Pictured left to right, Allan Lean, Alan Dorkins, John Drage and Gary Allen
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master W.Bro. Gary Allen, paid a visit to Royal Clarence Mark who meet at Clare in Suffolk.
He witnessed a double Advancement ceremony as Alan Dorkins and John Drage became Mark Master Masons. Long-time friends Alan and John quite literally took their first steps in Freemasonry together, as they were Initiated, Passed and Raised, all as double ceremonies (in their Craft Lodge, Audley, No. 7281, which meets at Saffron Walden, Essex). They also plan to be exalted into the Royal Arch in a double ceremony later this autumn.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the ceremony was undertaken by a scratch team of officers and brethren covering offices for the first time for an Advancement. They were expertly led by V.W.Bro. Allan Lean acting as Worshipful Master, and visitor V.W.Bro. Trevor Clarke entrusted the Candidates with the secrets of the Degree and the conclusion of the ceremony.
Royal Clarence Lodge meets at Clare Masonic Hall in Suffolk. The small, unassuming, red-brick building holds a secret of its own. The Temple boasts a wonderful plaster ceiling which was carefully preserved when removed from its former home in the old Cambridge Masonic Hall, affording attendees a superb view during the ceremony.
