LOL 1331 Prince Arthur Guelph
375 Waterloo Ave, N1H 3K3 Guelph, ON, Canada

Worshipful Master Steve Thompson, the Office Bearers and Brethren of Prince Arthur, Guelph LOL 1331 would like to wish everyone a peaceful and Happy New Year when we look forward to celebrating the centenary of Northern Ireland, taking part in the 200th County Orange Lodge of Toronto Parade and celebrating our Lodges 150th Anniversary.

Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks - Brantford, Ontario Originally called St. Paul's, this chapel was the first Protestant church in Upper Canada and is now the oldest surviving church in Ontario. Built by the Crown in 1785 and under the orders of Governor Frederick Haldimand, it was given to those Mohawk Indians led by Joseph Brant who had supported the British during the American Revolution. Their choice cost them their lands in New York and to compensate them for this, th...e Mohawks were granted 760,000 acres on the Grand River in South West Ontario complete with two mills, a school and a chapel. Although the church has undergone many alterations, it stands as a reminder of the important role played by the Loyalist Mohawks in the early settlement of Ontario. This was taken from the programme to mark the visit to the church by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on the 1st of October 1984 to designate Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks as a national historic site.

Came across this ribbon badge recently. The town of Galt is now part of Cambridge and when Enniskillen LOL 478 closed, some of the members came up to LOL 1331 in Guelph.

Along with DM Paul Allen, we popped into HOPE House in Downtown Guelph to drop off clothing and a cheque from the Lodge. Hope House offer services and programs that challenge the stigmas surrounding poverty and allow the community members to maintain their dignity and choice while simultaneously providing them with long-term tactile skills that facilitate self-sufficiency. It was very nice chatting to Mary who informed us how the centre has had to adapt due to Covid-19 restrictions.

On behalf of WM Steve Thompson, the Office Bearers and members of LOL 1331 Prince Arthur Guelph and the Custodians of Guelph Orange Hall, we would like to wish all our Brethren, Sisters and friends the world over a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

To celebrate our 150th Anniversary in October 2021, the Lodge has a number of events in the pipeline. We are extremely grateful to Brother Stephen Rodgers at Flying Colours - Banners and Bannerettes for completing our new bannerette. The design of the Bannerette was based on the Lodges old banner featuring King William at Belfast Castle on one side and Britannia on the other. The Brethren are delighted in how it has turned out and hopefully in the New Year after we dedicate the bannerette to the glory of God and the protestant cause we will have some opportunities to be able to parade behind it.

Although COVID-19 restricted most of the activities that members of the public and community groups could do at this years Remembrance Day Services, Bro Marshalsey attended the Remembrance Service held in Kitchener and Bro Duncan was able to lay a wreath on behalf of LOL 1331 after the official ceremony in Erin.

During the month of November, in a growing number of towns across Canada the Royal Canadian Legion display banners on street lighting lampposts highlighting members of the Canadian Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here are a number of the double sided banners from the town of Erin. It is hoped that over the next couple of years we can feature something similar here in Guelph.

Members of Prince Arthur, Guelph LOL 1331 attended our own Remembrance Service at the Hall today. The ceremony took place in fantastic weather conditions considering in previous years we've had blizzards and snow storms to cope with. All gave some and some gave all - Lest We Forget

How did you feel that morning when the call up papers came through? Did your blood run cold or did excitement take hold at the thought that your Country needs you? How did you feel that morning when the time came to set off from home? Did you conquer your fears or did you break down in tears with the loved ones you'd soon leave alone? How did you feel that morning when you first set foot in the trench?... Did you brush it aside or did you wish you could hide from the horror, the carnage, the stench? How did you feel that morning when your friend was blown up by a shell? Did you rush to his aid or just stand there afraid that you'd somehow been whisked off to Hell? How did you feel that morning when they sent you over the top? Did you shout with relief or in sheer disbelief, vainly pray that this nightmare would stop? How did you feel that morning when the bullets started to fly? Did you think even then that you might cheat death again or did you know you were going to die? How did you feel that morning as the life blood slipped slowly away? Did you try to make sense of these crazy events or with one final breath try to pray? How do I feel this morning in the face of such slaughter and sorrow? Do I just stand aghast as I think of the past or give my all to a better tomorrow? See more

On Thursday 5th November, Bro Duncan attended the Wellington County Remembrance Service along with representatives from various local Royal Canadian Legions where the the names of over 500 fallen members of the Canadian Armed Services from Wellington County were read out. RCL Service Officer Doug Kirkwood read the names of the fallen from Erin and District and he just has completed a book entitled " We Will Remember Them, The Men & Women of Erin & District". It is a staggering 360 pages of the stories of the Fallen, those who Volunteered and the military local history from the Loyalist days of the late 1700's to Afghanistan including what was like here on "Home Front" during the two World Wars. It has been a work in progress for almost a decade and a half. He is donating the proceeds of the sale of the book to the Erin Legion Poppy Fund.