The start of a new year heralds the installation of a new Master for Onward Lodge No 5540. And to mark this auspicious occasion the lodge was extremely honoured to have the Deputy Provincial Grand Master for the Province of West Lancashire, Philip Gunning, on possibly his last visit to the North Fylde Group before he steps down after many years of service to the Province and Freemasonry.
The lodge room at Fleetwood Masonic Hall was packed with 67 brethren to witness Kieron Griffiths being installed into the chair of King Solomon. A proud Welshman Keiron, was born in Maesteg, South Wales in 1979 and moved to Fleetwood as a child because of his father’s job at a local chemical plant. At the age of 16, Keiron joined the army, the Kings Own Royal Boarder Infantry, which saw him serve two tours of duty in Kosovo and Bosnia. Excelling in physical training and driving Challenger tanks. Keiron won competitions around the world.
On leaving the army, Keiron studied at Salford University where he got a first-class degree and also attained the high accolade of a black belt in taekwondo even going on to coach the Great Britain taekwondo team for a time. Keiron now works for a local school and is the head of year and operates as part of the mentoring and pastoral care teams.
Within his mentoring and pastoral role at school, Keiron has been instrumental in identifying vulnerable families that were in danger of going without at Christmas and together with his lodge, Onward Lodge and local businesses, raised funds to provide them with Christmas meals.
A dedicated family man, Keiron is married to Sarah and they have two children. Together with Sarah they have been planning a full year of social events to help raise funds to support charities close to their heart. Keiron is passionate about supporting the mental health and wellbeing of local children, to this end Sarah is putting her fear of heights to one side and doing a parachute jump.
Chris Hardingham opened his last meeting as Master and thanked all those who supported him during his year in charge. Chris smoothly moved through the business of the lodge. Opening to the third degree, the lodge welcomed Philip Gunning and his entourage of grand officers, including Assistant Provincial Grand Master Duncan Smith, Malcolm Worsley, Alan Walker, Keith Jackson, Jim Woods and Adrian Yearsley. They were joined by the North Fylde Group Chairman John Cross and acting Provincial grand officers as they entered the lodge room.
Once the formal greetings and salutations had been given, Chris Hardingham gave a knock duly responded to by the wardens and announced that the next business was to install Keiron Griffiths. Chris invited Adam Simpson and David Holloway to act as installing wardens and Emile Timothy to occupy the position of installing inner guard. Gavin Egan had the honour of presenting Keiron, his life-long friend. The gathered brethren then witnessed a first-class installation ceremony performed by Chis that was second to none.
On completing the inner working and being invested as past master Chis invited the junior brethren to return to the lodge room. The third degree working tools were presented by Tom Walderman, the second degree working tools were presented by Jordan Lock and the first degree working tools were presented by Warren Langford.
Mike Brown, the hard-working group secretary, delivered the address to the master, the address to the wardens was given by Alan Lock and the address to the deacons was given by James Rashid. To complete the addresses, Philip was escorted to the senior warden’s chair from where he delivered the address to the brethren of the lodge.
Philip then had pleasure in bringing the greetings of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews to the newly installed master, Keiron. Philip then moved to congratulate Chris Hardingham on the exceptional manner in which he delivered the ceremony and thank him for his hard work during his year in office. Philip thanked all the members of the lodge who had participated in the ceremony especially those who had delivered the working tools.
Keiron’s first duty was to present Philip with cheques and amounts given during Chris’s year totalling an amazing £2,600 which comprised of; £500 to Trinity Hospice (in memoriam of recently departed lodge member Paul Dunne), £1,000 to Macmillan Cancer Support, £500 to Fleetwood Coast Watch and £600 to Faith in the Community. Philip thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Keiron then took the reins of the lodge and ably worked through the remaining items on the summons and brought the lodge to a close for the first time. The brethren descended to the bar and dining room to continue the festivities.
Usually, the Onward Lodge installation festive board is a Burns supper with traditional haggis, piper and Burns poems, but not so for this master. Keiron, being a proud Welshman, the festive board consisted of Cawl Cennin (Welsh style, leek & potato soup), roast lamb seasonal vegetables and pwdin Eva (Welsh apple dessert).
Responding to the toast to the grand officers, Philip started with extending his own congratulations to Keiron on attaining the chair of King Solomon, the three younger brethren who presented the working tools and the lodge secretary Adam Simpson for the vast amount of information that he had sent to Philip prior to the meeting.
Philip thanked Duncan Smith for all the work he and his team does for the Province in relation to mentoring. Their efforts in looking after newer members is paying off and the Province has seen a reduction in the numbers leaving.
One part of the response that got everyone’s attention, was when Philip announced that he has prostate cancer. Philip said that he had got rid of his prostate in 2019, but he didn’t get rid of the cancer behind it, it came back! And at the moment he is on 20 of 33 sessions of radio therapy, indeed he was due to have his next session the following morning in the Rosemere Cancer Centre.
Continuing his response, Philip told the brethren, that he had no symptoms, he didn’t need to get up in the middle of the night, he didn’t have any urgency. His doctor didn’t believe in PSA testing, but after he retired the new one did and despite having a PSA test and biopsy all was negative, he had an MRI which was also negative. Only after a targeted biopsy did they find the cancer, despite three years of being cancer free, it came back.
Philip said: “The reason I am telling everyone this, is that us blokes are guilty of not looking after ourselves. We just carry on, we don’t go to the doctors.” Philip added that you owe it to yourself and you owe it to your family to get tested. Masonry has donated £15,000,000 towards research into prostate cancer through the university of East Anglia.
Bringing his response to a close, Philip said: “The Province is providing free PSA tests at the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in May and I urge the members to attend and get tested, if I could save one brother’s life by mentioning it I will stand tall.” Philip gave one last thought that prostate cancer affects one in four men meaning that 15 of the brethren gathered in the room will get prostate cancer.
The Master’s Song was sung by John Darrell. A raffle held during the evening raised an impressive £470 and to complete the evening the Tyler’s toast was delivered by Steve James.
