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Furness and South Lakeland Group News
STUART’S LAST VISIT AS FESTIVAL CHAIRMAN
A sunny spring day April heralded the arrival of Ulverston Lodge Installation meeting at the Masonic Hall at Kings Road when more than 100.....<more>
BOXING EVENING IN GRANGE
The Furness and South Lakeland Group of Masonic Lodges held its 24th annual Boxing Evening at the Cumbria Grand Hotel, Grange.......<more>
BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT
The annual Black and White Charity Dance took place at Old Hall Farm, Ulverston, by kind permission of Will and Christine Long......<more>
Hospice’s kind care is rewarded
A cheque for £1,242 being a share of the proceeds of a concert held at the Coronation Hall Ulverston and which featured the Irish singer Ann Breen..........<more>
Texan honour for Geoff
In mid June Geoff Waters travelled to Kingsville, Texas for grandchild watching duties and took the chance to renew acquaintance.............<more>
A BLOOMING GREAT TEA PARTY
Gary Neal and Alan Jones took up the challenge of arranging a blooming great Tea Party at the Masonic Hall in Barrow.............<more>
Hawkshead Lodge No 4354 achieve Grand Patron status
The Installation meeting of Hawkshead Lodge 4354 held on the 18th September was attended by over fifty brethren.............<more>
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STUART’S LAST VISIT AS FESTIVAL CHAIRMAN
A sunny spring day April heralded the arrival of Ulverston Lodge Installation meeting at the Masonic Hall at Kings Road when more than 100 happy Brethren gathered to witness Worshipful Master John McArthur install his successor, Senior Warden and Master Elect Gary Jones into the Chair in the presence of 2010 Festival Chairman Stuart Thornber.
The new WM presented Stuart with a further magnificent donation of £1000 to the 2010 Festival. Stuart commenting that this was a poignant visit for him, being his first to Ulverston and his final representation as 2010 Festival Chairman before the conclusion of the appeal at Provincial Grand Lodge on 8 May. He thanked the lodge for its generous support of the Festival having now given in excess of £6,500 to the appeal.
Among the many visitors was group chairman Roly Saunders, and regional charity steward Alan Jones together with group charity steward David Grainger, whom Stuart commended for all that he had achieved for 2010 in Furness and South Lakeland Group over the last five years of the Festival.
A wonderful festive board followed at the Old Mill at Bardsea on a wonderfully clear and sunny spring evening with panoramic views across a beautiful vista. The event was completed in style with an excellent and generous raffle for charity that raised more than £400.
2010 Festival Chairman Stuart Thornber receives the cheque from WM Gray Jones watched by Furness Group Chairman Roly Saunders, and David Grainger (group charity steward).
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BOXING EVENING IN GRANGE
The Furness and South Lakeland Group of Masonic Lodges held its 24th annual Boxing Evening at the Cumbria Grand Hotel, Grange.
The event was a sell-out and the audience of 300 was treated to 11 excellent bouts between boxers from as far afield as Scotland and Macclesfield. Local fighters from Kendal, Carlisle, Penrith and Barrow had mixed fortunes with Steve Eilbeck of Barrow ABC prevailing over Dean English of Carlisle Villa ABC in a spirited bout. Paul Fisher of Kendal ABC gained a win on points over Anthony Foster of Bolton Lads ABC.
The evening closed with a North Western Championship fight between super heavyweights Andrew Charters of Carlisle Villa ABC and Ben English of Penrith. Charters succumbed bravely to the taller English and the fight was stopped with English taking the Belt.
Ralph Walker, Rowley Saunders (group chairman) and vice-chairman John Quiggin
Steve Elbeck and Dean English in action.
Andrew Charters is declared the new champion.
The championship belt is paraded.
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BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT
The annual Black and White Charity Dance took place at Old Hall Farm, Ulverston, by kind permission of Will and Christine Long.
The event, for which guests were asked to dress in anything black or white, was held in a marquee and some 185 Masonic and non-Masonic guests attended.
It has become a standing joke that the annual charity event is always held during a thunderstorm. It now has the secondary title of “Annual Charity Rain Dance” but this year organisers were lucky. It did not thunder and downpour until 8.30pm, by which time there had been the Farmyard Olympic events of welly wanging and guessing the weight of the calf out of the way. Gold Medals were awarded to the winners of these events.
