as "their" lodge any more, resulting in apathy having rushed in.  Disgraceful is the only word that can be used to describe the actions leading up to the suspension of the lodge and there is only one word that can be applied to it's present state.  Sad.

TUESDAY the 18th of NOVEMBER 2008

Lodge Bridge of Fellowship had a meeting last Friday the 14th of November.  I had already told the Secretary that I might be attending.  I had also made a big fuss about a brother  from Poland being passed to the Second Degree who was so obviously not prepared and that it wasn't just a coincidence that Frederick Colbran was going to attend in order to perform the 2 Degree TB.  Apparently the brother in question wasn't instructed by his Proposer and in fact I didn't even know the chap, nor did some of the other members.  The Secretary decided that he would be the Senior Deacon on the night, obviously wanting to show his stuff with the GM being there.  It backfired big time however! The Senior Deacon then was so annoyed at not being informed of anything that he demanded the resignation of both the Secretary and WM.  You just couldn't make this up!

The SD decided not to attend after having made the effort to learn what he was to do but being prevented from doing it.  The Secretary WBro Bill Hayler had to be prompted for almost every word.  The majority of those present who are able to recognise the quality of a ceremony were united in their silent condemnation of a "disastrous evening".  Prior to the ceremony the Secretary announced that the GM Frederick Colbran could now not attend due to a pressing engagement elsewhere.  Imagine the surprise on the brethren's faces when he turned up after 15 minutes or so.  He had been waiting outside in his car in order to see if I was actually going to appear, not wanting any kind of confrontation with me!  Once he realised I wasn't going to be there, the lure of performing a long piece of ritual and getting all the plaudits was just too much to resist.  Really, you just can not make this up!!

One of the best chances for the future of the lodge Bro Cameron, has now resigned.  He did so in writing but the Secretary did not read it out in open lodge as is required.  Bro Cameron is a huge loss to the lodge.

When the ballot for a new member came up it was noticed that GL Regulations are now just being  willfully ignored by those running the lodge. (Aren't you concerned any more Barrie?) There are procedures in place to inform all the members about a new applicant.  These were not adhered to.  Likewise it was suddenly decided to vote for a new Master Elect without first ascertaining who might a) be qualified and b) want to do it.  Not correct.  After trying to oust me from the lodge on a regulatory technicality, all caution has been thrown to the wind with regards to the lodge now adhering to regulations.  Apparently those in charge were not even aware that the ballot for WM has to be a written one!

Since I am still the Master Elect of the Lodge from last November and have not been formally told anything different, I have already informed the secretary that I will be pleased to stand.  This was ignored and in fact WBro Bill Hayler said that I was no longer a member of Lodge Bridge of Fellowship due to non payment of dues.  I wonder where these people get their stories from as I am still a member and present actions being taken by me will prove this to be the case.   Anyway it appears that Bro Wolfgang Schneider will continue in the Chair even though there has not been a legal vote taken and in fact I am still Master Elect.  I am really not making this up. there will surely be more on this subject as all the facts emerge.  Watch this space.

It will not be long before what was once a great lodge degenerates into nothing, courtesy of a joint effort by the GM and DGM who now attempt to claim some kind of responsibility for "saving" the lodge from John Kellas.  It is almost pitiful that they think they were instrumental in "turning the lodge around"or at least they say they do.  Perhaps they did "turn the lodge around" but if they did it was just before they pulled the chain to flush it away.

This is certainly one of the biggest scandals of 2008

John K

The seasonal break provides breathing space for many lodges, not just Lodge Bridge of Fellowship, but it is welcomed here most especially.  The lodge has no effective leadership and no direction.  In fact, it hardly has any members anymore and those who are left are suffering from a distinct lack of motivation.  Imagine what will happen if WBro Bill Hayler takes the chair in 2009.  I don't need to spell that out for anyone do I?  It is all so sad when you think that the ONLY reason that the lodge finds itself in this situation is because of the actions of the Grand Master.  These actions were not those of an individual who had the good of the lodge at heart, no.  They were the actions of an egotistical person who, despite his years as a Freemason, has allowed the main reason for being a Fremason to successfully pass him by.  If you check out our blog dated 16th of December you'll find yet another example of what I mean.  One that is so much more obvious as there is no opportunity for Frederick Colbran to blame it on me ;-)

The lodge has now undergone another "First" in it's history.  It has successfully initiated a candidate ILLEGALLY!  Hardly any of the regulations pertaining to exactly how a candidate should be proposed, seconded, entered on summons etc. etc. have been adhered to.  In any other constitution the lodge would have had experienced officers, possibly even Grand Officers, to prevent such mistakes being made.  In this instance however, it was Grand Officers who were responsible for a poor gentleman not being properly initiated into the craft.  To mention once more that the current Grand Master is a member of 929 and has seen fit to do nothing(always assuming he knew and recognised what was going wrong, which is a big assumption) and attended this illegal initiation even delivering his 1ST TB "speciality of the House"

Just one more example of the GM's success in having "saved" Lodge Bridge of Fellowship"  Time will however show that the only things the GM "saved" Lodge Bridge of Fellowship from, were success, happiness and a minimum competency in the ceremonial and ritual as well as an understanding of the regulations, that's all!!