The History of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Grand

The History of the
Royal Antediluvian Order of
Buffaloes
Grand Lodge of Southern Africa
(Established by authority of the Grand Lodge of England in 1921)
Compiled and Published under authority of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, Grand Lodge of Southern Africa,
by Bro. Paul Carr R.O.H. H.L.M. G.P. 2007, 2013, 2014 & 2015.
© 2016 R.A.O.B. G.L.S.A.
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Dedication
This History of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes under the Grand Lodge of
Southern Africa is dedicated to the memory of all those Brethren who over the years
have unfortunately lost their lives while either travelling to or from Lodge meetings in
South Africa.
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Contents
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 4
GRAND LODGE OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA & RHODESIA .................................. 5
GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH AFRICA ................................................................................... 14
GRAND LODGE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA ........................................................................... 24
References .............................................................................................................................. 33
Notes ....................................................................................................................................... 33
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(Established by authority of the Grand Lodge of England in 1921)
INTRODUCTION
Where I can not verify the correct names and degrees of Brethren, Lodge details or
dates I have left them out. I would like to thank all those many Brethren of the
various Banners and Sections of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes for their
invaluable help and information given to me in the compiling this history.
The earliest Lodges that I can find any record of operating in South Africa were the
United Lodge No. 1 and the Anchor Lodge No. 631 both Grand Surrey Banner
Lodges which were operating in the 1880’s. Prior to 1921 the Order in South Africa
consisted mainly of Lodges of the Grand Lodge of England Limited, R.A.O.B. Africa,
Grand Lodge (Late Grand Surrey Lodge (Mother Lodge of the World)), Grand
Council and the Grand Surrey Banner. During the early years of the Order in South
Africa, all the Banners had Brethren who were predominantly of the Jewish faith, this
has now changed and today there are very few Jewish Brethren still attending.
Brother John Christie P.B. who was born in Scotland in 1883 then moved to
Johannesburg, South Africa in 1902 where he qualified as a retail chemist and ran a
chain of chemist shops, was elected as the Mayor of Johannesburg for the years
1920 – 1921 and was the leader in establishing the South African Pharmacy Board
and became the first President when it was constituted in 1929, he was also the
leader of the South African Labour Party from 1946 to 1953 when he died. He was a
Member of the United Lodge No. 1, R.A.O.B. Africa, Grand Surrey Banner as well as
a member of the Masonic Order in Fordsburg, Johannesburg.
A Section of the Grand Lodge (Mother Lodge of the World), Grand Surrey Banner
was opened in South Africa in the 1880’s under the name of the R.A.O.B. Africa and
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in 1913 it was renamed the Grand Lodge of South Africa (Grand Surrey Banner),
which amalgamated with the Grand Lodge of England in January 1922, in June 1926
it broke away and amalgamated with the Grand Council Africa Banner.
GRAND LODGE OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA & RHODESIA
Just after the first world war a delegation of disgruntled Brethren from the Grand
Surrey Banner Lodges in South Africa visited England for the purpose of finding out
who were the “King pins” of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes in England.
They met the Grand Surrey Banner leaders and they also met the Grand Secretary
of the Grand Lodge of England, Brother William Rose K.O.M. at Cheltenham. They
decided that the Grand Lodge of England set up was the one to which they would
give allegiance and, therefore, asked the Grand Lodge of England for a Warrant &
Decree. On the 2nd January 1921 the Grand Lodge of England issued thirteen
Dispensations numbered 4004 to 4016 to Lodges seceding from the Grand Surrey
Banner, Grand Surrey Lodge (Mother Lodge of the World), Grand Council and the
Grand Lodge of England Limited to the Grand Lodge of England. The only Lodge still
in existence today is the May Lodge No. 4014. In August of 1921 the Grand Lodge of
England granted a Warrant and Decree for the inauguration of the Grand Lodge of
the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia which took place on Saturday, 21st August
1921. The first Grand Primo was Brother Lawrence Pascoe K.O.M., Deputy Grand
Primo was Brother Roy Sterry K.O.M. and the Grand Secretary was Brother Chris
Deighton C.P. who all countersigned the Decree and Warrant along with their
counterparts of the Grand Lodge of England.
Brother Roy Francis Sterry K.O.M., Deputy Grand Primo 1921 (Grand Primo 1956 & 1957)
Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia
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The Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia Warrant and Decree
issued by the Grand Lodge of England in August 1921
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It was decided that the Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia
would use the designs and colours of the Grand Lodge of England for all their
Degree Regalia and Jewels but would adopt the green with yellow diamonds design
for the Grand Lodge collars and the Grand Primo’s sashes and regalia. Brethren who
had Regalia and Jewels from another Banner on joining the Grand Lodge of the
Union of South Africa and Rhodesia could purchase replacement Regalia and
Jewels or ribbons for their Jewels from the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of
the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia.
Grand Primo Sash and Apron
Grand Lodge Collar
Grand Primo Sash
A rule was adopted by the Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia
similar to the ones in the Grand Council Africa and the Grand Surrey Banner Rule
Books, that “If any Brother was affiliated to, or an active Member of another Banner
he was not allowed to hold any Office in any Lodge under the Grand Lodge of the
Union of South Africa and Rhodesia”. This rule was withdrawn by the Grand Council
Africa and the Grand Lodge of South Africa did likewise on the 2nd September 1979
in the spirit of further co-operation between us, the Grand Council Africa, Grand
Surrey Banner and Grand Lodge of England.
All the dispensations issued from 1921 to 1930 by the Grand Lodge of England were
countersigned by the Grand Primo, Deputy Grand Primo and Grand Secretary of the
Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia before being issued.
On the 11th January 1922 dispensations numbered 4034 and 4035 were issued by
the Grand Lodge of England to Lodges in South Africa. Grand Lodge of England
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then allocated a batch of numbers to the Grand Lodge in South Africa between 6601
and 6700; unfortunately some of these numbers were duplicated by the Grand
Lodge of England to Lodges operating in England. On the 14th of August 1923 the
King Edward Lodge No. 6601 received the first Dispensation issued by the Grand
Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia after changing its name from the
King Edward of Africa Lodge No. 4012. The first Lodge outside of South Africa to
receive a South African dispensation was the Nkana Lodge No. 6602 from Kitwe,
Zambia, which is still operating. On the 10th December 1930 the Shakespeare Lodge
No. 6598 was granted a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of England it later
seceded to the Grand Lodge of South Africa, it closed on 18th January 1998.
