Somerset’s Deputy Provincial Grand Master Ben Batley had been looking for something special to leave a ‘Masonic Footprint’ around the Province to mark its charitable giving

It was then on a visit to Freemasons' Hall in London that he came up with the answer – a plaque recently unveiled by the Duke of Kent to commemorate the opening of the Masonic Charitable Foundation's refurbished offices, suitably adapted, would be perfect

Following consultation with the plaques designers and the MCF, Somerset’s new ‘Masonic Footprint’ was created.

The first plaque was installed in Somerset at the headquarter offices of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme for the county at Hestercombe House. This was to mark a donation of £16,500 given over three years as a bursary fund by Somerset Freemasons to enable disadvantaged and vulnerable participants to take part.

Ben Batley commented: 'We are delighted with the result. Whenever we make a charitable donation, our ‘Masonic Footprint’ will be left with the charity to encourage engagement with the public about the good works that we do.'

The Lodge of Agriculture No. 1199 in Somerset has handed over a donation of £411 to AppleShed Inclusive Theatre, a new and accessible theatre group

The group meets locally in Congresbury, North Somerset, where children, young people and adults with and without disabilities can interact together. 

The Lodge of Agriculture handed over the donation as part of their initiative within the local community. AppleShed plan to use the money to buy a piano which will be used for their stage shows.

King Alfred Lodge No. 3169 in Somerset held a special presentation ceremony on 16 November 2018 to celebrate 60 years of Freemasonry to one of its members, Ron Ward

Ron was initiated in Newcastle in 1958 and has enjoyed being an active mason for almost the entire period since that time.

Past Provincial Grand Master for Somerset David Jenkins presented Ron with his certificate and spent 15 minutes reading out his masonic biography. His considerable experience of the Craft in several Provinces showed his dedication to masonry in general and in particular, to Somerset.

David congratulated Ron on his contribution to the Craft and handed him his certificate. The presentation was greeted with a standing ovation from the 60 members of King Alfred Lodge who were present on this memorable occasion.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the formation of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset, nearly 100 Freemasons paraded through the centre of the City of Bath on September 30th 2018

Starting at the Masonic Hall, Old Theatre Royal, members paraded under the banners of Royal Cumberland Lodge No. 41 and Lodge of Perpetual Friendship No. 135, finishing at the Friends Meeting House building in York Street, which was the original Masonic Hall from 1819 to 1842.

The Provincial Grand Master Stuart Hadler, accompanied by the Leaders, full Provincial Team, Ruling Masters and members from all parts of the Province, all in full regalia, paraded along the route in two columns and were well-received by the public.

Upon arrival at the Friends Meeting House, Stuart Hadler presented representatives of ‘The Friends’ with a cheque for £1,000. Dignitaries in attendance included: The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset - David Medlock; The Lord Lieutenant’s representative - Annie Maw; The Chair of Bath & NE Somerset Council - Councillor Karen Walker; and The Mayor and Mayoress of Bath - Councillor Patrick and Deirdre Anketell-Jones.

Provincial Historian Malcolm Toogood then presented a fascinating history on the formation of the Province, following which the members and their guests returned to the Old Theatre Royal for welcome refreshment.

Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge

12 September 2018 
Report of the Board of General Purposes

Minutes

The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 13 June 2018 were confirmed.

Meetings in 2019

The dates on which the Board of General Purposes will meet in 2019 are: 12 February, 19 March, 14 May, 16 July, 17 September and 12 November.

Overseas Grand Lodges

The Board considered it appropriate to draw attention to Rule 125 (b), Book of Constitutions, and the list of Grand Lodges recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, which is published in the Masonic Year Book, copies of which are sent to lodge secretaries.

Only Brethren who are members of lodges under recognised jurisdictions may visit English lodges. They must produce a certificate (i.e. a Grand Lodge certificate or other documentary proof of masonic identity provided by their Grand Lodge), should be prepared to acknowledge that a personal belief in TGAOTU is an essential Landmark in Freemasonry, and should be able to produce evidence of their good standing in their lodges.

