The members of Carnarvon Lodge No 2376, in the Chorley and Leyland Group, have supported their current master, Chris Upton in realising a long held Masonic ambition to visit the lodge of his father Derek and late grandfather George Upton as master of his own lodge. Now this wouldn’t normally be an issue. however, De Carteret Lodge No. 3459 is on the island of Jersey, Chris’s birthplace, childhood home and 400 miles from Leyland.
Having a packed weekend itinerary for the party of 16 comprising of 11 Masons and 5 wives, the trip got off to a very disappointing start with the cancellation of a flight resulting in 6 of the party being unable to travel. Whilst this dampened the spirits of everyone, the show must go on and those on the island met for a wonderful meal in a local Portuguese restaurant where the conversation and wined flowed in equal measure.
The following morning, the brethren made their way to the Jersey Masonic Temple and were instantly made to feel welcome. Brethren were present from not only De Carteret Lodge but, from Royal Alfred Lodge No 877 their mother lodge and St Sampson’s Lodge No 2598 from Guernsey their sister lodge. With 3 fraternal visits, things were warming up for a wonderful morning of Freemasonry.
On entering the lodge room, Carnarvon Lodge members were amazed by its beauty and excited for the meeting to come. Geoff Morris of De Carteret Lodge and the Province’s librarian and curator very kindly took the English brethren to the library, to share some fascinating Masonic history and artefacts. Inside the library were handmade aprons used by Jersey brethren following the occupation of the island by the Nazis in the Second World War.
The ceremony itself was incredibly special as Chris’s dad, Derek Upton delivered a splendid second degree ceremony as master. The candidate, Emmanuel Barizo, was faultless in answering his questions and carried himself around the lodge room with confidence, he certainly has an excellent future in the organisation.
Following the ceremony, the lodge was called off for a moving presentation from a father to a son. Derek placed Chris into the chair of King Solomon, which had been occupied by his grandfather in 1984, then by himself in 1985. Derek then presented Chris with an immediate past master collar and engraved jewel that he had once worn for when Chris comes out of the chair. This special moment will no doubt be a highlight for both their Masonic careers.
Just when things couldn’t get any better, the Provincial Grand Master Graham Spence rose to his feet and delivered the second degree tracing board. The word perfect and sincere explanation was greatly appreciated by all the brethren.
The meeting having concluded, the brethren descended the stairs to attend a lively and jovial festive board where they were treated to a light buffet lunch which, of course, included the famed Jersey Royal potatoes. Following a variety of kind toasts, Chris responded on behalf of the English brethren. He remembered fondly his links to De Carteret Lodge as a child and the family events he had attended with his parents, grandparents and sister which had been a catalyst to his curiosity in Freemasonry.
Whilst the brethren of Carnarvon Lodge had an excellent morning, so too had the wives, as Chris had organised a tour of La Mare Vineyard in the north of the island. There they learnt about the various tipples and of course, enjoyed sampling them before being taken for lunch on the coast overlooking La Corbiere Lighthouse.
In the evening, all four lodges and their partners met up at the Hotel Ambassadeur in the southeast part of the island under a beautiful sunset, for what was a splendid evening of friendship and food. Local charity is a huge driver for the Jersey Freemasons who donate an impressive £100,000 per year. Everyone in the room was humbled to listen to a talk from Donna Abel, the CEO of a local charity called Jersey Cheshire Homes who care for individuals with debilitating physical disabilities. The challenge was then set by Tim Dallas-Chapman, De Carteret Lodge secretary, and charity steward; could the room raise £1,000 on the raffle to support this fantastic cause?
The challenge was indeed met and there was much laughter and fun during the raffle. The final item, a lady’s Rotary watch, was deemed too valuable for the raffle so Simon Drieu, an auctioneer by trade, took to his feet and skilfully led the auction adding £220 to the fund before the Provincial Grand Master agreed that the Jersey Masonic Charity would round up the figure to £2,000. A very impressive sum.
Finally, the party from Carnarvon Lodge met for Sunday lunch at a small town called St Aubin and enjoyed one last meal together overlooking the harbour. It had been a fantastic weekend for all concerned with new experiences and friendships formed including an invitation to visit Guernsey for another adventure, hopefully this time with all the brethren caught out by the cancelled flight being able to get there too.
