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It was the Promotions Meeting for the Province of Durham yesterday in a rather snowy Dunston.
I, as a Provincial Grand Steward, spent a chunk of time out in the cold and damp, first collecting everything from storage to help set up the Lancastrian Suite for the meeting, then standing out in the horrible weather on car park duty, and finally loading the van up at the end of the meeting!
Quite a busy evening for us on the night of the 9th November. Firstly, election of officers for the ensuing year, then raising Bro Paul Wallace to the degree of a Master Mason, completing his journey.
Once again we were beset by absentees, but we did manage to find very able stand-ins to fill in for our missing officers. A huge thank-you to them all; they know who they are, with a special mention going to St. Peter's Lodge No. 8953 for the loan of their Director of Ceremonies, who acted as our ADC and performed some of the ritual.
We had a lecture this month: A Synopsis of the History of Palatine Lodge No. 97 (1757-1907). One of a number of lectures written by W Bro EG Watson, this one having been first presented at our 150th anniversary on the 14th January 1907!
Our Fraternal visitors on this occasion were Lodge Stewart No. 4261, represented by their secretary, W Bro Peter Johnson, PPJGW, and Lodge of Concord No. 6859, represented by their newly installed Worshipful Master, W Bro William Telfer, on his first outing as Master.
September is the other meeting in our calendar that is often beset by a long list of absentees; holiday season still being upon us.
Due to that, it was always intended that we would do something in which we were well practiced, so an enactment of the First Degree ceremony was the business of the night. We still had to pull in one ringer for the night, though, W Bro Richard Davison, PPGStwd, to act in the capacity of IPM, as our IPM was acting as the Secretary!
As June is almost always a bit of a quiet one, we decided to have a repeat of last year's curry night.
We had a very simple evening in the Lodge, literally opening, admitting the visitors, then closing. Cases packed then walking the 50 yards to the local curry house.
We had a good turn-out of visitors and they all told me it made a refreshing change from the usual fayre. Loyal toast, toast to the Grand Master, then a thank-you to the visitors being the only formalities at the festive board, and a very relaxed evening had by all.
Another quiet one for us this month, with no fewer than six officers of the Lodge absent due to work, holidays, and other commitments.
The business of the evening was an enactment of the First Degree ceremony, and despite only the Worshipful Master and Junior Deacon being in their regular offices, with some juggling, and the assistance of a few recruits from other Lodges, we still managed to pull it off! I must give thanks to W Bro Eddie Forster of Sportmans Lodge No. 9440 (JW) and Bro Ian Wardle of Nautilus Lodge No. 4259 (IG) for filling the gaps we couldn't slot someone in to.
Hello Folks,
If you're reading this then there is a very good chance you have developed an interest, of sorts, in Freemasonry, having heard about, or watched, the Sky1 documentary 'Inside the Freemasons', airing at 8pm on the 17th April.
Palatine Lodge No. 97 is one of the oldest Lodges' in existence, having recently celebrated our 260th anniversary. We have one of the richest histories of any Lodge, anywhere, with a huge amount of records and artefacts to hand. We have an entire safe of minute books and other paraphernalia.
We were always a little uncertain how many would attend our meeting, given it was the Thursday before the long bank holiday weekend, and it proved the case that the numbers were a little all-over. A host of our own brethren were notably absent, but, fortunately, we were well supported by our visitors.
The Lodge having been opened, we welcomed our visitors and then received the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W Bro Simon Craig Steele, who was in attendance to present a 50-year certificate to Bro Ron Crossley.
Thursday, 9th March 2017, saw us meet at the slightly earlier time of 18:30, this being to allow us to comfortably accommodate the business of the evening.
A quiet meeting by our regular standards, with over twenty brethren absent for one reason or another.
We gave a lecture on the evening entitled The Masonic Apron. Palatine Lodge has been fortunate in being able to count many keen historians amongst its members, past and present, and this lecture was written by W Bro EG Watson, author of volume one of our Lodge history, and was compiled into the Palatine Book of Lectures by Bro GE Pearson in 1914.