More Consecrations

The Province of Cumberland and Westmorland has been busy with consecrations, two taking place within four days and another due in March.
    Carlisle Castle No. 9731 is a daylight lodge. The second consecration, of John Hale Lodge No. 9733, is named after the Provincial Grand Master, who conducted both ceremonies.
    Photo shows RW Bro John Hale presenting the lodge warrant to the first master of John Hale Lodge, W Bro John Beadle.

Fifty Not Out

Excellent Companion Peter Denys Arrowsmith, Grand Superintendent in and over Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, recently celebrated 50 years in masonry.
    RW Bro Brian George Lambert, Provincial Grand Master for Herefordshire is a lifelong friend – both have known each other since childhood and were born in Hereford. It is the first time that two Herefordians have held these offices.

Organists Honoured

W Bro Ron Bayfield (Past & Present Lodge No. 2665) recently attended Lambeth Palace to receive honorary membership of the Guild of Church Musicians from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Ron has played at a number of cathedrals and is currently at St Andrew’s Church, West Tarring, Worthing in Sussex.

The King and I

The lucky winners of our competition to win six pairs of tickets to The King and I at the London Palladium are:
    Mr T Orsler of Ripon; Nicole Dawe of Okehampton; The Rev E Powe of Margate; Mr E Spencer of Ilkeston; Mr B Parish of Cowley and Mr H Newman of Cardiff.

Jersey Garden Gift

A garden for residents of Les Amis in St Saviour, Jersey, a charity associated with the local Mencap, has been provided by the island’s freemasons from its 1999 and 2000 collections.
    The main objective is to offer care and support in residential settings to adults with learning difficulties. The Province of Jersey organised the design, obtained planning permission and arranged for the contractors to undertake the work.
    Sir Philip Bailhache, Bailiff of Jersey, opened the garden. Although he is not a mason, his father and grandfather were, the latter being Deputy PGM between 1947 and 1959.

Devon Consecration

It was a memorable occasion at the consecration of Noontide Lodge No. 9720 at Paignton, Devon, for its first Master, W Bro Colin Turner, the Provincial Grand Secretary.
    At his installation he was presented to the Installing Master, W Bro Gerald Rooke, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, by his son W Bro Peter Turner.
    Noontide Lodge will meet in the daytime to encourage attendance by retired and other masons who do not want to venture out at night.
    Ladies and partners will be invited to join lodge members at lunch at their April and September meetings.
    The Oration was given by VW Bro The Rev Canon Neil Collings, Grand Chaplain.

Cornerstone Society Conference

A conference on "That Mysterious Veil" is to be held by the Cornerstone Society at Freemasons’ Hall, London on Saturday, 12 May.
    There will be a programme of speakers, debates, a ritual workshop and interludes designed to explore the meaning and purpose of freemasonry.
    The conference will be introduced by the Pro Grand Master-designate, RW Bro The Marquess of Northampton.
    Tickets are £20 each and include lunch. Tickets can be obtained on the Society’s website www.workingtools.co.uk or from the Cornerstone Society, 9 Devonshire Place, London W1G 9HR.

Book on VC and GC Masons To Be Published

A book is about to be published called "Beyond The Five Points" listing the history of all 118 masons who have been awarded the Victoria Cross and George Cross.
    The book contains hitherto unpublished information about this rare group of freemasons.
    This unique book is the work of the late Phillip May, a mason and George Cross winner. It is being published through the efforts of his widow, Dee May.
    A special offer for a reserved copy with your name printed in the book is available for £25, including package and postage. Applications should go to: Twin Pillars Books, 147 Russell Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN16 0EW.

Freemasons’ Hall Exhibitions

Three exhibitions are currently underway at Freemasons’ Hall in London. The first, The Square under the Swastika is to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. It traces the rise of Nazism and its impact on freemasonry on continental Europe. Illustrated by documents and artefacts. The exhibition runs until April 2001.
    Another exhibition is The Polished Corners of the Temple. Founded by Ruspini in 1788 as an educational foundation, it is the history of the Royal Masonic School for Girls. It will run through this summer.
    The Country Stewards and their Lodge is the third exhibition, and relates to the story of this Green Apron 18th century lodge. Runs until the summer.

Library Scheme

The Library and Museum at Freemasons’ Hall, London, has launched an innovative scheme to enable people to widen their understanding of its unique masonic collection.
    Antiques guru Eric Knowles will be helping to launch the Friends of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry this summer. The annual fee will be £25.
    Friends will also be able to attend special events in London and elsewhere.
    One such event planned is an introduction to 18th century masonic musicians with extracts from their music in performance.
    There are also opportunities to join the scheme as a lodge or chapter. For further details, write or telephone for a leaflet to: Friends Department, The Library and Museum of Freemasonry, Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ. Telephone: 0207 395 9251.

