Keep Mark Lodge No. 911 held its meeting on Thursday 23rd January 2020 at the Masonic Rooms Conservative Club in Clitheroe. Apparently the meeting room was originally a ballroom with a sprung dancefloor and stage. All that remains visible today is the huge vaulted ceiling and part of the stage behind the Worshipful Masters Chair. In its heyday, many famous bands had performed on the stage and the ballroom was hugely popular within the Clitheroe area. 

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master VW. Bro. John Hartley Smith and a delegation of acting Provincial Officers were invited to the meeting, but seeing as two of the Provincial Delegation were already members of Keep Mark certain protocols were omitted. The Director of Ceremonies, as well as being in the Delegation was also the acting Lodge DC and stood in as the Chaplain to boot.  It could have gone horribly wrong but it didn’t. All the offices where filled and the lodge was ably opened by the Worshipful Master W.Bro Paul Collier and his officers.

The main business of the evening was to present two newly advanced brethren with their Mark Grand Lodge Certificates. Bro Paul Smillie and Bro Chris Creelman were placed before the Deputy Provincial Grand Master who explained the colourful certificates in detail and indicated that it opened avenues to other orders governed by Mark Masons Hall on St James Street in London, and that note should be taken of their individual membership numbers. The certificates were then signed at the Secretary’s desk and handed to the Worshipful Master for Review and Presentation to the two brethren. 

A very relaxed social board followed the meeting which took place in the actual Lodge room itself. Whilst the brethren refreshed themselves downstairs at the bar the Club staff set up the tables and chairs for dining in the middle of the Lodge room. It was a first for me but it worked well and a light supper was enjoyed by the brethren. The regular toasts and responses were all proposed by the officers concerned followed by a charity raffle, which raised the sum of £110.00.

All in it was a very pleasant meeting in the company of Mark Masons. I recommend you try it sometime.