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...
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.......
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 ..
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.
@ 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!
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.
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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!
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..... msn emoticon (46)
Ahem! allgood As long as the tale still pertains to Omund then we are not drifting from the topic.....
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!
@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?
@ 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.
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.
Hi guys,
Hell now you are really testing my gray matter! hammer
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.
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 ...
Oppy as I remember worked in the Power Station as a Deisel Fitter,I was at his installation as Master of the Lodge . I was the Lodge Secretary at that time.
Hi John321,
That is right my father did work in the power station in Oranjemund.
Sorry for me asking, who are you John321?
Hello Richard, John321wil my name is John Wilson I was the Power Station Electrical Chargehand in the Power Station the last 4 years I lived in Omund. I left in Dec 1973 for Canada and now live in the outskirts of Detroit USA. The Power Station had its share of Freemasons over and above your Dad we had Roy Fields,Les Head, and your truly. I came off the ladder to take over the Secretarys position from Les Head who wanted a break from those dutys and I agreed to take over.I remember your Dad like it was yesterday and had many a good time with him both at work and at the Lodge. Best Wishes John Wilson.
Hi John,
Nice to hear you knew my father and that there are still a lot of people around that remember the better years of Oranjemund.
Yes I remember Les Head...the sergeant major...as we children knew him and Roy Fields, both very good guys. Roy had two sessions in Oranjemund. His son Stephen was in my class in the 60s...Roy used to coach soccer to us youngsters in the 60s.
Thanks again and keep well.
A couple of snaps from braais/socials held at the Lodge most probably in the 60's or 70's
MUST HAVE BEEN LATE 60'S / EARLY 70'S MY DAD IN BACKGROUND OF SID WORTH PIC .. EDGAR SELBY AS WELL
I would say 1973-74. On the photo called "S Worth" - if I'm not mistaken - my whole family's in the background - must be one of only a handful of pictures with all 4 of us in it. Me peeping at camera from behind Mr Worth, Dad standing, Mom sitting with white pants, and my sister with the long hair with her back to the camera.
Thanx Lance!!!
Nice snaps Lance, will show them to Jock, got anymore Lodge snaps?
Thanks Lance,
My mom sitting infront of my father, talking to Inna Bennett.
Dont shoot me but we were sh*t scared of the lodge. Cross county running took as passed the lodge and for some reason you picked up speed just to get passed it... shows you how wrong a childs perception can be...
These are the only other snaps I have of the socials. Mike, I'll check through my Mom's photo's sometime soon and see if I can find more. Cheers for now.
I got to thinking about freemasonary recently..... and listened to how as a schoolkid running cross country around the lodge , back in the 70's , the other kids were all in fear of the lodge, the place where the devil lives, where the devil worshippers went..... Sigh! How uninformed the ignorant can be sometime..... a piece of Oranjemund history..... the cornerstone of the lodge structure apon which every other stone is laid, was laid on the North east Corner of the lodge, symbolic to many masons, but for the un informed, I ask you this question.... if this was a place of ill repute, why does the inscription on that corner stone read, I.T.N.O.T.G.A.O.T.U and to the GLORY of GOD ?
just a point in passing, that stone is still visible on the external NE corner of the lodge...
Too True Mike .. Too True ... difference was God was an integral part of a wider belief system amongst the freemasons , a difficult thing for estabished religion to accept .. they always believing they had total right on their narrow plane .. the Masons .. the old crafts .. sacred geometry etc . the cornerstones of universe and mans existence were embraced by the masons along with the belief in God the creator ..
Like I said....how wrong can children be. Sad if you think about it. I went to visit the lodge among other places on my visit to Oranjemund two years ago....and could not understand why we had this "wrong" perception as a child. The gardens where still being maintained...sprayers were on when I got there.
I sorted of inherited the late Jim Reid's Masonic Bible and of interest to some of you old timers would the signatures of old Oranjemunders.
Very Nice ! . thanks Michael
Whats the status of the Lodge these days Mike it would be a shame to see its demise was a big part of my life while in Omund. What will happen to all the artifacts still inside,
@John, Optima is in a state of darkness now, has been for the last four years.
The temple and the foyer are still exactly the same,
The keys are with one of the PM's ,
Sadly, the numbers dropped below the required number . There are still two/three Optima that travel to Phoenix of Namaqualand for meetings. Seeing the the historical connection between the two lodges.
PM John Darne, now retired to Cape Town, organises MARK meetings at OPTIMA once a year.
Indeed a unique Temple going to be covered by the sands of time...