Members of Foundation Lodge 5394 were originally to receive grand officer, Brian Hayes as the representative of the Provincial Grand Master mark Matthews at their installation meeting. However, Brian succumbed to illness and was ably deputized by Tony Edden, to witness Phillip Rampling being installed as master for the third time for the ensuing year.
The meeting, held at Urmston Masonic Hall, was well attended and Tony was joined by fellow grand officer Howard Lloyd and Trafford Group Deputy Chairman David Marlor along with various visiting brethren. Lodge member and grand officer, David Durling was also in residence but was heavily involved in the ceremony.
Unfortunately, outgoing master Jeffrey Newbrook was in hospital and so lodge DC David Durling opened the lodge and acted as the installing master. The lodge was opened and the initial business conducted quickly and efficiently. Tony and David Marlor entered the lodge in the first degree and David, then acting as installing master and DC carried out the installation ceremony in his usual smooth and sympathetic manner with the assistance of Noel Grubb as installing senior warden, Alan Tuft as installing junior warden and Ian Wood as installing inner guard.
Excellent presentations of the working tools in the third, second and first degrees were given by Murray Worsdell, Lee Rudd and Neil Tottle respectively, followed by a superb address to the master given by Richard Johnson, WM of Brigantes Lodge No 9734 in Cumbria, of which Phillip is also a member. There was on this occasion no address given to the wardens as they were both remaining in office, but Tony then stepped forward with an excellent address to the brethren of the lodge.
The business of the installation ceremony having come to a close, Tony rose at the customary moment in the proceedings to convey the best wishes of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews to Phillip on his being installed as WM for the third time, wishing him and the lodge good health to enjoy a happy and busy year ahead.
Tony continued, saying that had Mark himself been present, he would have also had great pleasure in congratulating the installing master, David for the excellent work that he had put into the ceremony both as installing master and DC, excellently administering the whole affair, and also to the officers and brethren of the lodge for the high standard of the ceremony and of the excellent, friendly manner in which it had been conducted.
Phillip then responded to Tony, thanking him for him passing on the good wishes of the ProvGM and had much pleasure in presenting him with a truly extraordinary series of charitable donations, namely £250 to the WLFC, £250 to The Masonic Hall Trust and £250 to the Trafford Group Foodbank Appeal. Tony, impressed by the scale of the donations said that this was a most generous contribution and clearly had much pleasure in congratulating and thanking the lodge brethren on behalf of all those eventual recipients, we may never know, for their most kind, charitable giving.
The evening continued with an enjoyable, friendly, jovial festive board where Tony was initially presented with the now customary bag of ‘Trafford Treats’ by David Marlor and then, in his response to his toast, made reference to the fact that the venerable lodge was approaching it’s 100th anniversary and congratulated Phillip on taking the chair once more and also all those whom had recently received Provincial honours.
Tony went on to say he had experienced an immensely enjoyable evening and again, on his own behalf, thanked the lodge brethren for their kind charitable generosity demonstrated earlier in the evening and of the hospitality which they had extended to him throughout the evening.