Nottinghamshire Freemason Haydn Jakes has been awarded the Gold medal in his category Aircraft Maintenance at the WorldSkills competition

WorldSkills, which was held in the last week of August, featured over 1,300 competitors from 63 countries, and was the largest international event held in Russia in 2019. The welcoming address was given by Vladimir Putin and the closing address by Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, which will host the next competition in 2021.

Haydn, 22, is a Master Mason and subscribing member of Daybrook Lodge No. 5522 in the Province of Nottinghamshire. Daybrook has been a Universities Scheme Lodge since January 2008 and serves both Universities in Nottingham, and counts the Grand Secretary as one of its subscribing members.

Haydn is currently reading for a MEng (Hons) Degree in Aerospace Engineering with a Foundation Year at the University of Nottingham, which he began in September 2017. Prior to this, he completed an Advanced Apprenticeship with Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group in Cambridge. During his apprenticeship, Haydn was entered into the WorldSkills UK national heats in the Aircraft Maintenance category, along with 15 other competitors from other apprenticeship providers, including the Royal Navy and Airbus. As one of the top 8 in the heats, he then took part in the WorldSkills UK National Finals held at the NEC in Birmingham, where he secured a Silver medal.

It was in March 2019 when Haydn was again selected as the Team UK representative in the Aircraft Maintenance Skill category at the world final event to represent the UK.

Given the training, assessment and competition requirements of participating in this event and its prestige, Haydn gained agreement from his university to take a Voluntary Interruption of Studies from the April to September 2019.

As a result, he will be repeating the first year of his degree, starting in September. In addition, although Haydn would ordinarily work over the summer months to support himself at university, due to the sporadic nature and duration of training events this year, he has been unable to find employment and has had no income. Realising the issues this presented for Haydn, his Lodge Secretary Ian Gascoigne approached Association of Medical, University & Legal Lodges (AMULL) of which Daybrook is also a member. The AMULL Committee was so impressed by Haydn’s commitment and promise that they have awarded him a £1,500 grant to support his return to studies.

The award will be presented by AMULL’s President David Williamson, former the President of the Universities Scheme, at the AMULL Festival, which will be held in London on Saturday, 12th October 2019.

Professor Turi King, the scientist at the heart of the project to find the remains of King Richard III, was the speaker at the 18th annual festival of the Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges (AMULL) which was held on 6th October in the cathedral city of Leicester

Around 100 people attended and, despite the rain, everyone enjoyed a superb day of fraternity, festivity and fun.

The festival was hosted this year by Wyggeston Lodge No. 3448, the Universities Scheme Lodge for the University of Leicester, with the programme for the event devised and administered by Dr Andy Green with support from AMULL Secretary Athelstane Aamodt.

The festival guests assembled for tea and coffee in cloistral hush of Leicester Cathedral, the resting place of King Richard III and the venue for the interfaith service conducted by the Rev Canon Michael Wilson, Grand Chaplain, whose excellent proceedings and highly topical address were rounded off with a rousing rendition of ‘Jerusalem’ which the assembled congregation sang with gusto. 

After the service, the guests made their way to the beautiful Guildhall, one of the best preserved timber-framed halls in the country and with a history dating back 600 years. There, Professor Turi King gave an entertaining and interesting talk on the excavation in Leicester that led to the discovery of King Richard III, managing to inject wit and humour into subjects like mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomes. Her talk, which entirely captivated the audience, was rapturously received.

Professor King’s talk was followed by AMULL’s now-traditional champagne reception and then lunch in St. Martin’s House, culminating in a toast to AMULL given by Paul Marvin, the current Master of Wyggeston Lodge, with the response given by the AMULL President, David Williamson. 

AMULL was delighted to make hardship grants totalling £5,000 to three excellent students: Naomi Amos, Andrew Slater, and Joshua Holford whose respective stories were filled with inspiring grit and determination. AMULL was also delighted to make an award of £1,000 to Leicester University Scholarship Fund, which was accepted by Michael Turnbull on behalf of the University. This donation was generously matched from the Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Charitable Association presented by the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland David Hagger. 

AMULL President David Williamson said: ‘All-in-all a truly memorable Festival from every aspect.’

Next year’s festival will be hosted in London by Think and Thank Lodge No. 4112, one of the latest additions to the Universities Scheme.

The University Lodge of Chester No. 4477 and the Association of Medical, University & Legal Lodges (AMULL) have recognised Connor Elliman for his outstanding contribution and commitment to Performing Arts over his three years of study at the University of Chester

Connor was delighted to receive an award for academic and artistic excellence at level 6 and equally pleased to learn that the award is complimented with a cheque to support his progression and help him through his Masters year.

The award was presented by Professor Andrew Thomas, Worshipful Master of the University Lodge of Chester, at the University’s Valedictory Prize-Giving held on 9th June 2018.

Professor Thomas said: 'It was a fabulous evening and Connor is a worthy recipient of the award. During his time at the University he has shown complete dedication to do well and it’s great to see this is paying off.'

Stephen Blank, Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Cheshire, said: 'The AMULL’s Student Prize-Giving programme is a great example of Freemasonry working hard for the wider community, in this case in higher education. I would like to congratulate Connor for his achievements to date and wish him well with his future studies.'

The President of AMULL, David Williamson, said: 'We congratulate Connor on his outstanding achievements and are thrilled that the University Lodge of Chester has awarded him this prize in recognition of this.'

Supported by AMULL, this activity is part of a five year commitment to support excellence in achievement by outstanding individuals.