It is the Master’s responsibility to ensure that the requirements of Rule 125 (b) are met.

It is particularly noted that the hazard of admitting a member of an unrecognised constitution arises not only in connection with overseas visitors, or individuals resident in this country who belong to an unrecognised constitution overseas, but there are also Lodges of unrecognised constitutions meeting in England, and care must be taken that their members are not admitted to our meetings.

Brethren are reminded that they are permitted to visit lodges overseas only if they come under a jurisdiction which is recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England.

A list of recognised Grand Lodges is published annually, but as the situation does change from time to time, Brethren should not attempt to make any masonic contact overseas without having first checked (preferably in writing) with the Grand Secretary’s Office via their Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Secretary, that there is recognised Freemasonry in the country concerned and, if so, whether there is any particular point which should be watched.

The Board recommends that the terms of this warning should be repeated:

1. Verbally in open lodge whenever a Grand Lodge Certificate is presented, and
2. In print once a year in a lodge’s summons.

Brethren should also be aware of the masonic convention that communications between Grand Lodges be conducted by Grand Secretaries. They should therefore not attempt without permission to make direct contact with the Grand Secretary of another Constitution. This does not preclude direct contact on a purely personal level between individual Brethren under different Grand Lodges.

Gender reassignment

Following the recent adoption of a policy on gender reassignment, the Board recommended a small amendment to the document Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition originally drawn up by the Board of General Purposes in 1929 at the request of the MW The Grand Master, His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, KG.

The amendment relates to paragraph 4 and, if approved, would bring that paragraph into line with this Grand Lodge’s policy. It is intended that when the document is printed in future in the Book of Constitutions, the Masonic Year Book and the booklet Information for the Guidance of Members of the Craft, a footnote will be included to the effect that the amendment was made at the Quarterly Communication of 12 September 2018.

Amalgamations

The Board had received reports that the following lodges had resolved to surrender their Warrants in order to form amalgamations:

Langbourn and Dominicos Lodge, No. 5252, in order to amalgamate with National Westminster Lodge, No. 3647 (London); Pilgrim Lodge, No. 7265, in order to amalgamate with St Catherine’s Priory Lodge, No. 7960 (Surrey); Y Bont Faen Lodge, No. 8533, in order to amalgamate with Industria Cambrensis Lodge, No. 6700 (South Wales); and Erewash Lodge, No. 9376, in order to amalgamate with Dale Abbey Lodge, No. 5603 (Derbyshire).

A recommendation that the lodges be removed from the register in order to effect the amalgamations was approved.

Lodge closures

The Board had received a report that eight lodges had closed and had surrendered their Warrants. The lodges are: Wodehouse Lodge, No. 1467 (South Africa, Eastern Division);

Northbourne Lodge, No. 3241 (Durham); Argosy Lodge, No. 3740 (West Lancashire); Faraday Lodge, No. 4852 (Northumberland); Faith and Honour Lodge, No. 7142 (Middlesex); St Mary’s Lodge, No. 7244 (Warwickshire); Circle of Sussex Lodge, No. 7905 (Sussex) and Beacon Lodge, No. 7915 (Worcestershire).

A recommendation that they be erased was approved.

Expulsions from the Craft

Eight members had been expelled from the Craft

Library and Museum Charitable Trust

The Board had received a report from the Library and Museum Charitable Trust.

Presentation to Grand Lodge

A presentation on Solomon – Fostering Curiosity, Developing Understanding was given by Stuart Hadler, Provincial Grand Master for Somerset and Anthony Howlett-Bolton, Provincial Grand Master for Berkshire.

New Lodges

13 June 2018: 9965 Curitiba Lodge Curitiba, South America, Northern Division.

11 July 2018: 9966 Square Wheels Lodge, Warwick, Warwickshire.

Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge

A Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge will be held on 12 December 2018, 13 March 2019, 12 June 2019, 11 September 2019 and 11 December 2019.

The Annual Investiture of Grand Officers will take place on 24 April 2019, and admission is by ticket only. A few tickets are allocated by ballot after provision has been made for those automatically entitled to attend. Full details will be given in the Paper of Business for December Grand Lodge.

Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter

Convocations of Supreme Grand Chapter will be held on 14 November 2018, 25 April 2019 and 13 November 2019.

It’s the journey  that matters

Via Rolls-Royce, camper van, horse and cart, speedboat and tandem bicycle, Lifelites chief executive Simone Enefer-Doy travelled 2,500 miles in two weeks to raise the profile of this hard-working charity

Providing life-changing assistive technology, Lifelites helps the 10,000 children and young people in hospices across the British Isles live their short lives to the full. On 25 May 2018, the charity’s chief executive, Simone Enefer-Doy, set off on an epic road, air and river trip to spread the word and raise funds.

The 2,500-mile challenge, called Lift for Lifelites, was to take in 47 famous landmarks in England and Wales in just 14 days. For each leg of the journey, Simone received a lift from Provincial supporters in an eclectic mix of transportation. After setting an initial target of raising £50,000 for Lifelites, the total now stands at over £104,000. Simone says she has been astounded at the support and generosity she encountered as she travelled around the country. 

‘Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that so many people would come out to meet me on my journey and support my challenge. We have received a terrific welcome wherever we have gone, and it really spurred me on to continue whenever I felt myself flagging. I would like to thank everyone – drivers, donors and venues – for helping to make Lift for Lifelites happen. We couldn’t have done it without you.’

If you’d like Lifelites to come to one of your Provincial meetings to make a presentation about Simone’s adventure and how the charity will use the money, please get in touch via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0207 440 4200.

Hungary is a long way from Middlesex, but in the quest for disseminating masonic enlightenment and learning, several Royal Arch Freemasons from Middlesex made the journey

Their destination was the City of Kecskemét, which is the eighth largest city in Hungary with a population of circa 110,000. On the weekend of 29th/30th June 2018, a team of Middlesex Royal Arch Provincial Grand Stewards, with permission from Supreme Grand Chapter and accompanied by Andrew Ford from Surrey and Sean Austin from Middlesex, made a visit to the Symbolic Grand Chapter of Hungary, to deliver a demonstration of the Passing of the Veils ceremony. 

The demonstration gives an insight into what precedes the Exaltation ceremony in a Bristol Chapter. Since 1834, within the jurisdiction of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Somerset, it is the only Province in England where the ritual is performed, but only in Chapters in the City of Bristol itself. However, it is used elsewhere as part of the Royal Arch workings in the United States of America, Scotland and Ireland. English Royal Arch Masons in the other Provinces will know of this working and of the fraternal invitation that extends to them by Freemasons in Bristol to witness the working.

The Passing of the Veils ceremony refers to and uses the Ark of the Covenant: ‘a table on which rested the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets of stone and the pot of manna.’ One was not available in Hungary, and given the significant size and weight of transporting this piece of furniture, Middlesex Freemason Steve Heynes requested that one be produced locally. This was duly done using supplied photographs.

However, there was no scale supplied and the Hungarian craftsman looked up the dimensions – some wires were crossed though and an impressively larger version was produced instead.

An informal BBQ was held on the Friday night after arrival where, as well as being treated to a wonderful feast, the demonstration team were entertained by Márk Beke, Hungary's young musician of the year who gave a lovely evening of Trombone playing interspersed with traditional Hungarian dancing from children from the Kodály Zoltán School of Music. The following morning, the Symbolic Grand Chapter of Hungary held a meeting with the team from Middlesex delivering the demonstration of the Passing of the Veils ceremony, which was enjoyed by all that attended.

On the Saturday afternoon, the St Stephen Lodge No. 7 of the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary held its Installation meeting. St Stephen’s Lodge under the guidance of Mark Walton and Seamus Conlan hosted the weekend. This was also an unusual meeting as St Stephen Lodge use the old workings and did the full Installation in the Board of Installed Masters, including proving the Master Elect in all three degrees before he was entrusted.

The Festive Board took place afterwards where each member of the visiting team was presented with a decanter of Pálinka (Hungary fruit brandy) engraved with the crest of the Symbolic Grand Chapter.

