Lance Gorman was installed as master of Longridge Lodge No 8077 in the presence of Assistant Provincial Grand Master Peter Schofield. Peter was accompanied by grand officers Howard Jones, Neil McGill and Paul Broadley.
Also present were the Chairman of the Lancaster and District Group Chris Larder and group vice chairman Daniel Crossley, were all joined by Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Steven Ellershaw, Provincial Assistant Grand Standard Bearer Steven Murray, Provincial Assistant Grand Pursuivant Syd Bateson and Provincial Grand Steward Stuart Bateson.
WM Matt Mason was unable to attend the installation ceremony, which was performed by past master Michael Monks who opened the lodge in the first degree and conducted the business of the lodge. The lodge was opened in the second degree and third degrees after which Peter Schofield accompanied by grand officers, acting Provincial officers and the group chairman were admitted.
Michael adjourned the lodge in the third degree and resumed labour in the second degree. He invited Howard Jones to occupy the chair of installing senior warden, Martin Slater as installing junior warden and Paul Street as installing inner guard. Master elect Lance Gorman was then presented for installation.
Following closure of the board of installed masters, master Masons were readmitted and the third degree working tools were presented by master Mason Mark Wadsley. The second and first degree working tools were presented by fellow craft George Catterall and entered apprentice Gary Ward respectively. The WM, Lance Gorman, appointed Martin Slater as senior warden and Neil Hartley as junior warden. The address to the master was given by Michael Monks. The address to the wardens was given by Paul Street and Howard Jones gave the address to the brethren of Longridge Lodge.
Peter Schofield brought greetings from the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews to the WM and wished him a successful, happy and healthy year. He congratulated Lance on a superb ceremony. Peter was presented with a list of donations that the lodge had made to Masonic non-Masonic charities totalling £1,500. Peter thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Organist for the evening was Peter Robinson and the Master’s Song was performed by Daniel Crossley. A total of 38 brethren attended the festive board, where the toast to the WM was given by iWM Lance Gorman grew up in Blackburn, and was educated at Salmesbury Primary and Clitheroe Grammar School and then Manchester College of Art and Design. Lance was awarded an HNC and HND in printing technology.
He was a student apprentice in the printing industry and later became the works manager of a large printing company where he remained until 2005 when he temporarily retired. Lance took a two-year contract with the Department of Work and Pensions as an executive officer and then managed a German engineering company based in Lancaster for the next two years.
Lance has been doing consultancy work and helping a friend rebuild motorcycles in his spare time. His hobbies are target shooting (he was English champion at 50 metres 1979), motorcycling and he has had an interest in entomology for the past 30 years. Lance has lectured at the British Museum and given talks on insects to most natural history groups and museums in Lancashire.
Lance is married to Marie and she has been a great help in his Masonic career, probably knowing the ritual better than he does. Lance was initiated into Freemasonry at Cuerden Lodge No 6018 at Leyland in the late 1990’s before its demise and before becoming a joining member at Longridge Lodge
