Audenshaw District Newsletter

Winter 2012, Issue 40

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A celebration of 60 years in Freemasonry

The celebration of 60 years in Freemasonry is reserved for but a few and WBro Lawrie Clapham of Good Companions Lodge No. 6005 is very deserving of such a celebration, having always been there for other lodge members, with a supportive arm and good humour to raise the Brethren's spirits when needed.

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Our Deputy Provincial Grand Master VWBro Derek Nelson Thornhill, PGSwdB presided over the lodge during this remarkable evening of celebration. WBro Clapham was presented with his Illuminated Certificate from the RW Provincial Grand Master, Sir David Trippier, and the Brethren in true masonic style shown their acclaim as WBro Clapham was escorted around the lodge.

60 years in Freemasonry is a Retention Success

For Good Companions Lodge, the long serving celebrations are not over yet, as on Wednesday 12th December 2012 they will be celebrating with WBro R M Hamilton's on his 50 years in Freemasonry.

With one of our current focuses on recruitment may be Good Companions Lodge’s slogan could be ‘Join Freemasonry and live longer’.

It may surprise you to know that 47% of Audenshaw District Freemasons are yet to become Stewards of the Festival

Can you spare the cost of a pint of beer per week from now until the end of the festival?

Assistant Provincial Grand Master’s Page Welcome to the Audenshaw Newsletter as we head to 2013. Our Provincial Grand Master is hitting his stride and the appointments he has made reveal his priorities. John Scott becomes Festival Chairman and Norman Cope becomes APGM. Wes Marchant takes over as ProvGDC which enables Audenshaw’s Dave Thompson to become 2nd ProvGP. Alan Kirwilliam has taken over as ProvGMent.

So our priorities for this year are the Festival, Recruitment and Retention. We will be having another meeting for Lodge festival Representives and their partners following from last year’s very successful dinner. This year John Scott will be there and we will also have a speaker from the RMBI.

‘Independent research tells us that Freemasonry is attractive and relevant’

Dave Williamson is our Recruitment Officer and Tony Davies our District Mentor both of whom have a role to play in helping Lodge recruit and retain new members. I would particularly urge lodges to welcome members of our Perfect Ashlar Club - or indeed any relatively new or junior Mason - to their meetings. The provincial web site has been revamped with an inspirational video of Sir David Trippier speaking about his own Masonic journey and new content for non-Masons.

‘each of us becoming ‘ambassadors’ for

Freemasonry’ But the key message myself, Dave and his team will be spreading is that Lodges must plan their own way to attract and recruit new members. That means sitting down as a lodge and discussing the issue. Independent research tells us that Freemasonry is attractive and relevant; it’s up to us to tell our friends and contacts about it. This is what is meant by each of us becoming ‘ambassadors’ for Freemasonry - talking openly about it and not being defensive.

‘Promote the Perfect Ashlar Club’

I wish you and your families Seasons’ greetings and a happy and prosperous New Year. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible and of course the ProvGM himself will also be visiting both Districts during the year.

WBro Stephen M Blank, PDepGDC

Grand Patrons, 6

Vice Patrons, 9

Patrons, 5

None Patrons,

16

Number of Lodges and Chapters in Audenshaw District

Raised £37,608 Lodge and ChapterGrand Patrons

Lodge and ChapterVice Patrons

Lodge and ChapterPatrons

Lodges andChapters nonePatrons

Lodges andChapters notContributed toFestival

Total Raised in East Lancashire to date: £ 1,150,727.28

Total Raised by Audenshaw Freemasons to date: £ 63,311.83

Stewards 45%

Patrons 1%

Vice Patrons

6%

Grand Patrons

1%

None Stewards

47%

Percentage of Individual Brethren and Companions in Audenshaw District

Raised £19,634.83

Stewards

Patrons

Vice Patrons

Grand Patrons

None Stewards

Festival 2015

Rub the Magic Lamp - A resident's story

John Sherborne shares his story as to how he became a resident at RMBI care home Lord Harris Court, Berkshire.

