grand ball, grand march, grand evening! - · pdf file · 2016-07-12grand ball,...

Volume 9 Issue 7 March 2013

Lancaster & District Group of Lodges and Chapters

NEWSLETTER

Provincial Grand Ball’s 153rd successful year

GRAND BALL, GRAND MARCH, GRAND EVENING!

OVER 500 BRETHREN, wives and partners enjoyed a fabulous evening at the 153rd Provincial Grand Ball held once again in the Premier Suite of the Reebok Stadium, Bolton. The event was first created as a way of celebrating and enhancing the Worshipful Masters’ and First Princi-pals’ year of personal achievement with their wives and partners and has become the social event of the year for the Province. A pre-dinner reception in the Lion of Vienna Suite presented an oppor-tunity for Masters-in-Office and First Principals to meet the Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker and his wife, Julie, and other senior officers of the Province. This was followed by a superb four-course banquet in the magnificent banqueting hall of the Reebok’s Premier Suite. The spectacular Grand March, led by Peter and Julie, again quickly filled the vast area of the dance floor and proved to be as popular as ever and, indeed, for those attending the event for the first time was a sight and experience that will be long remembered. Once the Grand March had concluded the brethren and companions divested themselves of their

regalia before dancing the rest of the night away to the ever-popular Pyramid band.

Grand Ball in pictures - Pages 2 and 4

Pictured top: Peter and Julie prepare to lead the Grand March

Pictured left: the Grand March

Lancaster and District Group of Lodges and Chapters. Newsletter Volume 9 Issue 7. March 2013

153rd Provincial Grand Ball in pictures

More pictures on Page 4

Above left: Tony and Maureen Harrison Above right: Geoff and Penny Bury

Left: Peter and JayneThompson Below: Dancing to Pyramid Band

Left: Neil and Lorraine McGill and Paul and Shane Craddock Below left: Ernie and Sheila Greenhalgh Below centre: Chris and Marie Butterfield

Below right: Scott and Karen Devine


JIM’S JOTTINGS REFLECTIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAIRMAN

Brethren. Our new look Web Site is up and running with our group being the first in the Province to go live showing the corporate identity in line with the Provincial Web Site. In this day and age the first place people seem to look for information is the internet and social media so it is hoped that by putting stories on the front page it will capture interest and encourage them to look further. The use of Twitter and Facebook is becoming more widely used, but it would be impossi-ble and undesirable for the Province to attempt to issue controls or guidelines so there-fore a word of caution. I ask all those using these systems to THINK BEFORE YOU TWEET! You must be discreet and sensitive with regard to Masonic issues as once you put it out there you have passed the point of no return, and anyone could respond even those who we would not wish to respond on our behalf. Grand Lodge are considering alterations to rule 153 Book of Constitutions covering Treasurer’s Duties and Lodge Accounts and in particular electronic banking. I would ask all lodge and chapter treasurers and auditors to read this document to familiarise them-selves with the changes. It can be found in the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge dated 15 February 2013 a copy of which should be available from your secretary, or by visiting the advice section on the Group Web Site. Our Provincial Director of Ceremonies Keith Kemp is concerned about some lodges ask-ing at the last minute for a Deputy Director of Ceremonies to attend a 50

th Celebration.

Our Group Secretary has written to lodges and chapters asking for this information quite a few times but so far six have failed to reply. You must be aware that if you don’t give us plenty of time to arrange these events with our Assistant Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Director of Ceremonies there could be occasions when they will not be able to be held when you want them. For those of you in the Royal Arch we have now managed to arrange a demonstration of the ceremony of Passing the Veils. This will be hosted by Great Eccleston Chapter and take place at Wyrebank, Garstang, on Monday November 4. Please put the date in your diaries and further details will follow in due course. Please continue to enjoy your Freemasonry, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

YOUR NEWSLETTER

Brethren, Your Newsletter would welcome stories and pictures of lodge events, socials or just of general interest.

Please send any contributions to:

Peter Pemberton, Group Publicity Officer [email protected]


GRAND BALL

GRAND MARCH

GRAND EVENT!

Top: The Grand March fills the floor

Above left: Graham and Pauline Halsall

Above right: ‘Les Girls’ - from left Penny Bury, Hazel Broadley, Pauline Halsall, Fliss Pemberton and Karen Devine

Left: Tony Harrison and Mark Oliver

Below left: Alan and Janet Thompson

Below right: The Grand March gets under way


‘Impressive and excellent’ installation for Mark

LUNE LODGE No 4724 was proud to welcome Assistant Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison as Principal Guest to their installation meeting held at Rowley Court, Lancaster, together with Lancaster Group Chairman Jim Wilson, Vice-chairman Martin Baxendale and grand officers Keith Kemp and Chris Butterfield. The lodge was also delighted to welcome ten brethren from north of the border with whose lodges the brethren of Lune had formed a fraternal relationship. Derrick Hughes, the very popular Master of the lodge during the past year, was unfor-tunately taken ill and required a stay in hospital in the weeks preceding the meet-ing, and although Derrick was able to at-tend the ceremony he regrettably had to forego the privilege of installing his succes-sor. However, the role of installing master was superbly acquitted by the lodge’s Assistant Director of Ceremonies, Doug Willoughby who, together with a very accomplished team, treated everyone to what was described by Tony as an ‘impressive and excellent’ ceremo-ny - a description undoubtedly endorsed by all present. Mark Oliver, the Master-elect was presented by his proposer into Freemasonry, Neil McGill, prior to being installed into the Chair of the lodge for the ensuing year in a manner which was fault-lessly executed and choreographed. Maintaining the quality of presentation were the three newer brethren of the lodge who gave ex-cellent explanations of the working tools of the three degrees. The working tools of a Master Ma-son were explained by Andrew Kirke; those of the second degree by Paul Morgan and the work-ing tools of an entered apprentice were given by Simon Robinson. In such a well-executed ceremony it is difficult to find additional superlatives to convey the quality of presentation but the three addresses certainly maintained the standard already set. The address to the Master was given by Neil McGill; that to the wardens by Philip Knipe and the address to the brethren by Norman Jarvis – all being delivered in an impeccable and sincere fashion. At the close of the ceremony Tony was delighted to bring the greetings and best wishes of the Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker. Tony was sure that had Peter been able to be present in person he would have been equally delighted with the quality and sincerity of the proceedings and would have expressed his congratulations to Mark and his hope that he enjoys good health to enjoy his year to the full. Tony was also delighted to receive cheques and notifications of disbursements to good causes totalling almost £3,000 which included £1,000 to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, £500 to the Lancaster Masonic Hall, £500 to Donna’s Dreamhouse, Blackpool, and £50 the Masonic Fellowship. At the Festival of St John held in the Rowley Court banqueting suite, Tony was able to offer his own congratulations and best wishes to Mark and the lodge and to bring the brethren up to date