Over 50 Freemasons, comprising Worshipful Masters or their representatives, of 32 Somerset lodges, together with the Provincial Grand Master Stuart Hadler and his team, were well received by the people of Bridgwater as they paraded through the streets of the market town to celebrate of 250 years since the formation of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset

The parade terminated at St Mary’s Church to be greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset David Medlock and the Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council Cllr. Mike Creswell. Also in attendance were several leaders from various Masonic Orders: John Morgan - Provincial Grand Master of Mark Master Masons; David Nelson - District Grand Master of Royal & Select Masters; C. Trevor Cooper - Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler of the Order of the Secret Monitor and  Ray Johnston-Smith - Inspector General of the Ancient & Accepted Rite (Rose Croix).

The Biennial Church Service, which included a congregation of about 250 members and their families, enjoyed music specially written by Martin Emslie to complement the theme of Past, Present and Future. Provincial Grand Lodge - The Past: was a history of the Province given by Peter Russell, John Townsend and Andrew Baird; Provincial Grand Lodge - The Present: was introduced by the Provincial Grand Orator Rev Jeremy Hellier and friends - in the form of an entertaining ‘talking heads’ discussion, and Provincial Grand Lodge - The Future: was a thought-provoking and pertinent address given by the Provincial Grand Chaplain, Robert Moore. 

The offertory collection was donated to St Mary’s along with a £500 donation by the Provincial Grand Lodge, generously matched by Tynte Lodge No. 7994.

The entire occasion was overseen by Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Chris Marchmont and his team, who said: 'I am delighted with the way things came together and would especially like to thank the Bridgwater lodges for all their support and practical assistance.'

Marine Chapter No. 232 in Somerset has donated £1,000 to the Springboard Opportunity Group, a charity which supports children from birth to five-years-old with additional needs and disabilities, and their families

Springboard was started by a small group of parents in 1986 who needed help with their young children who all had disabilities, and now provides a vital service for around 100 children per week.

Liz Smith, Springboard Business Manager, said: 'We depend heavily on support from the community to enable us to continue to work with children and families.

'We recently made a difficult decision that our minibus had come to the end of its useful life. This generous donation will be used to take children from our base on outings around the local area, using hired minibuses or community transport.'

Matt Westley, MEZ, and Second Principal Peter Harris, H, presented the cheque for £1,000 to the Springboard Opportunity Group at their Masonic Hall in Clevedon, Somerset.

Lifelites Chief Executive Simone Enefer-Doy has left Freemasons' Hall to kick-start her 2,500 mile journey to 47 famous landmarks to raise awareness of Lifelites and £50,000 for the charity

Dubbed 'A Lift for Lifelites', Simone will see Freemasons in nearly every Province in England and Wales and will be stopping at landmarks such as Hadrian’s Wall, Angel of the North and Bletchley Park in vehicles including a classic Rolls Royce, a camper van, a four seater plane, an E Type Jaguar and even a zip wire.

Simone said: 'With the help of Freemasons and their vehicles around the country, I’m on a mission to raise the profile of our work and raise more funds to reach more children whose lives could be transformed by the technology we can provide.'

We'll be updating this page regularly, including images, as Simone continues on her epic quest.

Day 14 – Thursday 7 June

That's a wrap! Simone completed her 14 day challenge and finished in style on ThamesJet speedboat with guests including United Grand Lodge of England Chief Executive Dr David Staples. Her fundraising currently stands at over £103,000.

Day 13 – Wednesday 6 June

It's the penultimate day, starting with a trip to Bedfordshire at the Shuttleworth Collection. The next stop was Silverstone racetrack in Northamptonshire, which included completing a lap in a Jaguar, before driving this to Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The last trip was to the home, studios and gardens of former artist Henry Moore in Hertfordshire.

