It was the first installation for West Derby Castle Lodge No 5821 in their new home at Litherland Masonic Hall following several years searching for a new and more convenient permanent location. The Lodge was opened in due form at 5.00pm and the usual business of the lodge conducted.
Prior to the installation, the retiring master of the lodge, Roger Boyle, thanked the hall chairman, Ian McKinnon for his helpfulness and kindness on his previous visits and also thanked his officers and brethren for their loyalty and support during his mastership.
The director of ceremonies then sought permission to leave and returned to announce that Ian Gee. the representative of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, accompanied by Graham Chambers the group chairman, David Hawkes and other acting Provincial grand officers were outside the door of the lodge and sought admission. Greetings were then exchanged and Ian passed on his own and the sincere best wishes of the Provincial Grand Master wishing for all present to thoroughly enjoy the evening’s ceremony and festive board.
David Bromilow was then installed into the chair of the lodge as its master for the following year by the installing master Roger Boyle and was recognised and honoured in sequence as such by the lodge’s master Masons, fellowcraft and entered apprentice Masons. The third, second and first degree working tools were perfectly presented by Thomas and Connor Grimes and the address to the master was given by Roger Boyle. Elected and selected officers were then installed.
As many of the officers were continuing in their roles, addresses were given only to the newly promoted officers being senior warden Connor Grimes by Paul O’Brien and senior deacon James Thomas by Thomas Grimes whilst William Saxby and Stephen Watson received the stewards address from Stephen Callow. The address to the brethren of the lodge was then eloquently given by Ian Gee who also complimented the officers on the style and skill of their presentation. He acknowledged the hard work and practice that must have been undertaken to perfect the installation and congratulated the lodge DC, Thomas Grimes, on his organisation of the event and also the hard work of the installing master Roger Boyle for his preparation and perfect presentations.
Upon his return from the floor, Ian Gee was presented with a series of cheques by the new master to the value of £500 consisting of £100 each for RNLI, WLFC, Tithebarn, Litherland Masonic Hall and Zoe’s Place which is a Liverpool based hospice for babies and children up to the age of five with complex illnesses and disabilities. Ian then sincerely thanked the brethren on behalf of himself and Mark Matthews for the eventual benefit these donations would give to future recipients. The business of the lodge then continued with the first rising and the honouring of the charities. This was followed by the regression of the dignitaries from the lodge for refreshments prior to the festive board.
The newly installed master and dignitaries were then applauded to the festive board where a sumptuous four course meal served with wine had been exquisitely prepared and expertly presented by the staff and was enjoyed with lively and jovial conversation by the 37 brethren in attendance. In response to the toast, Ian Gee thanked Graham Chambers, David Hawkes and acting Provincial grand officers for their presence and recognised the accomplishment of Roger Boyle for his great proficiency as installing master which was applauded by all. He then went on to recognise the pressures of time on many young Masons due to the increased work and domestic responsibilities often causing stress in the memorising of ritual. He reiterated previous notifications from Provincial Grand Lodge that it was totally acceptable and less intimidating, especially to novices, to divide up their presentations into smaller sections.
He thanked West Derby Castle Lodge once again for the donation of £500 supplemented by £100 from the honouring of the charities and £148 from the Chorley raffle, both of which will be for the benefit of future recipients. He hoped that they enjoyed and remained at their new home at Litherland and also as part of the Ormskirk and Bootle Group for the foreseeable future.
The Master’s Song was then led by Paul O’Brien and joyfully responded to by all in chorus. With time drawing on, the tyler’s toast was given by Thomas Grimes and all then gradually departed in harmony and peace.
