History of Durban Theosophical Lodge

· 1904 The Durban Lodge Charter is dared 14 June 1904. The Founding Members were H.J.S. Bell, Harold Attersoll, Mary Nolte, Alice Edgeworth and V.R.Q Mondaly. The first President of the Lodge was E.G. Martin and the Secretary H.S Bell.

· 1910 Mr Fricke, the General Secretary for Holland, was sent by Annie Besant on his way home from Adyar to see what could be done to assist the Theosophical movement in South Africa. The early pioneers of the Lodge had encountered difficulties which had caused a reduction in the level of activities. Mr Fricke gave his first lecture in the Old Congregational Hall in Musgrave Road. Three of the remaining Durban Lodge Members; Bernard Bell, Stephen Bell and George Williams assisted him with the organisation. The lecture was on reincarnation.

· 1911 Following the visit of Mr Fricke, the lodge started with new impetus. Lodge meetings were held in a room on the second floor of the Mutual Buildings. The Library expanded under the care of Miss Pullen Bury. Mr George Williams promoted the Society and had a small display case of Theosophical books for sale outside his watch-making shop.

· 1913 Mr H. S. Bell became Lodge President.

· 1914 Miss M. L. Murchie became Lodge President.

· 1915 Miss L. Gillan became Lodge President.

· 1916 Mr H. S. Bell became Lodge President.

· 1917 Mr H. Hargreaves became Lodge President for four years.

· 1919 Meetings held at 41a Acutts Arcade, off Gardiner Street.

· 1920 Meetings were held at 341a West Street.

· 1921 Mr H. S. Bell again became Lodge President for two years.

· 1922 The National Convention was held in Durban. Members started planning scheme to secure a building for the Lodge.

· 1923 Mr Johannes Wind became Lodge President.

· 1924 Correspondence took place between the Lodge President Mr Arthur Tann and Mr G.P. Hopkins who sold his property, an old cottage to the Durban Lodge, who in turn rented it out to raise more funds. Another member Mr Bell made a suggestion for a new building which was supported by the rest of the members. From 1 924 to1 928 the Lodge address was Town Hall Basement, Smit Street.

· 1925 Mr J. Wind again took over as Lodge President for two years and hosted the National Convention held in Durban during 1925.

· 1926 Plans were drawn up (which are still in the Durban archives) for a proposed three storey building on the same site but this building did not materialism.

· 1927 Mr O. F. Evans became Lodge President.

· 1928 The Lodge applied for a Loan of 6 000 pounds to put up the proposed building. During 1928 the South African Section was split into two secede namely the Transvaal and Rhodesia Section and the Natal, Cape and Free State Section. An Annual Convention was then held in Durban from 1930 until 1935 when it was decided to amalgamate the two sections back Into one Southern African Section. In1929 Miss ML Murchie became the first General Secretary of the Natal, Cape and Free State Section until 1934.

· 1929 Mr.C.F. Evans became the Lodge President. The building project was abandoned and the property sold for 2000 pounds.

· 1930 Mrs Benzon became Lodge President.

· 1931 Mrs A. Sheffer became Lodge President.

· 1934 Mr W.D Bond became Lodge President Meetings held at Acutts Arcade, off 43 Gardiner St. Mrs Lily Membrey of Durban Lodge became the General Secretary for Natal, Cape and the Freestate and held this post until 1937.

· 1936 Mrs J.I. Havick became Lodge President for two years. Meetings were held at 49 Club Arcade, off Smit Street.

· 1937 The National Convention was held in Durban Mr W.D. Bond was elected as Chairman of the Natal Provincial Federation. Mr Bond arranged a lecture tour for Miss Clara Codd who spent some time in Natal, Lodge Meetings were held at 94 Club Arcade and the Provincial Executive Headquarters meetings at 93 Club Arcade.

· 1938 Mr G. Mc Farlane became Lodge President.

· 1939 A New Age book depot was established in one of the busy shopping arcades in central Durban. The Theosophical Order of Service under the supervision of Mr Wilson carried out excellent work for needy families. Lily Membrey started the Order of the Round Table in South Africa.

· 1940 Mrs Lily Membrey became Lodge President for three years.

· 1941 The National Convention was held in Durban.

· 1943 H.A. Hoyer became Lodge President.

· 1944 Mrs P. Shepherd became Lodge President.

· 1945 Mrs L. Membrey again became Lodge President and hosted the National Convention in Durban.

· 1947 Mr W.D Bond became Lodge President.

· 1948 The National Convention was held in Durban.

· 1949 Mrs L. Membrey was again Lodge President for three years.

· 1952 Mr Hansen became Lodge President.

