Masonic History in Oranjemund - GJ Opperman!

[Michael Alexander]

At Lat Years Reunion, returning Resident and forum member, Richard Opperman asked to see the Masonic Lodge. Unfortunately at that time, the two members who had the keys were out of town, so this did not happen. Now elsewhere in this forum , I posted a photograph of the foyer at the Masonic Lodge and posted the wording that, "Here Lies Oranjemunds History" . The Freemasons in Oranjemund are a dying breed, with it's purpose having long ceased. However back in the day, the Freemasons in Oranjemund were indeed a popular and charitable institution .... and during the 50's. 60's and 70's many a social event was held to raise funds for charity by these long gone brothers who have ascended to those higher mansions!

In the foyer of this lodge, are numerous photographs of all the past Masters and members of this lodge. Here lie the people of Oranjemund..... Past and present.... I have attached the photograph of Richards father , GJ Opperman on the day he was made the Worshipful Master of this Masonic Lodge in Oranjemund...

[Michael Alexander]

I cannot remember if I had posted this snap yet..... back in the early 60's the tree's around the lodge were planted in the shape of the international sign of the Freemasons... a Square and Compass.......

[SandyB]

Mmm the  planting of the trees  in a specific design ,, the  reborn  folk ( those that used to go so far as to play records backwards looking for the message  of lucifer ) would  say  that  that was beacon  for  evil energies ... in fact I recall reading something somehwere on freemasonry , and  the attacks on the symbolism . etc ..  Uugh ..  In fact  established  christianity on  the  unfolding years  were  very aware  of the power that the old more nature inclined   belief systems had that they sought to nullify it by building  cathedrals  on  known  druidic earth laylines in an effort to block the energy flow , instead of  allowing people  to follow whatever belief system  they were comfortable with ..  that  tenet still exists today  with  the major established  religious orders  , exception being the more gentle far eastern  orders  who generally practice tolerance  and acceptance . ...  so many folk I knew  in my childhood and  teenage years  including my Dad were freemasons . and yes they were good folk ..  freemasonry  as  with any religious  grouping  is open to abuse and yes I can imagine  it  did occur  with all  , but yes tolerance  and acceptance , excepting when somebody tries to ram their belief down my throat .. then I give what is deserved  for  their sheer ignorance , insularity & arrogance ..

[Delia]

My dad was a Freemason and some of my best childhood memories are rooted down at the Lodge - very family orientated - braais with us kids off playing in the surrounding desert popping back every now and then for a cooldrink or something to eat then off we'd go again while the dads stood around the braai fires chatting & drinking, the moms sitting around knitting and chatting amongst themselves;  Guy Fawkes nights where the desert night sky with nothing but a blanket of stars provided the perfect backdrop for fire works displays;  easter egg hunts;  that grass embankment in front of the lodge where us kids used to have races to see who could roll the furthest down the embankment and across the grass;  those majestic trees surrounding the Lodge like stoic protectors of all within its walls..............yes..........awesome memories that i will treasure forever.

[Bertie Horak]

@ Delia - Echo - We have exactly same memories. I remember one specific Guy Fawkes, really big party at the Lodge, and the Easter egg hunts were amazing - BIG eggs handed to everybody... Glad I can share in that memory!

[Delia]

Awesome huh Bertie to have such magic memories, but you know what my absolute bestest "memory" is.....it's more of a feeling than a memory.......and that is of always feeling safe no matter what..........not just 'cos we lived in a secure mining town, it was more than physical security......it was a type of inner security which came from just being able to be free as a kid should be without any worries.........it's difficult to describe what i'm trying to say as it's such a subtle thing, but that's my best childhood "thing" about growing up O'mund........i suppose it mainly came from my folks who provided the stability which the inner security grew from.........but in O'mund we were truly left to just be kids!  Whenever i think back to my childhood (up till my dad died), no matter what memory it is, an awesome feeling of being safe always surrounds that memory almost like an all pervading aura.

[Bertie Horak]

We're going to be kicked out of this topic, Delia, we're drifting - well our conversation started at the Lodge!
That safe feeling.... where else would a kid be able to cycle 7 km or so to the river/beach safely and then be picked up later in the day by your parents - without fear of being attacked, kidnapped, molested, hurt?  Or me and friends would take a tent and go sleep in the park or desert just outside town on our own.... biggest fears being snakes or rabid jackals.... safe, so safe.
I'm so glad lady fate decided I had to be born in that blissful town!

