HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomecoming '87, 1987-07-01, Page 27THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987. PAGE A-27.
_Homecoming '87_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Early history of Masons destroyed in fire
BY JIM MAIR
Little is known of the earliest
days of St. John’s Lodge #284 of
Ancient, Free and Accepted Ma
sons in Brussels because of a
disastrous fire on April 17, 1878,
which destroyed their meeting
rooms and most of their records.
However, it is known that the
Lodge was started under the
sponsorship of Forest Lodge at
Wroxeter, and St. John’s first
officers and members were seven
members of that Lodge who lived in
or near Brussels, as follows:
William J. Holmes, John W. Kerr,
William J. Hingston, Thomas
Pattison, Benjamin Frolick, David
J. Johnston and William Arm
strong. Mr. Holmes was appointed
the first Worshipful Master of St.
John’s Lodge by the Grand Lodge
of Canada.
This group applied to the Grand
Lodge of Canada in the Province of
Ontario for a Warrant or Charter,
which was granted to them on July
11, 1872. Amongst the few old
documents which escaped the fire
of 1878 is a receipt for $30, paid to
the Grand Lodge for the Charter in
October, 1872.
According to records still avail
able, the Lodge was quite active for
the next six years, up until the time
of the fire, but there is no record of
where the meetings were held.
Following the fire, the Lodge was
inactive for about fifteen months,
then began to re-organize. At this
time, they secured quarters above
the present Stewart’s Pharmacy,
where they met for the next one
hundred andten years.In 1884, the
members decided to renovate
these quarters, and to purchase
new furniture. Records indicate
that the rooms were furnished for
Brussels has had more than
its share of political le
Federal politics and Brussels
seem to go together, at least
history in the last half-century
seems to show it.
Today the member of Parlia
ment for the Huron-Bruce Riding is
Murray Cardiff who has represen
ted the riding since the election on
Feburary 18, 1980. Mr. Cardiff is
also Parliamentary secretary to the
Solicitor General of Canada since
last fall. During his term he has
become something of a roving
ambassador for Canadian Agricul
ture representing the government
in trade missions to China twice.
Born in Grey township the son of
the late John Harold Cardiff and
Elizabeth Ross Smith, he was
educated at S.S. No. 3 Grey
township and the Brussels Contin
uation School. He married the
former Elizabeth Alice Mathieson
in 1958 and they have three
children, Jeffrey, Joan and Scott.
He’s a member of Melville
Presbyterian Church, a past Noble
Grand of the I.O.O.F. Lodge,
Brussels and a charter member of
the Brussels Optimist Club.
As a farmer he was active with
the Ontario White Bean Producers
Marketing Board, being first
elected to it in 1977. He was
vice-chairman of the board in 1978
He had been born in Brussels,
the son of the late Mark M. Cardiff
and Francis Miller. He attended
local schools then took up farming
in Morris township. He began his
political career in 1928 as a
member of the Morris township
council. He also served for 45 years
as secretary-treasurer of the Hur
on Plowmen’s Association. He was
a member of the Loyal Orange
Lodge, the Black Knights, the
Brussels Lions Club and the Mason
Brussels Lions Club and the
Masonic Order as well as the
Brussels United Church.
While most of his long period in
the House was spent as an
opposition member, he did taste
power during the Diefenbaker
government. He served as parlia
mentary secretary to Hon. D. S.
Harness as Minister of Agriculture
for two years.
After his retirement he returned
to Brussels to live, then moved to
Listowel in 1968. He died in 1969.
So for 32 of the last 47 years,
Brussels residents haven’t had far
to go to get the ear of their member
of Parliament. They might see him
across the line fence, on the street
corner or in church. It’s a privilege
many other communities never get
at all.
about $200, with some of the
furnishings still in use today.
These quarters served the Lodge
well until the present time, when
its members began to look for
newer and more suitable meeting
rooms. In the spring of 1986, the
former Bell Telephone building on
Mill Street in Brussels was leased,
and through the generosity and
hard work of the members, the
building was completely renovated
and converted to suit the needs of
the Lodge. Part of the building was
subsequently leased to the Wes
tern Star Independent Order of
Oddfellows and to its sister
organization, the Morning Star
Rebekah Lodge.
On September 28,1986, the new
Lodge rooms were officially open
ed, with the ceremonial ribbon cut
by Right Worshipful Brother Nor
man Hoover and Worshipful Bro
ther FredTheull, thetwooldest
members of the Lodge.
They were assisted by Very
Worshipful Brother Gerald Gib
son, chairman of the Building
Committee, and by Fred Klein-
knecht representing Bell Canada.
Afterwards, about 150 people from
Brussels and area toured and
inspected the building. They also
enjoyed a talk by Right Worshipful
Brother A. Burgess, District
Deputy Grand Master of North
Huron District, and by several
other speakers, on the objects and
principles of the Masonic Order.
On April 4,1987, the new lodge
rooms were dedicated by the
Grand Lodge of Canada in the
Province of Ontario, headed by
Most Worshipful Brother A. Lou
Copeland, with the officers of St.
John’s able to take a part in the
ceremonies. One hundred and five
visitors were in attendance.
Following the dedication, a
reception and dinner was held at
the Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre for the Grand
Master, with more than 200 in
attendance.
Atthistime, St. John’s Lodge
has enjoyed a very successul year
in its new quarters, and is grateful
to all those who have made it
possible, and to the community for
its support.
Dr. Hamilton, a dentist in Brussels for many years, pauses in a pensive
mood in his well-equipped office. The photograph is the property of
Adeline Campbell of Blyth, but is not dated.
on your 115th
Birthday
5* - $1.00
Turnberry St. Brussels
CANADIAN IMPERIAL
BANK OF COMMERCE
Wishes to Congratulate The Village of Brussels
on their Homecoming
“Serving Brussels and Community since 1891”
and chairman in 1979 and took part
in trade missions to the United
Kingdom and Europe in 1979.
His election in 1980 succeeded
another Progressive Conservative
member, Robert McKinley of
Zurich who in turn had succeeded
another Brussels resident, another
Conservative, and another Cardiff,
Elston Cardiff who was a distant
relative of Murray. Elston Cardiff
served the area from his election in
1940 to his retirement in 1965, first
elected as the member from Huron
North.
BEST WISHES TO OUR FRIENDS AND
CUSTOMERS IN THE
VILLAGE OF BRUSSELS
\Ne are proud to have played a part in
making Brussels a pleasant and prosperous
place to do business
Have a
happy 115th
birthday
Brussels!
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Congratulations
from all of us at...
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BRUSSELS
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