"It was in January 2008 that I had the stroke which deprived me the use of my left hand and left leg, causing me to spend the remainder of that year in hospital. Whilst there I was told that I would never walk again.

"Fortunately for me one of the Brothers in my Lodge had some experience of RMBI Homes and as they say ‘the rest is history'. Since moving into Lord Harris Court I have never looked back. I am well cared for, well fed and if I need help in the middle of the night, all I have to do is rub the magic lamp. Aladdin never had it so good!"

The daily average total cost to run all 17 RMBI care homes is £91,000. With the ever increasing cost of care, every donation – no matter how small or large – is very important. Your donations through the East Lancashire 2015 Festival will mean a great deal to the residents and will help the RMBI continue to provide high quality care. Please keep the RMBI in the forefront of your charity giving both as individuals and as Lodges or Chapters.

When you see a sporting line up with names like Summerbee, Reeves and Connolly you know you’re not going to be disappointed. The Brethren and guests attending the Southern Area Sportsman’s Dinner were left with side splitting laughter pains for the evening. The event organised and run to raise funds for the East Lancashire 2015 RMBI Festival, started with a stark reminder of the work being achieved by the RMBI with our APGM WBro Stephen Blank highlighting how proud we can be of the work being done by them as he welcomed all the Brethren and guests to the evening. The sportsman for the dinner was no other than Nicky Summerbee who cracked the room up with his entertaining and humorous tales of the ups and downs, mainly downs, of stepping into not only the shoes of his father, but his football boots, with tale after tale of his and his father’s (Mike Summerbee) careers. With much sadness the evening had to be kept moving and the proceedings where kept moving with the inimitable ironic wit of James H Reeve, who like our own APGM was a Manchester Grammar School boy.

The evening quickly moved on to nearly every politician, TV and sports personality one could name coming into the room through Kevin Connolly who further creased the splitting sides of the Brethren and guests with impersonation after impersonation. With the evening racing along, the team auctioned signed photographs of Paul Scholes, and Manchester City legends Bell, Lee and Summerbee before the real hard hitters came out with a signed Amir Khan boxing glove, giving a mighty left hook to the action. The money raised through the evening is for the East Lancashire 2015 RMBI Festival to help them continue into the future the care, assistance and advice they provide to elderly Freemasons and their dependants. A great many thanks has to go to our own Audenshaw District Festival Representative WBro Paul Waring for all his efforts in arranging a truly memorable evening.

Stepping into the boots of Greatness

Royal Arch

Aldwyn Chapter had the honour and privilege to receive a visit from our Most Excellent Grand Superintendent (MEGS) at their September Installation meeting, as part of the MEGS planned visits. With an infectious smile and good humour, everyone settled down for a great ceremony followed by an equally good social evening, and what a great evening it was for all. Our MEGS has a very engaging way about him, and with his excellent sense of humour helps to put those around him at ease.

Royal Arch has been supporting the Royal College of Surgeons for 200 years

Keen to bring to the forefront of everyone's mind the MEGS referenced to the Supreme Grand Chapter's Bicentenary in 2013, which is supporting the work of ‘the Royal College of Surgeons’ (RCS). It is hoped that the Province will raise £20’000, which works out at £10 per Royal Arch Freemason. Aldwyn Chapter donated £100 to this great and worthy cause. Many of the surgical advancements we all now take for granted such as Heart and Kidney Transplants have been developed and improved by the work done by the RCS, who are not government funded and rely heavily on these donations. It might surprise you to know that Freemasonry has been supporting the RCS since the year 1800. A number of RCS research fellows are also working on surgical techniques that are helping with many forms of cancer treatment.

Aldywn Chapter donated £100 to the RCS Bicentenary Appeal And £500 to the RMBI Festival

The donations were well received and the MEGS praised the Chapter for their support and generosity.