with the latest news from the Province. The Master’s Song was superbly rendered by Robert Palmer accompanied by lodge ‘guest organist’ John Hea-ton. Just before concluding the formalities, Mark and Derrick were presented with two ties from the Lodge Dumfries Kilwinning No 53 – ‘Ye Olde Lodge’ – as a memento of the reciprocal fraternal visit.

Left: The fraternal visitors from north of the border

Pictured from left to right: Tony Harrison, Mark Oliver, Derrick Hughes and Jim Wilson


CHAPTER NEWS CHAPTER NEWS CHAPTER NEWS

ALAN STEPS INTO THE BREACH FOR INSTALLATION CONVOCATION

THE FIRST PRINCIPAL of Great Eccleston Chapter No 8895, Geoff Etheridge, was unfortunately called away on important overseas business just days before the in-stallation convocation was due to take place.

However, immediate past first principal Alan Robin-son valiantly stepped into the breach as first and installing principal and performed a magnificent ceremony of installation the quality of which was mirrored by all those who took part. The chapter was delight-ed to welcome Third Pro-vincial Grand Principal Rev Harry E Ross as the Principal Guest for the occasion. Harry was in turn accompanied and supported by Assistant to the Provincial Grand

Principals David Grainger, Lancaster and District Group Chairman Jim Wilson, Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Ian Higham and Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah David Hick-man. The ceremony saw Roger Pye don the scarlet robe of first principal of the chapter; Kenneth Roulston the robe of second principal and Stephen McClintock the blue robe of third principal. The robe addresses were admirably delivered by Alan Robinson (address to the first principal), John Thornton (address to the second principal) and Vic Meddings the robe address to the third principal. As the ceremony drew to a close Harry was delighted to bring to the principals and the chapter the greetings and best wishes of the Grand Superintendent Peter Hosker. He felt sure that had Peter been present in person he would have been impressed by what could only be described as an ‘excellent ceremony’. Harry was also delighted to receive a cheque in the magnificent sum of £500 in favour of the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity. The festive board was held in the superb Wyrebank Banqueting Suite when Harry was able to bring his own congratulations and to wish the chapter a successful and busy year.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION Aside from the installation ceremony a very special presentation took place. Harry Ross will retire from his office as Third PrGP at Provincial Grand Chapter in April and for the past seven years has been support-ed and accompanied around the Province by Ian Higham as DPrGDC. However, the Great Eccleston installation convocation marked the last time that they will work together before Harry’s retirement and to mark the occasion Ian presented Harry with a framed photograph as a me-mento of their Royal Arch time together.

Pictured right: Ian Higham (left) presents Harry with a framed memento of their time spent on Royal Arch duties

Pictured from left to right: David Hickman, David Grainger, Harry Ross, Kenneth Roulston, Roger Pye, Stephen McClntock, Jim Wilson and

Ian Higham



Geoff steps back into office at Morecambe

AFTER COMPLETING his year as immediate past first principal of Morecambe Chapter No 1561, Geoffrey Wilman has stepped back into office to don the purple robe of second prin-cipal for the ensuing year. The chapter gave a very warm welcome to Tom Holroyd, who was representing the Grand Superin-tendent, and also to the Vice-chairman of the Lan-caster and District Masonic Group Martin Baxen-dale. The ceremony, held at Morecambe Masonic Hall, saw John Bates installed as first principal and Mal-colm Graham take the blue robe of third principal. The robe addresses were given by Steven Plevey (address to the first principal); Roy Norman (that to the second principal), and Keith Holden who gave the address to the third principal. At the conclusion of the ceremony Tom was very pleased to bring greetings from the Grand Superin-tendent whom he felt sure would have wished to congratulate all who had taken part and to wish the chapter success for the future. Tom was also delighted to receive a very generous cheque in the sum of £250 in favour of the Royal Arch Masons’ Bi-Centenary Appeal for the Royal College of Surgeons of England. At the festive board held in the Masonic Hall’s dining suite a raffle raised a further sum of £145.

