The summons for the February meeting of Lodge of Rectitude of Mark Master Masons No 18 T.I. indicated there would be an advancement of a new candidate plus the Installation ceremony. Now that’s a lot of work in my eyes and probably a very long evening.
The Provincial Grand Master accompanied by several officers of the year made the journey to Ashday leigh despite the snowy conditions and had the opportunity to talk with Bro Clive Hartley, who was the candidate for advancement on the evening. He was given some support and told to expect an excellent and thought-provoking ceremony into the Mark Degree.
Simon Archer, the Provincial DC had everyone lined up and settled in their seats shortly after the meeting had commenced whilst the WM conducted the rest of the business up to the Advancement ceremony, at which stage the candidates proposer W.Bro David Russell took over the chair of Adoniram and conducted the ceremony in a very relaxed and enjoyable manner. The ceremony is one that has a degree of humour and a serious aspect to it, and it was delivered in such a way as to reflect both these points. The SD Andrew Greenhalgh did a splendid job of conducting the candidate to the overseers and explaining the working tools in the degree. He certainly earned his wages on the night.
It transpired the Installation was to proclaim the current WM Ross Turner back into his chair and appoint and invest his officers. Consequently, it didn’t take that long to complete and the address to the Wardens, overseers and brethren came around quickly, the later being delivered by the Provincial Grand Master himself.
The catering at Ashday Leigh is very good, and a four-course dinner was served to the assembled brethren. Interested eyes kept a lookout for the conditions outside as the ground was slowly covered with inches of snow. It did get quite late by the time the toasts had been proposed and responded to, however, we made time to get in a raffle for the Mark Benevolent Fund 2021 festival and raised the healthy sum of £155.00 from a couple fo bottles donated by the brethren.
All in all a very pleasant evening of Mark Master Masonry at its best, advancing a brother into the order and a splendid social board afterwards. Whats not to like.