From 1921 to 1950 all the Grand Lodge sessions were all held in Johannesburg as it
was considered central to the headquarters of the Grand Lodge with easy access
from Northern and Southern Rhodesia as well as those Lodges operating in the rest
of South Africa, from 1950 it moved the meetings around the country, meeting in the
different Provinces, the first meeting outside of Johannesburg was held in Durban. In
1987 the April meeting was the only Grand Lodge session to have taken place
outside of South Africa and it was held in Windhoek, Namibia.
In the September of 1922 the last Lodge operating under the Banner of the Grand
Lodge of England Limited closed and came under the control of the Grand Lodge of
the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia. Between the 16th and the 18th December
1922 the Brethren of the Grand Surrey Banner Lodges held a special meeting and
agreed to form the Grand Council Africa Banner, a section under control of the
Grand Council in England, there are only two Minor Lodges left operating under the
Grand Council Africa and these are still meeting regularly in the Cape Town area.
The Grand Surrey Banner Lodges had two cemeteries in South Africa with plots held
by the Order; one is in Randfontein, west of Johannesburg, which is maintained by
the local municipality, the other is in Port Elizabeth; it is still used and is looked after
by the St. Andrews Lodge No. 6653, Grand Lodge of Southern Africa direct.
The District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal was the first Provincial Grand Lodge to
open on 26th May 1922 and they controlled all the Lodges operating in the Transvaal,
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Orange Free State and Western Cape provinces in South Africa and those in
Northern and Southern Rhodesia. The Transvaal Province opened the first Knights
Chapter in 1949 and the first Roll of Honour Assembly in 1966. The District Grand
Lodge of the Transvaal also ran an Orphanage in Krugersdorp, west of
Johannesburg, which was started by the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal on
the 8th June 1911 while under the control of the Grand Surrey Banner to the late
1950’s when it was decided to close it and the fund down.
From the 1922 edition of the Grand Lodge of England Directory, the Grand Lodge of
the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia has held pride of place in their directory as
the first of the Overseas Grand Lodges listed, and the Grand Lodge of Southern
Africa still does today.
On the 21st July 1922 it was decided by the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge that
all Lodges under its control in South Africa would hold the Absent Brethren Toast at
22h00.
The Provincial Grand Lodge of the Western Province was opened on the 13th
November 1925 and took control of the Lodges in the Cape Town and Simons Town
areas.
At the meetings requested by the Grand Council Africa, held in Kimberley on the 24th
October 1926 and in Johannesburg on the 28th November 1926, between the Grand
Council Africa and the Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa Banners to look at a
possible amalgamation of the two Banners, which was chaired by the Grand
President Brother Sturdy K.O.M. (Grand Council Africa) the Lodges involved were:
Grand Council Africa - District Grand Lodge of Kimberley, Brakpan Lodge No. 940,
Johannesburg Lodge No. 942; Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and
Rhodesia – District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal, United Lodge No. 4004, Benoni
Lodge No. 4010, May Lodge No. 4014, Witbank Lodge No. 4039 and the Crown
Mines Lodge but unfortunately this did not happen as they could not agree on the
terms of the amalgamation.
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On the 28th April 1931 a visiting Brother, who was a coloured, and working on one of
the many ships operating under the Union Castle Line between England and South
Africa was regrettably refused entry into the Dick King Lodge No. 962, (Grand
Council Africa) in Durban, as it was against the Laws in the country at that time.
In 1945 First Degree Brethren were excluded from attending the Grand Lodge
sessions and apologies were only accepted for non-attendance at the current
meeting of Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodge or Minor Lodge in South Africa for
the first time. Apologies can still only be tendered for the current meeting only, for
Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge meetings and must be in writing. Brethren
can still apologise for either the previous meeting, current meeting or the next
meeting in Minor Lodges, but is restricted to only one apology per meeting. Also
Degree Raisings could now be carried out in a Minor Lodge instead of at a special
meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge.
Grand Lodge issued in June of 1947 an Examining Council Question and Answer
document to bring all Provinces and Minor Lodges Direct in line with a uniform
examination, in the same year it was passed that Sashes may be awarded to a
Grand Primo or a Provincial Grand Primo for services rendered when they retired
from office, Jewels were only awarded from 1954 for the offices of Grand Primo,
Deputy Grand Primo and Provincial Grand Primo. Grand Lodge Officers do not keep
their collars of Office after they retire from office; these are returned for reissue the
following year. A few of the Grand Primo’s have bought their own set of regalia when
they retired from office.
Brother M. Levin K.O.M. was elected and installed as Grand Primo for 1948, he then
resigned during the meeting for personal reasons and a new Grand Primo, Brother
E.J. MacKay K.O.M. was then elected and installed.
The Dick King Lodge No. 6637 in Durban, Natal on the 21st June 1949 passed a
byelaw that “An amount of 1/- be left for the “Native Boys” who cleaned the Lodge
Room after their meeting”.
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On the 6th August 1950 the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal was instructed by
Grand Lodge to change its name from the old Grand Surrey Banner name to the
Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge to bring it into conformity with the other Provincial
Grand Lodges in South Africa.
The Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa & Rhodesia changed its meetings
from once a year to three times a year in 1950 and in 1952 it changed its meetings to
twice a year due to the high cost of travelling and accommodation, the election and
installation of the Grand Primo and his Officers takes place at the annual Grand
Lodge session which is held in either March or April of each year, and the half yearly
session is held in either September or October. The venues would be Port Elizabeth,
Durban and Johannesburg in rotation. From 1952 we printed and issued our own
First Degree emblems in Black & White, prior to this the Grand Lodge of England
emblems were used and over printed with South Africa, It also produced and issued
its own Second, Third and Fourth Degree Emblems, Affiliation Certificates and all its
own stationery. We now issue all our own Emblems in colour and stationary in an A4
format with the exception of our Rule and Ceremony book which is in an A5 format.