Pictured from left to right: Tom Holroyd, Geoffrey Wilman, John Bates, Malcolm

Graham and Martin Baxendale

The last founder to become first principal

JOHN THORNTON was the last remaining founder of Knott End RA Chapter No 8674 to take the scarlet robe of first principal at the very well attended installation convocation held at Wyrebank, Garstang. The Chapter was pleased to welcome Christopher J Band as the representative of the Grand Su-perintendent together with Lancaster Group Chairman Jim Wilson, Vice-chairman Martin Baxen-dale and acting Provincial grand officers Peter Hampson, Bryan Milner and Keith Heys. The purple robe of second principal was taken by Alan Lock and the robe of third principal by Ber-nard Snape. Immediate Past First Principal Malcolm Worsley gave an excellent robe address to the first princi-pal and the robe addresses to the second and third principals were given by John Thornton and Alan Lock respectively. At the close of the ceremony Chris was delighted to bring greetings and congratulations on behalf of the Grand Superintendent Peter Hosker who would, Chris felt sure, have been extremely pleased to see the chapter in such good health with an expanding complement of members. Chris was also delighted to receive notification of disbursements to good causes in the sums of

£400 for the Royal Arch Masons’ 2013 Bicen-tenary Appeal for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, £250 for the West Lancashire Free-masons’ Charity and £200 for the North West Air Ambulance. The festive board was held in the Wyrebank Ban-queting Suite where 45 members and guests en-joyed an excellent evening when Chris was able to bring to the chapter and its officers his own con-gratulations and best wishes for the year ahead.

Pictured left from left to right: Christopher Band, Alan Lock, John Thornton, Bernard Snape and Jim Wilson



Heysham’s three principals all hail from same lodge

HEYSHAM RA CHAPTER No 4108 held its installation convocation at Morecambe Masonic Hall when William R Seddon was given a very warm welcome as the representative of the Grand Superintendent. William was accompanied and supported by Group Chairman Jim Wilson, and Vice-chairman Martin Baxendale, together with Tom Holroyd, Geoff Cousen, Philip Gardner and Peter Mason. Interestingly, the three principals for the ensu-ing year all hail from Runic Lodge No 6019. Taking the scarlet robe of first principal was Brian Waterhouse who is a past master of Ru-nic; the chair of second principal was taken by immediate past master of Runic Malcolm Hay-ward; and the blue robe of third principal was donned by Chris Larder who is the current master of the lodge. Excellent robe addresses were given by Keith Dorrington (address to the first principal), Peter Charlton (second principal), and Brian Warring-ton (address to the third principal). At the close of the ceremony William was very pleased to bring the greetings and best wishes of the Grand Superintendent Peter Hosker whom William felt sure would have wished to congratulate all who had taken part in the evening’s events. He was also delighted to receive a cheque in the sum of £150 in favour of the Royal Arch Ma-sons’ 2013 Bicentenary Appeal for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Pictured from left to right: William Seddon, Malcolm Hayward, Brian Waterhouse, Chris Larder and Jim

Wilson


The evening went so fast at Ferraris!

OVER 130 brethren, guests and their ladies joined Worshipful Master John Holmes and his wife Christine for their Ladies’ Evening held at the magnificent Ferraris Country House Hotel, Thornley, Longridge in the beautiful Ribble Valley. Following a sumptuous banquet, the traditional toast to the ladies was pro-posed with sincerity and levity by Junior Warden of the lodge James Barr before John Darrell of Pharos Lodge No 7421, accompanied by Malcolm Burrill, gave a wonderful rendition of the Ladies’ Song followed by the Ros-es Song. John went on to entertain everyone with his very popular delivery of ‘The Wonder of You’ (complete with the inevitable audience participa-

tion!) and songs from the shows. The Princi-pal Lady, Christine, received a presentation of a pearl necklace on behalf of the lodge, and gave a wonderfully crafted and delivered response to the ladies’ toast. All the evening’s formalities were expertly chartered by Director of Ceremonies Allan Brown before

handing over to the music of Ian Simon who ensured that the dance floor was filled for the rest of the evening.

John and Christine

John, Christine and The Ladies!

Thirty Shades of Red at Pilling – with apologies to ‘that book’!

THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER of Pilling Lodge No 7879 John Eccles and his wife Lorena welcomed over 130 brethren, family and guests with their ladies to their Ladies’ Evening held at the Crofters Hotel, Garstang.

With a well-crafted mix of traditional and modern aspects the evening was a tremendous success under the guidance of Director of Ceremonies Bill Bamber. The traditional Ladies and Roses songs were professionally rendered by popular local Mason and vocalist Bob Tinsley expertly accompanied by Mrs Catherine Rae. The toast to the ladies was superbly delivered by John’s proposer into Free-masonry William Robinson who left the ladies in no doubt as to how much they are appreciated by the menfolk. However, it was Lorena’s response to the toast that really ‘brought the house down’ with an extremely clev-

er and amusing rhyme entitled ‘Thirty Shades of Red’ inspired by – and with apologies to – ‘That Book’!! Following the banquet and formalities the dance floor was filled for the rest of the evening by the music of DJ Darrel Edwards.

Right: John, Lorena and ‘The Ladies’

John and Lorena


A great evening – as clear as black and white!

THE MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE, impressive gothic style, refined interior and pristine grounds of Lancaster’s iconic Ashton Hall provided a superb venue for the well-attended Black and White themed Ladies’ Night of Vale Lodge No 5256.

Added to the natural attraction and unique impact of the venue was the bespoke dimension of the lodge having at its disposal three rooms for the event which, in addition to the banqueting and function suites included a ‘quiet room’ for those guests who wished to catch up with all the news with friends whom they may not have seen for a little while. Lodge Master Norman Mitchell and his wife Catherine were very warmly welcomed by their family, brethren and guests who all went on to enjoy what was undoubtedly regarded as a ‘great evening’.

The toast to ‘The Ladies’ was delivered eloquently by Ar-thur Laycock to which Catherine responded in fine style following which Nigel Parrish gave a superb rendition of the Ladies’ Song with his own guitar accompaniment.

Above: Norman and Catherine Mitchell

Below right: The magnificent Ashton Hall

Torrisholme make ‘Headway’ with their Ladies’ Night!