The Guests managed to get under cover before the heavens opened .The Marquee proved watertight and everyone settled down to enjoy themselves.
The Hog Roast Supper was very well received by everyone, except by the hog.
Dancing to Peter Bigland was very popular and went on until midnight with lots of guests not wanting to catch the bus home. A good night was enjoyed by all.
These events do have a serious side and it is to raise money for charitable causes. Through the magnificent generosity of those attending more than £1600 was raised for the 2010 Festival. My sincere thanks go to all who helped raise the money.
Group Charity Steward Dave Grainger said: “I would also express my thanks to W Bros Preston ,Greenhow, Johnson and their ladies for all the help in organising and running the event, W Bro Dave Helm for providing the bar, and of course our hosts Will and Christie Long.”
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Hospice’s kind care is rewarded
A cheque for £1,242 being a share of the proceeds of a concert held at the Coronation Hall Ulverston and which featured the Irish singer Ann Breen was presented to Dora Greenaway of St Mary of Furness Hospice by Rowly Saunders, Chairman of the Furness and South Lakeland Group.
The donation, from the Furness and South Lakeland Group of Freemasons, was given in appreciation of the kind care and attention given to past group chairman JL Whitton and other members and their wives over recent months by the hospice.
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Texan honour for Geoff
In mid June Geoff Waters travelled to Kingsville, Texas for grandchild watching duties and took the chance to renew acquaintance with the local Lodge, Chamberlain No 918 in the Grand Lodge of Texas where to his surprise he was made an honorary member.
The welcome was enthusiastic with several members remembering a previous visit six years earlier. Texas Lodges are alcohol free and reverse our pattern by holding an informal meal at 18:30 followed by the lodge meeting at 19:30. The meal is provided by the Senior Warden and in true Texas fashion was spicy.
The meeting saw the election of the WM for the ensuing year and the lodge bestowing honorary membership on its visitor.
One interesting feature for Geoff was talking to a recent initiate and discovering that he had 12 months to qualify for his passing by learning the answers to the questions, his First Degree obligation and the charge after initiation. Qualification for the Third Degree carried similar demands.
The ritual is basically Scottish Rite ‘through Louisianna’ and is executed with a crispness which springs from fortnightly meetings. Dress is optional and at the time of the photograph (9pm ish) the temperature had cooled to 95 degrees F.
Pictured, left to right, are: Chad Walker Senior Warden and Master Elect, Geoff Waters, WM Jonathon ‘JJ’ Jones, Junior Warden ‘Ike’ Eisenhauer and Grayson, secretary
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A BLOOMING GREAT TEA PARTY
Gary Neal and Alan Jones took up the challenge of arranging a blooming great Tea Party at the Masonic Hall in Barrow.
Part of a nationwide tea party, the event raised funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Business was brisk and the room soon echoed to the sound of dunked biscuitsthe drinking of tea by the partygoers.
The event raised a worthy £700 for this special cause which is celebrating its 60th Anniversary.
Mrs Walker and Mrs Penny ready with the tea.
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Hawkshead Lodge No 4354 achieve Grand Patron status
The Installation meeting of Hawkshead Lodge 4354 held on the 18th September was attended by over fifty brethren on a beautiful autumn day in the Lake District. Unfortunately the WM W.Bro David Barry is seriously ill in St.Mary's Hospice Ulverston and was unable to install his successor. In David’s absence W. Bro Ralph Fielding installed W.Bro.Roland Shuttleworth as the new master in a splendid ceremony. After the ceremony Roland Shuttleworth presented a further £609 to the 2010 festival on behalf of the brethren to the 2010 Festival Chairman John Stuart Thornber who presented the Lodge with a Grand Patron Certificate.
During the festive board John telephoned David Barry at the Hospice to inform him that the installation meeting had been carried out in splendid fashion by Ralph. David said he was overjoyed that all had gone well and bitterly disappointed that he could not be there.
Pictured: the Acting WM Roland Shuttleworth presenting a cheque to John Stuart Thornber the Chairman of the 2010 Festival with Group Chairman Rowley Saunders looking on.
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