Anglo-Canada Reunion

Two Guelph lodges – No.1685 in London and No. 258 in Ontario, Canada, have a close relationship. The latter was consecrated in 1877 and the former in 1875.
    Both were named after the royal family, but for different reasons. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, named the English lodge after his return from India in 1877.
    The Canadian lodge was named by Scottish novelist John Galt, designer of Guelph City. The two lodges have been in contact for about 10 years, and members of the London lodge visited Canada towards the end of last year.

Broken Column Brooch Offer

Lest we forget widows of masons, there is one sure way of ensuring recognition – presenting a widow with the Broken Column brooch.
    The brooch was first issued in the American Civil War for the ladies of masons involved in the conflict. It subsequently became accepted as a widow’s brooch throughout north America and Canada.
    It is now on wide use throughout England and is about an inch in diameter in base metal coloured gold. There is an outer circle of leaves with a broken column at the base on which is the square and compasses.
    Receipts go to the New Masonic Samaritan Fund or the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution. So far more than £3,500 has been raised.
    The brooches are £3.50 each and can be purchased by writing to Don Cole at 25 Pondfield Road, Hayes, Kent BR2 7HS.

Clay Pigeon Shoot

The West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society is holding a shoot on May 19 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Province of West Lancashire.
    The shoot is at Hoghton Tower, between Preston and Blackburn and commences at 9am.
    Discounted hotel rates have been negotiated locally. For further information contact the secretary, Kevin Langshaw, on 01257 451177 or email on kevinlangshawhotmail.com.

We’re in the Library

An initiative in Cambridgeshire has led to Freemasonry Today being placed in the branch library at Wisbech. The Chief Librarian agreed to its inclusion as a donated subscription.
    This should inspire others to offer donated subscription copies of the magazine to their local libraries.

Rugby Hospice Benefits

Rugby and Southam masons have raised over £5,000 for the new day hospice being built in Rugby. The monies were presented to Gill Young, chief executive of the hospice, at the Rugby Masonic Hall recently by W Bro Eddie Bowker, "father" of the local masons.
    Also present were the mayor of Rugby and the local MP, Andy King. RW Bro Stanley Lates, Provincial Grand Master for Warwickshire, made an additional donation of £2,000 from Provincial charitable funds.
    Gill Young expressed her thanks for their act of generosity and to the Province for its continuing support for the work of the hospices.

A Night to Remember

The initiation of Bro David Gridley into Invictus Lodge No. 5957 at Duke of York Barracks, London, was very much a family affair. His grandfather, W Bro Charles Gridley, conducted the ceremony, father W Bro Michael acted as Junior Deacon, and W Bro Terence, DC and uncle, delivered the Charge to the initiate.

Welcome in Portugal

Any mason in Portugal on 5 May will be welcome to attend a Grand Ball to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Lodge of Discoveries, operating under the English constitution, headed by Grand Inspector VW Bro Richard Beardsley.
    The lodge has 51 members and there are four craft lodges and two chapters operating within the constitution. All monies on the night will go to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
    Anyone interested should contact John Davidge, secretary, at "A Casita", Vales de Fonte, 8670-158 Aljezur, Algarve. Tel/fax: 282 997 177. Email: jon-dd@clix.pt.

Radio Hams Form Second Lodge

Calling G3FEV - this is the radio call sign of Jack Platt, Worshipful Master of a new lodge in the Province of West Lancashire, Radio Millennium Lodge No. 9709.
    Formed by 14 radio hams throughout the south-east of the Province, it was consecrated by Colin Penty Wright, the Provincial Grand Master, at Urmston Masonic Hall.
    Jack Platt was enthused when he visited the only other radio hams lodge - which meets at Freemasons' Hall in London - and saw the need to support the growing interest in freemasonry and electronic communications.
    The lodge members have aroused considerable interest from as far afield as central Europe.

Canada Shows the Way

The historic village of Sherbrooke in Nova Scotia, Canada has as one of its many attractions the local masonic hall. Part of the village has been conserved to depict a typical village in the region in the 19th century.
    It is this openness in identifying freemasonry with the locality that so impressed Mike Wake of St Werburga Chapter 4147 on his visit.
    It is a predominant feature in the village, adjacent to the church. It is the meeting place of Queen's Lodge No 34. The area is open to the public during visiting hours.
    Masonic meetings are held on the second floor, while the first floor is a visitors' rest stop and the permanent home of the Rhuda tool collection. The hall features prominently in the leaflet on the village.