GRAHAM LIDDY, the Master of Torrisholme Lodge No 5245 and his wife Rose Marie chose Morecambe’s seafront Headway Hotel for their annual Ladies’ Night which attracted over 100 brethren, guests and their ladies. The toast to the ladies was delivered by lodge Junior Warden Chris Dent to which Rose Marie ‘eagerly’(!) responded to great acclaim. The Ladies’ Song was excellently rendered by John Bates who was professionally accompanied by Provincial Deputy Grand Organist David Tattersall. A raffle during the evening raised a magnif-icent sum of over £400 and Graham and Rose Marie are extremely grateful to Chris Dent and his wife Joan for their help in organising the event, and also to John Bates for his masterful role as Director of Ceremonies. The Headway’s resident disco went on to lead the rest of the evening’s danc-ing and festivities.

Pictured right:

Graham Liddy, Mrs Rose Marie Liddy,

Tony Liddy, Rhiannon Richards, Sara Smith and

Dan Liddy


THEY SAY that actions speak louder than words – but that was before the advent of instant messaging and social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook!

Nowadays an intemperate comment followed by a hasty and ill-considered push of a button can seriously injure the reputation and good standing of not just an individual but of any business or organisation to which they may belong. We believe in an ethical approach to life. Our values are based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness and we are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount. However Freemasonry also teaches and practises concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need. As ambassadors we all need to be able to talk openly and in simple lan-

guage about Freemasonry to family and friends and to feel comfortable in declaring ourselves members of such a caring organization.

HERE TO STAY But Facebook and Twitter are here to stay. They provide a very powerful and public medium to help publicise Freemasonry in a modern, technological age, reaching the very heart of the people we are trying to reach but equally it can be used in a way which portrays Freemasonry in a bad light. A recent example reported in the newspapers is of someone who was engag-ing in conduct at his home which, although not illegal, has brought social and official criticism. How did the newspaper describe him – as a Freemason, of course, a description taken from his Facebook page! A “tweet”, once that button is pressed has gone and is available round the world, even if it is deleted instantaneously, its out there, for the world to see and can be “re-tweeted” on and on So, brethren, please remember that you were taught to be cautious and let that caution extend to all that you proclaim to the world via your favoured technology and

KEEP YOUR TWEETS SWEET!

Be an ambassador for Freemasonry and

KEEP YOUR TWEETS SWEET

Congratulations to Jim

JAMES HOWARTH WILSON (Jim - as he is much more affec-tionately known) is to be promoted to the rank of Past Junior Grand Deacon at the next meeting of United Grand Lodge to be held in Great Queen Street, London, on April 24. Jim’s is one of only two such promotions to be awarded in our Province and is certainly well-deserved for his untiring work on behalf of Freema-sonry in general and the brethren of our group in particular. Since becoming our group chairman Jim has gained great respect throughout the group and the Province for his thoughtful and considered approach and for his skill in navigating and charting the many changes that have been, and continue to be, introduced for the good and better-ment of Freemasonry. Congratulations, Jim, all the brethren of the group wish you well.

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West Lancashire Masonic Bowling Society

The purpose of the society is to promote a charity bowling tournament open to all members of West Lancashire lodges and chapters,

to expand the feeling of goodwill throughout the whole Province and to raise money for the whole of Freemasonry in general and for the

West Lancashire charities in particular

Province of West Lancashire

Lancaster & District Group of Lodges and Chapters

This year our group have the very great honour of hosting the

PROVINCIAL FINAL

at Bare Village Club, Bare Lane, Morecambe LA4 6DF 10.00 am on Saturday 20 July 2013

The group officers have great pleasure in encouraging

all brethren and companions to come along and support your group and the society and help raise

funds for our charities.

We would be very grateful to anyone willing to volunteer assistance on the day to ensure the smooth running

of the event.

Raffle prizes would be also be particularly appreciated and should be directed to your lodge bowling

or group representative


THE 2013 Final of the Provincial Bowling Tournament is to be hosted by our Lan-caster and District Group at Bare Village Club on Saturday 20 July 2013 and our own group round will be held at the same venue on Sunday 26 May.

Why it is important to us all

The purpose of the society is to promote a charity bowling tournament open to all members of West Lancashire lodges and chapters, to expand the feeling of goodwill throughout the whole province and to raise money for the whole of Freemasonry in general and for West Lancashire charities in particular. Its Patron is Peter J Hosker, Provincial Grand Master, and the Vice Patron is Howard Jones, Deputy Provincial Grand Master. The tournament is now in aid of its own charitable Society. It was conceived on an evening in 1934. From a game of bowls the proceeds were contributed towards Masonic charities. From this small beginning nearly 80 years ago the remarkable sum of £382,000 for charity has been raised by your efforts. The money raised still goes to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, although some non-Masonic charities do benefit as well. The Bowling Tournament is one of the many localised fund-raising activities we as Masons can all take part in, such as the Group Ball, the Group Walk, the Golf, Clay Pigeon Shooting and of course collections and raffles in our own lodges. Without these various separate activities the substantial sums raised for charities could not possibly be achieved.

The last time we were invited to host the Final was in 1998 and many of you may be think-ing "what has this got to do with me? I'm not a bowler". So an explanation of what the competition is all about may be timely and useful.

