Ipoh World

The picture shows the Masonic Lodge at Tiger Lane, Ipoh. The first Masonic hall (consecrated in 1907) was a shophouse at 2 Hugh Low Street, but in 1908 the members decided to move to more suitable premises at 5 Hale Street. It was here in 1910 that they decided to build new premises on a site in Maxwell Road, generously donated by Brother W J Caldwell.

The foundation stone for this, their first custom-built Lodge was laid on 1st April 1911 and the first regular meeting there took place on 3rd February 1912. Meetings continued there until 1st July 1921 when the premises were leased to the government for use as a Supreme Court.

The Lodge then obtained temporary premises in Anderson Road and afterwards at Rose Villa, Gopeng Road, where they remained until 1930. They moved again that year, to temporary accommodation in the Station Hotel, where they stayed until 7 th May 1932. This was in the station's telephone room, the only available space, and during Lodge meetings this required one member of the Lodge to man the station's telephone switchboard.

At this time (1929/1930) their original building in Maxwell Road was being temporarily used as classrooms by Anderson School as their own premises, in Douglas Road, were overcrowded. The building then became the administrative office for the Perak Education Department.

On 10th October 1931 the foundation stone for a new Lodge (pictured above) was laid, in Tiger Lane, by R W Bro The Hon Mr Justice Percy Julian Sproule, District Grand Master of the Eastern Archipelago, in the presence of the Sultan of Perak, Bro EV C Thomson, R W District Grand master of the Middle East and a large and distinguished assembly of guests. This new lodge was designed and built by the architectural firm of  C G Boutcher & Co, and  not Danish architect Berthel Michael Iversen as many people think.

The design of the Tiger Lane Temple was the result of a winning submission by Brother C G Boutcher, ARIBA (formerly Chief Draughtsman for PWD Kedah and later a partner of Messrs Stark and McNeil of Ipoh and Penang), in competition to select the best design. He was a member of Kedah Lodge and a member of Victoria Jubilee Chapter, but never a member of Kinta Lodge. Towkay Yong Ah Shin was the building contractor.

Brother C G Boutcher FRIBA took part in the foundation stone ceremony by being presented to the District Grand Master, ceremonially handing over the plans and giving a brief description of the building. Later he addressed the entire assembly providing a full description and demonstrating how the building met the requirements of Freemasonry.

​The first formal meeting in the Lodge took place on 14th May 1932, and these continued until 6th December 1941, the last meeting before the Japanese invasion and occupation. Post war the first meeting took place on 4th January 1947 and we understand that members of the Kinta Lodge still meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at the building. Two other local lodges also use this building regularly.

Freemasonry is said to be a ‘Brotherhood of Men’ who believe in one God (or a Supreme Being) and practice the three principal tenets of Masonry : brotherly love, relief and truth. Freemasonry is a ‘system of thought, philosophy and action’ which has been handed down from the founders. The members are usually respectable citizens who ‘abide by the laws’ of their respectable countries, as well as ‘conform to the moral laws of society’.

More information about the Freemasons can be found at this website : http://wisdomlodge202.org/intro_to_masonry.htm

To see a picture of the first custom built Masonic Lodge at Maxwell Road, click here.

To see a copy of the By-Laws of Lodge Angus (at Tiger Lane), click here.

To read more about B M Iversen (the Danish architect), click here.

To read more about Rose Villa, click here.