The members of the Chorley and District Masonic Advancement Group, known as Perfect Points, met at Brookfield Hall in Westhoughton. The Perfect Points meetings aim to provide interesting and informative lectures from guest speakers to advance Masonic knowledge.
On this occasion, the evening began with a tribute to David Harrison PPJGW, who was called to the Grand Lodge above on 23 August. David was a leading light of the Masonic Research Society both in its organisation and also presenting his own papers to the group. David was also pivotal in the re-launch of the society as Perfect Points. The members agreed to make a donation of £100 to NHS Blood and Transplant Charity in his memory.
Long time members of the society, Frank Wilkinson and Gary Smith, were both made honorary members in acknowledgment for their work in making the society a continued success. The usual pie and peas supper was then followed by the special guest speaker for the evening, author, academic and Masonic historian Dr David Harrison.
David gained his PhD from the University of Liverpool in 2008, which focused on the development of English Freemasonry and in 2017 he published ‘The Lost Rites and Rituals of Freemasonry’, which examined the mysterious and influential rites created on continental Europe during the 18th century. David is also a past master of Lodge of Lights No 148.
His lecture included a number of esoteric rites, including ‘The Rite of Strict Observance’ and ‘Cagliostro’s Egyptian Rite’. The rites were written with a focus on progression in knowledge rather than rank, often mixing the spiritual with the magical, with the aim of self-discovery. This sparked a lot of discussion with numerous questions fielded by David, not least concerning the colourful characters behind some of these rites and the fact that some of them still exist today, though likely in a much-changed form.
As another evening of Masonic advancement drew to a close, it was clear to all that Perfect Points remains in perfect health. The next meeting of Perfect Points will be held at Ridgemont House, Horwich, on Friday 27March 2026.