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Excerpt from the journal “The South African Freemason”, dated Tuesday, February 19, 1889, covering the ceremony of the Consecration of Star of the Rand Lodge, the first Netherlandic Constitution Lodge in Johannesburg, (and the second overall), as well as the dinner and honours that followed. The articles end by giving credit to other publications of the time, and they may have been copied therefrom.

The newly formed “Star of the Rand" Lodge, working under charter from the Grand East of the Netherlands, was formally opened, and the Worshipful Master and his officers installed with all the ancient rites, Tuesday 5^th instant. The Brethren, some 50 or 60 assembled in the new Theatre Royal at 10 a.m. and marched thence in procession to St. Mary’s Hall, where the proceedings opened with divine service, and an address by Bro\ the Rev. F.H. Fisher, Past Grand Chaplain of the Eastern Districts Provincial Grand Lodge. The service was choral, the Old Hundredth being sung as a processional as the Brethren marched into the church. The short service for the day and a few appropriate hymns, was followed by the address from Ps. 1., vi, in which the Brethren were exhorted to be true to the tenets and principles of Freemasonry, to avoid the society of the ungodly and scornful against whom the text warned them, to follow the precepts of the Book of the Sacred Law, to regard it as their guide in life, and to seek for help in all their doings from Him, who was the source of all light, and their only help in time of need or trouble.

From St. Mary’s the procession proceeded by way of Market Square to the Masonic Temple, where the usual formalities of an installation ceremony were gone through, special honour being paid to the representative of the Grand Master of the Netherlands, Bro\I. Horak de Villiers, who opened the proceedings and appointed officers to temporarily fill the vacant chains. – P.M. Bro\Wagner, as Grand Senior Warden and P.M. Chevalier Bro\Edward Cohen, as Grand Junior Warden. The Charter from the Grand East of the Netherlands was read by Bro\ J.T. Geertsma. Bro\J. Kincaid was installed by the Grand Master’s representative as the first Worshipful Master, the usual honours being paid to him by the Brethren. He then installed and invested with the insignia of their respective offices the following as his officers: -

Bro\B. Danziger	Deputy Master
Bro\W.M. du Toit	Senior Warden
Bro\Albert Levy	Junior Warden
Bro\C.G. Serrurier	Secretary
Bro\J.T. Geertsma	Treasurer
Bro\O. Kling	M. of Ceremonies
Bro\A. Spiller	Almoner
Bro\E.C. Garish	Inner Guard
Bro\G. West	Tyler

The new Lodge starts with a good list of members, who were duly affiliated, and several new Brethren took their first degrees at a later hour of the day.

During the proceedings, Bro\C. Cowan, the Worshipful Master elect of the Lodge shortly to be opened under the English Constitution, delivered an impressive address.

A banquet was held at the Albany Café on the same evening. About 80 sat down, which made the room rather crowded and gave the waiters extra work in consequence, otherwise the dinner was good and passed off to the seeming satisfaction of all present. Bro\the Rev. F.H. Fisher opened the proceedings by a suitable grace for the occasion. When dinner was over, the Wor\Master, Bro\Kincaid, proposed the “Queen and Craft”, being responded to by the company singing “God Save the Queen”.

Next in order came the toast of “His Honour the President”. This was heartily met by the singing of the Transvaal Anthem.

After the toast “The Grand Master National of the Netherlands”, the National Anthem of Holland was sung.

The toast for the “Grand Masters of England, Scotland and Ireland”, brought out “God Save the Prince of Wales”.

P.M. I. Horak de Villiers, replying for the Deputy Grand Master, said that as he had the honour to represent the Deputy Grand Master, he could assure them that the gentleman was quite worthy of the toast given. When the late Sir C. Brand vacated the office, (just before his death), he recommended Bro\Hofmeyr, who has been acting ever since much to the benefit of Freemasonry in South Africa. He was sure that it would have given him much pleasure to have been amongst us today for the inauguration of the first Lodge under the Dutch Constitution in Johannesburg.

Bro\B. Danziger proposed “The Installing Master and Officers”, saying that all of them were witnesses as to the way the Installing Master and Officers carried out their work. Bro\I. Horak de Villiers had taken a lot of trouble for some time past in preparing things for the Installation, and great credit was due to him for preparing the preliminaries and carrying the whole thing through in the way he had. As regards Bro\Wagner, who acted as Grand S\W\, he was sure that everyone appreciated his services. This was not the first time he had assisted the Johannesburg Masons, and they could rest assured that when he was required in the future, they would always find him ready. In speaking of Bro\Chevalier Edward Cohen, P.M., the acting Grand J\W\, they all knew that whenever there was a chance of doing anything for Masonry, he always did it.

Bro\P.M. I. Horak de Villiers, in replying, remarked that he felt it a great honour to have been appointed by the Deputy Grand Master National to be amongst them to-day for the purpose of installing this new Lodge “the Star of the Rand”. He was afraid his services had been overrated. (No, No). He intended joining the Lodge and hoped to do more for Masonry in future. It struck him very forcibly that when Johannesburg Masons met together, they worked in a broad spirit, and he trusted that they would continue on those lines. He concluded by wishing “The Star of the Rand Lodge” every success, and he believed it would go ahead very fast.

Bro\Wagner, acting Grand S\W\, remarked that he was only too happy to assist the Johannesburg Masons in any way which lay in his power.

Bro\Chevalier E. Cohen, the acting Grand J\W\, said he was very pleased that the two Lodges in Johannesburg were working so cordially together. He believed that the Transvaal motto “Union Makes Strength”, cannot be better exemplified than in Masonry.

Bro\I. Horak de Villiers, P.M., proposed the toast of the W\M\, saying that Bro\Kincaid had been installed to-day but it was not the first time he had appeared in that position, although it was the first time under the Netherlands Constitution. He was sure their choice had fallen upon one who would keep their Lodge in a proper manner. Bro\Kincaid was acting with the right spirit, which would make Star of the Rand Lodge a decided success.

The W\M\, (Bro\Kincaid), responded that he could not find the words to thank them for the cordial way in which they had drunk his health. With reference to Bro\de Villiers remarks, that he was a Past Master, he said that he had never seen the inside of a Dutch Lodge before, and that therefore they must excuse him for being rather strange to the working, but with the hearty co-operation of his officers he thought that before the next installation in June, they would be able to show some good work. The W\M\ said there was one toast he must be excused for adding to the list, viz., Bros\C. von Brandis, (Special Landdrost), and the Rev\F.H. Fisher, the acting chaplain. Although Bro\von Brandis was not an old Mason, yet he believed that if he continued the progress already made he would become an eminent one. Bro\ Fisher was thanked for acting as chaplain and for the address and service at the Church, and in the course of his reply, Bro\Fisher was understood to say that he did not think he should remain in Johannesburg very long.

The Treasurer made a statement about the building fund, mentioning, among other things, that the inside decoration of the Temple had been done as a work of love by some of the artisan Brethren. Several speeches followed on the subject, generally, when Bro\Donovan promised £100 to the building fund. In a conversation it transpired that Bro\Barnato had given £100, and Bro\Charlton some shares, which had realised considerably more than £100.

Several good songs interspersed the proceedings. The company separated soon after midnight after spending a pleasant evening.