Bury District NewsletterRawtenstall, Radcliffe, Bury

P R O V I N C E O F E A S T L A N C A S H I R E

WINTER 2018

Welcome to your Winter 2018 newsletterCould I again say thank you to all of the Brethren and Companions who have made me feel so welcome at your various meetings since I was appointed as your Chairman. Unfortunately, due to a ruptured Achilles I had not been able to do any visits in the first few weeks of the new Masonic year. Thank you to all of the Brethren who have kindly ferried me to meetings. I am now far more mobile.

May I congratulate all of those Brethren who were honoured at the November Provincial Craft AGM – (a list appears later), to those who received their first appointment and of course to those were promoted. We are very fortunate in the Bury District to have so many acting officers in the Province.

One of the ongoing themes we have had in the District is to promote membership of the Royal Arch and you will see more in this newsletter from your RADO EComp Roger Bowden. If you are not yet a Companion, please give it some serious thought.

Since becoming Chairman, I have had two main aims in view – firstly to promote more contact between our three halls, so that we become one district and not three separate units, and secondly to promote joint Charity and Social events as part of the plan. Your new Charity Steward Steve Clark, and his team will be formulating plans to that effect and I am looking forward to some interesting and enjoyable evenings together.

Regrettably we saw the closure of Progress Lodge in January last year, but it seems that all of the Brethren have joined other Lodges, so numbers are not depleted.

Prince Edwin 128 will move to a day time Lodge and move from Bury to Radcliffe. Their final meeting at Bury will be a personal 50th celebration this month and then the next meeting on 2nd Wednesday of February will be at Radcliffe. They will meet on 2nd Wednesday of February, April, October and December Installation

During the summer recess, your former APGM (WBro Norman Cope) went beyond the call of duty! As WBro Glyn Jones had not been able to attend Provincial Lodge last year, Norman went to his home on 5th July, and presented him with his new collar on being promoted to PProvSGD. Regrettable Glyn has since died so it was very timely and fortuitous that he was honoured at his home.

Bury District NewsletterCongratulations to WBro Stephen Holland who has taken over from WBro Malcolm Ashton as Deputy Chairman and to WBro Steve Clarke who has taken over from Stephen as your new District Charity Steward. Further to that, WBro Chris Eccles has become the new Charity Stewards Secretary. May I put on record my personal thanks to Malcolm for all his hard work as Deputy Chairman. Over the last few years, that role has become pivotal as the Deputy is responsible for Membership. We have been very lucky in that there has been an influx of enquiries and the number of initiations in our District is testimony to his hard work. Best wishes to Malcolm for his retirement to a quieter Masonic life.

Congratulations are in order for those who have celebrated their 50th anniversary in the Craft since our last newsletter. They were: • WBro David Swinnerton of Egerton Lodge in January

• WBro Robert Thompson of Knowsley Lodge 4661 in February

• WBro Stan Reynolds of Egerton Lodge in September

If your lodge is having a ceremony or special event, could you please let me or Gerry Russell know well in advance as I would like to have the District Team out in full to support lodges for those special nights and I know that your new APGM is very keen to attend any initiates as well.

I hope that you enjoyed 2017 and have a happy and successful 2018

PROVINCIAL HONOURS 2017ACTING RANKSSimon Archer Bury Lodge of Relief 42 ProvGDCAlan Kirwilliam Grants Lodge 8825 ProvGMentorAndrew Pilkington Concord Lodge 1534 ProvJGDLeigh Rickett Knowsley 4681 ProvAGDCRobert Ashton Cromwell with Papyrean 5771 ProvGStwd

PROMOTIONSGerry Russell Concord 1534/Merit 934 PProvSGWDavid Russell Tranquillity with Hospitality 274 PProvJGW Malcolm Ashton Earl of Lathom 2560 PProvGSwdBTommy Mather Cribden 7285 PProvGSwdBIan Rogerson Grants 8825 PProvGSwdBFred Whittaker Prince Edwin 128 PProvGSuptWksRoger Bowden Knowsley 4681 PProvDepGDCAlan Coleclough-Worrell Tranquillity with Hospitality PProvDepGDCStephen Holland Grants 8825 PProvDepGDCDoug Stott Grants 8825 PProvDepGDCLeigh Rickett Knowsley 4661 PProvSGDTom Smith Duke of Lancaster 4207 PProvSGDMark Smith Knowsley 4661 PProvJGD

FIRST APPOINTMENTSChris Cordes Pilkington 6522 PProvJGDHoward Hansell Progress 4848 PProvJGDDavid Kerr Bury Lodge of Relief 42 PProvJGDLee Thorne Bury Lodge of Relief 42 PProvJGDPhilip Ashwin Concord 1534 PProvAGDCChris Eccles Earl of Lathom 2560 PProvAGDCEric Reeves Pythagoras Lodge 9248 PProvAGDCPhilip Ridings Grants 8825 PProvAGDCBernard Barff Lodge of St John 191 PProvAGPurs

Bury District Newsletter

Companions,

During the past few months the Royal Arch has enjoyed some excellent exposure within the District. We have had the lodge Royal Arch Representative meeting earlier in the year at Radcliffe that, whilst not fully attended, did bring out some interesting comments and ideas about how the District and Province can better support the RARs going forward.

