NAPARIMA LODGE NO.7108 E.C.

HISTORY 1952 TO 2022

Presented By WB Graeme C. Gillezeau, Dist.Gr.Orator

Naparima Lodge was the FIRST English Lodge established in Trinidad!! In 1823, a provisional warrant was received from the Provincial Grand Master in Barbados to establish a Freemason’s Lodge under the English Constitution in Trinidad named Naparima Lodge #2, however no official charter was ever received from England and the Lodge disappeared after 3 years. And that was that!!

Until……….

In the early part of the 20th century in the English colony of Trinidad & Tobago, the two (2) main sources of employment were in the sugar and oil industries. These industries were managed mainly by ex-pat workers from Great Britain. In those early days of the 1920s, in the South of the island, there were two Masonic Lodges – Lodge Alexandra No. 1044 of the Scottish Constitution, consecrated in 1919, and St. Andrew Lodge No. 3963 of the English Constitution which was consecrated in 1920.   Naturally, the English employees of the oil and sugar industries, having already been members of the Craft in the UK, flocked to St. Andrew Lodge. Throughout the next 30 years St. Andrew, whose membership was made up mainly of employees of the sugar industry grew and thrived, reaching a high of 153 members.  By 1950 the membership roll was large enough to consider the setting up of another Lodge in San Fernando that would be made up of members mainly from the oil industry particularly from two (2) companies –   Trinidad Leaseholds Ltd (TLL) which would later become Texaco Trinidad Ltd, TRINTOC, PETROTRIN and, most recently, Heritage Petroleum;  and Trinidad Petroleum Leaseholds (TPL) which would become Shell Trinidad Ltd, TRINTOPEC and PETROTRIN.

In the early months of 1951, a petition was sent to the United Grand Lodge of England to establish a new Lodge in Trinidad, West Indies under the English Constitution, which would be called Naparima Lodge. This petition was sponsored by St. Andrew Lodge and signed by eight brethren from several Lodges in Trinidad. The petition was approved by the Most Worshipful the Grand Master Robert Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarborough on July 25th 1951 and given the number 7108. The consecration of the new Lodge took place on the 25th of January 1952 and Bro. Henry Rabson was elected and installed as the first Worshipful Master by Very Worthy Bro. G.O.M. O’Reilly QC, Grand Inspector for Trinidad, in a ceremony witnessed by some 90 brethren from many Lodges and constitutions including the Irish Constitution. Among those in attendance were esteemed jurist Bro. Sir Hugh Wooding, a future Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, and WB Arthur Emlyn OBE a, highly regarded Mason, after whom an entire Lodge was named in his honour here in T&T and who assumed the office of Jr. Warden for the installation meeting. The banquet to celebrate the consecration was held at the Paramount Hotel which would later become the headquarters of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union. A commemorative photograph showing all members and visitors can be seen here. (Slide 1)

It is interesting to note that of the 8 founding Brethren, all of whom were members of St. Andrew Lodge, there was one Brother, William Rowdy, who was also a member of Lodge United Brothers No.251 SC and this Lodge and members of LUB would prove important to the future of Naparima Lodge.

At the very first regular meeting on February 28th 1952, the Lodge mourned the passing of the Past Most Worthy Grand Master, King George 6th who died on February 6th. Then began the business of the new Lodge, which saw ritual work being done at every single meeting over the next 12 months, with initiates and joining members coming almost exclusively from the oil companies.  One member, Bro. Kenneth Highton, was initiated in February, passed in April and raised in July of that year. At the July meeting there were 31 brethren present , including 18 visitors, and the bag of benevolence returned the princely sum of $14.32! Inflation is something! The December meeting saw the first Grand Lodge honours being conferred on a member of Naparima Lodge when Worshipful Brother Henry Rabson was given Overseas Grand Rank.

1953 saw much of the same as the year before, with ritual work at every meeting.  A couple highlights of the year were that for the months of March, April and May, meetings were held under the auspices of Royal Prince Of Wales Lodge No. 867 while renovations were being done to Ruth Ave. There was also the adoption of the 1st Lodge bye-laws in February and the Lodge Crest (app.1) in June.