It is highly recommended for Master Masons to be invited to Royal Arch social boards to encourage and support their progress into this Supreme Degree, it is truly a magnificent experience for young, new and experienced master masons of all ages.

Aldwyn Chapter’s honour Arriving at Stanley House straight from work, I was greeted by one of the biggest smiles, ‘Hello, and good evening’ the smiling voice said. There is something often different about going to a Royal Arch meeting, the feel, the mood, the faces.

‘many have commented about being amazed at the Royal Arch companionship that deepens the Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth that we find in our craft masonry.’

East Lancashire Royal Arch Demonstration Team

Are currently recruiting members

Would you like to join? If you are a Companion who enjoys presenting ritual we want to hear from you!

Please see our pages within the Royal Arch section of the Provisional website www.pglel.co.uk or contact John Cavanagh on 07921 330 381 or at j.cavanagh@jcavanaghltd.co.uk

Mentoring, Education & Development In the ProvGM’s address at the Installation in February he placed considerable emphasis on Marketing, Recruitment and Retention. As with many things these days the news was both good and bad. It is good in the sense that the figures for new initiates coming into Freemasonry in this Province broadly equates to the number of Masons who have tragically died, but the bad news is that we are facing an increasing number of those who have resigned within a relatively short period of coming into the Craft. 27% leave within 3 years. Undoubtedly this means that we simply must focus on Mentoring within our Lodges. On the 15th November at the Provincial Grand Lodge Sir David

-- I found this text on a cup in a lodge in Ireland: "OLD MASONS NEVER DIE, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO JOIN TO FIND OUT WHY"

A Mason's wife once asked him why he learned all his workings in the toilet. His reply: "That's the only properly tiled room in the house."

Masonic Humour Corner

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appointed a new Provincial Grand Mentor, WBro Alan Kirwilliam, whose enthusiasm he finds to be infectious and whose inspiration reflects the need for us all to inspire our newer members to remain within the fold through the efforts of newly appointed Lodge Mentors. We all need to create a sense of belonging, understanding and involvement – for all Brethren. WBro Tony Davis our District Mentor is supporting those appointed Lodge Mentors who have asked for support and continues to support the ‘Perfect Ashler Club’ for new freemasons within Southern Area.

‘If we make Mentoring work, we make Masonry work’ The ProvGM believes, it is crystal clear that the success of the mentoring scheme here will ensure that we have stronger Lodges and a vibrant Province. It can only succeed if the newer members continue to feel welcome and enjoy themselves. If we make Mentoring work, we make Masonry work. As we have all heard many times in “the Address to the Brethren” at our Installations, “I therefore trust we should have but one aim in view… To please each other and unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness.”

WBro Arthur James Knight, PJGD Fellowship Diary

2013

23rd January “Curiouser and

Curiouser” Margaret Curry

27th February “Teaching was Also

Fun” Gorden Greenwood

27th March “Mad Moments of a Methodist Ministers

Ministry” Rev. Derek Davidson

24th April “My 9 Lives”

Janet Bradshaw

22nd May “Manchester

Oddities” Keith Warrener

03rd July “Annual Trip “

Southport”

The Fellowship is an organisation for Senior

Citizens with connections at Stanley House. This

includes wives, widows, close friends and those who have taken early

retirement. The meetings are held on the fourth

Wednesday of the months shown above, at Stanley

House, Audenshaw commencing at 2-00 pm.

