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Lodge celebrates Silver Jubilee
One of the biggest Lodges in the Province celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Consecration..........<more>

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Lodge celebrates Silver Jubilee

One of the biggest Lodges in the Province celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Consecration following the Installation of its new Worshipful Master.

To mark the Silver Jubilee of the Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters No 9057, Derek Hunt, a founder, had written a history of the Lodge and an Honours Board had been made.

The Lodge was the brainchild of WBro Arthur Osborne who was then the Assistant Provincial Grand Master with responsibility for the Warrington, St Helens and Prescot and Leigh Groups of Lodges. He convinced the Province that a Past Masters’ Lodge would foster greater links between the Lodges under his jurisdiction while also providing leading speakers and demonstration teams to further the Masonic knowledge of its members. The Widnes Group later became part of Mersey Valley and all four groups provide a WM in rotation. WBro Osborne was the first WM of the Lodge.

When the Lodge was Consecrated more than 320 Brethren attended which was believed to be the largest attendance for such a meeting of any West Lancashire Lodge – but the ceremony had to be held in Cheshire as there was no hall within the three groups which was large enough to host the event. The first meeting had to be held at a hotel in Cheshire.

At  the special Silver Jubilee celebration the Lodge was honoured to have among its guests three members of the Provincial Team which Consecrated the Lodge – Brian Gillbanks who was then Senior Warden of the Province; Tom Blackburn who was the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and the Rev Harry Ross who was Chaplain.

VWBro Gillbanks attended the Installation Ceremony as the principal guest and then occupied the Chair of the Lodge for the Silver Jubilee celebration. He invited Derek Hunt to present the first copy of the history he had written to the new WM, Joe Hine.
The 48-page book, A Lodge of Our Time, contained the full history of the Lodge from when the idea for its formation was first voiced, a list of all its guest speakers and demonstration teams and a large selection of colour photographs.

The Lodge had never had an Honours Board listing the names of all its Worshipful Masters so it was decided to have one made as part of the special celebrations. The Honours Board was Dedicated by Assistant Provincial Grand Master, the Rev Harry Ross. The Board had been made by WBro Keith Gatley and the Lodge name and list of Past Masters was put on it by WBro Les Ashcroft. The Honours Board will be hung in the large Lodge Room at Warrington Masonic Hall.

Nearly 130 members and guests attended the meeting in Leigh Masonic Hall. A toast to the Founders was proposed by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Eddie Caulfield and the response was by Alec Parkin, the founding secretary who travelled from his home in the South of England to be present.

Derek Hunt presents the first copy of A Lodge of Our Time to the new Worshipful Master of the Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters No 9057, Joe Hine.

Past Masters of the Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters with Deputy Provincial Grand Master Brian Gillbanks, Assistant Provincial Grand Masters Eddie Caulfield, Dennis Rudd and the Rev Harry Ross, and Tom Blackburn (who was Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies when the Lodge was Consecrated) at the new Honours Board.

At the special Silver Jubilee celebration the Lodge was honoured to have among its guests three members of the Provincial Team which Consecrated the Lodge – Brian Gillbanks who was then Senior Warden of the Province; Tom Blackburn who was the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and the Rev Harry Ross who was Chaplain.

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