The Bowling Tournament is reliant on money raised by each Group organising a local Group round (to be held on Sunday 26 May) where each lodge in the Group is invited to be represented by as many bowlers as possible. Our lodges and chapters are then asked to make a donation and the appointed Lodge Bowling Representative may wish to collect subscriptions or "sponsorship" on behalf of the competing bowlers. In this way all lodge members can support the tournament even if they are not bowlers. The most successful competitors from each Group Round are invited to represent the Group at the final proper which is held at a different venue each year depending upon which group has been asked to act as host. Whilst most lodges generously make their annual sponsorship donations it is not always appreciated that this money IS NOT for the running and administration of the particular society but is, in effect, a charity donation and can be accounted for as such. Each year the Senior and Junior Wardens of the Province are invited to be the President and Vice-President and to donate prizes for the winner and runner-up. On the day of the Final the Wardens accompany the Provincial Grand Master, together with other Officers of the Province and their wives, to support the event and present prizes. The third and fourth prizes are donated by the host group and there are also prizes, donated by other groups of the Province, for the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth competitors. As host group we are expected to make a special effort in fund raising so that we can make the event a most memorable one worthy of the group. In 1998 the Lancaster and District Group of 24 lodges and ten chapters donated a total of £5750 to the tournament. The group officers are fully behind the fund-raising being organised by Malcolm Cambidge in this special year and hope you will join in wherever possible by being generous with your lodge dona-tions and buying tickets for the Prize Draw which has recently been announced. In addition to this important fund-raising we also need volunteers to assist with the smooth run-ning of the event both leading up to and on the day itself.

West Lancashire Masonic Bowling Society


The going was good for the Great Eccleston Gold Cup

THE GOING was definitely good for the ‘Race Night’ social held by Great Eccleston Lodge No 8895 at Wyrebank, Garstang. Over 80 members and guests (including jock-eys) attended the event which was organised by Mike Casey and hosted by lodge WM Scott Devine and his wife Ka-ren. The seven races were certainly hilarious but none the less highly competitive with several stewards’ enquiries along the way, one of which was prompted by excessive use of the whip! Unlike some race night events which rely upon filmed races this one was very firmly ‘hands on’ with each race consisting of horses mounted on wooden blocks with a string attached. The jockeys then had to ride their steeds by winding the string around a stick with the winner being the horse to reach the jockey first. The evening included a guaranteed horseless hotpot supper and raised a massive total of more than £800 for charities.

GRATEFUL THANKS

Scott and Karen expressed their grateful thanks to Mike Casey and his team for organising the event, and also to all who had donated prizes or otherwise contributed to making the evening

such a success. Particular ap-preciation went to John Holmes, the Master of St Michael’s-on-Wyre Lodge No 8348 for the donation of his renowned ‘chicken dinner’ which alone raised £100 by means of a ‘Chorley auction’. Scott was also keen to confirm that no horses were hurt in the making and running of the event!

Pictured top: ‘The Colts’ - from left to right: Scott Devine, John Eccles and John Holmes

Pictured left: ‘The Fillies’ - from left to right: Christine Holmes, Lorena Eccles and Karen Devine


The legacy of Rowley Lodge lives on for charity

DONALD POLSON, the immediate past master of Poulton-le-Sands Lodge No 1051, and the lodge charity steward Norman Haworth, received very grateful thanks when they attended the Cancer Care Slynedales Centre, and St John’s Hospice in Lancaster to present both organisations with a donation of £340. The story behind these charitable donations is an interesting one and starts over 50 years ago with Rowley Lodge – one of the lodges that, together with Sandylands and Poul-ton Hall, eventually be-came Poulton-le-Sands. In 1962 two lodge mem-bers started a trust deed with the sum of £200 and although small donations were added over the follow-ing few years, a very much more substantial bequest was received from the estate of Alfred Wiles upon his death in 1979. The fund was reinvest-ed in the Charities Official Investment Fund and has now grown to some £21,000 which yields an income of about £1,000 each year which is disbursed by the lodge to charitable causes. The full aims and objectives of the fund are defined as:

‘To or for the benefit of distressed brother masons or their distressed widows and children or to or for the benefit of such Masonic chari-ties or other charities or other charitable institu-tions, societies and ob-jects as the lodge shall in duly constituted meeting from time to time direct’. The fund is not closed and can still accept be-quests. Pictured left at St John’s Hospice, Lancaster are, from left to right: Norman Haworth, Vanda Thorpe (Day Hospice Nurse), Sarah Gorst (Ward Staff Nurse) and Donald Pol-son

Pictured at the Lancaster Cancer Care Centre are, from left to right: Norman Haworth, Alison Stainthorpe (Support Services Manager), Donald Polson,

and Anna Webster (Fundraising Support)


Do you feel comfortable and confident talking

about Freemasonry?

Do you worry about divulging so-called secrets?

Can you explain Freemasonry in clear and

simple terms?

Our ability to talk openly about Freemasonry is

essential to the recruitment of suitable candidates

and the survival of Freemasonry as a respected

and relevant organisation

Giles Berkley, the Provincial Mentoring Co-ordinator will make a stimulating presentation to help all Masons overcome some of our historical concerns

about talking openly and in simple language about Freemasonry and in so-doing help us to become Ambassadors for Freemasonry among our

family, friends and the wider community.

Essential for Lodge Mentors and helpful and enlightening for all Masons this superb presentation will be held at the May meeting of

Duke of Lancaster Lodge, Rowley Court, Lancaster on Wednesday 15 May 2013 at 7.00 pm

Whilst the presentation will be made in the lodge meeting, booking is

essential to ensure seating in the lodge room and if you wish to stay for supper:

Booking forms available from your lodge secretary or from Nigel Parrish: 01524 770059 [email protected]

Are YOU an

AMBASSADOR FOR FREEMASONRY?


