A group of students attending the Willoughby School in Bourne, Lincolnshire, enjoyed all the fun of the Stamford Mid-Lent Fair

The visit was organised by Ian Hall of Lodge of Merit, No. 466, along with members of the Stamford Masonic Centre.

Freemasons from Showmen’s Lodge, No. 9826, in the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland, volunteered their time and their rides for the community event.

The Province of Leicestershire and Rutland has raised £30,000 for the MCF thanks to a sports memorabilia auction that included Sir Henry Cooper’s boxing glove

In March, Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons held a sports memorabilia auction at the Leicester Tigers rugby ground as part of their five-year Festival Appeal in support of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Hosted by former England cricketer Ed Giddins, the evening raised more than £30,000, with lots including a wheel from Nigel Mansell’s Formula 1 car, a football signed by Pelé and Chris Froome’s Tour de France yellow jersey.

The most coveted lot was a pair of Sir Henry Cooper’s boxing gloves, which he used in the 1969 European Heavyweight Title fight in Rome against Piero Tomasoni, who Cooper beat in five rounds. The gloves sold for £1,800 alongside Cooper’s autograph and newspaper clippings about the fight. Freemason Mark Pierpoint donated the gloves, which had been given to his father, Ray, many years ago by a member of Cooper’s team.

David Hagger, Provincial Grand Master, said: ‘We have started our Tercentenary celebrations in style with this wonderful charity event. I’m thrilled that we have raised so much for the Masonic Charitable Foundation.’

The Province is among the first to launch a Festival Appeal in support of the MCF, and hopes to raise £1.8 million over five years.

Leicestershire and Rutland Freemason Paul Simpson is getting ready for the biggest challenge of his life when he cycles 300 miles for charity, as part of the celebrations of 300 years of English Freemasonry.

Paul, aged 51, is one of 20 Freemasons cycling to each of the 11 Masonic meeting places within Leicestershire and Rutland, followed by a hard slog to the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England at Freemasons' Hall. 

When clocking up the 300 miles, they will take a short detour to the site of the former Goose and Gridiron Ale House in St Paul's Churchyard, London, where the first Grand Lodge was formed in June 1717 before they head back to Leicester.

Paul said: 'Little did I realise that when I purchased a bike for my 50th birthday in October 2015, in less than two years I would be attempting a 300 mile charity ride over four days.

'On my first ride I managed just six miles. I returned home out of breath and extremely hot and red faced due no doubt to the excess weight that I was carrying but my appetite for cycling was whetted.'

By July 2016, Paul had completed his first charity cycle ride, 40 miles for Archie’s Army, a charity set up to support a young boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In April 2017, he completed the Rutland Sportive which covered 85 miles over the notorious Rutland hills.

After extensive training, and losing over two and half stone in weight, he is now ready to face the challenge of 300 miles in four consecutive days from Thursday 8th June 2017, which aims to raise £20,000 for the Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough and the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

The Masonic Charitable Foundation supports Freemasons and their families as well as providing more than five million pounds in grants to good causes across England and Wales.

David Innes, Chief Executive of the Masonic Charitable Foundation, said: 'We’re very grateful to Paul and his friends for making this magnificent effort in support of the Masonic Charitable Foundation. We wish them all the very best of luck on their journey and look forward to welcoming them to Freemasons Hall on 9th June.'

The Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, based in Loughborough, provides care to those that are affected by life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Helen Lee-Smith, Head of Individual Giving at Rainbows, said: 'On behalf of everyone at Rainbows, I would like to thank Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons for supporting Rainbows with their 300 mile cycle ride to celebrate 300 years of Freemasonry.

'Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons are doing a wonderful thing raising funds to help us run the hospice - fundraising efforts make such a huge difference to both the children and young people at Rainbows and their families. We would like to wish them all the best for their challenge.'

You can donate to the team here.

Leicestershire & Rutland PGM David Hagger and the trustees of the Bradgate Park Trust marked the commencement of the first tree clearance for the reflection area of the memorial wood at Bradgate Park, Leicestershire.

The memorial wood, located opposite the Cropston Reservoir, is being funded by the Province and the United Grand Lodge of England to enhance a small woodland at the park to create a tranquil and reflective space. It is one of a number of Provincial projects to mark the 300th anniversary of the formation of English Freemasonry in 1717. It will be officially opened on 5 October by Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes.

RW Bro David Hagger, Provincial Grand Masterfor Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, visited the headquarters of Lifelites on Wednesday 15th December 2016 for a demonstration of some of the equipment that is provided by the charity to children’s hospices

Lifelites began as project within the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys and became an independent charity in 2006. It provides specialist entertainment, educational and assistive technology packages to over 9,000 children and young people with life-limiting, life-threatening and disabling conditions in children's hospices including Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People based in Loughborough. 

Caroline Powell, Lifelites Training Manager, drives the Lifelites' training strategy to ensure all of the donated equipment is utilised to its full potential by hospice staff was delighted to demonstrate some of the equipment including Eyegaze which makes a computer accessible for disabled young people. Through a sensor, Eyegaze allows them to track their eye movements enabling them to move the cursor around the screen. Children whose carers and families thought they were unable to communicate, can now do so with this magical technology – they can tell their carers what they would like to eat or drink and can even, for the first time, tell their parents that they love them.

Simone Enefer-Doy, Chief Executive of Lifelites said: 'We are hoping to provide Rainbows in Leicestershire with another new package of our latest technologies in 2018 and will be fundraising for that project in the New Year.'

The annual carol service attended by Freemasons of the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland was held at Leicester Cathedral on Sunday 11th December 2016

The Rev Canon Johannes Arens, Canon Precentor welcomed over 200 members and their family and friends to the cathedral for the service, including the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro David Hagger, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Jim Buckle and Assistant Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Peter Kinder.