Day 12 – Tuesday 5 June

Day 12 took in journeys across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The first stop was Gordon Boswell Romany Museum in Lincolnshire before using two vehicles, a Hudson Straight Six Touring Sedan and a Range Rover, to Bressington Steam and Gardens in Norfolk. There was still time to grab lunch at Bury St Edmunds Abbey in Suffolk before a BMW took Simone to her final stop in Cambridgeshire, which included a punt on the River Cam.

Day 11 – Monday 4 June

Simone crammed in four locations to start the week, with a wide variety of vehicles used. The day started in Yorkshire Sculpture Park before driving a 1977 Bentley to the National Tramway Museum in Derbyshire. It was from here that Simone then picked up a DeLorean to take her to Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire before completing the day by driving a gold Rolls-Royce to Victoria Park in Leicestershire.

Day 10 – Sunday 3 June

The week concludes with trips to Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire and East Riding, as well as the news that Simone had already hit her £50,000 target. Trips included the Millennium Bridge in Northumberland, the Angel of the North and a scenic drive across the Yorkshire Moors to Bolton Castle.

Day 9 – Saturday 2 June

Day nine saw visits to the Provinces of West Lancashire and Cumberland and Westmorland, with landmarks including Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria and transport provided by a horse and cart.

Day 8 – Friday 1 June

Two Rolls-Royces helped provide the transport on day nine, with Simone starting at the Avoncroft Museum in Worcestershire, driving down to New Place in Warwickshire and then to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. There was still time to conclude the day by visiting Manchester Cathedral in East Lancashire.

Day 7 – Thursday 31 May

At the halfway point, Simone made trips to Cheshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire – starting out at the Georgian Hall Dunham Massey, then heading to the RAF Museum Cosford in a custom built Rewaco Bike and finally, to Arthur’s Stone.

Day 6 – Wednesday 30 May

Day six was solely focused in North Wales where Simone took on the challenge of the fastest zip wire in the world. This was then followed by making the journey to Chester in a six month old blue McLaren Spider and flanked by the Widows’ Sons motorcyclists and Blood Bike volunteers.

Day 5 – Tuesday 29 May

Day five was a journey across the borders for Simone as she ventured to Oxfordshire before heading west to Monmouthshire and continued to South Wales and West Wales. Landmarks included Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, Caerleon Amphitheatre in Newport, the Donald Gordon theatre in Cardiff and ending the day in the county town of Carmarthen to meet the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Wales.

Day 4 – Monday 28 May

Simone began day four by driving an Aston Martin DB9 to the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare with help from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset. A 1928 MG Riley saloon then took Simone to her next port of call, Clifton Suspension Bridge where the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bristol had a 1966 Austin Mini Cooper waiting to take her to Caen Hill Locks. It was here that Simone met representatives from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire, before the final stop of the day saw her clock up the miles to Shaw House in Berkshire to be greeted by members of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Berkshire.

Day 3 – Sunday 27 May

Day three involved journeys to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. It started with a visit to Lulworth Cove in Dorset to be met by members from the Provincial Grand Lodge in a yellow camper van and to receive a donation of £2,000. Simone then ventured to Buckfast Abbey to receive a donation of £5,000 from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire before departing in a classic Rover to head to Lanhydrock House and Garden in Cornwall, where she received another donation of £1,750.

Day 2 – Saturday 26 May

Simone took to the sky for day two, meeting a representative from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and Isle of Wight who drove her to Southampton to board a flight to Jersey, to meet members of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Guernsey and Alderney.

Day 1 – Friday 25 May

Simone has begun her challenge, leaving in a taxi escorted by a fleet of Widows Sons motorcyclists. This is the start of her 14 day road trip with a difference, using a variety of unusual and extraordinary forms of transport.

The next destination for Friday was Richmond Park where Simone was met by representatives from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex after arriving in a Porsche 550 Spyder. Further destinations included Guildford Cathedral, where Simone was met by a Noddy car, and Brighton Royal Pavilion, where the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex made a donation of £5,000.

Lifelites has a package of their magical technology at every children’s hospice across the British Isles and their work is entirely funded by donations. Through the journey they are seeking to raise £50,000 – that’s the cost of one of their projects for four years.

You can sponsor Simone by clicking here