Organized April 21 1982.
Instituted November 13 1982
Constituted November 5 1983.
London Daylight Lodge was conceived from conversations between R.W. Bro. William Pellow and R.W. Bro. Archie Campbell, who had taken an active part in the formation of Anniversary Lodge No. 773 in Brampton, the first Lodge in Ontario to meet during the daylight hours.
The first “Organizational Meeting” was held on Wednesday, March 10,1982, at which Dr. Pellow outlined some of the reasons for this new Lodge: A Masonic Home for Brethren such as shift workers who could not attend evening meetings, retired Brethren who were looking for something to do during the daytime older Brethren who did not like late evenings, or do not like to drive at night.
On May 20th, 1982, the petition to Grand Lodge was completed , with a total of 63 Charter Members, and presented to Most Worshipful Bro. Howard Polk, Grand Master.
On Saturday November 13 1982 at 2:00pm, R.W.Bro. William R. Pellow’s dream came true when the Institution Ceremony of London Daylight Lodge (UD) took place.
The first candidate, Mr Werner Ohrt, was initiated June 15, 1983.
At the One Hundred and Twenty-eight Annual Communication of Grand Lodge the application for a warrant was favourably received and the number 735 was assigned.
The Ceremony of Consecration was held on Saturday November 5 1983.
In 1981 in London the first rumblings were taking place to form a new Lodge, to meet in the daylight hours, spearheaded by M. W. Bro. William Pellow after conversations with R. W. Bro. Archie Campbell of Brampton, Ontario. The two .D.D.G.M.’s of the time, R. W. Bros. Philip Cappa, London West and Fred Satterly London East both pledged their full support. The philosophy of the new Lodge was prepared by W. Bro. Norman Pearson, while in the office of J. W., in a paper entitled “An Historic perspective on London Daylight Lodge A.F.& A.M. No. 735 GRC”. He began the paper by stating, “Early in our masonic development, we are confronted with the paradox which has to do with the time at which our Lodges normally meet. The idea of a daylight Lodge poses an interesting variation on the theme lying behind that paradox”. There is nothing in either the ritual or the constitution which precludes a lodge holding regular meetings during daylight hours, however, it is obvious that the traditional evening meeting times have been dictated by our member’s availability during their free time from their avocations. At This time there are many advantages, to some of our brethren, of holding Lodge meetings in the morning. The new Lodge was to be patterned after Anniversary Lodge No. 733 in Brampton which has proven very successful. Brethren such as Shift workers, Professionals, Technicians, Retirees and older brethren who do not like to drive at night or do not like late evenings made up the Lodge. Sixty-three like minded Charter members felt there was a need for such a Lodge here in London. The Institution Ceremony of London Daylight Lodge U.D. took place on 13th November 1982 in the Dufferin Masonic Temple with forty of the charter members and one hundred and ten visitors present together with seven Grand Lodge Officers and twenty-eight Past Grand Lodge Officers. “Constituting” may be defined as the delivering of the charter or warrant of Constitution authorising the Master and his Wardens to open and hold a lodge. “Consecrating” means setting aside for a sacred purpose. It was for these two purposes that more than 450 brethren gathered in the Masonic Temple on Saturday 5th November 1983. Have the objectives in the “Philosophy” been fulfilled? The answer is a definite “YES”. Perhaps the most important of all, it has given many brethren the opportunity they had hoped for but thought had passed them by, the chance to be Worshipful Master of a lodge. It not the usual pattern in most lodges for a brother to start though the chairs after retirement. In London Daylight Lodge this is the norm, and has been proven, with excellent results.