The former Grand Master of Freemasons Victoria, Hillel Benedykt, will officiate when Glenn Bryan Lowther is installed as Master of the Albert Edward Lodge at Alexandra on Saturday, October 21.

The Grand Lodge ceremonial team will accompany ‘Most Wor. Bro. Benedykt’ for the ancient ceremony, which will be followed by a ‘festive board’ at the temple at the corner of Webster and Nihil Sts.

Glenn Lowther takes over the role from Ray Norris who holds the Grand Lodge position of ‘Past Grand Inspector of Workings’ and is known as ‘Very Worshipful Bro.”

The Albert Edward Lodge, No. 1291 in the English Constitution, was consecrated on Augfust 20, 1868, with the installation of Brother William Downing as the founding Master
He was also appointed to the newly created position of clerk and rate-collector for the Alexandra Roads District in the same year.

Anecdotally meetings were intially held in the Corner Hotel, on the corner of Grant and Downey St. Another venue was the Alexandra Hotel, at one time the Freemasons, a building which was rebuilt several times after several accidents. Long-time owners had been the McNair family since 1923, all prominent members of the Craft.