The Lodge of Concern 852 UGLV

From Damien of Lodge Devotion

Lodge of Concern was consecrated on 21st September 1974 and handed in its Warrant in on Monday 15th November 2010.

For many years, Concern had met at Gipps St in Collingwood where it’s final meeting was held.

Lodges Devotion and Concern had a special relationship as Devotion was Concern’s “Mother Lodge” meaning Devotion supported the application for Concern’s Warrant.

Every new lodge needs a sponsoring lodge which becomes known as the “Mother Lodge” of the new one. Eight Devotion members, including one who would become Concern’s First Master, signed the petition. Naturally Devotion’s Master of the day was also required to sign. This created a special bond between the two lodges. In total, 26 men signed the application for the Warrant.

Foundation fees, including Foundation Jewel, were $50 with lodge fees $20 per annum.

Before being formed, the name first proposed for the new lodge was to be “Royal Freemasons Homes Lodge" but this was crossed out on the Petition and replaced with "Lodge of Concern". The name changed came about because of an objection to the word "Royal" and because the lodge "was not directly connected to the Homes". The Founding members then selected that very apt name “Concern” as a central purpose of the new lodge was to meet at the Homes to allow Brethren living there to continue an active involvement in the Craft. This they did, and Concern members tell stories of Brothers on walking frames and lying on hospital beds being able to attend Concern when it met at Coppin House.

Readers of Devotion News Edition 50, may recall that Right Worshipful Brother I.S. (Tim) Dunlop (initiated 6/9/1950) was recently presented with his 60 Year Service Jewel at the Concern in September 2010 and had been a Foundation Member of Concern from Devotion. For me, Concern became a lodge focused around the families Dunlop, Burmeister and their friends.

Bro Tim joined Lodge Devotion on 23 September 1966. He was Master of Devotion in 1970-71. On 23 April 1971 he had "the great honour" of initiating his three sons Ian, Ken and Graham, into the Craft at Devotion on the one night. Concern members, Tim (acting IPM), Ian (Treasurer) and Ken (DC) were all present at Concern’s final meeting as were many of their friends. Special Tribute was paid to the ladies who supported the lodge in so many ways, including providing supper.

Devotion’s links with Lodge Concern continue. WBro Niel is Devotion’s Junior Deakin and a past Master of Concern and Bro Tim is Devotion’s Junior Warden and was alsoma member of Concern on the night it closed.

The last meeting of Concern was attended by Devotion’s WM (acting as IG at Concern), Norm Devotion's Secretary, Mark Devotion’s Tyler (acting as Tyler of Concern), Neil JD (Concern’s Sec) and WBro Andy .

Seeing a Warrant handed in can be a sad night, but Lodge of Concern members should be congratulated and take much pride for the outstanding contribution they made to Victorian Freemasonry in supporting the Homes, the Gipps St Masonic Centre, and also for the 22 men they made Freemasons during the Lodge’s thirty-six years of operation..