The funds raised from Registrations and Fines was split 60% to the General Fund
and 40% to the Benevolence Fund from the 1st January 1953. From 4th February
1953 the Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia started issuing the
First Degree emblems and membership cards with a prefix for each Province where
the Lodge was situated and a consecutive number and keeping the same in a
register.
Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) seceded to the Grand Lodge of England due to
logistical reasons in 1950 and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) followed suit in 1952
with Nyasaland (Malawi) following in 1953.
The Shakespeare Lodge No. 6598 bought premises situated at 15 Bezuidenhout
Street (now named Albertina Sisulu Road) in Troyeville, an eastern suburb of
Johannesburg, the Grand Lodge and the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge as well
as the Shakespeare Lodge No. 6598, moved their offices and Lodge meetings into
the building, on the 1st March 1953, it was renamed the “R.A.O.B. Hall”, the official
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opening and consecration took place on Wednesday, 25th March 1953, it was sold in
1976 due to a compulsory purchase order by the Johannesburg City Council.
The “R.A.O.B. Hall” in Troyeville, Johannesburg
Due to a change in the Laws in South Africa our constitution had to be rewritten in
1955 to comply with the Friendly Societies Act of 1954, as we were not allowed to be
under the direct control of an organisation based outside of the country. We were
also restricted by law as an organisation to a gross turn over amount of £500 per
annum that was allowed to be transacted through the Alderman of Benevolence
Fund.
At the Grand Lodge session in 1955 the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge was
suspended and the bank accounts frozen due to the non payment of dues and
certain disagreements with the Grand Lodge. Some of the Brethren looked at the
possibility of going under the control of the Grand Lodge of England Direct; in 1957
they again returned to take their seat at the Grand Lodge sessions having paid all
their outstanding dues and settled their disputes.
After many years of discussion it was agreed on the 2nd September 1956 that a Roll
of Honour book be started detailing the Brothers details and achievements over the
years, this book is to be displayed at all Grand Lodge meetings for any of the
Brethren to peruse. The book is a present being updated and replaced with a new
one.
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During 1956 The Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia applied to
the Grand Lodge of England for permission to produce their own Degree Jewels,
they replied “That they had no objections to the striking of Degree Jewels and no
qualms need be experienced relative to copyright thereof”. It was therefore agreed
that we would produce our own First Degree Jewel, with a springbok head in place of
the kangaroo and to change the wording to “Grand Lodge of South Africa” on the
medallion but keeping the Grand Lodge of England ribbon and top and bottom bars.
Grand Lodge of South Africa – First Degree Jewel
The Alexandria Lodge No. 6652 was opened in Uitenhage (North West of Port
Elizabeth) on 7th March 1957, replacing the one that had closed down some 35 years
earlier. They were able to move into the same Lodge Room that had been used by
the original Lodge, in which the original tyle that was installed some 50 years before
was still in existence. The Lodge has since closed.
A new rule was introduced into the Rule Book from 1st April 1957 owing to the
situation in the Union of South Africa that “Non-Europeans (Non-Whites) will not be
admitted to Lodges, the Worthy Primo and Officers of any Lodge shall have the
power to exclude any Brother whom they consider is not of European parentage. No
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reasons need be given for such decisions”. This Rule was withdrawn in 1980 thus
allowing anybody regardless of his race or colour to be Initiated in or to attend
Lodges in South Africa.
In 1959 we applied and were granted by the Director of Imports and Exports an
import permit to import goods and regalia to the maximum value of £200 per annum,
in 1961 we were allowed R500.00 (about £250.00).
From the 1st of January 1960 we had our own Rule book, prior to this we used the
Grand Lodge of England book with amendments to suit the local conditions, the
Manual of Instruction and Ceremony Book was still the Grand Lodge of England
book but with the references to the Grand Lodge of England replaced with the Grand
Lodge of South Africa.
In the 1960’s we had two Branches of the Overseas Buffalo Association operating in
South Africa, one was in Durban (No. 27) and the other one was in Port Elizabeth
(No. 162), both have since closed.
GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH AFRICA
The Grand Lodge of the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia changed its name to
the Grand Lodge of South Africa at its November meeting in 1961, after South Africa
became a Republic on the 31st May 1961, all the Rhodesian and Nyasaland Lodges
had seceded to the Grand Lodge of England in the 1950’s, the Toast was changed
to omit “The Queen” becoming “The Order and This Lodge in Particular” and prior to
Initiation the question was changed to “Are you a true and loyal supporter of the
South African Constitution?”.
In 1962 Brother Harry Van Den Berg C.P., Brother George Holford C.P., Brother
Thomas Barkwell C.P., Brother George Peel C.P., and Brother Charles Maulson
R.O.H., all unmarried with the exception of Brother Charles Maulson R.O.H.,
founded an “Our’s” Fund in South Africa, and in the first two months raised the sum
of £60. The fund has since been closed.
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Brother (Sir) Roy Welensky KCMG R.O.H., who was then the Governor of Rhodesia,
was awarded Honorary Membership of the King Edward Lodge No. 6601 and his
Jewel was presented to him at a special meeting of the Lodge that was held on the
2nd November 1962 at 17h00 in the Union Hotel in Pretoria.
With effect from the 1st October 1963 the Western Cape District Provincial Grand
Lodge, Silver Leaf Lodge No. 4038, White Ensign Lodge No. 4040 and the Tokai
Lodge No. 9269 seceded back to the Grand Lodge of South Africa from the Grand
Lodge of England.
Brother Harry Desforges K.O.M., Grand Primo 1964, Grand Lodge of England while
on a visit to Rhodesia in 1964 offered to pay a visit to the Grand Lodge of South
Africa, but due to the very short notice nothing could be arranged for him in time.
The Grand Lodge of South Africa decided in 1965 to purchase a new full set of 16
Grand Lodge collars at a cost R140.58 (approximately £70-5/9d) to replace the old
set.
The first Convention was chaired by Brother Percy Page K.O.M., Grand Primo 1964,
it was held in Port Elizabeth on 17th April 1965 to amend and issue our own Rule and
Ceremony books; prior to this we had used the Grand Lodge of England Manual of
Instruction & Ceremony Book with a few amendments to suit the local conditions, at
this stage it was decided that conventions would be held every ten years, or as and
when it is deemed necessary
In 1965 it was decided at the Grand Lodge Session, after a long discussion, that all
aprons would be worn over the outer garment.
