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St. Helens and Prescot
Group News
Joint meeting is a success
Two lodges in the St Helens and Prescot Group met together at Prescot Hall for the first time.........<more>
£2,000 for Willowbrook
Willowbrook Hospice in St Helens has received cheques to the value of almost £2000 from Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield......<more>
Fun at the BBQ and race night
Prescot Lodge held its annual summer BBQ and this year the good weather they have become accustomed to deserted them........<more>
Bowls time at St Helens
Each year St Helens and Prescot Group Freemasons and The Catenians compete for a trophy at St Helens Bowling Club in Regents Road. The match this year was won by......<more>
Lodge 86 visits another 86
Peter Hornby, the Master of Loyalty No 86 was in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow when he chanced upon a jeweller’s shop window and saw an engraved goblet bearing the inscription Troon Navigation Lodge No 86........<more>
Masonic hall is part of Heritage Open Day
Prescot Masonic Hall was again delighted to take part in the town’s Heritage Open Day......<more>
Memorable birthday for Jim
A new Masonic Luncheon Club for the St Helens and Prescot Group has started and offers a meal and good company at St Helens Masonic Hall ..............<more>
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Joint meeting is a success
Two lodges in the St Helens and Prescot Group met together at Prescot Hall for the first time.
The Lodge of Loyalty No 86 the oldest lodge in the province which meets at Prescot, and Windle Lodge No 7512, one of the younger lodges, which meets at St Helens, came together for a joint meeting.
Loyalty started the evening by opening the lodge, conducting its essential business and then closing. Windle Lodge officers then took their positions and opened the lodge to perform an excellent second degree ceremony for Brother Darren Seddon, a member of Loyalty 86.
After the meeting Lionel Gornall, Chairman of the St Helens and Prescot Group, commented that it was a wonderful example of inter lodge co-operation and that it was hoped it was the first of many such meetings.
Members of the Lodge of Loyalty No 86 and Windle Lodge No 7512 at the special meeting.
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£2,000 for Willowbrook
Willowbrook Hospice in St Helens has received cheques to the value of almost £2000 from Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield and Lionel Gornall the St Helens and Prescot Group Chairman.
The total was made up of two cheques, one for £1,732 from the Freemasons’ Grand Charity and another for £250 from the St Helens and Prescot Golfing Society.
The donations were accepted on behalf of the hospice by the chief executive Neil Wright, who was kind enough to show the brethren around and explain the important work which is done at the hospice. He pointed out that the hospice is seen not as somewhere people go to die but rather as a place they go to live. Although all the patients admitted are terminally ill 55 percent are discharged to go home again. It was noted that virtually every room the brethren saw has substantial windows with open views of the gardens and open land surrounding the hospice. There are also many paintings and bright colours which give the building a pleasant and welcoming feel.
Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield presents the cheques to Neil Wright watched by Lionel Gornall.
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Fun at the BBQ and race night
Prescot Lodge held its annual summer BBQ and this year the good weather they have become accustomed to deserted them. It rained until mid afternoon but everyone still had a wonderful time.
The Wild West themed event went down very well. The food as usual was excellent and the everyone well and truly entertained.
A super Race Night was hosted by the brethren of James T Callow Lodge at Prescot Masonic Hall. The event was extremely well run and many of the guests lost a moderate amount of money in a good cause. There was an excellent hot pot supper.
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Bowls time at St Helens
Each year St Helens and Prescot Group Freemasons and The Catenians compete for a trophy at St Helens Bowling Club in Regents Road. The match this year was won by The Masonic team captained by Colin Owen.
The event raised £100 and Colin is pictured presenting a cheque for that amount to a representative of Willowbrook Hospice.
The group bowling match to select a four-man team for the Provincial Bowling tournament and the top players were Ken Harrison, Colin Owen, Ron Jackson, and Prince Bagley. Once again the overall champion was Colin Owen.
The latest bowling match was the St Helens and Prescot Group Luncheon Club Bowls Match which was won by Joe Seddon after a very exciting final against a orthy opponent - Colin Owen.
Colin Owen hands over the cheque for £100 to a representative of Willowbrook Hospice.
Colin Owen receives his prize from St Helens and Prescot Group Chairman Len Gornall.
Pictured are the four finalists in the bowls competition and the secretary of the Luncheon
Club, Ron Clark Pictured, left to right, are: Prince Bagley, Bill Ryder, Ron Clark, Joe Seddon and Colin Owen.
Joe Seddon is presented with his certificate by Ron Clark.
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Lodge 86 visits another 86
Peter Hornby, the Master of Loyalty No 86 was in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow when he chanced upon a jeweller’s shop window and saw an engraved goblet bearing the inscription Troon Navigation Lodge No 86.
Further enquiries showed that this lodge is still in existence, has more than 200 members and will celebrate its 250 anniversary in February 2012.
Letters were exchanged with the result that eight members of Loyalty 86 - Worshipful Master Peter Hornby, Senior Warden Ian Watson, Junior Warden Ted Smith, Tyler Ted Webster, Past Master Allen Yates, Malcolm Goodman, Steward David Hardman and Secretary Frank Davies - travelled to Troon to attend a regular lodge meeting.
Two members of Troon Navigation Lodge were waiting at the station in cars ready to take their visitors to their hotel. They also collected them in the evening and drove them to the lodge and then back to the hotel after the celebrations.
