Members and visitors of Pendlebury Lodge No 8177 were most honoured and delighted to welcome Assistant Provincial Grand Master Stuart Boyd, to their installation meeting to witness master elect, John Hutton being proclaimed as master of the lodge for the ensuing year.
On this occasion, Stuart was accompanied by the Chairman of Trafford Group Patrick Walsh, Vice Chairman of Trafford Group Eddie Wilkinson and various group, acting Provincial grand officers and other Provincial grand officers.
WM John Hutton opened the lodge in his usual, inimitable style and efficiently conducted the initial business in accordance with the summons. There then came the expected knock on the door and Stuart was admitted accompanied by the other grand officers, acting Provincial grand officers and provincial grand officers.
John welcomed Stuart and offered him the gavel asking if he would like to conduct the ceremony. Stuart, of course accepted but then, politely declined to conduct the ceremony handing the gavel back to John who shrugged his shoulders and carried on as before.
As John was to remain as WM for the following year, the installation was done the Pendlebury way and he was then installed into the chair of King Solomon for the third time. The working tools were then presented to John by the senior and junior deacons. John, having been thoroughly well installed, there followed an excellent address to the junior warden.
On completion of the installation ceremony, Stuart rose to bring the sincere greetings, best wishes and congratulations from the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, and wished him and the members of the lodge a very happy, healthy and enjoyable year ahead and thanked all the officers and brethren who had taken part in producing a really excellent ceremony.
In response, John rose and thanked Stuart for the good wishes he had conveyed and then with considerable pleasure presented him with a cheque for £300 made out in favour of the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity. Stuart commented on the generosity of the lodge and thanked the brethren on behalf of all those who we may never know, that would eventually benefit. The grand and acting Provincial grand officers retired from the lodge room.
During the festive board, Stuart gave an energetic response to his toast, offering his own congratulations to the lodge members, saying he thoroughly enjoyed the installation meeting and hoped that the master and brethren would have a happy and fruitful year.
Stuart went on mention the natural progression of taking our Masonry to the next level by joining the Royal Arch and also the ‘Young and new Masons Forum’ which was being started up in the area and the high hopes he had for such a good and positive step.
Eddie Wilkinson then rose to present the now traditional ‘Trafford treats’ to Stuart, which continued the tradition of gifting Eccles cakes but with the new addition of a Kellogg’s fruit bar, from Trafford to encompass the newly formed Trafford Group. Finally, after a fine meal in a relaxed atmosphere, Stuart was presented with flowers for his wife by John, and the evening drew to a close in peace and harmony.
Story and pictures by David Eckersall.