St Nicolas Lodge - 2486

Consecrated at the Masonic Hall on Monday the 6th of December 1895 the ceremony was performed by the Marquis of Zetland Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire North and East Riding assisted by the Provincial Secretary and the Provincial Treasurer. Amongst the founders were Past Masters of Royal, Old Globe, Denison and Leopold Lodges. W/Bro G Tindall past master of the Royal Lodge was installed as the first Master. The installation banquet was held at the Royal Hotel at which some 60 guests were present.

The circumstances preceding the formation of the new lodge was that at the regular meeting of the Masonic Club Committee in May 1895, some of the brethren, signified their willingness to form a new lodge providing it was formed on temperance lines. That is to say no intoxicating liquor should be supplied at the 4th degrees banquet or at any functions of the lodge. 

The first meeting in connection with the formation of a new lodge was held on Tuesday 28 May 1895. Bro. Vernon Denison 1248 proposed, seconded by W.Bro. Meek Royal 643, that a temperance lodge is formed. This was carried unanimously. It is significant that members of the existing Scarborough Lodges should want to form a new lodge providing it was formed on Temperance lines. Was this because the existing festive boards were too rowdy or simply to reflect the rise of Methodism in the closing years of the Nineteenth Century. Our sister lodges would say the later and unfortunately we have no proof either way. The lodge remained dry until 1966. 

Meetings were held on the first Monday of each month, continually until 1902 when the meeting day was changed to the first Wednesday. The size of the lodge, initially, was small with only 20 members but rose quickly in the first year to 31 with 5 initiations and 6 joining members.

The 5 years after the consecration to the end of the century were turbulent and exciting with the Boer War and the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The aftermath of the Great War saw the lodge trying to get back to normal. During 1920 in a series of multiple ceremonies 14 candidates were initiated. 

In 1923 the first master W.Bro. Tindall died and in his memory a lodge charity fund was established as a token of the great esteem in which he was held. The fund was started with £75 of 5% Exchequer Bonds and is still in existence today.

After the war the normal running of the lodge was resumed. The Quarterly Coffee Suppers (the lodge was still dry) continued. Installation Banquets were celebrated with soft drinks and it was not until 1979 that a Festive Board was held after every ceremony. In 1965 it was proposed that the foreword of the Lodge ByeLaws be rescinded in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the brethren. Thus after 70 years the St Nicolas Lodge became WET!

In 1995 to mark the centenary W/Bro Alan Lazenby, a retired glazier, offered to make a commemorative stained glass window featuring the Apprentice Pillar. Sadly Alan died before the work was completed but his daughter, Mrs Valerie Green, working from her fathers design's finished the window. This is now prominently featured in the door to the vestibule of the Masonic Hall. It is a tribute not only to over a hundred years of St Nicolas Lodge but to all Masons and Masonry. Whilst on the subject of commemorative matters the original Past Masters Jewel presented to W.Bro. Tindall the first master of the lodge is now the permanent passed masters jewel and is handed down to each past master at the installation ceremony.