The Manawatu Freemason

  W.Bro. Peter Justice was installed as Worshipful Master exactly 20 years after he had done the job last time on 8 April 2026.    It was a very well attended meeting, both by members of this Lodge as well as from many other Lodges from as far away as Auckland.

  Rei Kōtuku Charitable Trust receives significant help from The Manawatu Kilwinning Lodge Dr Amanda Evans gave an outline of the Rei Kōtuku Charitable Trust to the Brethren, visitors and guests of The Manawatu Kilwinning Lodge No 47 in Palmerston North after she was presented with a donation of $20,402.86 from the Lodge on 11 February 2026 at the Lodge rooms in the Manawatu Masonic Centre. Rei Kōtuku is a paediatric palliative care service that provides specialist medical, nursing and allied health wraparound support to seriously ill children and their families from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki. It is funded through private contributions as it is not publicly funded. In 15 months, they cared for 68 palliative babies, children and teenagers, including 29 who have died. They also provided bereavement support to their families. WBro John Brooks WM created a Master’s project that recycled over 5.6 tonnes of lead-acid batteries in a 16-month period. The project was supported ...

  UCOL ākonga awarded $35,000 in 10th year of Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarship Eighteen Manawatū ākonga were awarded Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarships on 18 March 2026, totalling $35,000 to assist them with their studies and career advancement. The Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarships is a joint initiative between Freemasons Lodge Manawatu Kilwinning No 47, UCOL and Master Builders.  The scholarships were first awarded in 2016, with the goal of helping tradespeople working in the construction industry to develop their skills further.  These scholarships are supported by the Manawatu Kilwinning Charitable Trust and The Freemasons Charity of New Zealand. This year, the 18 scholarships were awarded to ākonga currently studying the New Zealand Diplomas in Architectural Technology, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. These scholarships come in the form of monetary awards to help recipients with costs associated with their study.  This year’s recipient...

  Joseph Banks. 1743 - 1820 Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent naturalist, was the first Freemason to set foot on Australian soil, he was at the time on a combined Royal Navy & Royal Society scientific expedition to the South Pacific Ocean on HMS Endeavour led by Captain James Cook. Joseph Banks was born on 24 February 1743, the son of William Banks, a wealthy Lincolnshire country squire and member of Parliament.  He was initiated into Freemasonry at Somerset House Lodge No. 4 prior to 1768. Various scholars have attempted to establish the date of his initiation into The Horne Lodge. A closer approximation of the date of Banks’ initiation can be made by reference to his contemporary Freemasons, such as Thomas Dunkerley (the natural son of George III), Lord Gormastone, Viscount Hampden, James Heseltine, and Admiral Peter Parker, for instance. Banks may have joined the lodge when he was at Oxford University, though one might have expected that he would have achieved some of his s...

Edward Anthony Jenner. 1749 - 1823 Bro Edward Jenner was born on May 17th 1749 he was raised on December 30th 1802 and died January 26th 1823. Bro Edward Anthony Jenner was born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.  Bro Jenner is credited for discovering the scientific principles of immunization and for engineering the vaccine for smallpox. Bro Jenner's dream was for future generations to live in a world without smallpox.  This dream finally became reality 56 years after his death, when the World Health Organization declared smallpox an eradicated disease. Jenner was raised a Master Mason in 1802 and was a member of Lodge of Faith and Friendship No.270 in Gloucestershire, England.  He was active in the fraternity, serving in 1812 as Master of his lodge.  This lodge was regularly visited by the Prince of Wales – the future George IV – who would play a significant role in Bro Jenner’s life.  In 1821, having known him to be a man of integrity from their time toge...

  Bro Lionel Brockman Richie Jr Bro Lionel Brockman Richie Jr was born on the 20th June 1949 in Tuskegee Alabama, the son of Lionel Brockman Richie, a U.S. Army systems analyst, and Alberta R. Foster, a teacher and school principal. His grandmother Adelaide Mary Brown was a pianist who played classical music. He signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving to Motown Records originally as a supporting act for the Jackson 5, the Commodores became an established soul group in 1974.  In 1982 Bro Richie left the Commodores and started his solo career realising his first solo album “Lionel Richie” that contained three single, US number one hits. Over the years he has won four Grammy Awards including song of the year in 1985 for “we are the world” which he co-wrote with Michel Jackson, Album of the Year in 1984 for Can’t Slow Down, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 1984, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Truly in 1982, Richie was ...

Douglas MacArthur.  26 January 1880 - 5 April 1964 Bro Douglas MacArthur, born on the 26th January 1880 Bro MacArthur was a scholar and military leader dubbed “The American Shogun”.  While stationed in the Philippines, MacArthur was made a Mason “at sight” by the Grand Master of the Philippines, he was raised on the 14th January 1936 and had received the 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite on the 28th March of that same year.  Being made a "Mason at sight" is a rare Masonic procedure where a Grand Master uses their authority to initiate, pass, and raise a candidate to the degree of Master Mason in a single session, bypassing the usual waiting periods and proficiency requirements. He was was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army.  He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Command...