The brethren assembled at Widnes Masonic Hall for the installation of the master elect, Rob Smith. Goodwill lodge No 3896 was opened by the acting master David Redhead under the direction of the lodge director of ceremonies Lewis Redhead.
After completing the opening administration, Steve Walls was admitted as the representative of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, accompanied by the Mersey Valley Group Vice Chairman, John Gibbon. After formally welcoming Steve, David invited the secretary, John Horn to take the chair to install his stepson, Rob, into the chair of King Solomon.
John Horn is well renowned in Widnes as an excellent ritualist and what followed only served to enhance that reputation further, with an excellent faultless ceremony. That excellence was matched by all the other brethren in the addresses, including John’s address to the master. Lewis Redhead presented and explained the third degree tools, Scott Gorman presented and explained the second degree tools and Ben Smith presented and explained the first degree tools.Ben was appointed to a new role as lodge membership officer, with his father Paul taking over the post he previously occupied as almoner, for which he is well qualified through his group role in that area.
Steve Walls gave the address to the brethren of the lodge and on the competition of the ceremony, brought the congratulations of Mark Matthews. He said that he would have been delighted with the superb standard of the ceremony, congratulating particular the installing master for his work along with Scott Gorman for his rendition of the tools and taking up his first appointment as inner guard.
Steve was then presented with a list charitably donations, totalling more than £3,000, which are being presented to a range of local charities at a lodge giving day in April. Steve thanked the lodge brethren in advance for their generous donations
The festive board completed the evening in a manner reflective of the lodge’s goodwill name. Steve brought his personal congratulations and again praised the excellence of the evening. The lodge showed their appreciation by presenting Steve with a bouquet of flowers for his wife to which he responded that, after such a wonderful evening, he hoped to return on a future occasion.
