Urmston hosts its first conjoined convocation

The members of Urmston Chapter No 1730 were hosts to a very special occasion at Urmston Masonic Hall.

Steven tests the first principals chair.

The meeting, a joint convocation, the first of its kind held between the Eccles and District and the South Eastern Group was well attended and the members were delighted and honoured to receive Steven Reid, Deputy Grand superintendent as their principal guest

Members were also honoured by the presence of John Hutton, John was making his first visit to Urmston since his recent promotion to Second Provincial Grand Principal, along with Kevin Poynton, Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals also accompanied by Mark Dimelow, Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies.

The occasion was also supported by newly invested Grand officer Mike Adams, South Eastern Group Chairman, Phil Gibbs, vice chairman, Eccles and District Group Chairman Stuart Shea and vice chairman, David Walmsley along with other distinguished Royal Arch companions and visitors 

The meeting was a demonstration and explanation exaltation ceremony of par excellence and was worked by a selection of companions from each of the chapters from both groups took part in the ceremony.

The convocation was initially opened by Urmston Chapter then the following companions took their part in the ceremony, Mike Tonge as third principal (Urmston Chapter), Phil Rampling as second principal (Foundation Chapter), Bill Walker as third principal (Monton Chapter), David Price as Scribe E (Egerton Chapter), Terry Archer as Scribe N (Swinton Chapter), Stephen Rhodes as principal sojourner (Chapter of Hope), Jonathon Platt as second assistant sojourner (Foundation Chapter), Jon Wright as first assistant sojourner (Victoria Chapter), Gareth Jones acted as janitor (Architect Chapter), Stephen Firth acted as candidate (Royal Protector Chapter), Howard Monks as DC (Urmston Chapter), Peter Beswick (Prince Edward Chapter) and Fred Joyce (Egerton Chapter) were the narrators for the evening.  

The exaltation ceremony was quite literally dismantled, dissected and those sections explained as it progressed by the narrators, it was without doubt that each companion (or companis as was explained) had learnt something new about the ceremony that evening.

This meeting is to be the first of a series of two very different joint convocations, this, the first being hosted at Urmston, the second being reciprocated during the course of the next Masonic season within the Eccles and District Group of which ceremony that is yet to be decided.

On conclusion of the meeting, Steven along with the other grand officers expressed their pleasure at attending the convocation, and congratulated the chapters and companions that took part in the ceremony. He concluded by saying, it was without doubt a credit to the two groups to produce such an interesting evening.

A very enjoyable festive board concluded the evening.

Pictured from left to right, are: Mark Dimelow, Stuart Shea, John Hutton, Steven Reid, Ken Allen, Robert Williamson (MEZ), Nick Woodward, Kevin Poynton and Mike Adams.