Buckinghamshire

According to its Secretary, W Bro Nigel Beaven, the Buckinghamshire Lodge for Masonic Research No 9585, aims at “getting more Masonry into men rather than the other way around!” With a membership exceeding 50 and a ‘correspondence circle’ of about 100, the lodge has given a number of papers to lodges in the Province which have given great pleasure to brethren. A recent meeting held on 20 March concerned the design, making and symbolism of lodge banners, as presented by Mrs Lynda Winter, “a needle-worker of some renown”. Those interested in joining should contact W Bro Beaven on 01908 231287, fax: 01908 550444. If your lodge would like to receive a lecture from a member of the Lodge or Association, contact W Bro Bernard Frow on 01296 436158.

Cheshire

Freemasons on the Wirral are backing the Mersey Youth Orchestra all the way to the USA. The cream of the region’s young musicians entertained an audience of masons’ families and friends at Wallasey Town Hall last November and the masons present have handed half of the evening’s proceeds back to the orchestra to help fund their planned trip to America in 2001, with the promise of further assistance (the other half went to the MTGB). Wirral’s ‘A’ Division for Masonic Charities presented a cheque for £1,250 to Geoffrey Cowie, chairman of the MYO, during their recent performance at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Mr Cowie declared his delight at the support of Cheshire Freemasons, “Such support will allow us to continue our tradition of providing an opportunity for young musicians to develop their skills - indeed, the contribution by masons could well assist the development of another Sir Simon Rattle, our most illustrious MYO ‘graduate’.”
    And just to emphasise the pleasure that donations - no matter how large or how small - can bring, the members of Gordovic Lodge No 4061 in Birkenhead were delighted to receive a touching illustrated letter from the pupils at Clatterbridge Primary School (see picture left). This was a personal response from the children after brethren donated £60 from their installation collection plate to the school’s minibus fund.

East Lancashire

On Friday 19 March, the Master of The Rochdale Lodge No 6721, W Bro Gordon W Nicholson, and Immediate Past Master W Bro Peter Rhodes presented cheques for £500 to each of their nominated charities. Gateway Leisure Ltd (the Master’s choice) is a local organisation providing day care facilities for adults with all types of learning difficulties. The Christie Hospital is a regional cancer specialist hospital. Ms Tracey Hyland received the cheque on behalf of Gateway Leisure Ltd and Ms Toni Leden received the cheque for The Christie Hospital. The generous gift was raised by the brethren of The Rochdale Lodge and their ladies as a result of social events which included a Casino Night, a Sixties Night, raffles, tombola &c.

Essex

The Brothers in Law Luncheon Club was first formed in Surrey ten years ago by a group of retired and serving police officers who are also paid up members of a Masonic Order recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, meeting in the Province of Surrey.
    On 29 March 1999 a Brothers in Law Luncheon Club (Essex) was formed by 40 police officers who are Freemasons and who either meet or live in Essex. The current plans are to hold two luncheons, one at Chingford and one at Braintree in the first year, plus a Ladies Festival at Bournemouth.
    Members currently come from the Metropolitan, Eseex, City of London and British Transport Police forces and are spread over several different lodges. Applications from prospective members are welcome, and those interested should contact Secretary, W Bro Bob Chalmers PPSGD at 37 Sandhurst Drive, Ilford, Essex IG3 9DB. Tel: 0181 220 3207 or 0468 703273.

Gloucestershire

The newest lodge in the Province has a ready-made 75 years of history and tradition. Lydda Lodge No 9682 was formed in January at an impressive ceremony held at the Masonic Hall, Downend, Bristol, conducted by the PGM, Peter Marsh, and witnessed by over 100. The new lodge has taken the name of the previous ‘Lydda Lodge’, formed in Jerusalem on 29 March 1924, for the “Association of Members of His Majesty’s Services, Police and other British Subjects”, mainly from the British Army Garrison in Sarafand. The festive board was held at the Allenby Hotel. The name LYDDA is reputed to be the birthplace of St George and was situated on the road from Jerusalem to Joppa.
    When Israel was formed in 1948, the British presence was no longer required and members of the lodge started to return to the UK, a process leading to the surrender of the warrant in 1954.
    The new lodge is the result of a chance meeting in 1997 between the son of a former Master of the lodge and masonic memorabilia collector David Sullivan of Hanham, and the support given to their enterprise by local masons. Founding Master Geoffrey Sims said that they intended “to combine the best of old and new”, adding that the new lodge aimed to promote the masonic principles of good citizenship and to communicate Freemasonry with the local community. Further information can be obtained from Lodge Secretary Peter Thompson on 01454 317611.

