A PROFILE OF STUART EDWARDS Assistant Provincial Grand Master  

W. Bro. Stuart Edwards says that wherever he goes in Freema- sonry he is there to enjoy himself - and it shows. Worcester- shire's senior Assistant Provincial Grand Master radiates happi- ness. When he enters a lodge room it lights up with his obvious warmth of feeling for his fellow Masons.

                                                                                       

No surprise then that he is always welcome as he pursues a re- lentless round of fixtures in the Province. Already he has 101 functions booked for the new season,including 25 installations.

 Yet his commitment to Craft Masonry is only part of the story. He belongs to pretty well every degree and holds very senior of- fice in most of them. As well as being Grand Treasurer at Mark Masons Hall in London, he was, last July, installed in Rose Croix as Inspector General in Charge for Staffordshire and Shropshire and thereby earned that most rare and distingu ished honour - entry into the 33rd degree.

 He carries the burden of responsibility with a relaxed equanim- ity. He is a man who naturally rises to the top in whatever he

does. As a chartered accountant - in Redditch - he was elected President of the Birmingham and West Midland Society which involved attending over 60 black tie dinners.

 As a one-time keen squash player he was a founder member of the new Stourbridge Lawn Tennis & Squash Club and held every office there, yes ...including that of President.

 It was at the club that he met Valerie Turvey and they married

in 1975. Valerie, too, has a knack of excelling in all she does and Stuart says he could not cope with his ultra-busy life w ithout her wholehearted support. This shows particularly in Freemasonry and, having taken an active interest in the Ladies Gift Fund,it is no surprise to find she is Chairman of the highly successful organisation which raises large sums with its two annual functions.

 She is a lso writing a history of the Fund to mark its 60t h. anniversary. As a radiographer,Valerie re-organised the ser- vice for thr whole of the Stourbridge and Dudley District, and became National President of the Society and College of Radiographers. Nowadays, she is an enthusiastic golfer and, yes, she has been ladies captain of her club.

 Stuart jo ined Freemasonry in 1969 in Halesowen. His Initia- tion was delayed by a month because, unbeknown to him, his father Eric had also applied to join and the lodge felt it would be fitting for him to go in first. "Iwas astounded and delighted," says Stuart, "and was able to turn the tables on him years later when Iturned up unexpected to install him into the chair."

 Stuart and Va lerie live in an attractive house at Roughton, a tiny hamlet set in the rolling hills of Shropshire. It sits on the site of a petrol filling station that Valerie's father owned. The Edwards literally helped to build it but are now planning to sell up. "We love it, but we have a very large garden and a paddock and I can't cope," says Stuart. "The grass takes me over five hours to cut."

 While Freemasonry takes up a huge amount of his time, Stu- art does not allow it to totally dominate his life. He likes to

get away regularly to his cottage in France and to apply himself to another great interest - the collection of vintage port. "I've got hundreds of bottles, much of it in storage, and the oldest is a 1904 vintage".

 On the future of Freemasonry,he says: "It's going through a tough time with smaller numbers and greater cost. The answer is to encourage new younger members in and then make sure we keep them. The mentoring system is fundamental in achiev- ing this. There is a future for Freemasonry but there needs to be consolidation to save costs".  

Then Stuart made the point again - "I'm a smiley person and I'm in Freemasonry to enjoy myself. Otherwise, what's the point?"

 

Published by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcest ershire, 94 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs B61ODF. © 2010  

Editor: Graeme Collins : 01562 741777 :: Email - news@momentsintime.co.uk Please forward all submissions for the Newsletter to the News Editor:

Nick Appleton :01905 841475 :Email - oldedwardian6141@btinternet.com The Worcestershi re Source is published twice per year.

Brethren are invited to support the newsletter by means of advertising and sponsorship. Any enquiries regarding advertising should be made to John McGann :01299 825285 :Email - johnmgann@btinternet. com

 

 

App al 201 Update        

1 rm  

Appeal total now stands at £934,421 As the Summer gives way to Autumn, so a new Masonic seaso n begins. One that is so important as far as our Appeal 2011is concerned, as we now have only 6 months to go before the clos- ing date for donations to be included in the final total.

 In previous years the Summer months have proved to be a rela- tively quiet time in respect of Appeal donations but this year the "out of season" period has generated in excess of £100,000! The WMCO Lottery continues to provide good support a nd a further cheque for £6,000 takes the total received from the ot- tery to £26,000.

