Ebb and Flow...
NEW HORIZONS:
During the late 1950's and into the early 60's there were some ups and downs for the Glasgow Orangemen and women. Older inner-city areas were being demolished in a need to renew housing stock. As lodges went in some of these declining places, new lodges sprung up on the outskirts on new council housing estates. Others were moving out in the "Overspill Scheme" to new towns.
Some were perhaps too quick and faded. New District Lodges were formed in Barlanark (District 58), Drumchapel (District 57), Castlemilk (District 60) and lodges at Easterhouse under a District Lodge a distance away. However local difficulties seen the progress lost when Barlanark and Castlemilk were withdrawn and remaining lodges transferred.
PIONEERING HISTORY:
The Drumchapel Housing Estate has a fine hall and rooms in a central location and have recently broken new ground with their "Protestant Mission". This holds church services in their halls. They are now extending the spiritual dimension by strengthening links with the minister and parish Church of Scotland across the road. Over the years this Orange District with it's 6 adult lodges has had a Sunday School, a judge, city councillor, local minister and ever open to new challenges. They were the only District in Scotland to hold a Battle of The Diamond Parade to mark the Bi-Centenary of the birth of the Order in 1995 and do so each September. People have travelled from England and Ulster to participate. It shows what can be done in expansion areas.
The District 58 Number resurfaced when lodges opened up in East Kilbride. In the city centre, District 24 which had contributed a high proportion of dedicated and spiritually minded people, had a negative base population-wise and problems. It had existed since just after the mid-1800's and was disbanded due to redevelopment and the remaining lodges moved elsewhere. Another central District Lodge, No 17, suffered the same fate although as we will see, continued extension elsewhere resulted in the number re-surfacing.
FURTHER EXPANSION - COMING AND GOING!
At a later date, lodges in Easterhouse which were under Shettleston District 21 were given permission to separate and form a District Lodge in their area. They got the District 17 number as the orginal District as previously indicated, had went defunct a time before this. Outside the city, Cambuslang District 40 received permission from the Grand Lodge of Scotland to transfer into Glasgow County while Renfrew District moved out. Elsewhere a problem of retrenchment started at Kirkintilloch when the wall of the Orange Hall gave way and the lodges lost their HQ. This marked a turning point out there for the fortunes of Kelvin Valley District which maintains an outpost on the entrance to the pleasant rural Campsie Glen area.
WESTERN JEWEL TO SHINE AGAIN?:
Now in the west side of the city, Partick District No 15 is in line for the prospect of brand Orange Halls. The Order here was one of the very early bases for the fledgling Movement in the 19th century and when Partick was a separate town in it's own right.
Owning the land has given them a boost with developers working in the area. The Partick building which had 2 halls, was a church 150 years ago before becoming Orange premises. The new Orange HQ will be built upwards, with lodge rooms, a function suite and offices. No doubt this new state of the art District Orange HQ for Partick will make it again the jewel in the crown for western city Orangemen and the local leadership intend this to be so. No doubt the lodges based there will use this as a challenge?
RENEWAL IN THE EAST:
Over in the East End which has always had a strong Orange presence, District 12 in the south Dennistoun area lost their halls through a malicious fire in 2003 and are determined to have a new home. Meantime the local Dennistoun Central Parish Church came forward and offered accomodation which was readily accepted. This reminices more of earlier Orangeism and the Kirk.
In the 1970's The County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow purchased the former Conservative & Unionist Party building in Dennistoun and remained there for a number of years. A group of Orangemen from the progressive 24 District, initiated a plan to hold services in it and from that embryo came the Glasgow Evangelical Church. They then proceeded to buy the former Church of Scotland building in Cathedral Square (North Barony) and to this day, many Orange Church Parades still go there. It is an independent church in it's own right but the Order helps financially. In return there is a room set aside for the County Grand Lodge Trustees.
THE ORANGE STAYS - OTHERS RETREAT!
It is quite remarkable that many organisations have retreated quite heavily as well as lose premises and yet the Orange Movement is still obvious in Glasgow. It has stubbornly remained part of the city culture and has had remarkable staying power. Generally speaking it has been a matter of ups and downs, ebb and flow.
An unusual but strikingly different banner from Star of Bethlehem Lodge of Drumchapel District 57 based in an estate on the western fringes of the city
