It was full house at Arthur Stanley Lodge No 3469 installation, when the master of the lodge Paul Smith installed Paul McLachlan for his second time in the chair, the first being in 2004. The brethren saw Paul installed with panache and sincerity in a polished ceremony that any actor would have been proud of.
Principal guest at the ceremony was Deputy Provincial Grand Master Philip Gunning. Philip was accompanied by Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Ryan Modlin and assisted by David Irving and Michael Dutton acting as deacons with Alec Curley, Scott Horder, David Jackson and Paul Swanson acting as stewards. Grand officers present were Roy Pyne, Malcolm Alexander and Ormskirk and Bootle Group Chairman Graham Chambers. WLFC were also in attendance with 10 of their active volunteers.
The lodge’s director of ceremonies, Greg Pinnington, who is also an Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, set the tone for the evening by establishing a single lodge prompter in the person of Gary Evans which ensured a smooth flow of the ceremony without any mutterings in the background.
Brethren taking part in the ceremony however had obviously been well rehearsed as his interventions were not needed. The working tools of each degree were faultlessly presented by David Irving, Gareth Griffin and Scott Horder. Whilst the new master personally and expertly presented all of the addresses to his officers.
Greg Pinnington presented the address to the master and Philip rose to address the brethren of the lodge, who brought sincere and fraternal greetings from the Provincial Grand Master and congratulated the lodge on its generosity to Masonic and non-Masonic charities.
Neil Horder had raised £2,225 from a social evening to provide support for an individual suffering from Motor Neurone Disease (MND) a further £1,500 was also divided between various charities including RNLI, MNDA, Alder Hey Ronald McDonald House, Royal Society for the Blind, Friends of the Tithebarn and Ormskirk Hall Association. producing a total of £3,725 over the past year. The lodge was then closed down the long way which you don’t see that often.
Arthur Stanley Lodge is clearly in good hands and health with two brethren waiting to be passed and one to be raised, so the Master will be having a busy and happy year ahead of him. This was seen from the great jollity exhibited at the festive board attended by 58 members and guests.
