Over 100 Masons attended the Masters and First Principals Festival at the Southport Masonic Hall in 2022 following postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The principal guest was the Third Provincial Grand Principal Rev Can Godfrey Ian Hirst who was the Provincial Grand Chaplain in Craft, prior to his promotion in Chapter. Supporting Godfrey at this festival were Assistant Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, group chairman Neil Latham and group vice chairman Liam Mawdsley.
Godfrey mixed in with everyone in his normal jovial manner, meeting with as many of the masters and first principals as possible. It was a very casual affair and along with Godfrey, Neil and Liam did their best to get round to speak to as many as possible.
Dinner was served in the dining room where the brethren and companions noticed it was very well decorated in blue and yellow in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
After a good meal, Godfrey replied to his toast in his normal brilliant fashion, not the normal hell and brimstone, which you would expect from a preacher, but of kindness, saying it should be the word of the year and ought to be an attribute of every Freemason
There then followed donations to charity which amounted to nearly £15,000 and a collection for Ukraine which raised over £ 500.
