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Annual Raft Race

One of our highlights each year is the Annual Raft Race, which takes place in September, on the River Thames at Greenhithe. Contestants come from all over and do not have to be members of lodges, although all money raised is for charity. The Woolwich Polytechnic are proud to say we have won the race on numerous occasions and compete every year. All new members who feel active and courageous enough are invited to join in.

Events

Members of the Woolwich Polytechnic having some fun socialising at a Christmas function and at a local Turkish restaurant in Crayford.

Race Night at the Westwood Centre

Woolwich Polytechnic Lodge held a Race night at the Westwood Masonic Centre in Welling to raise money for our charities. Family, friends and their children attended a fun night of entertainment. Thanks to Pat Collins for organising and helping us raise £400 for our charities on the night.

Blackheath Rugby Football Club

Woolwich Polytechnic Lodge has a long-standing relationship with Blackheath RFC. On the 15th April, 2023, the Lodge was proud to be a match day sponsor for the game against Worthing. Our aim was to promote Freemasonry and our charitable works.

Memorial Gates

WOOLWICH POLYTECHNIC MEMORIAL GATES

At the end of the 2nd World War, members of the Woolwich Polytechnic Athletics Club commissioned the building of The Woolwich Polytechnic Memorial Gates to commemorate those ‘Poly’ men who had given their lives.  The gates were to be erected as the main entrance to the sports ground and were completed and erected in 1948.  As was agreed, the gates had plaques with the dates of the two wars (1914 – 1918 and 1939 -1945).

As the Remembrance Day Services continued it became very noticeable to those taking part that the Memorial gates were beginning to fall into a serious state of deterioration and needed major refurbishment.  The paintwork was flaking off extensively due to rust, original parts of the gates had somehow been broken and disfigured, one part apparently when a tree fell on the gates!  One of the main pillars with hinges had become so deformed that it was impossible to properly close the gates and they could only be pulled together and held with a metal chain and large padlock.

Whilst the project looked quite daunting, members of the Poly Lodge took up the challenge.  It was important to our Lodge to restore the gates to their former state that gave proper prominence to the fallen of the two World Wars and have them ready for the Remembrance Day Service to be held on 8th November 2020.

The work was finally completed on Saturday the 7th of November and the Remembrance Day Service held on the 8th.

The gates can be seen at WELL HALL Kidbrooke Lane, London SE9 6TE.

Lodge Presentations

Remembrance Day - November 14th 2021 at Blackheath Rugby Club