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The month of March has been very busy but immensely satisfying.

On 11 March, I attended Grand Lodge when the new Pro Grand Master and the new Deputy Grand Master were installed by the Grand Master.  The Province will remember with affection the visit of Peter Geoffrey Lowndes (then the Deputy Grand Master) to Blackpool on the 21 July 2008, when he installed me as the Provincial Grand Master and the Grand Superintendent. He repaid me the compliment of inviting me to be one of only six Provincial Grand Masters in his escort for his installation as Pro Grand Master. This was a proud moment and a great honour both for me and for the Province.

Two day later, on 13 March, it was the Provincial Grand Ball, and, yet again, the venue was the Winter Gardens. At my request, the Ball Committee had changed the format of the Ball: first by making our major social event open to all; and secondly by setting it up in an inclusive and informal way. The Ball attracted nearly 800, which meant an increase of 30% on last year’s numbers. My wife, Julie, and I greatly enjoyed the whole evening especially because it gave us the opportunity of meeting so many Bethren and their wives/partners in a relaxed and friendly environment. The Winter Gardens have apologised for the poor quality of the food and service, and have offered us substantial compensation. A full report of this aspect of the event will be sent to each lodge and chapter by way of explanation.

On 27 March, the Masonic Samaritan Fund Board came to Leyland for its AGM. There is a tradition by which when a Province is in Festival to the MSF, and the Province is in the last year of its Festival, the MSF Board leaves London and holds its AGM in that Festival Province. The AGM was attended by 265 Brethren (including 135 Lodge Charity Stewards) and 19 Members of the Board. For me, the highlight of the event was a power point presentation by Richard Douglas, the MSF Chief Executive. It was a truly impressive presentation, and comprehensively showed the past, present and future work of the MSF. I feel sure that those attending will have been inspired and encouraged by Richard’s presentation and will approach the last lap of our Festival with even greater enthusiasm.

Returning to the beginning of the month, on 2 March, I visited Lonsdale Lodge of Installed Masters No 9422, a lodge which is located in the Furness and South Lakeland Group. As I had enjoyed five happy years as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the group from 2003 to 2008, it was a nostalgic sojourn for me. At the lodge, I was able to reminise about my first outing as an Assistant to Newby Lodge, when I led the celebrations for a brother’s 50th, the Barrow Lodge Banner Dedication, and my fondness for Hawkshead Brewery beer, sampled when I visited Hawkshead Lodge (probably this lodge is the farthest north in our Province). Memories like these are never forgotten and are the lifeblood of Freemasonry. But the most moving of all was a gift, on the occasion of my Installation as PrGM, from the Master (the late David Barry), the Officers and Brethren of Hawkshead Lodge. The gift was a presentation set of Hawshead Brewery beer, glasses and supporting items. It was in a picnic type hamper with an engraved plate on the front – what a wonderful thought and gesture.

During March, I have been able to visit my Provincial Junior Grand Warden’s lodge and my Provincial Scribe Nehemiah’s chapter to pay tribute to their work.

On 4 March, I attended Cuerden Chapter No 6018, where I saw a colourful and splendid exaltation. The Royal Arch has so much to offer, and I sincerely hope that the numbers of craft masons taking the Royal Arch, and thus completing their respective journeys of pure and antient Masonry, will continue to increase. Also, Chris Blackwell, the Provincial Scribe Nehemiah is a member of Cuerden Chapter, and I was able to thank him and salute him for all his good work and dedication during his year. He has set an impressive standard for this important Royal Arch office.

On 25 March, I attended Ribble Lodge No 4558, which is the home of my Provincial Junior Grand Warden. I witnessed some excellent work by the Brethren, which was centred around one of their newer members, and which culminated in the presentation of a Grand Lodge Certificate to him. I have always thought that a full explanation of the Grand Lodge Certificate is both interesting and informative. David Winder has been an excellent Warden and it has been a great pleasure to work with both him and the Senior Warden during the year. Being a Warden is a demanding role, and both of my Wardens have risen to the task with enthusiasm and dedication. I duly thanked David for undertaking the role and at the same time continuing as the Group Secretary of the Preston Group.

On 17 March, I visited Old Lerpoolians Lodge No 9270. This represented yet another nostalgic visit for me because I had been the Installing Provincial Junior Grand Warden when the Lodge had been consecrated in 1988. It was good to see so many new friends and old, and to note how they had, in many ways, progressed in Freemasonry. For example, in 1988, Peter Connolly was the first Director of Ceremonies of the Lodge, and he is now the Provincial Grand Master in the Mark.

On 19 March, my wife Julie and I paid a visit to The Tithebarn Care Home which is one of the RMBI Care Homes. The home has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and you can feel the happiness that has been created there by home manager Linda Johnson and her staff, and by all the volunteers who help and support. The Friends of Tithebarn, under the chairmanship of Laurie Scott, have purchased an expensive ceiling lift system which has been installed in each of the nursing rooms of the Maud Sullivan Wing (the nursing wing). I formally handed over the lift system to David Innes the Chief Executive of RMBI. This is wonderful example of a well run and managed care home being admirably supported, with time and money, by Freemasons and their wives/partners.

I attended the Widnes Group Dinner and was warmly welcomed by the Group Chairman David Redhead and all the members. This is a splendid group which meets in a well run Masonic Hall. I was delighted to learn that the Widnes Group had recently held a well thought out open day at the Masonic Hall, when more than 100 members of the public visited to discover more about Freemasonry. Prior to the group dinner, I was particularly pleased with the ‘question and answer’ session because it revealed from the Brethren and Companions a knowledgeable and thoughtful interest in the Province and Freemasonry generally, and it especially highlighted the challenges that face us all in the 21st century.

Finally, The West Lancashire Freemason appeared in March and hopefully it will soon be in the hands of all Brethren in the Province. It is outstanding and I congratulate Derek Hunt and his team for their skill and expertise in putting it together. It is also available on our website. The centre pages are staggering good, showing a two-page spread photograph of our Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting on 28 July 2008, when I was installed as Provincial Grand Master and Grand Superintendent. I like the variety of news items, articles and photographs, and I also feel that, in this edition, there is much more revealed about our extensive community work. I hope that all Brethren and Companions will read The West Lancashire Freemason and, equally important, share it with their family and friends.

Peter Hosker