The Roden Lodge
Lodge Number: 6243
Whitchurch
Address
North Shropshire Masonic Rooms
Castle Hill, Whitchurch, SY13 1BQ
Meeting Date
Third Monday in month
September to April
Installation Date
April
Lodge Secretary
Contact the Lodge Secretary
Lodge Profile
The Roden Lodge was consecrated on 27 March 1946 and is one of 36 Masonic lodges in the Province of Shropshire warranted by the United Grand Lodge of England. The Roden Lodge meets at the North Shropshire Masonic Rooms, Castle Hill, Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 1BQ on the third Monday in every month from September to April.
The lodge is named after the river Roden which flows through the North Shropshire town of Wem, from which many lodge members have been recruited and reside and is effectively the lodge’s ‘home town’, many local interest groups and charities being supported by it.
The Roden Lodge is a member of the ‘River Lodges Association’ of which all member lodges are named after United Kingdom rivers.
Lodge meetings commence at 1830hrs with a Ceremony or an educational presentation followed by other Lodge business. This is followed at about 2000h by a formal meal called the Festive Board, and the evening normally ends at about 2200hr. During the social board there is usually some form of raffle the proceeds of which are usually donated to local or national charities.
Rehearsals for Ceremonies are held normally on the Thursday evening before each meeting, and Brethren who are involved in the meeting and/or ceremony are very much encouraged to attend. New members are included early on, and most follow a well-structured progression which ultimately will lead them to become Worshipful Master of the Lodge for a year. In time, Brethren will be encouraged to visit other Lodges, perhaps join other Orders and/or perform other tasks according to their inclination and abilities.
To aid both newly joined and long serving members, a Lodge of Instruction (LOI) is held on the first Thursday in each month from September to April. The LOI is designed to educate and enlighten members in all aspects of masonic history, procedures and doctrine and to experience the various officer’s positions within the lodge in a very relaxed atmosphere.
In addition to Masonic meetings, the Lodge holds social events and informal gatherings, and often supports those held by other lodges and the Province. Partners, relatives and friends are welcomed to these. Money raised by the Lodge is donated to its own local charities, to the Shropshire funds and also to the national Masonic charities, which give impressive donations to many worthy causes.
The Roden Lodge membership is drawn from many different backgrounds, welcomes different Faiths and a spread of ages too. It is an important rule, however, that religion and politics should never be discussed at a Masonic meeting. Experienced members are tasked with supporting new Brethren through our Mentoring system.