Members and visitors to Davyhulme Lodge No 3715 gave a warm welcome to Mike Adams, the representative of the new Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, to their installation meeting at Urmston Masonic Hall where installing WM, Andrew Berry, installed Tom Fredrickson into the chair of King Solomon for the first time in Davyhulme Lodge.
Andrew opened the lodge and proceeded to efficiently transact its business up to the point where, acting also as director of ceremonies, he introduced Mike accompanied by South Eastern Group Chairman Gareth Jones to the lodge.
The installation ceremony commenced with Andrew proceeding to install Tom in an excellent fashion and placing him in the chair in a sincere manner.
Tom having been installed, there were then presentations of the working tools, firstly by Andrew who presented the working tools of an installed master followed by those of the third degree. A confident rendition of the long version of the second degree tools followed given by Wilf Knight and finally the tools of the first degree by Paul Brown.
An excellent address to the master was then given by Doug Couse, followed also by an address to the wardens and rounding things off in fine style, the address to the brethren of the lodge, given by senior Davyhulme Lodge member Cliff Hughes.
On completion of the ceremony, Mike rose to convey to Tom and the members of the lodge the congratulations and good wishes for a happy and healthy year ahead from the new Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. Mike said that if Mark had been present, he felt sure he would have been impressed by the dexterous and interchangeable skills demonstrated by Andrew acting as both installing master and DC in conducting the ceremony and congratulated each of the individuals of the lodge involved for their excellent work clearly illustrated throughout the meeting.
Tom then presented a cheque for £100, made in favour of the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity to Mike who thanked the brethren of the lodge most sincerely for their generous donation on behalf of the charity and moreover, on behalf of those who would eventually benefit from their generosity.
The first rising brought greetings from Gareth on behalf of the grand officers. He similarly congratulated Tom on his forthcoming year as master of this old and distinguished lodge and welcomed him once more as a ruler of the Craft He similarly wished all the members of the lodge a very happy and healthy year hoping that Tom would enjoy his year, thanking the members of the lodge for their work for which he expressed pleasure on behalf of all the grand officers present.
The business of the lodge was drawn to a close and was followed by an excellent festive board which continued into the evening where Mike initially thanked all the brethren for the toast to the grand officers. He then went on to say how happy he was to be representing the new ProvGM, wishing both him and Tom both good luck and good health in their new leadership roles. Mike then commented on the lodge consecration in 1914 just prior to the Great War with King George V on the throne and how he had been group chairman when the lodge celebrated its centenary in 2014.
Mike then stressed his belief that society needed Freemasonry, based upon the three main principles of family, fun and charity, more than ever and that support from it for the community had never been greater. Rounding off with remarks about the importance of member retrieval and retention and how most master Masons should consider the Royal Arch as the next logical step in their Masonry, Mike assured all those present that should they or anyone they knew get into difficulties in the current climate that assistance was available through masonry.
The final toast of the evening from the tyler having been made; a most enjoyable meeting was brought to a close.