A wonderful trip to Kirkliston Maitland 482
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A trip to London:
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One of the many highlights this month was our own Festival of St Andrew meeting (pie night) – a terrific night and my grateful thanks for everyone who helped make it happen and attended.
This month, I also visited Westminster & Keystone Lodge 10 in the English constitution. An enjoyable trip to London with our IPM.
Also this month was attending the Lodge of Edinburgh golf club dinner where I presented the Henderson Cup to the Master of Mary’s Chapel. Their team had triumphed over the golfers at No 10. Later in the month, it was a pleasure to lead a deputation back there.
We also enjoyed a visit to a very busy Lodge Kirkliston Maitland 482 this month, where the Young Lothian Masons put on a terrific degree – three members of our Lodge where participants in what was a wonderful evening.
This month rounded up with the Festival of St Andrew at the Grand Lodge of Scotland where Bro. J Morrow became our latest Grand Master Mason (see picture).
I also enjoyed visits this month to Dalhousie Bonnyrigg 270 (visited twice), Newbattle St Mary 1063, Roslin 606, Thistle Lodge 270, Portobello 226, Thorntree 1038 and an installation at Lodge Riddrie 1340 (Glasgow).
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The start proper of a new season! We opened with the month with our AGM, thanks to all who attended and particularly to Peter McGow and James Laidlaw who delivered really interesting talks for us. The business of the Lodge and planning for the tercentenary in great shape and we’re very lucky to have a team dedicated to looking after all of us. We’ll start talking soon about how more of us can be explicitly involved in the exciting calendar ahead of us. We also welcomed this month a new Brother into the Lodge – thank you everyone who took a part on the floor on what was a really wonderful night.
We also had a wonderful deputation to support Lewis Young who received honorary membership of Dalhousie Bonnyrigg 720 – a great number in attendance!
I also attended the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel) No. 1 charity dinner with my sister. We were well looked after on the top table by the RWM of that Lodge who is a dear friend.
I also attended the Esk 42 Royal Arch Chapter installation in my RWM regalia. I’m a Principal in my RA Chapter and it was quite a thrill attending a meeting in different regalia. I am ever so grateful to the members of the Chapter for making it such a special night and giving me the great honour of judging the winner of the trifle competition. Congratulations Andy.
I also attended the Lodge Penicuik 429 Ball – a guest of the RWM, another dear friend who had organised a really splendid night.
In other visits this month, a return to Lodge Dalhousie Bonnyrigg 720, Lodge Kirkliston Maitland 482, Lodge St Leonards Loanhead and Lasswade 580, Lodge Canongate Kilwinning 2, Lodge St John Corstorphine 788, Lodge Sir Robert Moray and finally Provincial Grand Lodge of Midlothian and Grand Lodge of Scotland communications. It was wonderful in particular to hear who the new Grand Master Mason will be. I’m very much looking forward to November!
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I’m writing this month’s blog now in an attempt to do some quick catch ups – it’s surprising how quickly the time passes! This was the last month before we really resumed back to full business in our Lodge.
Among the many highlights this month:
Attending the celebrations in Lodge Journeymen Masons No. 8. The Lodge had continuous occupation of their premises for 150 years and rightly proud of that. Grand Lodge of Scotland were there to make it a wonderful day. It made me dwell on how proud we can be of the brethren before us in Dalkeith who in 1766 built our own premises!
A very successful doors open day where we saw over 40 members of the public and Freemasons turn up for the tour. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a special day. Continuing in the day, we had a wonderful social evening in the Lodge.
Assisting at the Who Dares Cares event in Grand Lodge – https://www.who-dares-cares.com
The Sir Robert Moray Symposium at Hill Street which was superbly organised and delivered and allowed us over the course of the day to peer back into the beginnings of speculative masonry in Scotland!
In other visits this month, I was in St Baldred 313, Lodge Pioneer 1305, Lodge Hamilton Kilwinning 7, Lodge St David 36, Lodge Dalhousie Bonnyrigg 720, Royal Thistle Royal Scots 1338 and Lodge Liberton 1201.
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Hello all, this blog is coming a little later. Nonetheless a look back at August 2023.
It was a pretty busy month, with Lodge visits to: the Mother Lodge in Kilwinning (0), Kajaki (1848), joining St John Corstorphine (788) on their deputation to Cupar (19) who have a curious tradition of offering new visitors snuff on their arrival, Haddington (57), the sportsman’s lunch at Musselburgh (112) (which was outstanding), Montefiore (753) in Glasgow who worked one of the most unique and interesting 2nd degrees I have ever seen, St David (133) in Mauchine (Robert Burn’s Lodge), Colinton (1029), the five Kilwinning Lodges event in Tarbolton who were holding a charity event which coincided with their collected 250th celebrations and finally to Lodge Eaglesham (1265) where I was one of 17 Reigning Masters working a 1st degree. It’s been lovely flying the flag for our Lodge and I’ve been made very welcome everywhere I have been.
Stand outs this month, was a huge congratulations to the Young Masons for their fire walking efforts. Great to watch and a terrific sum raised for charity.
Also, all of the work and effort that went into our Festival meeting. Thank you all for the most wonderful day as we welcomed two gentlemen into the Lodge.
We also held Finance, Tercentenary and a General committee meeting. Great news to report, we have a wonderful team working very hard behind the scenes for all of us and my deepest thanks for all of their efforts. At the forthcoming AGM, we’ll hear a good summary of the work that’s been completed or underway. Our tercentenary is creeping up, make sure you are programming all of the dates into your calendar, this is a once in a lifetime moment!
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It’s been an enjoyable set of visits this month. A couple of trips to Mother Kilwinning and Cochno, Edinburgh St Andrew, Colinton & Currie and Musselburgh.
The visit to Haddington was enjoyable because it gave a chance to hear an excellent presentation about the life of Bro. Jock Taylor from Pencaitland who was a Scottish World Champion motorcycle sidecar racer.
The reigning Masters dinner was held this month. An enjoyable event that saw the MW Grand Master Mason join the troupe of entertainers for the night.
Lastly we held a committee meeting focussed solely on planning for the 300th. There is a terrific amount of work that’s been achieved and our collective thanks go the team working hard behind the scenes. Please take the opportunity to find out more about it and most importantly start planning your diary to attend the events that are coming up. It’s an absolute privilege to be a member of an organisation that’s this old!
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I’m hot on the heels of a couple of decent holidays from work. It’s been a great chance to spend time with family and friends. Some friends I hadn’t seen since ‘COVID’.
One particular memory as I passed the Lodge in Thurso, on the motorbike as I completed the NC500, was remembering that I attended a Lodge meeting there a few years back in jeans, t-shirt and bike boots. It’s not always crisp white shirts!
Holidays aside, these last few weeks have also given me the chance to do some more visiting. Of particular note this month was attending Grand Lodge for the first time as Right Worshipful Master to vote on a series of debates which finalised important revisions to the constitution and laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The arguments for and against change were eloquent and forceful and it was great seeing democracy so alive and well in our Grand Lodge. I hope you’ve had a chance to acquaint yourself with the changes.
Other visits, to Lodge Sir Robert Moray saw the Immediate Past Grand Master being installed as the RWM of the Lodge followed by a lovely meal in the New Club. It was great having a chance to blether with Willie Dixon who was also at that dinner.
I also shared enjoyable visits to Cochno, Colinton & Currie and Galashiels for their Braw Lads Meeting. You can read more about this meeting here: https://www.thebrawladsgathering.co.uk/history-of-the-gathering. I previously reported on our deputation to Melrose.
Hope you’re enjoying a peaceful summer and look forward to seeing you soon .
Paul
RWM10