The wheels on the bus go round and round at Longridge

WE ARE ALL familiar with some of the humorous refrains played by our talented lodge organists when the grand officers are retiring from the lodge, with ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ and theme from ‘Dad’s Army’ being amongst the most popular. However, at the installation meeting of Longridge Lodge No 8077 guest organist David Martin

was inspired with his choice of music when the Principal Guest, Assistant Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison, and other grand officers retired to the notes of ‘When the wheels of the bus go round and round’ which was a perti-nent and light-hearted tribute to Tony’s ‘day job’ as Managing Director of his successful family coach business in Morecambe. The lodge was delighted to welcome Tony together with Past Deputy Provin-cial Grand Master Tom Blackburn who is a founder and honorary member of the lodge, Group Vice-chairman Martin Baxendale and grand officer Chris But-terfield. The installation saw Andrew Thiele in-

stall John Ormand as his successor for the ensuing year in a dignified and sincere ceremony with John having previously taken the Chair of the lodge 20 years before when Tom Blackburn was the Principal Guest. The commencement of the proceedings saw John presented for installation by Barry Lodge who was his proposer into Freemasonry and who also later gave an impeccable address to the Mas-ter.

WORKING TOOLS

Although the ceremony itself was well executed, great acclaim was afforded to the three ‘newer’ brethren of the lodge who delivered explanations of the working tools of the three degrees. The tools of a Master Mason were explained by Clifton Carefoot; those of the second degree by Gary Johnson and the working tools of an entered apprentice were given by Paul Street. Excellent renditions of the addresses were also appreciated. The address to the wardens being delivered by Jim Gibson and that to the brethren being given by Tony Harrison in his usual fault-less and sincere manner. Colin McNamee was appointed as the new Chaplain of the lodge and the address to him was ex-cellently given by Simon Hore. This address is something that is not experienced very often and was very much appreciated by all the brethren. At the close of the ceremony Tony was delighted to bring the greetings of the Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker. Tony said that had Peter been able to be present in person he would have very much appreciated the quality of the proceedings and would wish him to congratulate John on taking the chair again and to wish him the best of health to enjoy his year. Tony was also delighted to receive notifications of the lodge’s disbursements to charitable and other good causes totalling over £1,500 including £250 to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, £250 to the Heart Start Appeal, £250 to Garstang Masonic Hall, £400 to the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team and £400 to the ‘Friends of Goosnargh Village Green’. At the Festival of St John held in the superb Wyrebank Banqueting Suite, Garstang, Tony was able to offer his own congratulations and best wishes to the Master and the lodge and to apprise the brethren on the latest initiatives of the Province. The Master’s Song was magnificently rendered by Barry Lodge and Graham Timbrell accompa-nied by David Martin.

Pictured from left to right: Tony Harrison, John Ormand, Andrew Thiele and Martin Baxendale

Lancaster and District Group of Lodges and Chapters. Newsletter Volume 9 Issue 7 March 2013

COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME

GETS UNDER WAY GROUP VICE-CHAIRMAN Martin Baxendale was pleased to welcome all the partici-pants to the first session of our Comprehensive Training Package. This was held at Rowley Court, Lancaster, under the guidance of Graham Speak of the North West Ambulance Service. It was enthusiastically received by the Masonic Hall directors and associated staff who attended.

The training at Rowley Court complied with the GOLD STANDARD OF RESUSCITATION and covered three main areas of care which will form the basis of all future sessions:

Treatment of an unconscious or unresponsive casualty Resuscitation Familiarisation with the AED The co-ordination and delivery of future courses is ready to be rolled out for all lodges. This will be undertaken by our own Norman Mitchell (Vale Lodge) who says: “Training sessions at each Masonic hall will be arranged and information will be made available on hall noticeboards and via lodge and chapter secretaries”. Norman can be contacted on 01524 35388 or by e-mail: [email protected] Orders for the chosen model of Automatic External Defibrillator have now been placed for place-ment in all five of our Masonic halls in the group. As we reported in the last Newsletter, the Heart Start Appeal has been dedicated to the memory of Colin Penty Wright and the ‘official’ presenta-tion of the machines will be made by Colin’s widow Kathryn at Carnforth Masonic Hall on Monday 29 April. Details to follow. Pictured right: David Jackman (left), and Mike Craddock get to grips with life-saving techniques of CPR and the use of the AED


‘All ages in harmony’ at Carnforth installation

THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER of Carnforth Lodge No 4951, Lee Stephenson, de-ployed inspired delegation when he requested Richard Metcalfe, one of the ‘elder statesmen’ of the lodge, to act as installing master for the ceremony which placed Paul Fuery into the Chair of the lodge for the ensuing year. The lodge was privileged and honoured by the attendance of Provincial Grand Secretary Geoffrey Lee as the repre-sentative of the Provincial Grand Master, together with group chairman Jim Wilson and grand officers Tom Holroyd, Alan Jones, Keith Kemp and Chris Butterfield. The presenting officer was due to be Jim Qainoo but regrettably Jim was indis-posed due to illness. The breach was filled by Ken Wolstenholme who admira-bly presented Paul as a candidate for in-stallation following which Richard Metcalfe conducted a superb ceremony. The newly-installed Master was given ex-planations of the working tools of the three degrees by three of the ‘newer’ brethren of the lodge in a manner which evoked great admiration from all of the assembled brethren. Jim Catlow presented the tools of a Master Mason, Paul Coward gave a faultless explanation of the working tools of the second degree using the extended version which prompted spontaneous applause, and last but certainly not least, Stephen Horrocks delivered an equally superb explanation of the tools of an entered apprentice. Exemplary addresses to the Master, wardens and brethren were given by Martin Baxendale, Richard Metcalfe and Chris Butterfield respectively.