The Association of Medical, University & Legal Lodges (AMULL) Festival for 2017 was held on Saturday, 2nd September 2017 in the Governor’s Hall at St Thomas’ Hospital, London

There was a medical theme underpinning the Festival this year and on the banks of the River Thames across from the Palace of Westminster stood the venue – the famous St. Thomas’ Hospital, originally founded circa 1100 and on its present site since 1868. Deep inside the original building is the Governor’s Suite; in 1901 the setting for the consecration of the host Lodge, the Cheselden Lodge No.2870.

Guests enjoyed a morning of good fellowship whilst a classical string quartet, the Chiswell Strings, provided by graduate students from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, gave a recital which was followed by inter-faith prayers being led by ex-RAF Chaplain and current Metropolitan Grand Chaplain Rev John Hughes.

The medical theme continued with speaker Dr. James Le Fanu, himself a former student at St. Thomas’s who combines medical practice with being the Daily and Sunday Telegraph’s own medical columnist. He very much entertained the guests with his own special brand of medical gossip and satire on ‘Why do the media always get it wrong’.

This was followed by the usual champagne reception, which was taken on the Terrace overlooking the River Thames and the Houses of Parliament in glorious sunshine.

The President, David Williamson, presented this year’s AMULL financial Hardship Grant to Matt Davies, a 26-year old law student – and a non-Mason. The President explained that, having recently graduated with a First in Law from Portsmouth University, Matt had been successful in being awarded a prize to study for his Bar Practice Training Course at UWE Bristol.

Having been orphaned at an early age, Matt had worked to put himself through his undergraduate course and will continue to work to finance his living costs at Bristol. The AMULL Committee unanimously voted to award him a Hardship Grant of £2,000 to cover his first term’s rent and to give him a cushion for other out-of-pocket expenses to allow him to commence his studies and establish himself and find employment in a new city.

The toast to AMULL was proposed by Hugh Johnstone, Master of Cheselden Lodge No. 2870 to which the President responded.

A collection was taken during the lunch for the AMULL charity, which makes grants to the student community in the form of bursaries, scholarships and prizes. The collection raised a whisker under £2,500 (including Gift Aid), which is a record for AMULL Festivals.

Festival welcome in Chester

The 15th annual festival of the Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges (AMULL) was held this year in Chester and attended by around 130 members, their wives and other guests. 

During the past year AMULL lost its chairman, John Harvey, who was killed in a motor accident. Subsequently David Williamson, Past Assistant Grand Master and the then President of the Universities Scheme, accepted the offer to become the Association’s new leader. 

Chester Cathedral was the venue for the annual ecumenical service, led by the Dean of Chester and Nigel Pett, Assistant Grand Chaplain. Next year the festival returns to London to be hosted by Western Circuit Lodge, No. 3154.

The Universities Lodge of Staffordshire No. 9907, was Consecrated on 5th September 2015 at Shelton Masonic Hall in Stoke-on -Trent, Staffordshire, becoming the 65th Lodge in the Universities Scheme

The Consecrating Officer was RW Bro David Kenneth Williamson PAGM, President of the Universities Scheme and recently returned from Consecrating the Universitas Lodge No.9917 in South Africa, who was ably assisted by a team from Grand Lodge. The Installing Master was RW Bro Alexander I. Stewart TD, Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire, who Installed as the primus Worshipful Master W. Bro David Firth, PPrGSuptWks (Cheshire).

The event was attended by approximately 130 Freemasons, including the Organising Secretary W.Bro Peter Hughes, thirty Founders, and representatives from many other Provinces. The Consecrating Officer was able to confirm the new Lodge as a member of the Universities Scheme and of the Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges (AMULL). The Lodge will serve the Universities of Keele and Staffordshire primarily and has already received application forms from fourteen students, all eager to join following attendance at the Fresher’s Fair in mid-September. The first meeting of the lodge, in October 2015, will be a triple Initiation.

The event was made the more memorable by the fact that mid-ceremony the Organist announced that the organ was on fire! The crisis was dealt with by a serving Fire Officer who was present amongst the brethren, while the Consecrating Officer smoothly continued the ceremony with barely a pause, an organ” transplant” being effected!

RW Bro. Williamson ends his tenure as President of the Universities Scheme in November 2015 after a decade in the role, handing over to Assistant Grand Master RW Bro Sir David Hugh Wootton. He will not, however, be ‘resting on his laurels’ as he will become President of AMULL.

Historic Charterhouse hosts festival

The 14th annual festival of the Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges was held at London’s Charterhouse, founded in 1371, and hosted by medical and Universities Scheme lodge Æsculapius, No. 2410. 

The coffee reception was held in the Great Hall, which has been the Charterhouse Brothers’ dining room for the past 400 years, and the ecumenical service took place in the chapel (pictured right), conducted by the Preacher of Charterhouse, the Rev Robin Isherwood. Back in the Great Hall, the audience was given an insight into the work of David Battie, one of the experts from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. The 2015 festival will be held in Chester, hosted by the local university lodge.

The Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges (AMULL) celebrated its 12th annual festival at Lincoln’s Inn in London, in the presence of Deputy Grand Master Jonathan Spence, his wife Almudena and Metropolitan Grand Master Russell Race.

This year’s host was the Chancery Bar Lodge, No. 2456, whose meetings are held in Lincoln’s Inn. The day included a lecture: ‘For Valour – The Victoria Cross’, by Mark Smith. An ecumenical service was held in Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, led by the Reverend Alan Gyle, with the address by the Venerable Peter Delaney. This year’s AMULL bursaries went to Michael Mather (Universities Lodge, No. 2352, Durham) and Daniel Glover (University Lodge of Liverpool, No. 4274).