 The Worcestershi re Installed Masters Lodge donated £5,000 and this amount was matched by the Worcestershire Installed First Principals Chapter. Also during this period Lechmere Vol- unteer Lodge donated £4,440 and Elgar Lodge,Mitton Lodge, Old Bromsgrovian Lodge and St Mary's Lodge all donated in excess of £2,000.

 Grand Draw Result The Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge is one of the highlights on our Masonic calendar but this year proved to be a rather special event for five people who had purchased the winning tickets in our Appeal Grand Draw which was made during the meeting. W Bro John Ed- wa rds of St Werstan Lodge was declared the winner of the first prize and he generously donated the prize to his wife who can now be seen proudly driving her new car around the streets of Bridgnorth! The Grand Draw realised a profit of almost £9000.

 Ladies not to oe Outdone! Whilst their men were attending Provincial Grand Lodge, the Ladies of Worcestershi re held their third annual Ladies Lunch at which they raised just under £2,000 for the App eal. Following on from the very suc- cessful sale of green Appeal Bags, the Ladies have now pro- duced a limited edition Masonic Tea Towel which is being sold at the bargain price of £5 - and by the end of the Appeal the Ladies hope to have raised in excess of £10,000 from their vari- ous fund raising activities.

 Grand Fesbv Dmner The Festival Dinner to be held at the ICC, Birmingham on 3rd June 2011 will soon be upon us and will be an event not to be missed. A ticket application form is included within this edition of Worcestershi re Source or alter- natively one can be downloaded from the Provincial website. If you wish to stay overnight at the Copthorne Hotel there are only a few rooms remaining.

Hopefully our Lodges and Chapters are now setting themselves targets in order to achieve the next level of Honorific Award. 6 Lodges have already achieved Grand Patron status (£20,000} with the top three, Elmley Castle (£28,957), Old Bromsgrovian (£26,103) and Brandwood (£24,066) all very close to reaching £30,000. In total 69 Lodges have so far reached Subscriber level (£5,000} or above.

 On a per capita basis, Brandwood Lodge have raised the magnif- icent sum of £770 per member,closely followed by Elgar Lodge (£594) and Lickey Hills Lodge (£569).

 28 Lodges have already qualified to receive a Festival Appeal Gavel by achieving a per capita total of £300 with a good num- ber of other Lodges likely to reach this total before the Appea l ends.

 ' Pr .OnS The Appeal continues to receive great

support, with our Holy Royal Arch Chapters having contributed in excess of £60,000. The Worcestershire Insta lled First Princi- pals Chapter has raised £6,900 and thereby achieved Subscrib- er status, with Masefield Chapter at £4,717 being very close to achieving that level also. 6 Chapters have already reached the qualify ing level of £100 for a Festival Gavel,with the top three Campbell (£137), Wigornia (£136) and Brandwood (£128) being extremely close to each other!

 Gift Aid Gift Aid remains an important part of our fund- raising activity and so far an additional sum of £129,757 will be added to our own donations at the end of the Appeal. Whilst we are currently able to claim an extra 28.2% on all qualifying donations, this will reduce to 25% on donations received after 6th April 2011.

 We are steadily moving towards achieving our first goal,which is to raise in excess of £1m for the Appea l, a nd our efforts over the next 6 months will determine our final total.

 Sincere thanks to our members, ladies and friends who have already given great support to the A ppeal in one way or another and Iwould like to thank you in advance for the support that I know you will continue to give.

       

Howard Wilson Appeal 2011 Chairman

NEW IN FORMATION OFFICER The Deputy Provincial Grand Master,VW Bro. Robert Vaughan has stepped down from his office as Provincial Information Of- ficer. He has been succeeded by W. Bro. John Yeates PAGDC, of the Lodge of Stability No. 564, who took up the office on the 1st. October. His Emailaddress is ajmey@blueyonder.co.uk.

 In addition to his very demanding duties as Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro. Vaughan has striven cease lessly for a number of years to promote 'openness' for Freemasonry in the community,and to enhance communications at all levels within the Province. His commitment has contributed to huge gains having been made in establishing a regular presence for Free- masonry in the local media throughout Worcestershi re, taking the public perception of Freemasonry from one where we were considered to be an odd, insular organisation with obscure motives, to one where we have names, faces, and pub- licity for the benefits that Freemasons contribute to the com- munity as a whole. We wish W. Bro. John every success in his new office, and are sure that he will receive the same enthusi- astic support that was enjoyed by his hardworking predecessor.