‘ALL AGES IN HARMONY’

The announcement that the ceremony of installation had reached its conclusion allowed Geoffrey Lee the opportunity to bring greetings from the Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker. Geoffrey felt certain that Peter would have been as impressed as everyone present with the quality and sincerity of the proceedings, particularly with the way that the work had been conducted by ‘all ages in harmony’. He felt sure that had Peter been able to be present in person he would have wished to personally thank all who had taken part, but particularly the installing master Richard, and the three brethren who so admirably delivered the working tools. Geoffrey was also delighted to receive two cheques – one in favour of the West Lancashire Free-masons’ Charity in the sum of £500 and one also in the sum of £500 in favour of the Carnforth Masonic Hall. These amounts, together with disbursements already made during the year, to-talled more than £5,000 given to charities and good causes. At the Festival of St John held in the magnificent new facilities at Kerneforde Hall, Geoffrey was able to bring his own congratulations and best wishes to the Master, brethren and indeed the lodge. He said that the creation of the Kerneforde Masonic Hall should be an inspiration to all Freemasons and complimented everyone on its accomplishment. He went on to give an impas-sioned call for us all to embrace and understand the needs of young masons which might be young businessmen, young farmers, or young tradesmen. They will be the next generation of our organisation and we must yield to them the future without losing any respect for tradition and for-mality. He felt sure that the Ambassadors for Freemasonry initiative would be instrumental in this endeavour. The Master’s Song was professionally rendered by Ian Birnie and John Atkinson, accompanied by Peter Wood.

Pictured from left to right: Geoffrey Lee, Paul Fuery, Lee Stephenson and Jim Wilson


The working tools of the Olde English Beagle at Warton

WARTON LODGE No 8411 held a successful Olde English Night at Kerneforde Hall, Carnforth at which members, guests and visiting gentlemen enjoyed a highly en-joyable evening of fun, entertainment and charity fund-raising.

The evening also presented the Master, Jim Stewart, with the opportunity to impart a serious message with regard to early action to be taken when someone is suspected of having suffered a stroke. Appointing well-known and popular Richard Escolme (Snr) as Beagle and Fines Master for the event, Jim was pleased to invest him with the working tools of his office. These consisted of a toilet chain, a pair of pliers and lamb’s wool to symbolise the anticipation of being FLUSH with success in EXTRACT-ING the maximum contribu-tion from fines and FLEEC-ING everyone in the interests of charity!

The aim was certainly successful and between the income from fines and a Chorley Auction run by Chris Alty the evening raised a magnificent £350 for lodge charities. The Wandering Minstrel of Duke of Lancaster Lodge No 1353, Nigel Parrish, entertained with a popular selection of songs with guitar accompaniment between the usual banter, funny stories and tall tales from the guests and ‘officials’.

SERIOUS NOTE On a more serious note, WM Jim took the opportunity to explain a very personal experience when his recent training as part of the Heart Start Appeal was put to use when his father suffered a stroke. Thanks to the training Jim was immediately able to ensure that his father (also Jim) had a clear airway and enabled him to identify the symptoms of a stroke and to summon help FAST. FAST is the acronym to help identify stroke symptoms and stands for: FACE: Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? ARMS: Can they raise both arms and keep them there? SPEECH: Is their speech slurred? TIME: Time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs. Jim reports that his father remains in hospital and is making slow but sure progress but the outcome could have been much worse without his rapid intervention. We wish him a speedy return to full health.

Pictured from left to right: Junior Warden Richard Escolme (Jnr), Jim Stewart and Senior Warden Bob Roe


Speed with sincerity sees Simon in the Chair at Garstang

SIMON ALMOND was installed as Master of Garstang Lodge No 6633 by his prede-cessor William Williamson (Bill) in a ceremony that was speedy but sincere held at Wyrebank, Garstang.

The lodge was delighted to welcome Ian Higham as the representative of the Provincial Grand Master, together with group chairman Jim Wilson and grand officer Chris Butterfield. Simon, who is a past master of Bela Lodge No 7576 in the Province of Cum-berland and Westmorland, was present-ed by Andrew Bartlett before Bill con-ducted the ceremony to install Simon as Master of Garstang Lodge for the ensu-ing year. Andrew Bartlett also presented the working tools of the second degree whilst Frank Horn delivered the tools of a Master Mason and Len Collis those of an entered apprentice. Excellent addresses to the Master and Wardens were given by Bob Tinsley and

Neil Webster respectively. Ian Higham was faultless in his sincere address to the brethren. At the close of the ceremony Ian was delighted to bring the greetings of the Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker. Ian said that had Peter been present in person he would undoubtedly have been keen to wish Simon health and happiness for his year in office and to offer his congratula-tions in taking the chair of such a fine lodge. He would, Ian was sure, have thanked the outgoing Master Bill for his two consecutive years of hard work as Master. Bill had one last remaining duty to perform in presenting to Ian notifications of the lodge’s dis-bursements to charity and good causes totalling over £1,000 and which included £500 to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, £250 to the Garstang Masonic Hall and £250 to the Heart Start Appeal. The Festival of St John was held in the magnificent Wyrebank banqueting suite when Ian was able to offer his own congratulations to everyone who had taken part in the day’s proceedings, and to wish the new Master, brethren and lodge a happy and successful year.

Pictured from left to right: Ian Higham, Simon Almond, Bill Williamson and Jim Wilson

Retirement and appointment

ANDREW BARTLETT has intimated that it will be his intention to stand down from the office of Group Secretary at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge to be held on Monday 20 May 2013. At that meeting he is to be appointed to the prestigious rank of Provincial Grand Registrar. Group Chairman Jim Wilson expresses thanks to Andrew on behalf of the group for the service he has given in the office of Group Secretary and previous-ly to the general benefit of the Craft. Andrew will be succeeded as Group Secretary with particular responsibil-ity for financial, administrative and secretarial duties by CHRIS BUTTER-FIELD (pictured right). Jim is delighted to welcome experienced Mason and Secretary/Scribe E Chris to the role and joins with all the brethren in looking forward to work-ing with him.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR WEB ASSISTANTS AND DEVELOPERS

LANCASTER AND DISTRICT GROUP

The Lancaster and District Group is seeking someone to help maintain and develop the Group Website and assisting the Group Webmaster in fulfilling the important role he has.

