Burma-Kohima Lodge 8978

Burma-Kohima is a small, friendly and fun lodge situated in Surrey, meeting at Guildford Masonic Centre on 3rd Tuesday of October, November, January, February (Installation) and March of each year.


The lodge was established in 1981 to remember one of Britain's greatest battles in 1944; the decisive Japanese defeat in north-east India (Kohima - Nagaland), which was the springboard for the Fourteenth Army's subsequent re-conquest of Burma.


We have a number of serving and retired members of the Emergency Services and Armed Forces.

Burma-Kohima is proud to support the local Guildford community. The lodge supports two core charities as well as local community charities chosen by the current Master. Burma Kohima lodge continues to sponsor five children in remote parts of Nagaland through our involvement with
Kohima Education Trust (KET) and is also a long-time supporter of the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT).

Our lodge currently has 20 members, from a cross-section of society and age range and ethnicity, as well as religious persuasion, with Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims amongst our members. We usually meet up prior to the meetings for a relaxing chat on the veranda and plan socialising events throughout the year, varying from a Summer BBQ with family and friends to fully organised Fundraising events.


Burma-Kohima History

Burma-Kohima was consecrated by a small number of Masons living in Guildford, who belonged to a war charity called "The Burma Star Association", which formed after the second world war. They decided that they would try to perpetuate the memory of that association and its objectives of helping its members and associated families and communities who were less fortunate than themselves. And indeed, in helping all those in need who had served in the Far East during that war, whether they were members or not.

The word 'Kohima' is named after a place in Assam, India, approximately 30 miles from the Burmese border. Kohima was, and still is, a military hill station and covered an area of a square mile. Kohima was to the Burma Campaign as Alemein was to the North Africa Campaign in the second world war, a turning point. Vastly outnumbered British troops held the station area of approx. 300 square yards, for more fourteen days, against an entire division of Japanese forces, until reinforcements arrived.

The Burma-Kohima is proud to maintain artefacts from that period, chief amongst these are a pair of Kukri knives used by a mason in that battle. These are on display only during Lodge meetings. Other artefacts are on display in an ornament cabinet within the Guildford Masonic Centre.

Burma Kohima Epitaph

When You Go Home,

Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Their Tomorrow,

We Gave Our Today


Charities

Burma-Kohima members are proud, long-term sponsors, of two special charities Kohima Education Trust (KET) and Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT). We have been long-standing sponsors of children in remote parts of Nagaland to further their education.


Burma-Kohima is also proud to support various local Guildford community charities. Each year the new master of the lodge chooses new local community charities for the lodge to support.


The Master's charity for 2024-2025 is the Brittle Bone Society. This is the national charity that supports individuals and families affected by the rare condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), and is close to the heart of the current Master. OI is a genetic bone disorder characterised by fragile bones that break easily.



During the previous leadership in 2022-2023 the Lodge supported The Meath Epilepsy Charity and before that in 2019 - 2021 our lodge supported two children's charities, Disability Challengers and The Halow Project. We continue to follow the progress of all these Charities.


Their Mission is to support, care for and protect the physical and mental health of people living with epilepsy and associated learning and physical disabilities through the provision of suitable accommodation, tailored assistance, skills training, and leisure and sports activities.


Burma-Kohima are very proud to have been awarded the Silver Medal for their fundraising efforts for the 2019 Masonic Charity Festival for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI) and we look forward to supporting the 2030 Festival.

Please see how money raised by the Masonic Charitable Foundation has been spent: MCF success stories.
We are also proud supporters of 
Walking with the Wounded and have been actively fundraising for them in recent years.


Our Location

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Guildford Masonic Centre is situated in lovely surroundings at Weybourne House the lodge has great facilities as well as direct views across the River Wey, Shalford Meadows and Surrey Hills.


We formally meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the months of October, November, January, February and March each year.


Our Lodge of Instruction evenings are on the respective Thursday's of those months from 19:00-21:00hrs.


Interested in Joining Our Lodge?

Find Us

Burma Kohima Lodge 8978, Guildford Masonic Centre Weybourne House, Hitherbury Close,

Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4DR

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