It’s been a couple of years since Wycoller Mark 1582 had performed an advancement ceremony for a new candidate, so there was a bit of excitement when covid restrictions were finally lifted and we could get back to proper Mark Masonry.
Bro Bryon Lingard has been attending Mark Fellowship events for the past three or four years and I have been bending his ear about joining this fine degree for some time. He did eventually succumb, but then Covid hit. Wednesday 17th February was to be our next Mark Meeting and the date when we would be able to welcome Bryon into the Mark.
A couple of practice meetings showed how long it had been since we delivered this ritual, and many hours of reading the ritual books ensued to bring us all up to speed. On the night of the meeting it turned out we were short of three overseers and the Junior Warden, but with some inspirational use of our three visitors and Keith Schofield, a Past Provincial Grand Master, we managed to fill all of the offices, and deliver a perfectly acceptable advancement ceremony. Many thanks must go to the two North Wales Mark Master Masons Dave Turvey and Derek Walker for standing in as Junior Overseer and Inner Guard, plus a thank you to George Scaife the Secretary of Skelmersdale Mark 141 and the WM of Roberts TI for also taking post as Senior Overseer.
Bryon thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony, and the look on his face when he discovered the stone he was holding was basically scrap was priceless.
The festivities afterwards were excellent and well received by our three guests. The fruit sponge pudding won hands down with spare pieces being wrapped up and taken home for the following day. Dave Turvey a guest from North Wales also walked away with the Litre bottle of whisky from the raffle. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Welcome to Mark Master Masonry.