The Grand Lodge of South Africa decided to design its own blazer badge, the badge
that was approved by the Grand Lodge of South Africa was designed by Brother E.
Wood K.B. and on the 5th September 1965 it was decided to have the badge
registered with the Bureau of Heraldry in South Africa at a cost of R25.00
(approximately £12-10/-), this unfortunately was rejected by the Bureau as we would
have to remove the lettering R A O B and South Africa from the Badge, also as the
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badge was in the shape of a shield, this was classed as being a Coat of Arms not a
badge and they also stated that an outline of a map cannot appear on a shield, our
badge therefore was never registered.
Grand Lodge of South Africa Blazer Badge
In 1966 the Grand Primo of the Grand Lodge of South Africa, Brother Bert Setter
R.O.H. together with Brother Arthur Baker R.O.H., Deputy Grand Primo, Brother
Norman Jenks R.O.H., Grand Primo 1962 & 1963 and Brother Len Frost C.P. from
Port Elizabeth attended the centenary celebrations of the Grand Lodge of England
and were very well received.
The Swaziland Lodge No. 6659 was opened in Mbabane, Swaziland on the 5th
November 1966 by kind permission of the Grand Lodge of England in sanctioning it
to fall under the control of the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge and the Grand
Lodge of South Africa, who performed the ceremony, unfortunately some of the
Brethren from South Africa were unable to attend the opening and consecration
ceremony of the Lodge due to the authorities in Swaziland imposing strict security
measures on the border at the last moment, the Lodge seceded to the Grand Lodge
of England in 1969. The first Lodge to open in Namibia (formally South West Africa)
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was the Karakul Lodge No. 6676 which was opened in Windhoek on the 3rd August
1975, it closed in April 1987. In 1976 the three Lodges that were operating in the
Cape Town area broke away from our Grand Lodge and seceded back to the Grand
Lodge of England due to differences between them and the Grand Lodge of South
Africa, in 1989 they decided to return under our Grand Lodge due to the very high
exchange rate for the British Pound. In 1977 there were six Lodges still operating in
South Africa with Grand Lodge of England dispensations, three where in Cape Town
(Cape of Good Hope Lodge No. 10054, White Ensign Lodge No. 10069 and the
Goodwood Lodge No. 10070, one each in Port Elizabeth (Pretoria Lodge No. 9695,
formally on board the SA Oranje mail ship), Johannesburg (Johannesburg Lodge No.
10115) and Randfontein, west of Johannesburg (Inyathi Lodge No. 10193).
In February 1969 the first Ladies Glades opened in Durban, Natal, over the years
others opened in Pinetown (outside of Durban, Natal) 1970, Pretoria 1973 and
Welkom (Orange Free State) 1976, in February 1973 the Natal Prima Glade opened
in Durban, all these have since closed.
On 29th September 1969 the Provincial Grand Primo of the Western Province
Brother Julian Lloyd K.O.M. opened the Pretoria Lodge No. 9695 on behalf of the
Grand Lodge of England on board the South African Marine Corp. (Safmarine)
vessel “S.A. Oranje” (formally RMS “Pretoria Castle”) while in Cape Town. A
memorable night indeed, as the city was shaken by violent earth tremors shortly after
the conclusion of the ceremony. Most of the Royal Mail Ships of the Union Castle
Shipping Line and the Safmarine line had Minor Lodges on board and they all fell
under the control of either the Southampton Provincial Grand Lodge in England or
Grand Lodge of England Direct. When the S.A. Oranje was decommissioned in 1975
the Pretoria Lodge No. 9695 moved to premises in Port Elizabeth and still remained
under the control of the Grand Lodge of England Direct it has since closed.
The Official Seal of the Grand Lodge of South Africa was adapted from the Grand
Lodge of England seal but with South African aspects on the shield. This was
submitted to the Grand Lodge of England who replied that they had no objections to
our design as there were significant differences in the two seals, so as not to
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contravene their copyright registration, and so ours was then duly copyright
registered with the South African Department of Heraldry in 1970.
Seal of the Grand Lodge of South Africa
The Eastern Province Provincial Grand Lodge in Port Elizabeth formed an R.A.O.B.
Darts Club in 1970 and played in the Eastern Province Darts League for many years,
promoting the Order where ever they played.
The Grand Council Africa approached the Grand Lodge of South Africa as they were
willing to co-operate and exchange their Expelled, Suspended, Terminated and
Resign Members Lists for ours in the spirit of mutual benefit of the two Banners.
On Saturday, 4th September 1971 the Grand Lodge of South Africa celebrated its
Fiftieth Anniversary operating under the Warrant and Decree of the Grand Lodge of
England with a ball which was held in the former Selbourne Hall which was within the
Johannesburg City Hall, which was closed in 1972 when the Johannesburg City
Council moved into the new civic centre building further down the road in the suburb
of Braamfontein, after renovations the building is now used as the Gauteng
Provincial Government Legislature. A Fiftieth Anniversary Jewel was struck to
commemorate this event; the Jewel which was designed by Brother George Tait
R.O.H., Grand Chamberlain 1971, from Port Elizabeth, who was presented with a
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Jewel produced in gold. The Jewel in metal gilt was available to be worn only by
Brethren who were Initiated on or prior to Sunday, 5th of September 1971 and it
would only be issued engraved with the Brothers Name and Degree on the reverse
of it. The same design was used for the seventy-fifth anniversary Jewel in 1996 but
with the ‘50’ being replaced by a ‘75’ and the ribbon was changed.
th
50 Anniversary Jewel
th
75 Anniversary Jewel
A Brother of the Eastern Province Provincial Grand Lodge, in Port Elizabeth, brought
forward a proposal to the Grand Lodge meeting in 1972 for the Grand Lodge to
change its name to “The South African Order of the R.A.O.B.”, on being put to the
vote this motion was defeated.