Over the next 10 years, the membership of Naparima grew, reaching a high of 61 registered members in the late 50s. However, from the mid 60s to the early 70s, as the contracts of the expat members came to an end and they returned to their native countries, membership dropped to dangerously low levels. 1967 onward saw more locals becoming members, beginning significantly with two past-Masters of Lodge United Brothers joining in that year, namely RW Brs. Dr. George Beharry Rajcoomar, and Dr. Dalachand “Dixie” Sinanan, who would go on to become Dist. Gr. Master. of the Scottish constitution in 1972. This event proved significant,  in that it started a close relationship between Naparima and LUB where generations of Masons, as members of LUB, would also join Naparima, prime examples being George Rajcoomar’s son, Robin and Dixie Sinanan’s nephews Joel,  Barendra “Barry”,  James and Neil, all of whom sat in Naparima at the same time in the late ‘90s. Over the following 50 years no less than 8 Masters of Naparima had LUB as their Mother Lodge. George Rajcoomar  ’69, Dixie Sinanan  ’70, Joe Vierra ’79, Paul Roopsingh ’82, Robin Rajcoomar 2000, Ken Maharaj ’07, James Sinanan ’08 and Douglas Lucky-Samaroo in 2018.

Outside of the Sinanans, over the years there have been several familial connections at Naparima in the cases of Oswald Seales, Master in ’76 and his son Richard, Master in 2015, Neville Diaz, who became Master and initiated his son Wayne in 1984 and Wayne went on to become Master in ’93, three generations of Smiths, Ken, his son Derek who was Master in ’97 & ’98 (the only Master, until now, to have served consecutive terms) and grandson Lance. Ernest “Bunny” Caesar, Master in ‘89, and his nephew Nigel, Master in 2013, the Valere brothers Marcus, Master in 2001, and Emile, Master in 2003, the Ramjit brothers Shane, Master 2011, and Dev, Master 2017, and Graeme Gillezeau, Master in 2012, and his son Nikolai.

It is also interesting to note that in 2013 two unique situations occurred, WB Gillezeau was allowed to take the Chair to initiate his son Nikolai, who would go on to become Master in 2022, and WB Omah Seetahal, a Past Master of St. Andrew Lodge 3963, was allowed to take the Chair to initiate his son Amit. The second item was quite unique in that for several months during the year active members of Naparima were sitting Masters in four local craft Lodges, Nigel Caesar at Naparima, Douglas Lucky-Samaroo at LUB, Steve Hanief at St. Andrew and Shiva Narinesingh at Royal Connaught.

2016 was also a significant year in that Naparima was only the second English Constitution Lodge (I believe that there was one other at St. Andrew several decades ago) to admit former Prince Hall Masons to full membership status in the persons of Joseph McLeod PM and MM Dariel Pereira, both of Cosmopolitan Lodge No.21.   Bro. Pereira would become WM in 2020 and hold that position through 2022, the first former member of Prince Hall to hold that office in the English Constitution.

Many members of Naparima have made significant and sterling contributions to the Lodge over the years and although it would be too lengthy of me to mention all of them, it is only fitting that I name a few. Beginning with the erstwhile Secretaries, Francis “Frank” Drayton who served for 13 yrs, Emmanuel St. Clair Jones 12 yrs, Leo Leslie “Jeff” Guide 20 yrs and Anthony Abraham 15 years, a total of 60 yrs out of 70. And then there is the treasurer, Bro. Anton Ramcharan,  who held the post for 25yrs, only taking time off to become SW, Master and IPM between 2001- 2003.  Brother Ramcharan’s dedication to, and industry in, doing his duty has kept Naparima’s finances in perfect order for a ¼ century and we all owe him an immense debt of gratitude.

