Lodge History
Consecrated in 1903, The United Services Lodge of Pretoria was primarily intended for the association and convenience of present and past members of the public service and it was to be quite a number of years before the restriction was removed. The influx of civil servants from the United Kingdom (Lord Milner's famous 'Kindergarten') after the South African war contributed to the early growth of the Lodge. An interesting event took place in 1904, when the Lodge participated (under the auspices of Transvaal Lodge No 1747) in the laying of the foundation stone of the Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital, the actual stone laying being carried out by RW Bro Field Marshal Lord Roberts, Commander in Chief of the British army.
The petitioners included W Bro Arnold Theiler, the founder of Onderstepoort Veterinary Laboratory following the rinderpest outbreak of 1896, who earned international fame as a bacteriologist and was knighted in 1907. The Lodge has the unique record of producing three Deputy District Grand Masters (Bro Albert Tilley and Bro Brian McDermott were initiates of the Lodge, with Bro Leighton Shaw joining in 2007, from Transvaal Lodge No 1747) in addition to producing three Assistant District Grand Masters (Bros Dr Francois Hauptfleisch, James Chapman and George Grobler, the first three being initiates of the Lodge, and Bro Grobler a joining member, in 1970, from Lion of the North Lodge No 3640). Four other members have achieved Grand rank, and another has received the District Grand Master's Certificate of Service to Masonry.
Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' (1995)