St Teilo Lodge Centenary Celebration

I am extremely proud and honoured to be the Provincial Grand Master for West Wales. It is a delight to be with you today for this very special celebration. On behalf of myself and the brethren of the Masonic Province of West Wales I congratulate the St Teilo Lodge on reaching your centenary.

The primary purpose at a centenary celebration is to give thanks to The Great Architect of the Universe for “favours already received.” We also honour the memory of all those who played a part in the formation of the lodge and remember with gratitude all those who followed and continued to build on the foundation which had been so carefully laid. There have been countless brethren who have made this Lodge lively, flourishing, and happy, proud of its past and confident of its future.

All anniversaries give us an opportunity to reflect on what has gone before and look towards the future. When we look back through the history of St Teilo Lodge, we see the familiar names of friends old and new. It reminds us of our own masonic journeys. The debt of gratitude we owe to those who went before us and the responsibility we have, to those who will follow in the next one hundred years.

It brings home to us the briefness of human life and the insignificance of human endeavour. We are reminded that we too shall quickly pass by, and others will step into our place. The knowledge that our time is short should encourage us all to leave our mark and to strive to make sure that we leave our organisation better than we received it. Not just “pure and unsullied,” but strengthened and re-energised for an even brighter future.

The Brethren who have occupied the chair of this Lodge during its one hundred years have left their mark upon it. This is surely a cause for true thankfulness. St Teilo Lodge has played an important part in upholding the value and prestige of the Craft, by loyalty to the Ancient Landmarks and your warm spirit of companionship. The welcome and hospitality received at St Teilo Lodge Meetings has always been of the highest order.

Our challenge is to further enhance our reputation as a thriving organisation that people aspire to join and to broaden our membership amongst all age groups.

By building strong foundations on our core values of Integrity, Respect, Friendship, and Service we can cement our reputation as a force for good in our communities and society at large. People aspire to join thriving organisations. We all have our part to play in delivering on this challenge, from the Grand Master to the newest Entered Apprentice, by working together as a team, we will succeed.

You, the brethren of St Teilo Lodge, must be determined that your lodge will be handed on to your successors in good heart, that they too may know the companionship you know, and share in their turn, the aims of freemasonry. Your duty to your predecessors, and to your successors is to continue the work of building and laying a course which will support what is to follow, generations past, present, and future working together.

My heartiest congratulations to the St Teilo Lodge on a wonderful record and on reaching a significant milestone. I offer you my very best wishes for your future growth and success.