There are many reasons why new lodges are formed and various places where ideas are formulated. In the early days of Freemasonry meetings were usually held in a local hostelry and in this case the place was a hostelry in Blean, near Canterbury which was regularly used by two well known Canterburian brethren, Ken Holter and Eric Chisnall, both members of Binnewith Lodge No 6338. The lodge was so successful in attracting new members that Ken and Eric were concerned at the length of time it was taking the junior brethren to progress to and through its offices.
In about 1975 they concluded that the solution was to form a new lodge, to be called Dane John Lodge, taking its name from the Dane John Gardens, the mound situated in the centre of the gardens became its emblem, a true symbol of historic Canterbury. The new lodge was consecrated in March 1978 at the Westgate Hall, Canterbury, by Lord Cornwallis, who was then the Provincial Grand Master for Kent.
Founder members and guests at the consecration ceremony.
How the Lodge was formed
Welcome to the Dane John Lodge web page.
We meet in Canterbury, Kent, UK and are part of the Province of East Kent.
The Lodge was consecrated in 1978, its name was taken from the Dane John Gardens, a park within the city walls which dates back to 1551. The mound within the gardens was first recorded in the first century and is the emblem of the lodge.
We are considered to be a very friendly and socialable lodge and give our visitors and guests a very warm welcome.
Particularly at our 'festive board' which is held after our regular meetings, where the members and guests enjoy a meal in a very convivial and amicable atmosphere within the private dining room.
Prospective members should contact the Secretary who will arrange an informal meeting to discuss the procedures involved.
Members of other Lodges wishing to visit will be most welcome and should contact the Secretary in the first instance.
There are many reasons why new lodges are formed and various places where ideas are formulated. In the early days of Freemasonry meetings were usually held in a local hostelry and in this case the place was a hostelry in Blean, near Canterbury which was regularly used by two well known Canterburian brethren, Ken Holter and Eric Chisnall, both members of Binnewith Lodge No 6338. The lodge was so successful in attracting new members that Ken and Eric were concerned at the length of time it was taking the junior brethren to progress to and through its offices.
In about 1975 they concluded that the solution was to form a new lodge, to be called Dane John Lodge, taking its name from the Dane John Gardens, the mound situated in the centre of the gardens became its emblem, a true symbol of historic Canterbury. The new lodge was consecrated in March 1978 at the Westgate Hall, Canterbury, by Lord Cornwallis, who was then the Provincial Grand Master for Kent.
Founder members and guests at the consecration ceremony.
Meetings
Meetings are held at the Canterbury Masonic Centre in St Peter's Street on the second Thursday of :-
January, February, March (Installation Meeting), April, May, October and November.
All regular meetings start at 1830, the installation meeting at 1630.
Lodge of Instruction / Rehearsal is held every Thursday at 1900 when there is no regular meeting.
The temple, shown below was formally opened by the Provincial Grand Master for Kent in July 1880. It has many notable features including suberb carved oak furniture, beamed roof and stained glass windows.
Canterbury Masonic Temple..
Charitable Donations
As well as giving to Masonic charities for the relief of its members and their families in distressed circumstances, the Masonic Grand Charity disburses millions of pounds to general charities and for charitable purposes such as disaster relief. The Dane John Lodge also supports local and national charities, as illustrated below.
The Dane John Lodge is pleased to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support.
A donation was presented to the Canterbury Branch of Age UK.
Hannah Costin, Day Service Manager, accepted a cheque for the Canterbury Umbrella Centre, to help improve facilities at the charity Community Centre.
Colin Bridgland received on behalf of L’Arche Community a donation to help develop, encourage and train those with learning disabilities to cope with a commercial environment.
A cheque was presented to Demelza Hospice Care for Children and to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Kent Search and Rescue Dogs were given a donation enabling them to purchase further equipment, to support their work in assisting Police and others searching for missing persons.
Dane John along with four other local Lodges provided 4 specialist trikes and 2 scooters for the St Nicholas School in Canterbury. The pupils have physical disabilities, epilepsy, autism & sensory impairment.
After instruction and a demonstration showing resuscitation techniques, a defibrillator was presented by the Dane John Lodge to the Canterbury Masonic Centre.
A donation was made to Combat Stress. This charity delivers dedicated treatment and support to British Armed Forces Veterans who have mental health problems.
Contact Us and Useful Links
If you wish to find out more about the Dane John Lodge please contact the secretary. Tel: +44(0)1227 761223
Or email secretary@dane-john-lodge.org.uk
United Grand Lodge
Province of East Kent
Kent Museum of Freemasonry
© Dane John Lodge, all rights reserved. 2023