The Order in South Africa suffered a very major setback with the implementation of
fuel restrictions in November 1973, petrol could only be purchased from Monday –
Thursday between 06h00 and 18h00 and on Fridays between 06h00 and 12h00,
petrol was not permitted to be carried in any container in a motor vehicle or to be
transferred from one motor vehicle to another, this went on until the late 1980’s, the
speed limits were also reduced to 50 km/h (31 mph) in town and on all other roads
and highways a maximum of 80 km/h (50 mph), this made the paying of regalia visits
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outside of a radius of 250 kilometres (155 miles) very difficult unless the Brethren
took leave from work and left very early on a Friday morning and returned on a
Monday afternoon.
The Letaba Safari Lodge No. 6659 Grand Lodge Direct opened its new Lodge hall
on a large property, just outside of Phalaborwa, on the edge of the world famous
Kruger National Park in Limpopo (formally north eastern Transvaal) on the 1st
September 1973, the building consists of a reception area, kitchen, bar, Lodge room
and toilets with showers. This hall is still in use today and is often hired out to the
general public for private functions, over the years they have built a large covered
area outside for the holding social functions and having a braaivleis (BBQ). They
also have a garden of remembrance where the ashes of several Brethren have been
scattered.
Letaba Safari Lodge No 6659 Hall in Phalaborwa
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From 1976 to 1981 the Lodges in the Eastern Transvaal Province were very strong
owing to the fact that a lot of Brethren of the Order from the United Kingdom who
were on a five year contract, they were working at the local South African Air Force
Central Flying School base in Dunnottar, east of Johannesburg.
The Grand Lodge of South Africa Executive consisting of Brother Mike Swanton
R.O.H. Grand Primo 1976, Brother Richard Pratt K.O.M. Grand Primo 1974 and
1975, Brother Pat Stacey R.O.H. Grand Primo 1969 and 1970, Brother Bert Setter
R.O.H. Grand Primo 1966, Grand Secretary, and Brother Roy Lorentz C.P. Grand
Alderman of Benevolence held a meeting on 10th May 1976 in Port Elizabeth with
Brother John Cooper R.O.H. Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of England while he
was on a visit to Port Elizabeth. Further to this meeting a delegation from the Grand
Lodge of South Africa consisting of Brother Roy Lorentz K.O.M. Grand Alderman of
Benevolence, Brother Bert Setter R.O.H., Grand Primo 1966, Grand Secretary and
Brother John McNally C.P. Grand Tyler, (Brother Richard Pratt K.O.M. Immediate
Past Grand Primo apologised that he was unable to attend the meeting) met on 3rd
March 1977 with twelve members of the Grand Lodge of England Executive, eight of
whom were Grand Primo’s of their respective years, the meeting was held under the
Chairmanship of Brother Mostyn Gale R.O.H. Grand Primo 1977, Grand Lodge of
England, in Folkestone, Kent, in the south east of England. It was confirmed at the
meeting that there is a Reciprocity Agreement between The Grand Lodge of South
Africa and the Grand Lodge of England, another matter of importance that was
discussed was the issuing of Dispensations by the Grand Lodge of England to
Lodges in South Africa. The visit did much to renew old bonds, to cement new bonds
where previously none existed and to create a greater understanding and mutual
respect between the Grand Lodge of South Africa and the Grand Lodge of England.
In 1977 the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge purchased the Whitehouse
Residential Hotel in Edenvale, east of Johannesburg, from the money received from
the sale of the property in Troyeville, Johannesburg, it was decided to sell it in 1979.
Also in 1977 the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Northern Transvaal, King Edward
Lodge No. 6601 and the Aloe Lodge No. 6667 in Pretoria joined forces with the Boys
Scout association on a 50/50 basis and built a joint Scout-Buff hall in Villieria, a
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suburb of Pretoria with the parents of the Scouts and other Members of the Order on
weekends.
In 1978 a new act called the “Fund Raising Act” was passed in South Africa
prohibiting the selling of raffle tickets, this was circumvented by asking for a donation
towards a prize and the answering of a simple question on the raffle sheet.
The Inyathi Lodge No. 10193 which was situated in the Randfontein area, west of
Johannesburg, was the last Lodge in South Africa to receive a Grand Lodge of
England Dispensation on the 2nd June 1978, they later seceded to the Grand Lodge
of Southern Africa on the 1st October 1994 leaving no Lodges operating under a
Grand Lodge of England Dispensation in South Africa, the Lodge finally closed on
the 31st July 2013.
Due to some changes in the laws in the Republic of South Africa, it was decided at
the Convention held in 1980 that the Constitution and Rule for Initiations be
amended with the removal of the words “European decent” to allow any
unenlightened person over the age of 18 years regardless of his race or colour to be
Initiated into the Grand Lodge of South Africa and to also attend their Lodges.
On his retirement as Grand Secretary Brother Cyril Bert Setter R.O.H. Grand Primo
1966, Grand Secretary 1958 – 1980, at the Grand Lodge meeting held in Pretoria on
the 31st August 1980, Brother Bert, as he was affectionately known as by all Brethren
of the Order in South Africa, was presented with an address of appreciation and a
specially commissioned Sash depicting his various services to the Grand Lodge of
South Africa and was granted Honorary Life Membership of the Order, he passed to
the Grand Lodge above in 1990.
The boundaries of the Provincial Grand Lodges in operation at the present time or
may be formed in the future was reviewed and redefined by the Grand Lodge
Executive, Delegates from each of the Provincial Grand Lodges and the Minor
Lodges Direct on 26th February 1981, any Lodge falling outside of these agreed
boundaries or where no Provincial Grand Lodge existed would then fall under the
control of the Grand Lodge of South Africa Direct.
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Three new Lodges with their own Dispensations issued by the Grand Lodge of
Namibia, the Falcon Lodge, Karakul Lodge and Kalahari Lodge were formed and on
the 20th March 1982, they illegally founded and opened the Grand Lodge of Namibia
without a Charter issued from any Banner or Section and subsequently, because of
this they were not recognised by any Banner or Section of the Royal Antediluvian
Order of Buffaloes anywhere in the world, all the Members associated with this
Banner were therefore expelled from the Grand Lodge of South Africa and the Grand
Lodge of England.