 W. Bro. Graeme Collins of Page Lodge No. 3378 has been ap- pointed Editor of the Worcestershi re Source in addition to his role as Provincial Media Relations Officer. He succeeds W. Bro. Mike Murphy,who has given great commitment to his editor- ship despite a challenging environment in his employment. Us- ing his considerable technica l expertise, W. Bro. Murphy is now assisting with further development of the Provincial website.

 W. Bro. Nick Appleton of the Old Edwardian Lodge of Stour- bridge, No. 6141 has been appointed News Editor and as such is charged with sourcing suitable material for the Worcestershi re Source. He should be the first point of contact for anyone who wishes to submit an item for publication. All of the contact ref- erences are listed at the foot of page 2 of this issue.

APPEAL 2011 GRAND DRAW At the recent Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge,the Chief Executive of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, W. Bro. Les Hutchinson, was pleased to draw the winning tick- ets for the WMCO Grand Draw in aid of Appeal 2011.

 1st Prize: A new Peugeot 107 Car or £7500 W. Bro. John Edwards (St. Werstan Lodge No. 4004)

 

 2nd Prize £1000 Mr. Matthew Boylin (Pathfinder Lodge No. 8596)

 3rd Prize £500 W. Bro. Ron Morris (Sebright Lodge of Old Wolvernians No. 8007)

 

 4th Prize £250 W. Bro. Chris Holt (Lechmere Volunteer Lodge No. 1874)

 5th Prize £250 Mr.Andrew Lowther (Sure and Stedfast Lodge No. 9365)

 As soon as the PGL meeting had finished, the 2011Appeal Chair- man, W. Bro. Howard Wilson was quickly onto the telephone in order to pass on the good news to the five lucky winners, only

to find that none of them were at home! After 24 hours of try- ing to make contact, W. Bro. John Edwards of St Werstan Lodge had still not answered his phone and was not aware of his good fortune in winning the first prize until two days later,when he returned from holiday.

 Despite the assurances that it was not a j oke, W. Bro. Edwards insisted on calling the Appeal Chairman back so as to authenti- cate the call. Being now fully convinced, he went on to explain that as fate would have it,his wife was looking to change her car and had set her heart on buying a used Nissan Pixo that she had seen at a local garage,using her existing car in part exchange.

Later that afternoon,he phoned back to say that he had done a deal with the garage and ordered a NEW Nissan Pixo, using the Grand Draw prize of £7500 and adding only £50 of his own money. Mrs. Brenda Edwards loves her new car - their grandson was happy too,as he was given his "gra ndma's" old car!

 Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to all of our members who bought and sold tic kets. The Grand Draw gen- erated a magnificent profit of approx imately £9,000 for the benefit of Appeal 2011.

Provincial Christmas Carols Service

This year 's Carols Service will be held at 3pm on Sunday, 12th. December at St. Mary's Churc h, Rectory Road, Oldswinford, Stourbridge DY8 2HA. Useful information about the locatio n and parking may be found at:

www.stmaryschur choldswinford.org.uk/location.html  

 All brethren,their families and friends are invited. Refresh- ments to follow. It is hoped that this enjoyable family service of traditional Christmas Carols will be well supported.

Masonic Study Circle Magic

The next meeting will take place on Thursday, 28th October at 7.30 pm at Ha lesowen Masonic Hall. W.Bro. Nick Appleton will present a talk entitled "Alastair Crow ley, Magician and Irregu- lar Freemason". All Brethren are welcome to what promises to be a very entertaining evening. Further details are available at ed@ed-baker.com

 

DEVELOPMENTS AT PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER

At the very successful Meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter in April, the ME Grand Superintendent, Excellent Companion Colin Brown announced that a number of initiatives would be introduced, designed to promote the recruitment of new mem- bers and the retention of existing members.

 The first of these is the "Master Mason's Pack" to be present- ed to every Master Mason at the time he receives his Grand Lodge Certificate. This pack consists of a letter of introduction, together with a leaflet extolling the attractions of joi ning the Royal Arch.