Arthur was born in Urmston on 29 August 1921. After leaving school he became an apprentice printer, and eventually set up in business as a master printer. He served in the RAF Volunteer Reserves from 1940 to 1946 mainly in the Middle East. During the 1950’s he was Deputy Chairman of Eccles and Swinton Conservative Association, and served as President of the Printers Overseers and Managers Association on two occasions. Throughout his Masonic career he has been very ably supported by Renee whom he married on 11 May 1940 and in 2012 they celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. They have a daughter Beryl, and also three granddaughters, one grandson and six great grandchildren. Arthur was initiated into Foundation Lodge No 5394 [West Lancashire] in February 1955, becoming their Worshipful Master in January 1967 and again in 1990. He was also Exalted into Foundation Chapter No 5394 in 1957 becoming their First Principal in 1977. His involvement in East Lancashire started In 1962 when he accepted an invitation to become a Founder of Prestwich Lodge No 7838 which met at Stanley House. He soon became a member of the Board of Directors, an office he held for 29 years. During which time he was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Audenshaw District and in 1978, appointed as Chairman. In 1976 in was rewarded with the rank of PProvJGW, and in 1980 he accepted the invitation of HRH the Duke of Kent to accept the rank of PAGDC. In 1990 he was promoted to the rank of PJGD. With his business background he successfully produced and edited the East Lancashire Provincial Year Book, or better known as the blue book, for 29 years. He expanded his membership at Stanley House by becoming a Founder of Jubilee Chapter No 8803 in 1979, and later becoming a member of Stanley Mark Lodge No 1454, Audenshaw Mark Lodge No 1512 and Stanley RAM Lodge No 1454, in all of which he was ultimately awarded with Grand Rank. Unfortunately Prestwich Lodge closed and in 1994 he continued with his Craft masonry at Stanley House by becoming a joining member of Parnassus Lodge No 7869 in 1994. Membership of other Orders included the Rose Croix and the Knights Templar’s. In February 2005 he celebrated his 50 years membership of the Craft in Foundation Lodge and the following month he celebrated it again as a member of Parnassus Lodge. He repeated the same celebrations in 2007, but this time in the Royal Arch, in both Foundation Chapter and later in Jubilee Chapter. On each occasion he received a personal letter from the respective PGM/MEGS and celebratory Certificate. During the last three years his health deteriorated and sadly he passed away on the 8th October 2012, peacefully in hospital, at the age of 91 years leaving behind him a very loving family and many friends.

WBro David H Thompson, PJGD

Audenshaw District Diary 2012 / 2013

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Date Lodge / Chapter Event Contact

Wednesday 12th December 2012

Good Companions Lodge No. 6005

Personal 50th for WBro R.M. Hamilton PProvJGD.

Lodge Secretary

Friday 14th December 2012 Alexandra Lodge No. 993 Installation Meeting Lodge Secretary

Saturday 26th January 2013 Lodge of Dignity Ladies Evening Lodge Secretary

Saturday 2nd February 2013 East Lancashire 2015 Festival

Burns Night Tickets £40 per person Open to Ladies and Non-Masons

Derek Calrow derekcalrow@me.com

Thursday 14th February 2013 Parnassus Lodge No 7869

Golden Jubilee Celebration Lodge Secretary

Friday 15th March 2013 Audenshaw Masonic Hall

AGM

Thursday 21st March 2013 Provincial Grand Chapter

Meeting and Investitures King George’s Hall, Blackburn

Saturday 23rd March 2013 Education & Development Committee

Lets Talk Masonry – Salford Masonic Hall £18 per person, includes lunch

Duncan M Ferguson duncanferguson@btconnect.com

Monday 8th April 2013 Court Lodge No 8896 Installation meeting Lodge Secretary

Friday 12th April 2013 Southern Area Charity Giving Night District Secretary

Wednesday 17th April 2013 Concord Lodge No 757 Installation meeting Lodge Secretary

Saturday 4th May 2013 Audenshaw District Masters and Principals Dinner District Secretary

AUDENSHAW MASONIC CLUB REGALIA SHOP For all your Masonic Regalia, Ties, Accessories, etc.

Open Saturdays 10am. until noon. Join our Saturday morning Bacon Butty Club (BBC). Please support your shop.

All profits used for the benefit of the club. Contact Chris Bolton, Tel: 01457 869211