Dining after Provincial Grand Lodge
A very warm day in Ipswich was enjoyed by just over 200 Mark Masons who travelled to Ipswich for Provincial Grand Lodge on 29 June. Always a great opportunity to support members of your own lodge receiving appointment or promotion, also an occasion to meet those you have not seen for a while and welcome in the new Active Provincial Officers who will be travelling the Province.
An early start for the Provincial Secretariat, Stewards and set up helpers, moving the equipment from Harleston to Ipswich, laying out the lodge room, displaying table plans, signage and banners, stuffing envelopes, placing booklets and leaflets on seats and designated areas organised and manned – all after many hours of planning, organising and printing.
Then it’s rehearsal time and over to the Provincial Director of Ceremonies and his team, who try to remember how they did it last year and hope those required for the rehearsals have arrived on time.
The Provincial Grand Master David Boswell opened Provincial Grand Lodge, dealt with the regular business, then appointed and invested his Officers. While the Provincial Executive remains unchanged, this year we have new Provincial Wardens who travel many miles representing the Province at Installations and other meetings. As Senior Warden we have Roger Cawston from Albert Victor Lodge in Ipswich, with Brian Durrant from Lowestoft Lodge appointed as Provincial Grand Junior Warden.
The Provincial Grand Master addressed the brethren, emphasising that after our activities have been curtailed, now is the time to move the Province forward, while remembering we have those who remain cautious who will still require our friendship and assistance.
After the meeting and while the lodge room was being turned into a dining room, drinks were enjoyed in the outside seating area shielded from the hot sun. Then back inside for a very enjoyable Festive Board, only interrupted by a couple of short toasts and a fundraiser which gave one lucky winner a ride in a flight simulator and the East Anglian Mark Benevolent Fund £1,000 plus Gift Aid.
The Provincial Gand Master with distingushed guests and visitors
The planning team are already turning their thoughts to next year, the hard work going on behind the scenes never stops to ensure our brethren and guests have a very enjoyable and special day.
Richard Pryor
Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
Member of the PGL Set-Up Team