At their last meeting prior to the summer break, Lance Gorman, WM of Longridge Lodge No 8077 conducted an initiation ceremony for ‘Through Life Support Engineer’ Matt Follen. Matt had served in the Royal Navy for nine years as a weapons engineer prior to leaving the service and commencing employment at Warton aerodrome.
Matt was proposed as a candidate by Mark Wadsley and seconded by Neil Hartley. Lance was assisted in the ceremony by Eddie Parkinson, WM of St Michaels on Wyre Lodge No 8348 and lodge secretary Mark Wadsley. Treasurer Michael Monks occupied the position of senior deacon and Tony Ollerton the occupied the position of director of ceremonies.
The lodge welcomed group vice-chairman Daniel Crossley and group secretary Lee Fisher together with past group chairman Neil McGill.
Longridge Lodge recruitment is going very well as Matt is the second of two entered apprentices to be initiated into the lodge, William Bennett is the other entered apprentice along with fellow craft Gary Ward, who presented the working tools of an entered apprentice Freemason in fine style to Matt Follen.
The lodge welcomed visiting entered apprentice Paul Smith from Lodge of Peace and Unity No 314 and fellow crafts Peter Baker from Lune Lodge No 4724, Andrejs Sorstkins from City of Lancaster Lodge No 281 and Steve Seddon from Pilling Lodge No 7879 to witness the flawless ceremony.