United in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness

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The Founding

newbadgeTFor several years prior to 1961 several Old Boys of the School had intimated their desire to form an Old Boys Lodge. The first positive steps towards this were taken at a meeting of King Alfred Lodge in 1960 when several Old Boys happened to be seated together at the festive board. It was noted that in the King Alfred Lodge there were nine Old Boys and they all agreed that if a Lodge could be formed, they would be pleased to be founders. Eventually nineteen masonic Old Boys were involved all of whom became first officers. We were very fortunate in having Bro. Reg Epps, who was Company Secretary of the Tottenham Gas Company, as founding secretary and also Bro. Harry Woodfield, a local printer, who dealt with all the printing problems.

After several meetings of the founders, a final meeting was held at the School’s Tudor Room to make arrangements for the Consecration:-

  • Consecration to be on Wednesday, 19th April 1961.
  • Founders would be required to be in the Temple early to rehearse ceremonial.
  • Approval of draft Bye Laws.
  • Collars, all given by founders, had been suitably inscribed.
  • Banquet, preceded by Cocktails
  • Tentative reservation for 150 covers.

Apart from donating their own collars, the founders also gave most of the other necessary items. Of these the Volume of the Sacred Law was presented by the Lodge of Faith for Duty who were pleased to be our sponsors and Bro. Leslie Everett donated the Working Tools. These were hand made, each degree being in a different type of wood.

The Consecration of the Lodge took place at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street on Wednesday 19th April 1961 presided by V.W. Bro. James Stubbs, Grand Secretary.

The Lodge initially met at the Lucullus Restaurant in Mincing Lane, EC3; from 1963-68 it met at the Kingsley Hotel in Bloomsbury, but in 1968 moved to it present location, the Southgate Masonic Centre.

The Lodge Banner

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The idea of commissioning a Banner to mark the Silver Jubilee of the Enfield Grammar School Lodge largely stemmed from the members of the Lodge of Instruction about two years before. The proposal was warmly received by the other members of the Lodge and the sanction to proceed was given. The design of the Banner was a joint venture by several members including Bros. Richard Shone, Rob Tyler and Bro. Peter Skivington. The design and lettering was drawn to scale by Bro. Skivington on tracing paper and subsequently printed on to the traditional Masonic blue faille material. The design contains a number of the more usual Masonic emblems, including the Pillars, the Celestial and Terrestrial Globes and the Square and Compasses. However, the unique feature of the Enfield Grammar School Banner is the inclusion of the School Badge, a Red Cross Moline and the School Motto "Tant Que Je Puis" (As Much As I Can). The School Badge and motto are taken from those of Dr. Robert Uvedale (1642-1722), its most famous headmaster who presided over the School from 1664-1676. Dr.Uvedale amongst many other things was a noted 17th Century botanist and one of his several claims to fame was the introduction of the Sweet Pea to this country from Sicily. The Cross Moline is described in the Shorter Oxford Dictionary as "a cross each of the arms of which terminates in two expanded and curved branches resembling the extremities of a mill-rind". For the more technically-minded (or insatiably curious!), a mill-rind is the iron which supports the upper mill stone of a corn mill and carries the eye which rests upon the end of the mill spindle.

The production of the Lodge Banner was first undertaken by Mrs. Valerie Lowrie and she spent many hours embroidering to prepare it for the Dedication ceremony. Unfortunately her health deteriorated and she was unable to complete it in time. She wrote to the Lodge apologising for being unable to do so, and informed the Lodge that W.Bro. Lowrie was providing a silk screen printed banner for the Dedication ceremony as a temporary measure. Sadly, Mrs. Lowrie was unable to finish her work, as her health deteriorated rapidly and she passed away before doing so. The printed banner remains the only Lodge Banner and is a constant reminder to the members of her devoted effort on behalf of the Lodge which was unable to be completed.

Connection to the School

The Lodge maintains links with both the School and the Old Boys Association. The Lodge funds a prize in their name to the annual prize-giving.