Our March meeting is our business night, where we elect the Worshipful Master for the ensuing year and other key posts are allocated. This year we elected Worshipful Brother Mal Grange as our Master for the third consecutive year. We are grateful to W Bro Mal for continuing in office for another year, where circumstances have prevented others who would have taken on the role; its a big job and we look to support our Master in his selfless commitment to our Lodge, of which he is a Founding Member.
Having dealt with the administrative issues that every Lodge has, we moved on to the very pleasant task of Passing Bro Martin Omond to the Second degree in Freemasonry, which was conducted with great aplomb particularly by our newer, younger, members – well done!
We learned of the progress being made in the Province towards the funds for Festival 29, where across the Province we raise money for the Grand Charity, who uses it very wisely and carefully in support of those in need. So far, in short order, some £550k has been raised (all internally to the organisation), well on target, keep going!
At the festive board we enjoyed another high quality meal provided by the hotel, and convivial company amongst our members and guests.
Our February meeting was a quiet affair where we invited our wives and partners and friends to come along to a ‘white table’ event.
We had little business to transact in the Lodge, but we were pleased to provide funding support to a young lady attending a Scout Camp in Vietnam later this year, where she will learn about local people and customs, as well as taking part in Scouting activities whilst there. We are supporting future leaders for our communities in the UK and beyond, by giving young people the opportunity to understand the world and its challenges and learning to deal with them. Go girl!
Our members and guests enjoyed a convivial evening and of course great food from the hotel, and we raised some money with a raffle to be spent on supporting more good causes. A good night.
To celebrate our 25th Anniversary as a Lodge, we decided to copy the event we held on the evening of its Consecration; this was a dinner dance open to all members and friends. A black tie event
So, we repeated the formula of keeping it simple, not too Masonic, just a good time for all!
We commenced proceedings with all attending having their photograph taken on arrival by Tony Ward, a superb three course dinner provided by the Tickton Grange Hotel, table magic during the meal by Russ Allenby, singing interlude by Carrie Martin, a terrific raffle raising £500 for our good causes and then we danced the night away to the best band, the Skylarks!
One lucky couple won a Sunday lunch for two courtesy of the Tickton Grange and another a Xmas wreath making class at the hotel. The Ladies all received a Swarovski crystal encrusted key ring and all of the men earned some badly needed ‘brownie’ points!
We danced away until midnight, a few of stayed over at the hotel and enjoyed a great breakfast and some more good company, with not a hangover in sight…
This meeting was held to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of the Lodge at its Consecration on the 19th of November 1999, as closely as possible to the actual date by dispensation of the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, and was held in the morning, as was the Consecration Meeting.
On this occasion we were honoured by the presence of W Bro Christopher Thomas the Assistant Provincial Grand Master accompanied by a team of active rank Provincial Officers.
The main business of the meeting was to carry out a double third degree ceremony for Brothers Phil Lord and Chris Wall, friends from their school days, and still joined at the hip! It was a fantastic way to celebrate 25 years of our Lodge’s existence, and for our two Brothers achieve their major milestone together. Friends amongst friends, the Wyke Millennium ethos.
The Worshipful Master proposed the Lodge donate the sum of £200 towards the Festival, which was seconded by W Bro Lewis and approved by all present, and was well received by W Bro Chris Thomas on behalf of the Province.
The next order of business was the presentation by W Bro Thomas to the Worshipful Master and the Lodge of a 25 Year Certificate on behalf of the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master.
The Worshipful Master gratefully received the certificate and went on to describe the founding of the Lodge and its genesis. The Worshipful Master reflected on the work done by W Bro Brian Baker our first Secretary, who went on to become Provincial Grand Scribe Ezra in the Chapter and subsequently the Provincial Grand Secretary in the Craft, carrying on those roles with dedication and high competence.
The Worshipful Master also spoke of the founding members we have lost over the years and the parts they played in the early life of the Lodge, losing two of our founders too early in their life, recalling to our thoughts W Bro Digby Bates and W Bro Nigel Steel.
The Worshipful Master was pleased to point out our Honours Board on display and fully lettered up to date for the first time, despite having been made especially for us many years ago. A story to be told there Brethren. It is a fine piece of oak furniture, made by a master craftsman to be collapsible like all of our Lodge furniture, and which will now be proudly on display at all of our future meetings.
