Meeting Place
Masonic Hall,
Park Road,
Stapleton.
BS16 1DT
Meeting on:
2nd Wednesday in April, 4th Wednesday in June, 3rd Tuesday in September and the 2nd Friday in December
On a bright Spring Saturday 18th April 1981 at 3pm The Provincial Prior of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire Very Eminent Knight Charles Anderson accompanied by his Sub-Prior Eminent Knight George Bence and a plethora of Provincial Officers, together with other Knights of the Province and a large group of visitors from other Provinces descended upon the Masonic Hall in Avonmouth Bristol to consecrate the Avon Preceptory of St Andrew No 501.
Among the 14 Founders was Brother Knight “Jimmy” Szerences who had been installed in King Richard 1 Preceptory No 341 in the previous year. The other Founders were Eminent Kts Leslie A J Gardiner, Daniel Gilbert, George H Anstee, Henry E Cooper, Raymond G Spear, Thomas F Gleed and Brother Knights John L Gardiner, Charles R G Gover, Herbert S Gale, Royston A Binding, Vernon Jackson, Henry J S Lane and Charles T Padfield.
The first Eminent Preceptor was Eminent Knight Leslie A J Gardiner, who, as well as installing the first Officers of the Preceptory, also made two proposals first that as the Consecration had taken place on the Saturday of Holy Week, and the Provincial Prelate, Eminent Knight Robert Nesham in his oration, had suggested that the toasts at dinner be drunk in water, that this tradition be observed at every Installation of the Preceptory in future years.
The second proposal was to elect the Provincial Prior and Consecrating Officer, V Eminent Kight Charles Anderson, The Provincial 1st Constable Em Kt D Morgan, the Provincial Prelater Eminent Knight Robert Nesham, the Provincial Marshal Eminent Knight G Robinson and, the Provincial Vice-Chancellor Eminent Knight E E Long to become Consecrating Honorary Members this proposal was also accepted.
The Registrar announced that two applicants, Companions George E Phillips and Sidney L Budd who would be balloted for Installation at the next meeting in June.
However, it appears that the Dining Steward “forgot” to order the consecration meal and there was an emergency call sent out for Fish and Chips which is rather appropriate in Holy Week.
Our sojourn in Avonmouth ended on 15th April 1998 when the Hall was seeking extra support from the membership of the resident “lodges” in the Hall for renovations to the Premises and as a consequence it was agreed that our Preceptory should move to Filton Masonic Hall in Stapleton. At that time our membership stood at 27 which included Right Eminent Knight Chris Maiden, who had been installed as a Bro Knight in 1985 by Eminent Knight Jimmy Szerences. Eminent Knights David Phillips and Ian Maxey and Brother Knight Gary Watts were also listed among the members at that time.
Since our Consecration we have introduced a total of 89 members as well as the 14 Founders, as recorded on Keystone, but not all of them have managed to stay the course. Over the years we have lost a total of 80 members and our current membership stands at 24, a 64% increase on our Founding number.