[Delia]

No need for them to kick us off the topic.........we'll go back to the Lodge.........we just knew we were safe no matter what..........while playing in the desert surrounding the lodge while the adults braaied and chatted, we just knew, without even thinking about it, all we had to do was scream if we saw a snake, scorpion or whatever.....oh bliss, to only fear the wildlife & nothing else......and our parents or somebody's parents would come running..........but yah......and Mike, we're still at the lodge here, promise..........i too feel truly blessed to have had such an awesome childhood, in an awesome town, with awesome people - we chose well........... Oranjemund of old.....

[Michael Alexander]

Ahem!    As long as the tale still pertains to Omund then we are not drifting from the topic.....

[Richard Opperman]

Hi Delia & Bertie,

I second you sentiments of our childhood days in Oranjemund in the 60s and 70s and know of people that have gone back there in later life to allow their children to experiance the same childhood, only to be disappointed that things have changed.

Let me get back to the lodge topic...before I kak myself out...I also have many fond memories of the lodge braais, magician shows, Guy Fawkes and Christmas functions...very fond memories!

A lot of good came out the Oranjemund lodge!

[Delia]

@Richard - i forgot about the Christmas parties we had there too - us kids lining up in front of Father Xmas waiting for our present - i remember he would sit on the cement stoep just outside to the right of the front door of the Lodge - it all came flooding back as you mentioned it.

@Bertie - re the easter egg hunts - for all we know you and i were bumping heads searching frantically through the bushes trying to find the eggs.........can you remember how they made it fair so that all the kids got eggs and not just a few that found them all?

[Bertie Horak]

@ Delia - Yes, I told my folks last night that me and you were probably running around there same time - amazing!  It's true, those eggs were evenly distributed amongst the kids.  For some reason I remember a lot of pink eggs, dont know why, maybe they were all one colour that time?  Then the one Guy Fawkes evening at the lodge stands out above the others... they had this huge bonfire with a full-size straw dummy covered in hessian cloth which was burned in the bonfire.  Lot of rockets and amazing firework display.  Wonder who was in charge of that.
Those fire-cracker evenings in the desert (also at the "foefie-slide") were amazing.  Far away from the houses and animals and posing no danger to anybody.

[Delia]

Yah we must've been there at the same time 'cos there's about a year's difference between our ages - me born '64, i see you '65.  As you say......amazing!  Little did we know back then we'd be sitting here on a computer 30/40 years later reminiscing and reliving those glory days. What i was trying to ask you about the distribution of the eggs was how did they make it fair for all to get?  I don't remember.  Did they let us all collect them, put them in a pile and then dish them out or were our names on them or what?  I can't remember.

Now that you mention it, I remember that particular guy fawkes that you refer to - the one with the straw dummy and all the rockets. If i remember right the bonfire was always built outside the perimeter of the trees on the braai area side, away from the lodge itself, out into the desert so as not to set anything alight. Not sure who was in charge of the fireworks.  Richard, any idea?

I don't remember the ones at the foefie slide tho.

[Richard Opperman]

Hi guys,

Hell now you are really testing my gray matter!

It might have been Peter Bennett, as far as I can remember he was always involved with the functions?

Maybe Sandy can remember...my years attending the functions at the lodge ended when I went to high school in 1969....toooooooo many months back!

Another thing I remember of the lodge, which did not have anything to do with it, was running the cross country...crossing the desert from the rifle range to the lodge...the sand being hot as hell...me sprinting far ahead of Mr van der Merwe (van der Merwe had shoes on) and the other boys...my mind was in a south pole mode...telling me the sand is not hot!
The rest took about 30 minutes to cross...stopping every now and then to stand on their shirts...me resting under the trees on the grass at the lodge after having a nice drink of water.

Keep well.

[SandyB]

The lodge functions .. yes   Guy Fawkes ,, Christmas etc .. the christmas  presents were sponsored by the parents  and friends of parents who also attended with their kids ...  it was not a closed affair ... (  something they knew  we  wanted obviously )  but yes the santa would arrive with ur goodies .. the funds raised from  sale of food cooldrinks and booze  went  to good causes .. it was our good folks that that  money came from .. but  yes  it was a very good part of socialising so it made no diffs ..  there is a story by Mavis of the one Guy Fawkes  where Uncle Harry Smith had me on his shoulders   somthing went wrong with  the display and a stray  rocket ended up in a box of still  to be used  fireworks .. there was mayhem and a rocket took off and hit Harry in the chest .. sending us bith tumbling to the ground ... I have a recollection of this ,, the  uncontrolled display fromthe box was  actually  better than  the organised one  for us kids  as the mayhem  appealed to us ...  lots of social braais as well for  fundraising ...  Richard  if I recall correctly  there was a commitee  for  all  the functions  members of the lodge  being  voted in ...  so it never  became  stagnant .. although i can imagine  people  with flair  for it  were regularly  co-opted in again and again ...