Founded in 1940, West Derby Castle Lodge No 5821 has just completed its annual installation ceremony in the Adams Suite of Liverpool Masonic Hall on Hope Street. The lodge was opened in due form by the WM Robert Cooper, ably assisted by his wardens and officers.
On completion of standard lodge business, the WM was pleased to welcome Assistant Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews as the principal guest. Mark on this occasion was accompanied by fellow grand officers David Hawkes and Steve Kane. Representing the Liverpool Group was the chairman, David Johnson.
When all formalities and salutations had been completed, master elect Paul Devereux was installed into the chair of King Solomon by the installing master Bob Cooper, assisted by the director of ceremonies Tom Grimes and Les Crane. During the board of installed masters, the tools were presented and explained by Tom Grimes, who also similarly explained those for the three degrees in the later perambulations.
The address to the WM was delivered by Bob Cooper; that to the wardens by Jim Bilsborough and, as is customary, Mark Matthews relived the address to the brethren of West Derby Castle Lodge. Paul Devereux, as the newly installed WM, had the pleasure of presenting five cheques on behalf of the lodge, each for £100 and the recipients being; Zoe’s Place, the Friends of Tithebarn, the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, the Liverpool Masonic Hall Building Fund and Positive Outcomes, thus making a total of £500.
After the completion of the ceremony, the brethren retired to the adjacent dining room for the festive board. It was here that Mark Matthews offered his congratulations to the WM Paul Devereux (first time master), hoping that he has a happy, healthy and busy year ahead. Mark also took the opportunity to thank all those who had attended the meeting and to Dave Johnson for his work within the Liverpool Group.
Mark also reminded all that the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting would soon be here and it would be nice to give as much support as possible to the Provincial Grand Mater on this special occasion. The recent Masonic Charitable Foundation 2021 Festival here in West Lancashire raised over £3,500,000, a magnificent achievement, but the focus will now revert back to our own West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity. Also, the Liverpool Masonic Building Fund was of importance to the people who meet there and anyone who wished could take out a ‘standing order’ to support the hall, with a monthly donation which can amount to as little as the cost of a cup of coffee, obviously expensive coffee preferred.
The evening finished with the presentation of a beautiful bouquet of flowers by the lodge to Mark for his wife.