The Loyal Toast was again changed in 1985 due to the political situation in South
Africa, as the State President of the country was a political figure head appointed by
the ruling political party, to “South Africa, The Order and This Lodge in Particular”,
the Lodges that where meeting in Namibia were given permission to amend the
Toast to “South Africa, Namibia, The Order and This Lodge in Particular”.
The Grand Lodge of South Africa started a Bursary Fund during 1985 in the honour
and memory of the late Brother Clifford J. Powlesland R.O.H., Grand Secretary 1981
to 1983, after receiving an amount of money bequeathed by him to the Grand Lodge
of South Africa. The first bursary award was made in 1987. The fund has been
boosted over the years by other Brethren bequeathing money to it. This fund still
operates today in supplying bursaries to the children of Brethren of the Order in
South Africa to assist in the furthering of their educational studies.
Again due to the very high cost of foreign exchange for the British Pound the
Johannesburg Lodge No. 10115 (formally Johannesburg Lodge No. 300 under the
Grand Surrey Banner) finally seceded on the 2 nd July 1990 to the Grand Lodge of
South Africa from the Grand Lodge of England, this Lodge finally closed in 1993.
In 1991 the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge again purchased a property for the
use of the Order in the Transvaal, this time it was an old Masonic Hall in Hans
Street, Jeppestown, on the east side of Johannesburg, and most of the Minor
Lodges in the Transvaal Province moved in there and set up our first museum, in
2005 the suburb deteriorated due to the high crime rate and car theft in the area and
the property was eventually sold in 2007, the items on display in the museum being
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shared between the Lodges in Henley on Klip and Brakpan. The Bunduloo Lodge
No. 6694 owns a plot of ground south of Johannesburg that has never been
developed on; it is also now becoming a high crime area due to a large squatter
camp nearby and they are busy at the moment looking at selling it.
GRAND LODGE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
On the 10th April 1993 the Grand Lodge of South Africa again decided to change its
name this time to the Grand Lodge of Southern Africa as it was hoped to attract the
Lodges in the neighbouring countries to rejoin it, this we felt might help those Lodges
who were struggling to pay the Grand Lodge of England due to the very high
exchange rate for British Sterling at the time and also the difficulty in sending money
out of some of their countries. The Loyal Toast was again changed in 1996 to
“Southern Africa, The Order and This Lodge in Particular”.
From 1998 the carrying of firearms on their person by Brethren is not permitted in
any of our Lodges, but Brethren may be allowed to carry them in their Regalia cases.
Sadly on the 1st November 1999 Brother Brian McCarthy R.O.H. was murdered on
his arrival at the Observatory Park Bowling Club, in a suburb in the east of
Johannesburg, prior to the Troyeville Lodge No. 6619 meeting, this was to have
been his last meeting in South Africa before returning to Doncaster in England the
following evening, to date the perpetrators have never been apprehended, the other
Brethren of the Lodge were held on the floor at gun point during the armed robbery
and all their personal belongings (such as wallets, cellular telephones, car keys,
watches and jewellery) were taken, fortunately they did not take any of our Regalia
and thankfully no firearms were being carried by any Brother that night. All but one of
the Lodges now hold their meetings at the residences of Brethren of the Order, in an
outbuilding on their property that has been specially converted into a Lodge Room,
these are mostly held on a Sunday morning for safety and security reasons.
After many years of trying to produce a newsletter / magazine by various Brethren
and Lodges and not being very successful, the Grand Lodge of Southern Africa
decided, in 2007 to operate its own website, the domain name “www.raob.co.za” was
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duly registered at the end of April, and it has become a very useful advertising,
marketing and informative tool in promoting the Order here in South Africa, and it is
viewed by Brethren from all over the world on a regular basis, as well as by family
members enquiring about their late family members and to offer to return regalia for
display in one of the museums, the website is updated with the dates and venues of
Lodge meetings without fail on a monthly basis. We also submit articles for inclusion
in the Grand Lodge of England publication the “Buffalo Quarterly Journal”.
The Order now has four museums in South Africa, one is in the Bunduloo Lodge No.
6694 Lodge Room in Henley on Klip, south of Johannesburg, which has mostly
Regalia, Jewels, photographs and the Grand Lodge records, the one in the Izimbali
Provincial Grand Lodge Room in Brakpan, east of Johannesburg has mostly
Regalia, Jewels, a few photographs and old Dispensations of defunct Lodges, it also
has a full Buffalo head that has been perfectly preserved and mounted, on display,
that was presented on the 7th July 1912 to the Randfontein Lodge No. 1924, Grand
Lodge of England Limited by Brother Jan Willem Stuckeris Langerman M.L. A. (later
Sir Jan) who was the Managing Director of the Robinson Deep Group of Gold Mines
in the south of Johannesburg and was also the president of the Transvaal Chamber
of Mines 1909 – 1910 and a member of the South African Party. The J.W.S.
Langerman Lodge No. 4007 was named after this Brother, Langerman Drive in the
Kensington suburb, in the east of Johannesburg, and Langerman Street in the
Mayfair Suburb in the west of Johannesburg are both named after him, he was also
a founder member of the Doornfontein Lodge No. 2585 E.C., Masonic Order, in the
first “swagger suburb” in Johannesburg. The museum in Durban and the other one in
Port Elizabeth both have various items of Regalia on display including some old
Dispensations of the defunct Lodges in their areas together with some old
photographs.
The Dispensation from the defunct Sand River Lodge No. 6677 that held its
meetings in Welkom, Orange Free State, was donated by the Grand Lodge of South
Africa to the Grand Lodge of England for display in their museum at Grove House,
Harrogate in 1979.
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The public museum in Simons Town, south of Cape Town, has a full set of Fourth
Degree regalia on display, which was donated by the Grand Lodge of Southern
Africa in 2003, from the now defunct White Ensign Lodge No. 10069, which closed in
March 2001, the Lodge used to hold its meetings in Simons Town.
The Buffalo Head presented to the Randfontein Lodge No. 1924 (G.L.E. Ltd.)
on 7th July 1912 by Brother J.W.S. Langerman M.L. A.
Brother Robert Crowe K.O.M. a former Member of the East Rand Lodge No. 6657 in
Springs, east of Johannesburg, who now lives in Scotland came to South Africa in
2006 on a holiday, and while here he paid a visit to the Troyeville Lodge No. 6619 to
return the Jewels to the Lodge of the late Brother Frankie Hynes R.O.H. who had
passed away in Dundee, Scotland.
