Incredible news - Beauchamp Chapter

Beauchamp Chapter No. 1422

Beauchamp Chapter No. 1422 will be the West Kent Military Chapter. Yes its absolutely fantastic news that very shortly we will all soon ‘meet and agree’ once again under the banner of a Chapter dedicated to the West Kent Military Lodge - Beauchamp Lodge.

As the Beauchamp Lodge members will be aware, from the April’s Royal Arch Liaison Officer’s report, we have been in discussions with the West Kent Holy Royal Arch Executive with regards to our desire to take-over a failing Chapter in order that we may repurpose it into our very own Beauchamp Lodge Military Chapter, with the expressed desire to change the present Chapter’s name to the Beauchamp Chapter No. 1422.

Most recently the HRA Executive have confirmed that there is a West Kent Chapter, currently meeting at Bromley, that would fit the bill perfectly. Obviously there is much to discuss but the basis of the discussions will be along the lines of (items listed below are examples and non-exhaustive):

• Existing membership – to be made honorary members or the opportunity to remain subscribing members of the Chapter
• Complete understanding that the Chapter is to become a completely new entity, with an overriding Military ethos/theme
• Agreement that the existing name and number of the Chapter will, in time, be changed to the Beauchamp Chapter No. 1422 and aligned to that Lodge
• Consideration as to whether the Chapter is to stay where it is currently located (Bromley)
• Consideration as to whether the meeting dates and times are suitable to the new membership and/or whether they will need changing
• Any by-law amendments
• List of Chapter Officers
• Application to become a Chapter under the Circuit of Service Lodges

There will be several other considerations for the existing membership to discuss prior to any transfer (again these are examples only and not an exhaustive list):

• Chapter Bank account(s) and signatories
• Account balances and distribution
• Chapter widows
• Chapter equipment/assets

Beauchamp Chapter Call To Action

If you would like to become part of the new exciting Beauchamp Chapter please contact Mark Eyles-Thomas proclaiming your interest.

You can be assured that it will be a reflection of the Military Lodge and, as such, we have no doubt that it will be successful and great, great fun.

Beauchamp Chapter History

It was in 1910 that the Beauchamp Lodge originally decided to petition to form a Holy Royal Arch Chapter, there would be 24 petitioners. The Chapter Solani No.1422 would open in November 1912; it first met in the same hall in Roorkee as Beauchamp Lodge and was named after the Solani river that runs through Roorkee.

In 1947 the Holy Royal Arch Chapter transferred to Saharanpur where many of its members then lived; whilst there it worked under the protection of the Comrades Lodge No.3057, but was still linked to the Beauchamp Lodge. In 1962 the Chapter moved to Fort William where the Beauchamp Lodge was by then working, the Chapter was eventually erased probably soon after 1972 and hence why we cannot call the new repurposed Chapter the Solani Chapter.

Below is an image of the Solani Chapter Founder's jewel in the UGLE collection at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street; they give its date as 1911 not 1912; that is the hallmark date on the jewel and may have been the date on the Chapter's charter, but the Lodge history says that the Chapter first met on the 9th November 1912. 

The Holy Royal Arch

If you would like to know more about the Holy Royal Arch click here

This Beauchamp Chapter post has been created by the West Kent Military lodge for information. If you would like to now more about the Lodge contact us here