Ernie Hughes was installed as master of Great Eccleston Lodge No 8895 in the presence of Provincial Senior Grand Warden John Reynolds, who was the representative of Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. John was accompanied by Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Neil McGill and Vice Chairman of the Lancaster and District Group Daniel Crossley.
WM William Richmond opened the lodge in the first degree and conducted the business of the lodge after which the director of ceremonies retired from the lodge and on being readmitted announced that John Reynolds accompanied by Neil McGill and the group vice chairman requested admission. On entering the lodge, John Reynolds was welcomed by the WM.
The WM requested lodge officers to remove their collars and thanked them for their service in his year and then proceeded to open the lodge in the second and third degrees, The lodge was adjourned in the third degree and reopened in the second degree.
The WM invited Scott Devine to occupy the chair of installing senior warden, Eddie Parkinson as installing junior warden and John Thonton as installing inner guard. Master elect Ernie Hughes was presented for installation by Eddie Parkinson. All those below the rank of an installed master were requested to leave the lodge for a short while during which a Board of Installed Masters was convened and the master elect was installed into the chair of King Solomon.
The third degree working tools were presented by John Nelson, the second and first degree working tools were presented by Bill Renwick and Neil Skinner respectively. The WM appointed Neil Skinner as senior warden and Stephen Whalley as junior warden. The address to the master was given by Eddie Parkinson, the address to the wardens was given by Peter Pemberton from St Michaels on Wyre Lodge No 8348. John Reynolds gave the address to the brethren of Great Eccleston Lodge.
On completion of the installation ceremony, John Reynolds brought greetings from the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews to the WM and wished him a happy and healthy year. He congratulated William Richmond and director of ceremonies Les Newlands on a superb ceremony. John was presented with notice of the £750 donation to West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity and £250 to Garstang Girls and Boys Whitsuntide Festival that the lodge had made to Masonic and non-Masonic charities totalling £1,000 in addition to donations to group charities and gift aided yellow envelopes for a grand total of £1,521.88. John Reynolds thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Organist at the festive board was David Tattersall and the Master’s Song was performed by George Fox. A total of 36 brethren attended the festive board, where the toast to the WM was given by immediate past master Bill Richmond. The charity plate raised £142.75 in addition to £290 from the raffle and £30 from the ‘master’s swindle’.
WM Ernie Hughes was brought up in Birkenhead near the Cammell Laird Shipyard where he was then apprenticed and eventually spent his working life. Prior to his marriage, he lived in the village of Port Sunlight, a short distance from Cammell Laird Shipyard that was later to become Vickers Shipbuilders. Ernie started on the ‘tools’ working on both merchant and naval vessels. As he progressed his work focused more on submarines, hunter killers and finally Trident. He was employed as a construction planner detailing how various units were to be built and when, liaising with Barrow and our American counterparts working on missile decks using specialised American steel.
Ernie was initiated on 25 October 1988 into Albert Coveney Lodge No 3519 in Birkenhead in the Province of Cheshire. He was passed on 22 November 1988 and raised on 25 April 1989. Ernie occupied the office of steward until his resignation in October 1995. In 2004, Ernie and his wife bought and renovated an old French farmhouse situated in the Loire Valley where they spent many happy years before returning to the UK in 2019.
Ernie joined Great Eccleston Lodge in March 2020 and after the disruption due to COVID, he progressed through the offices of the lodge. Ernie is looking forward to his year in office working with his dedicated team.