Would interested brethren please apply to:

Chris Butterfield: [email protected]

or, for an informal chat about the role, telephone Chris on 07974 802951

PROVINCE OF WEST LANCASHIRE The Province of West Lancashire has opportunities for additional web assistants to work alongside the Provincial Publicity Officer and Provincial Webmaster to help manage, develop and advance the Provincial website and the corporate image of the Province.

Web assistants – editorial

We need the services of webmasters to assist with posting stories onto the Provincial website and for this, you should be computer literate and ideally have experience of Microsoft Word and or Wordpress. We anticipate that this will entail no more than two / three hours of your time per week. Full training will be provided and you will be part of a team working throughout the Prov-ince.

Web assistants – site development

We are looking to build a team of webmasters and developers to be involved in the technical aspects of the website. You should have experience of working in a Wordpress environ-ment and come from an IT, web design or development background. As well as providing ongoing maintenance, there are development programmes in place to take into account emerging technologies. In particular, the enhanced integration of social media into the Provincial website is a key objective for the coming year so the team are keen to hear from candidates with appropriate expertise. During 2013, the team will also begin work on specifying, designing and creating the next gen-eration Provincial website so whatever your interest, there’s an opportunity to make a real contri-bution. You will be part of a team, will need to attend occasional project meetings in a central location and your contribution will be built around a time commitment that suits you. These are opportunities to contribute to the work of the Province which will be extremely rewarding as you will be part of a team managing a website that is the window into Freemasonry for the largest Province in the world.

Please apply by email no later than 31 May 2013, giving details of any experience to:

Mark Holloway - Provincial Publicity Officer [email protected]


‘One of the happiest days of my life’: Dennis’ 50 year Masonic celebration

DENNIS ALEXANDER MILLER has reached the momentous milestone of 50 years in Free-masonry which was marked by an emotional celebration held at Knott End Lodge No 8674 led by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison.

Tony was accompanied and supported by Lancaster Group Chairman Jim Wilson, Vice-chairman Martin Baxendale and grand officers Ken Jackson and James Woods together with PrDGDC David Thomas and four further Acting Provincial Grand Officers. Tony commenced the proceed-ings by calling a retrospect of the social and political changes that had taken place since Den-nis’ birth in 1929. Turning his attention to the per-sonal history of Dennis, Tony reminded him of being bombed out of three schools during the war – by considerate bombers

who bombed two of the schools at weekend and the third when Dennis was at night school! Dennis left school at the age of 13 and started work at the Hackney Glass Bottle Manufacturing Company. However, he continued with night school classes for a further ten years before joining the family construction business and becoming a Chartered Engineer in the process. In 1948 Dennis enlisted in the army and spent two years in Germany before returning to the fami-ly construction company. He then made a move to the British Oxygen Company in London before moving on again in 1960 to join an advertising business where he worked as Northern Advertis-ing Director for the Royal Institute of British Architects until his retirement in 1990. Dennis married his dear wife Eileen on Christmas Day 1952. The significance of this was that Dennis had won a sweepstake run by his employer to take advantage of renting a new property BUT he had to be married before January 1! They now have two daughters, Ann and Lynn, a granddaughter and grandson, and Dennis and Eileen celebrated their Diamond Wedding last Christmas which was marked by a letter of con-gratulation from HM the Queen. Dennis’ Masonic life started when he was initiated into Clarence and Avondale Lodge No 2411 on March 7 1963 and after working through the offices of the lodge he became Master in 1971. That year also marked a move for Dennis from Essex to Cheshire and after continuing to attend his mother lodge for a further year he decided to join Sedgley Lodge No 4361 in the Province of East Lancashire where he again took the Chair of the lodge in 1990 and was honoured by being appointed to Provincial Grand Lodge with the rank of PPrAGDC. Also in 1990 Dennis moved from Sandbach to Preesall which made it very difficult to attend the meetings of Sedgley Lodge which commenced at 6.00 pm on a Friday evenings so it was in 1995 that he became a joining member of Knott End Lodge and served the lodge as chaplain from 1996 until 2005. In paying tribute to Dennis, Tony said: “You are to be congratulated on the exemplary manner in which you have discharged your civil, moral and Masonic duties throughout your life and you have proved to the world the happy and beneficial effects of our ancient institution.” The festive board following the ceremony was held in the magnificent Springfield House Hotel, Pilling, when Dennis gave a sincere and emotional response to the toast to his health, thanking Tony and saying that it had been “One of the happiest days of my life”.

Pictured from left to right: Rick Crankshaw PrAGPurs, Tony Cassells PrAGDC, Nigel Parrish PrSGD, Jim Wilson, Keith Jackson,

Ken Oxley WM, James Woods, Dennis Miller, Tony Harrison, David Thomas and William Glassey PrJGD


Lancaster & District Masonic Group of Lodges & Chapters

GROUP WALK 2013 hosted by Warton Lodge 8411

SATURDAY JUNE 1st Meet at Kerneforde Hall, 65 Haws Hill, Carnforth, LA5 9DG

10.00 am for 10.30 am start

Walk open to Freemasons, family, friends and children

(route suitable for bikes)

Well-behaved dogs also welcome

Choice of two very enjoyable walks, one easy, one harder —

both take in our local scenery and coastal views (1½ - 2hrs)

To register for the walk please contact Jim Stewart

on 07946 819467 or by e-mail: [email protected]

Refreshments available on completion of the walk

Sponsorship forms available from Jim Stewart, Lodge and Chapter

Secretaries, Group Representatives, Neil McGill – Group Social Secretary

or from the Social Page on the Group Website

grand ball, grand march, grand evening! - · pdf file · 2016-07-12grand ball,...

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