Simon Das was installed as master of Morecambe Lodge No 1561 in the presence of Paul Storrar who was the representative of Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. Paul was accompanied by grand officers Michael Church-Taylor, Neil McGill and Paul Broadley. Chris Larder, Chairman of the Lancaster and District Group was joined by Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Bryan Cambidge, Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Steven Ellershaw, Provincial Assistant Grand Pursuivant Sid Bateson, Provincial Grand Stewards Stuart Bateson and Andy Baxter.
WM Stephen Cooper opened the lodge and then conducted the installation ceremony together with director of ceremonies Bryan Cambidge. The WM invited Ron Gibson to occupy the chair of installing senior warden, Stewart Aimson as installing junior warden and Geoffrey Wilman as installing inner guard. Master Elect Simon Das was presented for installation by his seconder Marion Korzeniowski.
The third degree working tools were presented by Adrian Kerslake. The second and third degree working tools were presented by master Masons Alan Bateson and Ian Macluskie respectively. New WM Simon Das appointed Adrian Kerslake as senior warden and Michael Church-Taylor as junior warden. The address to the master was given in fin style by Marion Korzeniowski, the address to the wardens by Bryan Cambidge. Paul Storrar gave the address to the brethren of Morecambe Lodge.
On completion of the installation ceremony, Paul brought greetings from the Provincial Grand Master to the WM and wished him a successful, busy, happy and healthy year. He congratulated Simon Das on a superb ceremony. The IPM then presented Paul Storrar with a list of donations that the lodge had made to Masonic non-Masonic charities totalling £1,980.25 and a £25,000 loan to the Morecambe Hall Debenture scheme. Paul thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Organist for the evening was David Tattersall and the Master’s Song was performed by John Bates. A total of 45 brethren attended the festive board, where the toast to the WM was given by Marion Korzeniowski. The raffle raised a very respectable £347 with a further donation of £25 from the Master’s Swindle.
WM Simon Das lives in Harterbeck near Wray. He was educated at Northallerton College and was awarded a BSc from Leeds Beckett University. Following the loss of his mother in 2009, Simon refurbished her small house in Northallerton between 2009-2011. In 2011, he relocated to Morecambe with his family under challenging circumstances, spending 10 weeks living out of their car after nearly losing the house they had placed an offer on.
Ultimately, they secured the property, laying the foundation for Simon’s future success. He initially secured and 8 hour a week role at a local hardware store before starting his first lettings business and gradually building his property and finance businesses up from there.
Being an entrepreneurial and ambitious leader, Simon is driven by a passion for pushing limits in both business and life. Balancing a thriving career with family life, he is a dedicated husband and father of three, including two young sons and a newborn daughter. With expertise spanning property development, regeneration, and commercial finance, he focuses on creating lasting legacies while championing community initiatives. He is Managing Director of 978 Group and leads a dynamic portfolio of property investment, development, and financial services companies.
Simon is a thrill seeker and somebody who loves to test their own limits having recently ran a 70-mile ultramarathon after only 8 weeks of training. He is an outdoor enthusiast, embracing challenges that push physical and mental boundaries. He enjoys quality time with his family and is passionate about creative projects that enrich communities and drive cultural growth.
In masonry, Simon was initiated to Morecambe Lodge on 2 May 2014, passed to the degree of a fellow craft on 6 March 2015 and raised to the sublime degree of a master mason on 1 May 2015. He has held all the officer roles of the lodge prior to his installation.
