Three Generations One Cable Tow for St James Golf Lodge No 765
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There are evenings in Freemasonry that follow the ritual book faithfully; and then there are evenings that somehow step off the page and become family history.
Tuesday 12th May at Freemasons' Hall was very much the latter, as a packed Temple witnessed a rare and deeply moving moment spanning three generations of the McDonald family within St James Golf Lodge No 765.
In a ceremony rich with symbolism and sentiment, W Bro David McDonald PJGD had the singular privilege of initiating his grandson, Charlie McDonald, into the Craft – an occasion made all the more remarkable by the presence and active participation of his son, W Bro Glen McDonald, PSGD, Metropolitan Grand Membership Officer.
Thus, at the pedestal stood not merely candidate and Brethren, but grandfather, father and son: three generations united not by accident of blood alone, but by the shared principles of Freemasonry.
The Temple was filled to capacity, with Brethren gathering in considerable numbers to witness an event that many immediately recognised as exceptional.
As one attendee remarked afterwards: "We often speak of passing the light. This evening we actually saw it passed through generations."
The evening carried a gentle irony not lost on those present: in St James Golf Lodge, where members are perhaps more accustomed to discussing handicaps than hereditary succession, the finest “drive” of the night proved to be familial rather than sporting.
The image will endure: grandfather leading grandson through his first steps in Masonry, father beside them, beneath the vaunted ceilings of Freemasons' Hall.
A packed Temple witnessed it. A family will treasure it. And St James Golf Lodge No 765 gained another chapter in its history.
This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 61 – Summer 2026.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.
Read more articles in Arena Issue 61 here.
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