Paul Hardy has been proclaimed to serve a second year as WM of Arthur John Brogden Lodge No 1715. Operating for just shy of 150 years at Grange-over-Sands, AJB as it’s known affectionately, is named after its founding master, Arthur John Brogden, a member of a family of local industrialists.
The lodge was consecrated at 2pm on Wednesday 26 September 1877 in an old building between the railway and the foreshore almost opposite to Berners Close. This building had originally been built as a store for the loading and unloading of ships which berthed at a wharf connected to it. J D Moor PGStdB represented Lord Skelmersdale, Deputy Grand Master and Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire. 54 brethren were present, representing 20 lodges.
Moving back to the present day, in the presence of the principal guest, Assistant Provincial Grand Master Peter Schofield, accompanied by his predecessor in the role, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master Keith Kemp, as well as grand officers; Chris Band, Rowley Saunders, Brian Carter, Alan Jones and Phil Preston, some 60 brethren in total enjoyed an afternoon and evening in the best traditions of the fraternity.
Acting Provincial grand officers Provincial Senior Grand Deacon Kevin Rigg, Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Ian Hallatt, Provincial Grand Stewards Stephen Renney and Lee Fisher, added to the spectacle. Furness and South Lakeland Group Chairman Chris Gray, vice chairman Harry Chatfield and secretary Tony Jackson were also in attendance to support the lodge. 14 masters of other lodges also attended, an excellent number and a great reflection on Paul’s preceding year as WM, when he was an avid visitor around the group.
The lodge was opened in due and ancient form, complete with an excellent rendition of beautiful a cappella versions of both opening and closing odes in the absence of an organist on the day. The lodge opened up to the third degree, at which point director of ceremonies Alan Telford retired from the lodge for a short while. On re-entering the lodge, Alan informed WM Paul that Assistant Provincial Grand Master Peter Schofield stood without and demanded admission. Peter entered the lodge with all due ceremony and was welcomed by WM Paul Hardy. Salutations were given and acknowledged and the proclamation ceremony began in earnest.
The brethren of the lodge who were retiring from office were assembled in the north and thanked profusely by WM Paul for their work and support in the preceding 12 months. They acknowledged Paul with a single court bow and resumed their seats.
Director of ceremonies Alan Telford then proclaimed Paul Hardy as WM of the Arthur John Brogden Lodge for the ensuing year. Paul appointed Barry Saunders as his senior warden, investing him with the insignia of his office and presented him with his gavel and the column of his office. Paul also appointed Ian Curwen as his junior warden, invested with the collar and jewel of his office, presenting him with his gavel and the column of his office.
John Martin was re-appointed as chaplain, David Ozanne was elected as treasurer, for which David expressed his thanks. In re-appointing David Jopling as secretary, Paul thanked him for his assistance in the preceding 12 months. Alan Telford was re-appointed director of ceremonies, Nigel Higginson as almoner and ‘pie cutter’, (a discretionary title, but an important one at Arthur John Brogden Lodge), and John Martin was appointed membership officer and mentor.
The senior and junior deacons, Ken Heap and Tim Horsfall were appointed and invested then addressed by Provincial Senior Grand Deacon Kevin Rigg. Gratifying for the lodge to have four light blues in the higher progressive offices. Brian Howson was re-appointed as assistant director of ceremonies and Mark Hadwin was appointed inner guard. Steve Lanaghan was appointed and invested as steward of the lodge and addressed by Provincial Grand Steward Stephen Renney in an excellent manner. Brian Howson addressed the senior and junior wardens flawlessly.
The brethren of the lodge were addressed by Peter Schofield. As the WM was about to revert to the circular, Peter again rose, this time to bring the greetings of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews and in doing so congratulated Paul Hardy, Alan Telford and Brian Howson for their excellent work in the ceremony. Paul expressed the lodge’s thanks to Peter and mention was made of the considerable range of donations made by Arthur John Brogden Lodge over the year, including £250 to the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, £250 to St Mary’s Hospice, £300 to sponsor a local Girl Guide on a trip to Costa Rica and other donations totalling £930. Peter thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
At the first rising, Chris Band brought the greetings of the grand officers and congratulated WM Paul on his performance. Brian Howson responded similarly at the second rising for the Provincial grand officers present and at the third rising, Carl McWhan, WM of Barrow Lodge No 3928 brought the greetings of all the visitors present. There was also a proposal for a new candidate to be made a Mason, a sure sign of busy days ahead.
At the festive board, Peter Schofield was at pains to point out that a proclamation was in no way a diminished ceremony and that the Oxford English Dictionary defines a proclamation as a ‘public or official announcement dealing with a matter of great importance’, thus underlining the fact that Arthur John Brogden Lodge is most assuredly open for business. £380 was raised by the raffle, supplemented by another £28 from the traditional ‘masters’ swindle’.