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The Provincial Grand Primo of Huddersfield and District Provincial Grand Lodge in
England, Brother Brian Sutcliffe R.O.H. paid a special visit to the Troyeville Lodge
No. 6619 in January 2007, unknown to Brother Patrick Wall R.O.H., Grand Primo
1987 (Grand Lodge of South Africa), who was on holiday in South Africa at the time,
to invest him with his Regalia as the Deputy Provincial Grand Primo of Huddersfield
and District Provincial Grand Lodge, he was accompanied on his visit to the Lodge
by the Grand Primo of Southern Africa, Brother Peter Hicks R.O.H., the Deputy
Grand Primo, Brother Paul Carr R.O.H. and five Grand Primo’s of their respective
years, together with the Provincial Grand Primo of the Transvaal Provincial Grand
Lodge, Brother John Garrell R.O.H. and six Provincial Grand Primo’s of their
respective years, all the Grand Primo’s, Deputy Grand Primo and Provincial Grand
Primo’s, together with Brother Patrick Wall R.O.H. are all members of the Troyeville
Lodge No. 6619, not bad for a small Lodge, unfortunately Brother Walter Gasson
R.O.H., Grand Primo 1983 (Grand Lodge of South Africa) who is also a Member of
the Lodge was not able to be present.
At the end of 2007 the Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge decided that due to the
lack of Minor Lodges in their area of jurisdiction to amalgamate with the Eastern
Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge, which was founded in 1975 after breaking away
from the Transvaal Province, this to take effect from the 1st January 2008. In 2008
along with the other organisations like the Masonic Order, Lions, Rotary and Round
Table who are operating in South Africa, had to change the names of their Provincial
branches, replacing the names of the old South Africa provinces to the new names in
line with the Government policies, the name chosen for our new Province was the
Izimbali Provincial Grand Lodge as there was a Lodge at that time that held its
meetings in a neighbouring Province (Izimbali meaning “Rose” in the Zulu language,
as this was the emblem of the sporting teams in the area and was not geographical),
this is the only Provincial Grand Lodge still operating in South Africa. All these
organisations sadly are suffering from the same fate as we are with falling
membership mostly due to the high crime rate and the hi-jacking of motor vehicles
throughout the country, people do not go out much at night anymore as they prefer
to remain at home, safely locked up in their own properties.
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At the Grand Lodge meeting held on the 4th October 2008 it was agreed that it be left
to a Brother’s discretion as to whether he wears his apron under or over his jacket.
In 2010 a group of Brethren from the Grand Lodge of Southern Africa again visited
the Grand Lodge of England, consisting of Brother Walter Gasson R.O.H. Grand
Primo 1983, Brother Roy Masterton R.O.H. Grand Primo 2005, Brother Mark
Masterton R.O.H. Grand Primo 2010, Brother Andre De Beer K.O.M. Deputy Grand
Primo 2010, Brother Raymond Savory R.O.H. Grand Primo 2008 and Brother
Desmond Woods R.O.H. Grand Primo 2004, Grand Secretary and they were very
well received wherever they went.
A special Convention was called to completely update and re-write the Rule and
Manual of Instruction & Ceremony Books of the Grand Lodge of Southern Africa in
September 2013. From this convention our Rule Book and the Manual of Instruction
and Ceremony Book shave been combined into one book and issued in a loose leaf,
single sided A5 format to keep the printing costs down; any amendments are issued
as loose pages, these books are also personalised with the Name and Degree of the
Brother on the front. Two personalised copies have been sent to England, one to the
Grand Lodge of England and the other to the All Sections Consultative Committee
for their records.
Brother Paul Carr R.O.H. Grand Primo 2007, 2013, 2014 & 2015 while on a holiday
to England in September 2014 paid a visit to the Grand Lodge of England meeting
held in Sunderland, the public Investiture of Brother Paul Best K.O.M. Grand Waiter
2014 in Halifax and also to the Grand Lodge of Northern Ireland meeting in Belfast,
the first visit by a South African Grand Primo to Northern Ireland, and he was very
well received. On his return to South Africa he chaired the Grand Lodge of Southern
Africa meeting, altogether three Grand Lodge sessions of three different sections of
the Order in the space of one month.
During 2015 we applied to join and were accepted on the 17 th October 2015 by the
All Sections Consultative Committee, in the United Kingdom, as a full member, which
we are very proud to be accepted as a member of. We circulate our Expelled,
Suspended, Terminated and Resigned Members List to the Grand Lodge of England
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and the All Sections Consultative Committee for their records. Over the years we
have had and still have a very good and close relationship and co-operation with the
Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Council Africa and The Overseas Buffalo
Association, and we hope to carry it on and to extend this to all the other Sections of
the Order in the near future.
The Minor Lodges in the Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban areas used to pay
regalia visits and in return receive regular visits from the Brethren and Minor Lodges
that where operating on the former Union Castle Line and Safmarine Royal Mail
Ships and also the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner when they were in port, recently
we have not had any vessels coming into any of these ports that have Minor Lodges
on board.
Sadly there are no longer any Lodges at the moment operating in either Namibia,
Zimbabwe, Malawi or Swaziland. There are Lodges in Zambia and Botswana
operating under the Grand Lodge of England.
All of our Brethren in South Africa have to travel by motor vehicle due to the lack of
public transport to attend a Lodge meeting, unfortunately quite a lot of our Brethren
and their families have lost their lives on the roads in South Africa in motor vehicle
accidents, or have been very seriously injured, either on their way to Grand Lodge,
Provincial Grand Lodge or Minor Lodge meetings or on their way back home. A lot of
the Brethren who live in the Johannesburg and surrounding areas have to travel
about seventy kilometres each way (about forty-five miles) to attend a Lodge
meeting, some other Brethren even travel a round trip of one thousand six hundred
kilometres (about one thousand miles) from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. A few of
the Brethren in the Johannesburg area often travel the six hundred kilometres one
way (about three hundred and seventy five miles) to pay a regalia visit to the Lodges
in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, this shows dedication and commitment to our Order.