 Second, a presentation has been developed promoting mem- bership of the Royal A rch. This is aimed at Master Masons and has been designed to be delivered on the night of either a Chapter or Craft meeting. This presentation is given by Senior Provincial Officers and has already been received as a great suc- cess.

 To create a greater understanding of our ceremonies that will enhance the enjoyment of the Companions, a "Commentary on the Ceremony of Exaltation" - a "demonstration" of the cer- emony supported by a narrative that w ill explain many of the "features" of Exaltation which are not always obvious or un- derstood, has been developed and will shortly be ava ilable to Chapters.

Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge 25th. Anniversary

The Worcest ershire Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge celebrates its 25th anniversa ry this year. Consecrated in 1985, the lodge

has emerged to focus on support- ing and educating lodges in this and other Provinces.

 The Worshi pful Master, W. Bro. John Ling, who is ' also the Provincial

Grand Director of Ceremonies, realis-

ing that this was the 25th. anniversary year of the lodge, or- ganised a celebration luncheon for the lodge members, friends and families at the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday,15th. August .  

The WM and his partner, Enda, were allowed by Redcliffe Ca- tering to joi n in behind the scenes with the preparation of the luncheon menu they had specified under the supervision of the Head Chef.  

The menu for the luncheon, which was attended by four of the founding members, included Thai Fish Cakes, Lemon Sorbet, Chicken stuffed with mushroom and truffle oilmousseline, and Eton Mess. Enda debuted her new range of petits fours which included vodka truffles then treated the guests with chocolate 'Squares and Compasses'

FREEMASONS ASSIST SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Families Association)  

On Monday 27 September the Deputy Provincial Grand Mas- ter VW Bro. Robert Vaughan, presented a cheque for £5,000 to Colonel Tony Ward OBE, the Chairman of the Worcestershi re Branch of SSAFA Forces Help. This gesture is to be repeated across all Branches in the British Isles by Freemasons donating a total of £250,000 to the charity. The donation is to be used in the all-important task of caseworking in Worcestershire .

                                                       

SSAFA Forces Help,w hich celebrates 125 years this year, was founded to help those who serve,those who have served,and the families of both. The greater part of the Branch's work concerns casework with veterans and their families, including widows and widowers. The casework may involve obtaining fi- nancial grants, helping to obtain state benefits, or simply giving friendly support, advice or help in many and varied forms. In the majority of cases the primary task is to obtain funding from Service Benevolent Funds or civilian charities, and the case- workers are trained to identify appropriate sources of funding, both financial and non-financial.  

The Branch also handles casework for those still serving in the Armed Forces. The Worcesters hire Branch has some 50 volun- teers of which 35 are trained caseworkers, the remaining volun- teers filling the important roles as friendshi p visitors, or helping in fund raising events. Last year the Branch undertook some 450 cases and obtained in the region of £230,000 to fund cases.  

There is always a need for more volunteers to engage inthis very rewarding work, so if you feel you would like to obtain more information about becoming a volun- teer, then please telephone: 01905 621641 (there is an answerphone).  

Similarly, if you have served in the Armed Forces, or are a widow or wid- ower of someone who has served and need help then please contact the number above.

PAGE LODGE GALA CENTENARY DINNER PRESENTATIONS TOTAL £25,000  The members of the Page Lodge No. 3378 held a Gala Dinner on Friday, 10th. September which was attended by the Deputy ·Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro. Robert C. Vaughan and approximately

   

VW Bro. Vaughan explained to the non-Masons pres- ent something of the philosophy of Freemasonry, and expressed,

·80 lodge members, wives and friends to celebrate the culmination of their Centenary Year. The lodge celebrated the centenary with an act of charity - by presenting cheques to- taling £25,000 to deserving charities. The 50 members of Page Lodge had set themselves the target of £25,000 approximately f o ur years before.

 A cheque for £5,000 was presented to each of the follow ing four charities, whose representatives were present - Macmillan Nurses, Acorns Trust, St. Richard Hospice, and Noah's Ark Trust.  The lodge has already presented a further cheque for £5,000 to the 2011 Provincial Appe a l for The Roya l Masonic Trust for Girls a nd Boys. Splendid entertainment was provided by W. Bro John Milner, ho performed some masterly magic illusions. On conclusion

of the dinner, the Chairman of the Page Lodge Cen- tenary Commit-

tee, W. Bro. Henry Franee-Sargeant,

spoke briefly and thanked the mem- bers of the lodge for their commit- ment and gener- osity, and thanked especia lly W. Bro. Peter Broughton,

The Page Lodge Charity Steward for his enthusiasm in coord i- ating the achievement of the target.  He then invited the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, who was ccompanied by his wife,Stephenie,to present the cheques to 1e recipient charities.

on behalf of the Masons present, their thanks to the representatives of the four charities present for their commitment and dedication to the wellbeing of others less fortunate than ourselves, and congratulated the members of Page Lodge whilst urging them to continue with their charitable work in the best traditions of Freemasonry.    