Hertfordshire

In December of last year, a superb effort was made by the IPM of Eclectic Lodge No. 1201 on behalf of terminally ill children. W Bro Jason Graham (WM 1997-1998) studied to be a London taxi driver. During this period the lodge’s ‘Broken Column’ collections and raffles were dedicated to The Children’s Magical Taxi Tour to Disneyland Paris, organised by the Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers Charity Trust.
    At W Bro Graham’s Ladies Night, over £1200 was raised for the same cause. The grand total entitled him to specify on the side of the black cab going to Disneyland, the name and number of the lodge (see photograph, above). He then passed as a qualified taxi driver and so was able to drive the cab himself.
    Julian Gunnell. Secretary, Eclectic Lodge No 1201

Surrey

As a result of the sterling success of last year’s event, the Surbiton Masonic Hall will again be holding an Open Day on Saturday 24 July 1999. Videos, stands and all manner of refreshments will be available to visitors. For more information, contact Marketing Director, Barrie Freeman at Surbiton Masonic Hall Ltd on 0181 399 2876.

Warwickshire

On 10 February, Stanley Lates, Warwickshire’s PGM, visited the Mary Ann Evans Hospice, Nuneaton, to see at first hand how the generous support given by Freemasons is helping the Hospice to help its patients. £10,250 has been donated by Warwickshire brethren to this Hospice in the past six years. Only eight days later, the Provincial Grand Master handed over some £85,000 to a large number of charities which have no connections with Freemasons. About 160 charities from across the Province received support, among them being Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, the Alzheimers Disease Society, the County Air Ambulance, the Rape and Sexual Violence Project, the RNLI, the Salvation Army and the Birmingham Dogs Home. The picture (left) shows Stanley Lates presenting a cheque to Mrs Chris Murphy, the Fundraiser for the Marie Curie Centre Warren Pear Hospice, Solihull.
    Shortly before Christmas, 40 gravestones at the Church of St James the Great, Shirley, Solihull were destroyed by vandals. The Rev Michael Caddy received a cheque for £1000 from Warwickshire brethren in response to his appeal. At a service attended by Stanley Lates and his wife Rosemary on 21 February, Rev Caddy said, “This magnificent donation is a great boost to our appeal, and I cannot begin to thank enough the Provincial Grand Master and the Freemasons of Warwickshire for their generosity. We hear so much adverse criticism, which is wholly unjustified, about Freemasons, and I felt that the congregation and the public should hear about the good work they do.”
    On Thursday 8 April, the unstoppable Stanley Lates sent £5,250 to the Kosovo Appeal on behalf of all Warwickshire brethren, saying, “I know that their generosity is such that they will approve my decision to make this donation. They will be going through the same emotions as the rest of the British public following the scenes and stories of human suffering and humiliation in this theatre of war, and will want to do what they can to relieve the distress and trauma which all refugees from this crisis are being condemned to undergo.”

West Lancashire

The Northern Group Lodge of Instruction No 116 which meets (usually bi-monthly) in the Masonic Hall, Barrow-in-Furness between September and April has just completed another successful season culminating in a festival supported by 100 brethren in lodge and some 70 remaining for the festival dinner. The President and Guest of Honour was W Bro Steven PJ Reid PAGDC, Assistant Provincial Grand Master. Other guests visited from all corners of this large Province and the neighbouring Provinces of East Lancashire and Cumberland and Westmorland. Dedicated to furthering the aims of Emulation working, a team from the lodge travelled from Cumbria to London last December to demonstrate a Second Ceremony at Freemasons’ Hall, a great feat of concentration in unfamiliar surroundings in the daunting presence of the Preceptors of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement.
    Meanwhile, Bro Don Dawson of Horwich Masonic Hall (Tel: 01204 696246) appeals to any readers of FMT who could help by putting him in touch with organisations or corporate bodies who could assist in the renovation of the elegant Ridgmont House, a Grade 2 Listed Renovated Building. The property houses four Lodges, two Chapters and one Mark Lodge and required an estimated £60,000 for a desperately needed roof replacement. Says Bro Dawson, “With a grant of say £30,000, we may be able to continue, otherwise we will have to sell the building at a knock-down price.”

Yorkshire

On 25 January 1999, an exceptionally large gathering of Royal Arch Masons assembled in York for the first of three celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of the Consecration of Zetland Chapter No 236. In 1849, Lord Zetland was the MW Grand Master and 1st Grand Principal. That was 32 years after the Duke of Sussex had formed the United Grand Chapter, soon to be designated Supreme Grand Chapter.
    Zetland Chapter was the brain child of E Comp AA Le Veau, a London mason with a wine trade in the north of England and close ties with the Britannia Chapter of Whitby. A history of the Chapter, and those that preceded it in York, has been prepared from the extant minute books and other sources and should be available by now (Fax/Phone: 01904 798289).