Long-serving members celebrate...

Among those to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Kildoag Orange Hall were three of the longest serving members, Erie Hamilton, Willie Scobie and Jack Campbell.
Officers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KMOfficers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KM
Officers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KM

Only one of the ‘old boys’, Willie Scobie, could recall the day the hall opened.

“I don’t remember what day of the week it was, but I remember the day very well,” he said.

“My father always belonged to this Lodge, you see, and I remember my mother, she came and brought me down by the hand down over the hills there, and I remember the platform party and everything out the front of the hall and I remember all the bands parading down the road and going into the field out the front of the hall.

Officers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KMOfficers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KM
Officers and long serving members of Kildoag L.O.L. 1164, from left, Winston Boyd, Ernie Hamilton, Mark Moore, William Scobie, Gavin McCombe, WM, Jack Campbell, Stuart Parkhill and Stanley McCombe, pictured at the 80th anniversary celebrations at Kildoag Orange Hall on Friday evening. INLS3115-121KM

“There were no junior Lodges here at that time. I joined other Lodges before I joined Kildoag later on and I have been here since. I have been here for 60 years,” he said.

Beside Brother Scobie was Jack Campbell, who joined the Lodge when he was aged 25. Although he was never an officer, Bro Campbell made sure he attended meetings and took part in and supported parades.

Joining the Lodge was an easy decision for him: “I come from Kildoag, I’m only up the brae there.”

Meanwhile, Bro Ernie Hamilton joined in 1950

“I’ll be 65 years here in September,” he said proudly.

“This is my local Lodge too. My father belonged to this Lodge an my brothers belonged to it. It’s the best Lodge in the District,” he said.

Among the many photographs and memorabilia on display for the anniversary celebrations, were a montage of photographs as well as an old flute, played by a band member who took part in the procession to the new hall at Kildoag when it first opened in 1935.