PRESTONIAN LECTURE PRESENTED AT OLD BROMSGROVIAN LODGE

On Friday 30th J uly,and for the second time in 5 years, the Pre- stonian Lecture was presented within the Province of Worces- tershire.  W. Bro. Dr. John Wade, BA, MA, PhD, PProvJGW (Yorks.W R & Derbys) came to the province to present the 2009 Prestonian Lecture entit led "Go and do thou likewise - English Masonic Processions from the 18th to the 20th Centuries" at Broms- grove School under the banner of The Old Bromsgrovian Lodge no 5743.

The event was attended by the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, the Very Worshipful Deputy Provincial Gra nd Master, the Worshipful Assistant Provincial Grand Masters to gether with over 50 Brethren from a number of different Prov- inces. An extremely informative and entertaining presentation was enjoyed by all. After the meeting,dining took place at the school where W. Bro. Dr. John Wade was available to sign copies of his presentation for all the brethren.

08    

www.crhtrainin .co.uk          

The Provincial Sunday Luncheon

The Luncheon was held on Sunday, 26th September at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Bromsgrove. Only those Brethren (together with their partners) who received Provincial Honours as first appointments or promotions this year received an invitation to attend in recognition of their preferment.  

The second such event, nearly 100 guests jo ined the Provin- cial Grand Master and other Rulers to enjoy good food, wine and company. The Provincial Grand Master proposed a toast to the newly honoured Brethren, explaining that they were the "creme de la creme" of the Province but that the recipients should now be directed to achieving even more in their Lodges and the Province. Gift Aid envelopes were distributed to those

r--:::;;;;;====::i present, with the promise that one would be drawn to win a spec ial prize, generously donated by the Holiday Inn Ho- tel. Nearly £500 inclusive of Gift Aid was collected - and W Bro Paul

Lewis, a newly ap- pointed Steward,of Frankley St George Lodge No 8212 was the lucky winner of a dinner,bed and breakfast break at the Holiday Inn with his w ife Angelina (pictured with the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro. Richard Goddard {left))

         

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E Comp Richard Price Praised by the Mayor of Solihull The Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull, Counc illor Norman Davis and his wife Brenda, were delighted to welcome E. Comp Rich- ard Price and his wife Beryl to the Mayors parlour for afternoon Tea on Wednesday 12 May.

He warm ly thanked E. Comp Richard for his years of service as the recently retired Grand Superintendent and praised the magnificent fund-ra ising activities of all Royal Arch Companions under E. Comp Richard's leadership over the last six years.

                                                                         

Email:ltill!C@li1trultilil•m Website: wma•omm

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2010  

This year's Heritage Open Days Event took place between Thursday 9th. to Sunday the 12th. September,and enthusias- tic brethren from six of the Province's fourteen meeting places took the opportunity to join in by throwing their doors open to admit the public. The scheme, organised and co-ordinated by English Heritage,promotes the opening of buildings which are not usually open to the public, so it's an excellent opportunity to show the public that we are a open and charitable soc iety.

The meeting places within the Province which opened this year were Wor cester, Kings Heath, Stourport on Severn, Malvern, Tenbury Wells and, for the first time and as last-m inute partici- pants, Evesham 1Nith W. Bro. Michael Blinkhorn acting as Lead Organiser. Michael had organised an advertisement in the local n.:, spaper to publicise the event, but due to an unfortunate mix-up at the newspaper,the ad wasn 't printed in time. Mi- chael and the willing volunteers at Evesham regard this year as an opportunity to have a 'dry run' in preparation for next year.