At the Festive Board, we enjoyed an excellent buffet meal. The Worshipful Master gave all five formal toasts.
The Assistant Provincial Grand Master was gracious in responding to the fifth toast and once again congratulated the Worshipful Master and the Lodge on its 25 years of existence and the conduct of a fine double ceremony of Raising to mark the event.
The Assistant Provincial Grand Master congratulated our two candidates, Bros Phil Lord, and Chris Wall on their achieving the third degree in Freemasonry and their individual performance during the ceremony, which was excellent.
W Bro Mike Roberts PSGD a past master of the Old Hymerian Lodge No 6885, our Mother Lodge, proposed the toast to the Founders of the Lodge and took us on a tour of the history of the Lodge and the manner it was brought to life. Some of the Founders had already been mentioned by the Worshipful Master during the Lodge meeting, W Bro Roberts recalled some of the other key players in the creation of this fine modern Lodge, W Bro Kevin Shilcock, the Founding Master and one of the instigators of the creation of the Lodge; W Bro Roger Lewis the first Almoner, W Bro David Taylor the first Chaplain, W Bro Dieter Elwood the first DC, W Bro Ted Gillard the first IPM and of course W Bro Malcolm Grange the first Senior Deacon.
The Worshipful Master duly responded and thanked W Bro Roberts for his kind toast and the reminisces that were brought to mind because of it. The Worshipful Master also brought a few anecdotes to mind on how we achieved what we did, and the parts played by, amongst others, the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of the day, Right Worshipful Brother, His Honour, Gerald James Kay-Coles QC, an outstanding man of his time and a great supporter of this Lodge.
The Junior Warden W Bro Roger Lewis proposed the toast to our Visitors, and W Bro David Waddington the Worshipful Master of the Old Hymerian Lodge No 6885, our Mother Lodge duly responded, complaining (in jest) that everyone who had spoken before had stolen all his best lines! Nonetheless, W Bro Waddington gave a fine response on behalf of the Visitors and stated what all felt, it had been a good day and well done to all taking part and congratulations on 25 years well achieved.
All of the members and guests present were given a piece of memorabilia by the Lodge consisting of a business card holder and money clip, with the Lodge Name and anniversary year printed on the face of the insert on each. Something to remind us all of an idea brought to life and nurtured successfully for 25 years.
We are grateful for the Whymant family’s continued hospitality.
Here’s to the next 25 years of this fine modern Lodge!
A fine bunch of men!The WM and members of The PGStwds Lodge No 9611The WM proposes the toastsYou can’t stop him!You just can’t stop him!You really can’t stop him!The APGM kindly respondsMembers and guestsMembers and guestsMembers and guestsMembers and guestsMembers and guestsMembers and guests
This meeting provided the opportunity to rehearse for our planned 25th Anniversary in November, where we intend to carry out a double third degree ceremony. Quite a challenge for a small Lodge such as ours.
We had reached out for support and that was answered by the Worshipful Master of the Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge, W Bro Harry Elliott, and W Bro Andy Hinchcliffe one of the active rank Stewards of the year. W Bro Andy provided us with the double third ritual used by the Invictus Lodge, and W Bro Harry and he agreed to take key roles in the ceremony.
W Bro Harry as the Lead Ambassador for the Festival took the opportunity to speak about Festival 2029 and what that meant in terms of support given to our members in the Province; the last Festival in the Province had raised some £1.8m, the target for 2029 is to raise £3m, which was achievable by all members of the Province all for less than the price of a coffee each week.
We had a good rehearsal and were well prepared for our 25th Anniversary in November.
At the Festive Board we enjoyed an excellent meal (as usual). The first verse of the National Anthem was sung. The Worshipful Master gave the first two formal toasts only.
W Bro Elliott and W Bro Hinchcliffe performed an excellent double act in signing up new contributors to the Festival and handing them their Festival Jewels, as well as selling other Festival memorabilia. What a team!
We are grateful for the Whymant family’s continued hospitality.
The Worshipful Master thanked those who took part in the ceremony and for everyone present for their support and wished them all a safe return home, particularly those who had come from afar to support us this evening, much appreciated.
So, we all left the hotel having welcomed a new joining member into our Lodge, enjoyed good company, and had a full belly of delicious food. So that’s most definitely what it’s all about!
