Hope Valley Lodge – No 3397
Date Established: 24th November 1909
Meeting Dates: First Wednesday of the month except July, August and September.
Number of Members: 40
Contact: mark_ivey@sky.com
With the beginning of passenger services on the newly opened Sheffield to Manchester railway line in 1894 and the new stations at Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford and Hope, businessmen who lived in the Hope Valley looked to form a new Lodge to meet their needs.
In 1908 they applied to the Most Worshipful Grand Master for a Warrant of Constitution. This was granted on 19 August 1909 and the new Hope Valley Lodge was consecrated on 24 November 1909 at the Loxley Hall, Bamford.
Early meetings were held at the Marquis of Granby, Bamford, moving to the Maynard Arms, Grindleford in 1923 and then to The Dore Masonic Hall in 1965. All these locations being just across the road from Railway Stations on the Hope Valley Line. Membership was at its highest in 1959 with 93 members and today stands at a regular figure of 35 to 40.
Today the Lodge Membership comes from every walk of life. We have Engineers, Salesmen, A Mettallurgist, A Pathologist, A Builder, A Photographer, A Film Maker, A Horticulturist, The Owner of a Kennels and even an Undertaker. And so the list goes on. Many have or had their own businesses whilst others held senior positions in large and small enterprises.
Our current Master, Tony Le May, has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering but changed career to become a food photographer. He has held several uniformed and civilian postions with the Royal Air Force Air Cadets over 57 years of service.
We are a friendly bunch who enjoy each others company over a meal and / or a beer. We pride ourselves on carrying out some of the best Masonic Ritual and have a small but active Lodge of Instruction where we practice and hone our ceremonial skills,
We support a wide range of charitable causes not only financially, but many members giving their time to help where they can. Our charitable support ranges assisting a student with a grant of £50 towards travel expenses to enable them to complete work experience as part of their college course to leading the way in raising funds across all 10 Lodges at Dore in providing a “Magic Table” for Woodland View Care Home which speialises in patients with Alzheimers and Dementia.
Our Annual Quiz Night is the social highlight of the year raising in excess of £400 for charity.
We have our own Lodge Web Site (which is undergoing a major overhaul) at www.hopevalleylodge.co.uk and we are also active on Social Media with a presence on Facebook. Instagram and Twitter.