 The press in Ludlow and Ten bury Wells responded very favour- ably to our press releases and personal approaches before and after the event, with a correspondi ngly good response from the public. The Kings Heath event was officially opened by VW Bro Robert Vaughan,Deputy Provincial Grand Master,and was well attended by knowledgable Masons who treated the visitors to personal guided tours. Lead Organiser W. Bro Derek Owen felt that the day had been enjoyab le and worthwhi le. Stourport on Severn was once again well attended, and visitors were treated to a display of Masonic robing and regalia as well as tours of the Lodge Room. Worcester,as usual,attracted a satisfying number of visitors, who were also provi.ded with guided tours of the Pro- vincial Library and Museum. The official opening was carried out by W. Bro. Colin Young, Assistant Provincial Grand Master. Malvern has a tradition of holding well-organised Open Days which predates the English Heritage scheme, and this year was no exception with the Masonic Hall opening on Sunday, 12th. September,with the Provincial Grand Master in attendance.

 Once again, advance publicity in the press was key to achieving significant visitor levels. It is hoped that more Provincial meet- ing places will take part in the Heritage Open Days event next year - further details may be obtained from W. Bro. John Yeate, the Provincial Information Officer at ajmey@ blueyonder.co.uk.

FIRST OUTING FOR NEW WARDENS  

Pictured with the Deputy Provincial Grand Master are our new Provincial Grand Wa rdens - W. Bro,Keith Evans ProvGSW (left), and W. Bro. Joseph Marzouk ProvGJW (right) on the occasion of their first outing.

W. Bro. Keith is a Past Master of Wyche Lodge No. 3638 which meets at Worcester,although his mother lodge is Plymouth Hoe No. 4235. W. Bro. Keith originally came from his home in the West Country to live in Droitwich. He is married to his wife of 42 years, Chris, and they have three children and seven grand- children. Educated at the Bristol Cathedral School,W. Bro. Keith is a Chartered Secretary and Chartered Insurance Broker, and is a Director of a firm of Insurance Brokers.

 W. Bro. Joseph lives in Solihull,and has been married to Mar- guerite, who is a Dermatologist, for 28 years. They have two children - Joy Hannah, an accomplished pianist and music teacher, and Philip Emmanuel, a Psychology student. A Past Master of Kings Norton Lodge No. 4001,W. Bro. Joseph is also a Past Master of the George Tay lor Lodge No. 9819. A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, W. Bro. Joseph is now Lead Tho- racic Surgeon at the University Hospital,Coventry.

 Royds Visit to Royds ...

 2 1Malvern Freemasons of Royds Lodge No. 1204 visited the Royds Lodge No. 816, to help celebrate their SOt h anniver- sary in September. The meeting was held at Rochdale Masonic Hall with V.W. Bro. Harold Woodward,Deputy Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire, leading the celebrations. The two Royds Lodges established links over 40 years ago, both being named after Albert Hudson Royds, a past Deputy Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire and Provincial Grand Master of Worcestershire. His son, Edmund Albert Nuttall Royds, was a founder member and the first Junior Warden of the Royds Lodge No. 1204. He became the Deputy Provincial Grand Mas- ter of Worcestersh ire for one year in 1872.  

Before their arrival at Rochdale Masonic Hall, the visitors were provided w ith a private tour of St. Edmund's Church, Fa linge, which was build by Albert Hudson Royds in 1874. St. Edmund's is rich in Masonic symbolism and contains a Masonic lectern, stained glass windows and numerous other artefacts peculiar to the Craft.

   

Annual Provincial Golf Meeting

At the 47th Annual meeting of the Worcestershire Masonic Golfing Society, new joi ning members, Bro. Barry Benge and Bro. Simon Hayes lead the way in the featured competitions. The meeting was held at Kings Norton Golf Club on 13th July 2010, attended by the President of the Society RW Bro. R G H Goddard PGM and Vice President VW Bro. R C Vaughan DPGM, together with 42 Brethren from 24 Lodges, competing for the Fellows Bowl (Individua l event), Weatheroak Bowl,(Pairs event) and Veterans Cup.

 The winners of the Weatheroak Bowl were W.Bro. Ian Belsham and Bro. Barry Benge, Page Lodge No. 3378 with 74

pts., the highest score for 6 years. The result of the Fellows Bowl was: 1st: Bro. S A Hayes, Forge Mill Lodge No. 9658 with 36 pts. 2nd: W.Bro. A J Hill, Halesowen Lodge No. 5635 35pts. (back 9). 3rd: W.Bro. G Ricketts Abbot Lichfield Lodge No 3308

with 35 pts. The Veterans Cup was won by W.Bro . G Ricketts Abbot Lichfield Lodge No.3308 with 35 pts.