· 1954 The National Convention was held in Durban and this event was also used to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Durban Lodge. A special dinner party was offered to all members at the end of the first day of the Convention. During this Convention, the members chose Ivan Midford-Barberton as the new National President. Mr Gordon Bond became the Lodge President during the year and held the position until 1956.

· 1957 Rev. Andrew Huggins took over as Lodge President.

· 1958 The National Convention was held in Durban and Mrs Mary Patterson became the new National President. Mr H.W. Adams became the Lodge President until 1960.

· 1959 The Lodge moved to Aliwal House in April.

· 1961 Mrs Naomi Keyser became the New Lodge President and continued doing an excellent job until 1 965.

· 1963 The Lodge moved to rooms at 27- 28 Prudential House, 328 Smith Street.

· 1964 The National Convention was held in Durban preceded by a three day summer school. During the Convention MA Betty Nairn of Rhodesia became the New National President.

· 1906 Rev. Andrew Huggins took over as Lodge President.

· 1967 Mrs. Joan Currie became Lodge President and ran the Lodge very successfully until 1969 when she was tragically killed. The Lodge address changed to 27/30 Tuition House, 328 Smit Street, because the building name was changed.

· 1968 The National Convention was held in Durban and John Coats was the Guest Speaker.

· 1970 G. R. Heywood took over as President. In April, the Lodge moved to 1021/22 10^th Floor Salisbury House, West Street.

· 1971 Lily Membrey became the Lodge President during the year and held this position until 1975. Lily also became General Secretary at the National Convention in Johannesburg and held this position until 1972. Lily Membrey also went to Cape Town to stimulate the work there and prepare them for the forthcoming National Convention. The Lodge address changed to 43 Salisbury House, West Street.

· 1973 The Lodge Address changed to 51/2 Salisbury House, West Street.

· 1976 Fred Sonnabend, an excellent Theosophical lecturer for many years and an astute businessman, took over as Lodge President from Lily Membrey.

· 1977 Lily Membrey again became lodge President during the year and held this position until 1979. The Lodge moved to 117, 7^th Avenue, Morningside.

· 1978 The National Convention was held in Durban.

· 1980 Rev J. Bischoff took over as Lodge President until 1985.

· 1981 The National Convention was held in Durban. The Lodge moved to 306 Avondale Road.

· 1982 Mrs Bea Cattell, a prominent member and excellent speaker died and left her entire estate to the Durban Lodge. This enabled the purchase of 306 Avondale Road, which is the current Lodge premises.

· 1984 The National Convention was held in Durban.

· 1986 Mr A Georgiadis became the Lodge President for five years and hosted National Convention.

· 1988 The National Convention was held in Durban and the theme was “Understanding the Truths of the Spiritual Life.” It was decided during the Convention that the National Magazine should change its name back from the “Link” to “The South African Theosophist”.

· 1991 Rev J. Bischoff took over as Lodge President again for a year.

· 1992 Lily Membrey again became Lodge President for two years. The National Convention was held in Durban, during which Tom Davis became the new General Secretary. The convention theme was “The Essential unity of All Religions”.

· 1994 Rev J. Bischoff again took over as Lodge President and hosted the Nations Convention.

· 1996 Lily Membrey passed to a higher life during the year, aged 96. Lily had joined the Society on 3 June 1921, became Librarian, gave many lectures, was President of the Lodge from 1940 to 1942, 1949 to 1951, 1970 to 1975, 1977 to1979 and 1992 to1993, General Secretary for the Natal, Cape and Free State Provinces from 1934 to 1937 and General Secretary for Southern Africa from 1970 to 1972. She inaugurated the order of the Round Table in 1939 and was head of the Co-Freemasonic order in South Africa for many years.

· 1997 Mr A Georgiadis became Lodge President again for a year followed by Mrs Janet Thompson, an excellent Yoga teacher in 1 998.

· 1999 Rev J. Bischoff took over again as Lodge President until 2002. Mr J. Govender the Durban Lodge Vice President, attended the World Parliament of Religions in Cape Town and gave a talk about Ghandi and the Theosophical Society.

· 2000 The National Convention was held in Durban with the theme “The Universal Impact of Theosophy”. The General Secretary, whilst working for his company in the Natal area ran a T’ai Chi/ Meditation Group at the Lodge, and was able to give talks to promote membership as well as assisting with organizing the Convention.

· 2003 Mr John Govender an Attorney, who had been Vice President for a few years, became the new Lodge President. He represented Durban Lodge at the World Peace Congress in Cape Town. The National Convention was held in Durban during 2000.

· 2004 The Lodge donated R1000 towards the National Convention and joint centenary celebrations hosted by Pretoria Lodge.