It was a very special evening at Lodge of Merit on 15 February and it involved no less than two Past Provincial Grand Masters of this Province. RWBro Barrie Hall PPGM presented RWBro Nicolas Hart PPGM with his Golden Jubilee Certificate, offering his personal congratulations to commemorate 50 years in Freemasonry.
RWBro Hart was initiated into the Ermine Lodge No. 2351 in 1966 in Lincoln, and on moving to Stamford in 1969 joined the Lodge of Merit. He became Worshipful Master of Ermine Lodge in 1974. He was the Founder Chairman of the Vale of Welland Lodge consecrated in 1978. In the Lodge of Merit, he held the office of Treasurer from 1982 and, for some years, also Charity Steward until relinquishing both offices in 1990.
He was appointed Provincial Junior Grand Warden for this Province in 1984, exactly 50 years after his father held the same office. In 1990 he was appointed our Assistant Provincial Grand Master and promoted to Deputy in 1994. He was installed as Provincial Grand Master in October 1997 holding that office for eight years until his retirement in 2005.
His son, WBro Edward Hart, who became the fourth generation of Harts to be associated with the Lodge of Merit when his father initiated him in 1989, joined him for the evening. This long family association with one Lodge must be unique in this Province.
