Kevin Poynton PAProvGM and Frank Umbers AProvGM were guests of honour at Southport’s Masters and First Principals Festival. The evening started with the usual predinner drinks, and the bar seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
Everyone went for in dinner and a very fine meal was presented to all. Soup, ham shank and to top it all crème brûlée. Brethren of Perfect Ashlar Lodge No 5246, as always, acted as stewards for the event keeping everyone’s drinks topped up.
The toasts were in the very the capable hands of the group chairman Phil Stock, and the health of Kevin Poynton was very well proposed by Steve Baldam of North Meols Lodge No 5828. It has to be said that Steve had done an awful lot of research into his speech, listing all the offices and the dates, that Kevin had served in. It was most instructive and made everyone realise how much Kevin has done for the Province, in both craft and Royal Arch.
Kevin replied as only he could, he is a very good after dinner speaker, very witty at times, but also getting to the point when required. He proposed the health of the Southport Group, wishing them all success in the coming year.
The group chairman, Phil Stock, duly replied thanking Kevin for his speech and thanking everyone who had helped him through the year and made particular mention to Frank Umbers who had done a fantastic job in his term as Assistant Provincial Grand Master, and will be promoted to Deputy Provincial Grand Master at the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in May 2014. Phil wished him all the best on his promotion.
Phil made the point that there are now 612 Freemasons in the group and so the group must be doing something right in recruitment, it is the first time the group has edged over 600. Phil also paid tribute to the hall manager, Julie McGee who will be retiring this year. Julie has been with the hall for nearly 50 years and it is a tribute to her that the hall is in such good order.
Continuing, Phil then thanked his fellow directors for the hard work they have done in the past year and reminded everyone not to forget the hall foundation and its chairman Alan Foster. The evening was rounded off with Phil receiving cheques from various sources amounting to over £8,700.