Socials with the family members and Brethren are often held after the Lodge
meetings in the form of a Braaivleis (BBQ), before the Brethren have to travel the
long distances home. All the Lodges in South Africa only hold their meetings once a
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month; this is mainly due to the very long distances some of the Brethren have to
travel.
Two of our former Grand Primo’s currently reside in the England, Brother Walter
Gasson R.O.H., Grand Primo 1983 and Brother Patrick Wall R.O.H., Grand Primo
1987, as well as quite a few of our former Grand Lodge Officers and Brethren, most
of them are still attending Lodges throughout the United Kingdom.
Quite a number of our Brethren have taken part, over the years, in the gruelling
world famous ultra marathon. The “Comrades Marathon” which is run annually
between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in Natal, (alternating the direction
every year) over a distance of some 88 km (55 miles), similar to the distance
between London and Brighton in England, the race has to be completed in a time of
11 hours, it was started in 1921 in memory of the soldiers that had died during the
First World War, all of the Lodges in the Natal Province joined together during the
1990’s and early 2000’s and manned one of the many watering points along the race
route, advertising the Order.
In the early 2000’s three Brethren of the Inyathi Lodge No. 10193 formed a cycling
team and participated in many of the cycle races throughout the Country, wearing a
shirt advertising the Order and raising money through sponsorship for the Lodge
charity, one of their shirts was donated to a Brother in England who was doing a
charity cycle trip to raise money for charity.
Over the years the Lodges in South Africa have raised a lot of money for various
charities, most of the Lodges in the country having donated wheel chairs to worthy
causes. Some of the more recent events include the Letaba Safari Lodge No. 6659
in Phalaborwa who for many years supported a children’s home in Lydenburg,
situated 183 kilometres (114 miles) south of Phalaborwa. In 1977 the May Lodge No.
4014 held a very successful fete and a dinner dance which raised over R4000.00
(£2400.00), with the mayor of Boksburg as one of the guests of honour, in aid of the
Little Eden Home for children and adults with profound intellectual disability and they
also had a drive to supply tin food and non-perishable food items, all the Lodges and
Members donated items of food filling the dance floor in the old Boksburg Town Hall.
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The local supermarket group “Pick ‘n Pay Hypermarket” in Boksburg sponsored all
the food, Rave Stores most of the prizes for the raffles and Rave Bottle Store (off
sales) all the liquor, the band “7th Night” also played for free. The Lodge also donated
a set of goal posts and two soccer kits as well as soccer balls to the San Michelle
Home also for intellectually & physically disabled people. The Jubilee Lodge No.
6665 raised enough money in the 1980’s from two golf days to donate R1000.00
(£500.00) to Tape Aids for the Blind and to sponsor three guide dogs at R3500.00
(£1750.00) each; The Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge and the United Lodge No.
4004 also raised money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association through various
charity functions. The Transvaal Provincial Grand Lodge and its Minor Lodges also
used to hold very successful annual golf days in the Johannesburg area to raise
money for various charities. The Troyeville Lodge No. 6619 started an annual
“Brother Leslie James Rathbone R.O.H. Memorial Charity Bowls Day” in 1986, this
has since been taken over by the May Lodge No. 4014, Brother Les Rathbone
R.O.H. was the first Provincial Grand Primo of the Eastern Transvaal Provincial
Grand Lodge in 1975 and he passed away in 1985. The May Lodge No. 4014 held
the annual Bowls Day in 2013, this time to raise money to assist a visually impaired
bowler, May Homer and her director Paul Homer to play in the World Visually
Impaired Bowls in England and they had the pleasure of some of the South African
World Blind Bowls players also taking part, this raised an amount of R9600.00
(£4800.00), on her return from England she came and thanked the Lodge for the
donation and showed us the two Gold Medals that she had won. The St. Andrews
Lodge No. 6653 in Port Elizabeth decided to take a different approach to collecting
for the needy in 2015, asking the members of the public as well as companies in the
Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas to donate non-perishable foodstuffs, clothing,
blankets and furniture as well as any unwanted items like toys and books etc., this
approach has worked very well and they have had tremendous support, this project
is still very much ongoing and is run in conjunction with the other service
organisations, church, charity and welfare groups in the area, Members of the Lodge
transport all the items to the needy, to date they have donated about 1000 items of
clothing, 400 pairs of shoes together with furniture ranging from lounge suites to
beds and electrical appliances, blankets, curtains, books and vast amounts of
various non-perishable foodstuffs. The Bunduloo Lodge No. 6694, in Henley On Klip,
during 2015 donated over R10000.00 (£5000.00) from various fund raising events to
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the Sasonah Lodge, a home for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia in
Germiston, east of Johannesburg, this project is still ongoing.
Many of the Grand Primo’s of their respective years from South Africa have visited
various Minor Lodges and attended the Grand Lodge Sessions in England over the
years, but unfortunately we have never received an official visit by any Grand Primo
of the Grand Lodge of England, even though some of them have been here on a
holiday to our Country; we have had the occasional visit from some of the Grand
Lodge of England Officers of their respective years.
We always look forward to receiving any Brother, from whatever Section of the
Order, who finds himself in our country for any reason whatsoever, whether he is
here visiting his family, friends, on holiday, retiring or working in South Africa, and he
can be assured that he will always receive a very warm and hearty welcome into any
of our Lodge meetings that he decides to attend.
We the Brethren of the Grand Lodge of Southern Africa are now looking forward to
celebrating our centenary operating under the Warrant and Decree issued by the
Grand Lodge of England, in August 2021; preparations are under way to make this
also a very memorable occasion.
Grand Primo Regalia – Present Day
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References
1. All the above information has been taken from the various Grand Lodge, Convention, Provincial Grand
Lodge, Roll Of Honour Assembly, Knights Chapter and Minor Lodge Minutes; Rule, Manual of
Instruction and Ceremony Books; Lodge bye-laws; Correspondence; the Buffalo Quarterly Journal and
local newspaper articles.
Notes
1.
All photographs and illustrations used in this publication are copyright of the Royal Antediluvian Order of
Buffaloes, Grand Lodge of Southern Africa.
2.
All rights reserved, no part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrievable system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means whatsoever, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright owner.
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