   

During the AGM, the retiring Captain, W.Bro. J Gibbons, Lech- mere Volunteer Lodge No.1874 presented the Captains putter to W. Bro. D J Silk, Masefield Lodge No. 2034 who will Captain the Society for 2 years. W.Bro. D A Fry,Trinity Lodge No.5635, was elected as a committee member. The Society presented

the RW Provincial Grand Master with a cheque for the sum of £600 in suppo rt of the Worce ster sh ir e

Masonic Char- ity Organisation 2011 Festival Ap- peal. The annual event for 2011has been confirmed as Tuesday 12th July at Kings Norton Golf Club. The full summary of fix- tures for 2011 will

be sent to all members of WMGS early in 2011. Any Worcester- shire Mason, in any Order,who would like to participate in the friendshi p of Provincial Golf and enjoy the experience of playing some of the excellent Midlands golf courses should contact the Secretary:

 

 W Bro. T P Battle, Lickey Hills Lodge No 5947 Tel: 0121445 1981 E-Mail: tpbattle@hotma il.com

 

Elmley Castle Lodge Garden Party  

Warm sunshine and a beautiful setting welcomed more than fifty people, mostly Masons, to a garden party in Elmley Cast le, organised in aid of Appeal 2011. The event was a huge success, raising £570 with the promise of more to ' come.

 

 The WM of Elmley Castle Lodge, W. Bro. Mike Dykes and his partner Gill accepted the very kind offer of • Gill's mother Pat and 5 step father Brian, to - use their garden so that the event could take place in the village from whence the Lodge derived its name.

 

 It was an early start to the day for Gill, who baked loads of scones - thanks also to the ladies who_ made and donated the cakes and to Martin Barker of Sudeley Castle Lodge, in Glouces- tershire, who donated some very fine s'teak which John lcke auctioned. Thanks also we nt to all who donated prizes for the large raffle. All in all a lovely,enjoyable afternoon which helped the lodge's fund raising in aid of Appeal 2011.

...and more from Elmley Castle  

4th July 2010 On The GWR Steam Railway in Aid of Appeal 2011

 The train wa s, for the 3rd. year running, ful ly booked with 82 people on board dining in the First Class Pullman luxury of yes- teryear. A fres hly cooked three course luncheon was enjoyed while enjoying the Cotswold scenery as the train steamed from Toddington towards the Cheltenham Race Course and return.

 

 This most enjoyab le of days raised another £1080 towards the 2011 Appeal for the RMTGB.

Gratitude goes to Bro. A. C. Goodman for providing the use of his Elegant Excursions Dining Train, complete with staff, W. Bro. I. Crowder of the GWR Railway and W Bro L Young for their as- sistance in arranging this event.

Gentlemen's Boxing Evening in Support of Appeal 2011

W. Bro. Vic Southan is supporting Appeal 2011 by promoting his 35th Boxing Night on Tuesday 30th November 2010 at the

 Kingfisher Country Club

KIDDERMINSTER ROAD, WALL HEATH, W. MIDS. DY6 OEN  

 The evening will commence with a three course dinner followed by 10 bouts of championsh ip boxing, featuring many young boxers who hope to be selected for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

 

 W. Bro. Southan has raised thousands of pounds for various charities through promoting boxing evenings but sadly this event will be his 35th and last, and he therefore wants it to be his most successf ul. He is looking for sponsors at £25 per bout, programme advertising at £50 per advert and raffle prize dona- tions.

 

 Dress code is lounge suits or dinner jackets and the evening will begin at 7.15pm for 8pm. Tickets are £35 per person.

 If you have been to one of W. Bro. Vic's boxing evenings before, then you will know that this will be an event not to be missed, and if you haven't, then this will be your last opportunity ! Either way, please come and support W. Bro. Vic and make his last Boxing Night an evening to remember and a great fundrais- ing event for Appea l 2011.

 

 WHY NOT GET A GROUP TOGETHER FROM YOUR LODGE OR CHAPTER?

 Book your tickets via W. Bro. Southan on

   

0121 556 1311 or (mobile) 07961 022662 or by email: marvic@sky.com

 Similarly if you wo uld like to suppo rt the evening as a sponsor, advertiser or provide a raffle prize, W. Bro. Vic would be very pleased to hear from you.