Visitors were advised to eat before the meeting as they do not have dinner after the meeting. The Loyalty Lodge members were admitted, as a Deputation, into the lodge followed immediately by another Deputation consisting of the Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Ayrshire, the Deputy PGM, the Provincial Grand Secretary, a Past PGM for the Province of Glasgow and several Provincial Grand Officers.
The past masters of Troon Navigation then took over as Office Bearers and a shared Master Masons degree ceremony was enacted with impressive skill by very accomplished ritualists.
Just before the close of the meeting, Peter Hornby presented engraved whiskey tumblers and a copy of the most recently compiled history of Loyalty 86 to the Provincial Grand Master, Archibald Chalmer, the WM and secretary of Troon Navigation.
Finally, on retiring from the lodge at 10.45pm, the PGM requested that the West Lancs Deputation join him and his Provincial Grand Lodge colleagues and they were escorted from the room each by a Provincial Officer with “little finger of the left hand interlocked” in the traditional way in Scotland.
A sumptuous “harmony” (festive buffet) followed at 11.00pm which was accompanied by copious amounts of golden nectar ensuring that Loyalty members arrived back at their hotel “in good spirits”.
It was a memorable evening made all the more so by the incredible friendliness and hospitality of the Scottish brethren. It is hoped that this was the first of many reciprocal visits between the lodges and it is hoped Loyalty members will visit again in 2012 for the 250th anniversary celebrations.
Peter has discovered that there is a Lodge No 86 in County Down so developments are awaited.
Pictured, left to right, are: Ted Webster, Ian Watson, RWBro Archibald Chalmers Provincial Grand Master for Ayrshire, Malcolm Goodman, David Hardman, Allen Yates, Frank Davies and Ted Smith.
Members of Loyalty 86 with the Deputy PGM for Ayrshire RWBro Robert Little, the PGM for Ayrshire RWBro Archibald Chalmers, the RW Master of Troon Navigation Lodge No 86 Bro James Gourlay, the Provincial Grand Secretary for Ayrshire Robert Stewart, and a PPGM for the Province of Glasgow RWBro George AL McEwan
Peter Hornby WM of Loyalty, James Gourla,, RWBro Archibald Chalmers and RWBro George AL McEwan a PPGM for Glasgow.
Peter Hornby chats to the PGM after the presentation of an engraved whisky tumbler and a copy of the history of Loyalty Lodge compiled by Walter Coombs.
Members of Loyalty with some of the members of Troon Navigation Lodge and part of the Provincial Deputation.
David Hardman, Malcolm Goodman, Ted Smith, Allen Yates, Peter Hornby, Ian Watson, Frank Davies, and Ted Webster with a warm welcome to Troon Lodge.
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Masonic hall is part of Heritage Open Day
Prescot Masonic Hall was again delighted to take part in the town’s Heritage Open Day.
The event was honoured by a visit from the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Knowsely, Councillor David Smithson and Mrs Smithson. The Mayor was greeted by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield.
This year it was decided to ask some of the non Masonic charities both locally and nationally we support to attend our open day. Seven charities accepted the invitation including the North West Air Ambulance.
More than 50 people signed the visitors’ book and most of them were surprised to discover what an outward and forward looking organisation Freemasonry is.
Graham Hughes, chairman of Prescot Masonic Hall said: “I am sure occasions like this can do nothing but good to change the minds of the general population and dispel some of the myths that surround what we all know to be a force for good in a troubled world.”
Prescot Masonic Hall chairman Gordon Hughes and Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield are pictured in the Lodge room with the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Knowsley, Clr and Mrs David Smithson.
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Memorable birthday for Jim
A new Masonic Luncheon Club for the St Helens and Prescot Group has started and offers a meal and good company at St Helens Masonic Hall for a growing number of brethren in the group. The meal is followed by a varied program of talks and it also hopes to arrange visits out and about as the season progresses.
A founder member of the club, Jim Gornall, is an active member of the committee. At the February meeting the Brethren were happy to be joined by him as it was his 95th birthday on that day.
After the members had given a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday, Jim ceremonially cut the specially made cake.
A tribute to Jim was then given by his son, Group Chairman, Lionel Gornall.
Jim said he hopes to see everyone again at his 100th birthday.
Jim is very active still attending his lodge, chapter and Mark lodge.
Jim Gornall is pictured cutting his birthday cake.
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Freemasons in town’s Heritage Open Day
For the second successive year Prescot Masonic Hall took part in the town’s Heritage Open Day in conjunction with Prescot Museum.
The event was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Knowsley, Councillor Michael Foulkes, who was welcomed by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield.
Although the number attending showed a slight decrease on last year those who did attend were complementary about the Craft.
Prescot Masonic Hall Chairman, Graham Hughes, said it had been “a worthwhile event” to take part in.
Prescot Masonic Hall was also delighted to accept the invitation from Prescot Museums to take part in The Big History Show in St George’s Hall, Liverpool which was celebrating 800 years of Liverpool’s history.
Master Masons, Past Masters, Provincial Officers, Group Officials and Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield all helped to run the Hall’s stand over the three days of the show.
Hall Chairman Graham Hughes said that although there were some visitors to the show who still have negative and derogative thoughts about Freemasonry he was certain that the only way to dispel these is by taking part in events similar to this one.
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