The congregation were supported in singing carols by the Senior Trebles and Songmen of the Cathedral Choir and accompanied by the Cathedral Organist, Simon Headley. Carols sung included ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’, ‘Long Ago, Prophets Knew’, ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’, ‘See Amid the Winter's Snow’, ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’.

Lessons were read by W Bro Ian Hammond, Master of the Howe and Charnwood Lodge No. 1007, W Bro Kelvin Johnson, Provincial Grand Secretary, W Bro Paul Roberts, Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, the Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Assistant Provincial Grand Master. The sermon was given by the Rev Canon Jeff Hopewell.

After the service, wine and mince pies, provided by the Province, were served in the cathedral by members of the Derek Buswell Lodge of Provincial Grand Stewards No. 9705.

Saskatchewan visit

During the summer of 2016, W Bro Shusheel Kumar of the Lodge of Welcome No. 5664, which meets in Leicester, attended the 110th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan, which was held in Regina, Canada.

During the visit, W Bro Shusheel presented to the MW Grand Master an excellently designed booklet of the first 75 years of history of the Lodge of Welcome. He also presented an ornately engraved firing glass of the lodge, and a book titled The Language of the Ritual by W Bro Robert D.T. Sillett PJGD, the Prestonian Lecturer of 2008. These were well received by the MW Grand Master and the brethren.

In return, W Bro Shusheel was presented with a personal lapel pin by MW Bro Dave Polachek.

The spirit of brotherhood from one side of the Atlantic to the other shone throughout on this most enjoyable occasion.

Remembering the fallen

For the first time in living memory, Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons attended the annual Remembrance Day service in Leicester in order to pay their respects and to lay a wreath to the fallen.

The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro David Hagger, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Peter Kinder together with other Provincial Officers and their wives and partners attended the service at Victoria Park on Sunday 13th November 2016. They joined thousands of military veterans, local civic dignitaries and members of the public.

The service was led by the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Martyn Snow. During the service, maroons marked the two-minute silence between 11am and 11.02am.

Wreath-laying was led by the Lord Mayor of Leicester Cllr Stephen Corrall and Deputy Lt Col Richard Hurwood. The Provincial Grand Master was also invited to lay a wreath, on behalf of the Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, at the war memorial to honour those who lost their lives during active service.

The Provincial Grand Master said: 'During the Great War, we had over 160 brethren serve, of which seven died. In the Second World War, five brethren also lost their lives.'

He continued: 'It was therefore a great honour to lay a wreath on behalf of the Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons honouring the brethren and all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.'

The inaugural match of the Light Blues Rugby Football Club (LBRFC), recently formed by Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, was held on Saturday 29th October 2016

The Light Blues played host club Vipers RFC at their ground in Whetstone, Leicester as a thank you for proposing them to the Leicestershire Rugby Union and allowing the use of their facilities for future fixtures.

The Light Blues were first to score with a try from Bro Jordan Owen-Clegg of Hastings Lodge No. 8695 and the extra points converted by Bro Mark Edwards from Beacon Lodge No. 5208 who kicked all three conversions with stylish ease. At half time LBRFC were a converted try up, a flurry of activity straight after half time saw the Vipers strike back to level the score. The game was played in a fine spirit and the final score of 40-21 to Vipers did not reflect the balance of the match, a few younger backs came to the fore in the final few minutes to inflate the lead further.

Bro Samuel Harris of the Lodge of the Golden Fleece No. 2081 and Chairman of the LBRFC said: 'It was a great day and the culmination of a lot of hard work by the committee. Thank you to all those who came to support and provide banter from the touchline.'

The Rutland Lodge No. 1130, which meets at Freemasons’ Hall, Melton Mowbray, celebrated its 150th anniversary on Thursday 6th October 2016

The Sesquicentennial Festival was held at the regular meeting of the lodge who were honoured to receive the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro David Hagger, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Jim Buckle, and the rest of the Provincial Officers. 

In total over 90 brethren were in attendance to witness this relatively unique occasion which has seen only five other lodges in the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland celebrate this milestone.

After the lodge was opened the Master offered the gavel to the Provincial Grand Master who on this occasion willingly accepted it. The Master read the Warrant and the Centenary Warrant of the lodge before W Bro Keith Harkness gave a thoroughly absorbing talk on the Highlights from the History of the Lodge.

The Rutland Lodge No. 1130 was consecrated on the 19th October 1866 at the George Hotel, Melton Mowbray by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master W Bro William Kelly. The lodge was named after His Grace the Duke of Rutland, the cousin of the first Master Bro George Norman, Squire of Goadby Marwood. The lodge was given permission by the Duke of Rutland to use the arms of the Duke on the lodge banner. 

In the days before street lighting, the lodge originally met on days of the full moon to enable the members to find their way home by light of the moon but now meets 8 times a year on the first Thursday evening in the months between October and May. The lodge met at the George Hotel for 44 years and then subsequently met at the Colles Hall, Burton Street, Young Men’s Institute Hall in Market Place, Egerton Lodge, the Corn Exchange, and has met at its’ current home at Wicklow Lodge since 1951.

After the lodge meeting was closed, the Brethren enjoyed a wonderful Festive Board and were each generously presented with a hardbound copy of ‘The Sesquicentennial Festival 1866-2016’ which was compiled by W Bro Harkness and designed by W Bro Mike Rawson. 

The Provincial Grand Master said: 'The 150 years of this lodge, since its consecration in 1866, are ample proof of the dedication shown by the Brethren in Melton Mowbray to our great Order. As the lodge travels its masonic pathway, I’m sure the brethren will display that same devotion and dedication in the future. I, and the masonic Province of Leicestershire and Rutland, wish them well.'