Laurie Fitzpatrick of Whittlesea Lodge.

Ahead of its centenary year in 2019, Whittlesea Lodge will be holding a Christmas night on Wednesday (Dec. 5).

Members will gather for Christmas cheer, and host visitors from throughout the district, including a visit from the Fairfield Lodge.

The Whittlesea Lodge is part of Freemasons Victoria, a charitable fraternity with more than 8000 members across the state. More than $2 million is given to charity annually, especially to hospitals and in scholarships and bursaries to students at local public, independent and Catholic schools.

The Whittlesea Lodge has been involved with charitable giving overpast years, including the purchase of defibrillators. Members meet monthly at the Beech St centre, which was built in 1932. Many prominent local citizens have been members of the Whittlesea Lodge. Family members are also involved with the Lodge, especially in the care of widows and their families. There has been substantial involvement with the Royal Freemasons Homes, and the Epworth Freemasons Hospital.

There are Masonic Centres in The Local Paper circulation area at Alexandra, Diamond Creek, Greensborough, Mansfield and Seymour. There are other centres nearby at Darebin and Preston. Lodges were also previously at Kinglake and Yea.

The Freemasons organisation includes members of many faiths include Christian (including Catholic and Protestants), Hindu, Islam and Judaism. Discussion on politics and religion is banned at meetings.

Prominent Freemasons have included avaitor Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, actor Chips Rafferty, entertainer Graham Kennedy, war hero/actor Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, cyclist Sir Hubert Opperman, botanist Sir Joseph Banks, footballer Charles Brownlow, and Victorian Labor leader Frank Wilkes. Former Australian Prime Ministers who were Freemasons include Sir Edmund Barton, Sir George Reid, Sir Joseph Cook, Stanley Melbourne Bruce, Earle Page, Robert Menzies, Artie Fadden, John McEwen and John Gorton. Former Australians of the Year Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop and Major-General Alan Stretton were Masons.