We then had the wonderfully supported Joint Convocation, superbly hosted by Prince Edwin’s Chapter, where the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent and the 2nd & 3rd Provincial Grand Principals were present along with over 90 Royal Arch Masons including Officers of Supreme Grand Chapter.

The Royal Arch Cabinet have always looked at fresh ideas for increasing the awareness of the Royal Arch to the members of Craft Lodges. As you know Companions I have always tried to be present at every meeting where a brother is due to be presented with his Grand Lodge Certificate, so that I can also pass the brother his letter from the ME Grand Superintendent and giving just a brief talk on the benefits of joining this supreme degree and how the whole circle of masonry is completed at the Exaltation in a wonderfully dramatic ceremony.

The latest initiative is for the District to support the Lodge RAR even further and enable each to present their own brethren with the MEGS’ letter, and a leaflet explaining the Royal Arch, at the meeting when the Fellowcraft is raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. This will further strengthen the links between the Craft and the Royal Arch as each lodge will have that direct link to every Craft Mason by virtue of the heightened profile of the Royal Arch Representative.

The Royal Arch District Officer will work closely with the Royal Arch Representative and the Lodge Secretary to ensure that each RAR has timely receipt of the newly raised brother’s personal letter from the MEGS.

So we are entering a new era in the promotion of the Royal Arch, which is fully supported by the Provincial Grand Master, the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent and to which our very own Western Area APGP, EC David Dunn, will be instrumental in ensuring a seamless introduction. If you have any questions at all, please do direct them in the first instance to me, as your Royal Arch District Officer.

All that remains is for me to wish you the very best for the forthcoming season and hope that as many of you as possible experience the delights of the Royal Arch.

Royal Arch District Officer Roger Bowden

Bury District Newsletter

BURY DISTRICT CHARITY STEWARDS REPORT

I was very privileged to be appointed as Bury District’s Charity Steward in August. My predecessor, Steve Holland had made a lot of changes during the time he was in that office, the most obvious of which are the wide range of fundraising activities that are now organized by the District’s Lodge and Chapter Charity Stewards. During the last 12 months, we have raised over £450 with a guest speaker and buffet which Chris Eccles organized; £280 at the theatre trip which I organised, and almost £250 in a quiz which Gerry Russell organised. And so, including the District Dinner raffle which raised £1400, as a committee, we were able to provide almost £2,500 which is going to the ELMC to be used for a variety of good causes. Further events are in the planning stages and information will be circulated about them in due course.

Steve Holland will be a hard act to follow, and in trying to build on his work, Chris Eccles, the Charity Steward for Earl of Lathom Lodge, has been appointed as the secretary to the Charity Stewards’ Committee.

Chris and I are seeking to increase the profile of the ELMC across the District. At the present time, there are 110 brethren in the Bury District who are “friends” of the ELMC as a consequence of donating £60 (or more) annually. This represents about one in every six Freemasons in the District. We want to increase that proportion by supporting the Charity Stewards in publicising the ELMC. To do so, we will be circulating an occasional newsletter called “Charity Matters in Bury District”. The first edition was circulated in October and we are hoping that issue 2 will be published in January

THE BURY DISTRICT 120 CLUB

The 120 Club was founded a few years ago as an initiative between the masons meeting at Buryand those at Radcliffe. The intention was to improve and foster relationships between the two halls with a donation being given to the hall committees at the end of each year. This original concept has now obviously been extended to include the brethren meeting at Ashday Lea.

Although called the 120 club, membership currently stands at 157 active members.

Each member pays just £20 for a full years membership which may be paid by Bank Standing Order or by cash or cheque to the Lodge/Chapter Representative.

There are eight monthly draws between October and May, each with cash prizes of £50, £40, £30, £20 and £10. In May, at the District Dinner, we have an annual draw where the prizes are £500, £250, £200 and £100.

We currently have capacity for new members so if you wish to take part please see your Lodge/Chapter District Rep for an application form or contact the District Secretary at gerryrussell1534@gmail.com

District Charity Steward

Steve Clark

District Secretary

Gerry Russell

UPCOMING EVENTSProvincial Grand Chapter - King Georges Hall, Blackburn, Thursday 15th March 2018.Lets Talk Masonry - Salford Masonic Hall, Saturday 24th March 2018.District Dinner - Ashday Lea, Rawtenstall, Friday 18th May 2018.