As we all know, charity stewards work hard for their lodges, chapters and of course for charitable causes that they and their brethren and companions support, and the annual Charity Stewards Dinner and Cabaret is always one of the highlights of the Masonic season.
This year, the iconic landmark of Southport Masonic Hall, Duke Street, Southport, a Grade II listed building built in 1878 was the location for the cabaret and dinner. In the pleasant surroundings of the spacious lounge bar, the guests gathered and enjoyed pre-dinner drinks before the main festivities began.
Principal guest, Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews accompanied by his wife Debbie, along with Assistant Provincial Grand Master John James and his wife June, with many other distinguished guests, took their places in the Hannay Suite to enjoy a scrumptious three-course dinner.
Provincial Grand Charity Steward Paul Shirley, accompanied by Steve Ralph, welcomed all and invited everyone to participate in a game of ‘heads and tails’. After an introductory session of heads and tails, which by way of explanation, means hands on head for a coin toss of ‘heads’ and hands on the ‘rear’ for a coin toss of tails, the participants were eager to start.
Paul has obviously practiced the art of coin tossing, and with the coin tossed high into the air, glinting in the light from the stage behind him, and expertly caught, the heads or tails of each coin toss was called out. The participants were soon whittled down, with some strategic placements of alternating heads and tails by the many couples present, until the final winner was revealed, who carried off his prize triumphantly.
Paul then invited Debbie Matthews to start the raffle, and with applause and cheers from each winning ‘table’ as the many prizes were collected, with the Marks and Spencer’s light up tea-caddies, trains and biscuit boxes proving popular raffle prize winners.
The charitable fund-raising efforts then continued with the auction of two footballs. First up was a signed Everton Football Club ball, after an expectant flurry of bids, the winner of the auction was Sean Keyes, who is the Gladstone Group Charity Steward. Next up was a signed Liverpool Football Club ball, and again as before, a flurry of bids soon followed, with Sean again proving to be the winner having concluded the auction with the winning bid. Sean later explained that although he is a keen football supporter, he intends to auction the footballs off at their annual Charity Ball to be held at The Titanic Hotel, Liverpool, which they hold every year to raise funds for the NHS.
Paul then thanked everyone for participating in the annual Charity Stewards Dinner and Cabaret and for making the night such a success, with all the funds raised to be donated to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity. It was only left for Paul to introduce the act for the night, Neon Kandi, who are a Lancashire based soulful five-piece band who soon had everyone up on the dance floor to dance the rest of the evening away.
Article by Mike Fox.
