HONORARY MEMBERS OF

LODGE BANNOCKBURN BRUCE & THISTLE No. 312

The first record of a Brother from another Lodge being made an Honorary Member of Lodge Bannockburn Bruce & Thistle No. 312 was minuted in November 1860.

Since then the minutes record a further sixteen brethren being so honoured.

1860   During the first meeting in the new Lodge Room, in November 1860, Bro. Rev. Thomas Smith was made an Honorary Member. It would be reasonable to assume that Bro. Smith visited the Lodge on that occasion in order to dedicate the temple, and was thereafter made an Honorary Member. The minute does not record Bro. Smith's Mother Lodge.

1899   The second occasion was in March 1899. On that night Bro. James J. Munro of Lodge St. Andrew Denny and Loanhead No. 176 had Honorary Membership bestowed upon him. This was followed one month later by Bro. James Neilson, also from Lodge St. Andrew Denny & Loanhead.

Whilst no records exist to indicate any celebration of the Lodge's 75^th Anniversary in 1899, it is probable that these two Honorary Memberships conferred upon Brethren from one of our sponsor Lodges were in some way connected with that anniversary.

1926   It was to be a further twenty seven years before such an honour was again conferred, this time on the Provincial Grand Master Bro. Dr. Edmund E. Dyer. Whilst this may have been in recognition of his services as Provincial Grand Master, it may be significant that this was only months after the Lodge had belatedly celebrated its centenary and that Dr. Dyer was a member of The Lodge of Alloa No. 69, our other sponsor Lodge.

1942   The Provincial Grand Master Bro. Daniel Robertson J.P. was admitted into Honorary Membership of the Lodge in appreciation of his service to Freemasonry in general and Stirlingshire in particular.

Two months later, in March 1942, Honorary Membership was also conferred upon Bro. Thomas Pitcairn, the Provincial Grand Secretary, in recognition of his hard work and dedication to the Craft. Bro. Pitcairn was later to become Provincial Grand Master of Stirlingshire.

1945   Honorary Membership was conferred upon Bro. John Blyth, Headmaster of Bannockburn Public School and a member of Lodge.St.Ayles No. 95.

This honour was conferred upon Bro. Blyth in recognition of his services and assistance during the War Years when the Lodge met within the School Hall. The R.W.M. stated that Bro. Blyth had "always been most courteous, obliging and helpful, and spared no effort for the comfort and accommodation of the Brethren". Gratitude was also expressed to Bro. Blyth for "his services at the organ so willingly rendered at all the Lodge Meetings".

1958   Bro. Alexander Tait, a well known local singer, was made an Honorary Member in appreciation of all he had done for Lodge Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle in both ritual and harmony.

1963   Bro. Joseph Whittaker P.M. of Lodge Dalhousie No. 720 had Honorary Membership conferred upon him in recognition of the high esteem in which he was held by the Brethren of Lodge Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle.

1973   Bro. Alexander Stewart of Lodge St James Doune No. 171 had Honorary Membership conferred upon him by the Lodge in recognition of the good works undertaken by him on behalf of Lodge Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle. Bro. Stewart, whose Mother Lodge had been invited to confer the Fellow Craft degree on this occasion, was further honoured by being invited to sit in the East.

1975   Bro. John H.K. McLean, a Past Master of Lodge Ancient Stirling No. 30 was invested with Honorary Membership. He had been a regular visitor to the Lodge over many years and had proposed the toast to Lodge Bannockburn Bruce & Thistle at the 150^th Anniversary Dinner in 1974.

1983   In November 1983 Honorary Membership was conferred upon Bro. Alex Smith of Lodge Stirling Royal Arch No. 76 in recognition and appreciation of his services as organist during our meetings.

1994   The R.W.M. Bro. Cameron M. Fraser had the great privilege of bestowing Honorary Membership upon his father Bro. John Fraser, a M.M. of Lodge Dolphin No. 911. In accepting this honour, Bro. John expressed his thanks and appreciation to the R.W.M. and all of the Brethren of '312', amongst whom he had made many friends over the years.

The Provincial Grand Master Bro. Colin T. Wyse was made an Honorary Member of Lodge Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle in appreciation of his services to Freemasonry in general and to the Province of Stirlingshire in particular.

1995   Honorary Membership was conferred upon Bro. John McKinnon, a M.M. of Lodge Leven St John No. 170 in Renton, Dunbartonshire. Even though Bro. John was well into his 80's, he rarely missed a meeting at '312'. The R.W.M. Bro. James G. White invited Bro. McKinnon to join him in the East on this special occasion.

1996   Bro. Alan Rodger, R.W.M. of Lodge Stirling Royal Arch No. 76 was awarded Honorary Membership of the Lodge in appreciation of the works he had undertaken on behalf of the Lodge. In response Bro. Rodger thanked the brethren of '312' for the honour bestowed upon him adding that he was a proud man indeed to be made an Honorary Member of '312', the Lodge his grandfather had been Master of in 1937 - 38.

1996   Bro. Robert Slaven of Lodge Leven St. John No. 170 had Honorary Membership conferred upon him. This was awarded in appreciation of the many visits to 312 undertaken by Bro. Slaven and for his support and assistance to Bro. John McKinnon, also an Honorary Member of '312', who could not travel to Bannockburn without Bro. Slaven's assistance.