A local fraternal and charitable group with an exclusive and exotic-sounding name recently hosted their brothers from across Western Canada.

Guided by elected Grand Primo Ian Howes of Langford, the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes gathered for B次元官网网址淕rand LodgeB次元官网网址� meetings at their hall in a residential section of the city to go over common business, compare notes about fundraising events and generally hobnob with members from Medicine Hat, Alta., Nanaimo and the Lower Mainland.

B次元官网网址淔irst and foremost weB次元官网网址檙e a fraternal order,B次元官网网址� said Howes.

He pointed out, however, the local lodge regularly donates to such groups as the Royal Canadian Legion, supports local ball teams and contributes to Santas Anonymous.

While relatively small in numbers, the West Shore B次元官网网址淏uffsB次元官网网址� meet every other week and help maintain the hall, the use of which is shared with the Langford 50-Up Club.

Langford resident Roy Tennant, the longest-serving Buffalo in the room at 64 years B次元官网网址� he turns 94 soon B次元官网网址� proudly listed some of the local groupB次元官网网址檚 previous works. They include funding a playground on Carlow Road, securing truckloads of sand and hauling it down for the original beach at Langford Lake and of course, cooking up their famous buffalo burgers at the Luxton fairs as a charity fundraiser.

The Buffaloes convene their Grand Lodge, a regional gathering of local lodges, every six months and rotate its location between the primary lodges in B.C. and Alberta.

The largest and most active of those is in Medicine Hat. Senior members from that group, including Deputy Grand Primo Leslie Shepard and Grand Chamberlain Peter Allibone, were on hand last week to help guide the meetings and share in some social good times. Next April itB次元官网网址檒l be their turn to host.

The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, which has local lodges all over the world, originated in England in 1822 and still has its overarching Grand Lodge there.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com