At this point I will highlight 3 of the most illustrious Brethren that have called Naparima Lodge home;

Francis “Frank” Estwick Drayton, Past Sr. Gr. Deacon

Initiated in Barbados in 1944, Frank Drayton was a driving force in the establishment of Naparima Lodge in 1952. As a founding member and first Secretary he was instrumental in the recruitment of members for the young Lodge which had its highest membership of 61 in the late 50’s. Bro. Drayton served as Secretary on and off for a total of 13 years ending in 1972.  He was also the only member, until now, to have served 3 terms as Worshipful Master – in 1955, ‘64 and ’72, the third term being at a time when membership had fallen very low as a result of many of the expats returning to their home countries at the end of their overseas contracts. Outside of Naparima, he was also a founding member of T&T Masters Lodge No.8057 EC in 1966, the English District Grand Lodge in 1968, where he was the first Distr. Sr. Gr. Deacon eventually attaining the rank of Deputy Distr. Gr. Master from 1976 -1982. He was also a founding member of Lodge Felicity No.1861 SC in 1974, at which ceremony he was conferred with the rank of Honorary Grand Marshal by the visiting Scottish Grand Master Mason. He was first recognised for Overseas Grand Rank in 1962 and had his last honour of Past Sr. Gr. Deacon in 1982. As a civil engineer, and prominent Southern sportsman, he was well known around San Fernando and has a street named in his honour.

Emmanuel St. Clair Jones, Past Dist. Gr. Chaplain

One of the first non-British to join Naparima Lodge, Brother Jones began his Masonic career at Lodge Alexandra 1044 SC in July of 1966. A Barbadian by birth, an Anglican minister by calling and a chemist by profession, he became the chief chemist at Trinidad Cement Ltd and it was there that he was encouraged and proposed for membership to Naparima by his then manager WB Len Mitchell. He became an adjoining member in 1968 and was in his own words “the first man of African descent to join the Lodge”. Brother Jones was appointed SD in 1969 and JW in 1970 before becoming Master of Naparima in 1971.  This was to be the first of many Chairs that he would occupy in the coming years. He joined Phoenix Royal Arch Chapter and passed through several Chapter Chairs, he became one of a very select group of locals to become a member of the Royal Order Of Scotland in 1977 being inducted, in Scotland, by the Deputy Grand Master And Governor himself, before becoming a founding member of Trinidad Chapter of the Royal Order Of Scotland in 1980. As a member of Master’s Lodge, and being a founding member of Lodge Felicity 8057 SC in 1974, he had the unique distinction of being the Master of these 2 Lodges, in 2 different constitutions, at the same time in 1977. Bro. Jones became Lodge Secretary in 1973 and held that office uninterrupted for the next 12 years. On February 26th 2021, Bro. Jones celebrated 50 years since becoming Master of Naparima Lodge, a truly momentous achievement.  He was presented with a commemorative plaque by members of the Lodge and unfortunately passed away 5 months later aged 91.

Ishmael Hosein, Past Dist. Gr. Master

Joining Naparima in 1978, Dr. Ishmael Azim Hosein was destined to become one of, if not the most celebrated, of Naparima Lodge’s alumni. After becoming WM in 1983, and as an excellent ritualist, he was appointed DOC in 1985 and held that position for 10 years. His dedication to perfection in ritual and exceptional memory has endeared him to a generation of Masters who have called on him, regularly at short notice, to perform pieces from any and all sections of the ritual book with very little revision. On his first appointment to the District in 1989 he was appointed Deputy D Gr DOC and then D Gr DOC in 1995 and held that office until 2003 when he was elected Dist. Gr. Master. As DGM his main focus was establishing closer ties with the Scottish District and he often visited Scottish Lodges during regular meetings and not only at Installations. This focus resulted in many more members of the English District visiting Scottish Installations and Lodge inter visitations boomed.  He has been made an honorary member of 9 Scottish Lodges. Br. Dr. Hosein is a prolific writer and he has written and presented dozens of papers over the years.  He was also the editor of the Masonic bulletin “The Square” for over 15 years. Outside of his role as DGM, he sat in the Chair of no less than 12 Chapters, Conclaves, Councils, Preceptories and Priories and was awarded Grand Rank honours in all. He was a “Most Excellent 1st Principal” a “Worshipful Commander Noah” a “Thrice Illustrious Master” a “Most Wise Sovereign” a “Venerable Preceptor” a “Venerable Prior” a “Worthy Supreme Ruler” and the “Royal Provincial Grand Master” of the Royal Order of Scotland.  With seemingly unlimited energy, it was rumoured that he went to meetings at least 5 times per week every week.  Br. Dr. Hosein continues to be an inspiration, not only to his Mother Lodge but to Trinidad Freemasonry in general.