The business of setting up the Lodge room in the main room at the Webbington Hotel started early on Saturday morning, with the Provincial DC Mark Golding and his Team, the Provincial Secretary, Ian Strickland and his team together with help from a good number of brethren from the Exmoor Lodge, under who’s banner the meeting was being held. By 9.45 am all was ready and a rehearsal was in full swing. By 10.30 the Lodge room was filling up with well over 100 present. The meeting commenced on time at 10.45 when the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro John Morgan entered the Assembly in procession. He was preceded by his Sword Bearer, followed by his standard bearer and escorted by his Provincial officers.
The Provincial Grand Master opened the assembly in due form and following salutations welcomed the visitors from the other provinces.
After receiving a very interesting report on the state of the Lodges in the Province given by the Provincial Registrar, Richard Dredge, the members of the Provincial Team of Development and Improvement delivered an excellent explanation of the Royal Ark Mariner Degree Tracing Board.
After thanking W.Bro Derek Wilton and his team the Provincial Grand Master went on to welcome newly Elevated Royal Ark Mariners.
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master then presented an interesting paper entitled “The Choppy Waters of the Mark Degree”. The paper is a short history of the origins of this degree and was received with acclamation.
The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master then invested five recipients of Provincial Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank with their distinctive collarettes,
W.Bro. John Muskett, Irwin Lodge RAM No.119
W.Bro. Roly Bisgrove, Herbert Fuller RAM No.128
W.Bro. David Lyons, Portal Lodge RAM No.155
W.Bro. Jullian Bloys, Exmoor Lodge RAM No.697
W.Bro. David Bush, Nailsea Lodge RAM No.1548
Unfortunately two recipients, W.Bro. Richard Thurston, Bath Lodge RAM TI and W.Bro. Julian Frost, William Long Lodge RAM No. 191were unable to attend.

The Commander of the Exmoor Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners, W.Bro Paul Cullum and what looked like all the members of Exmoor Lodge, returned the Travelling Ark to the Provincial Grand Master following it’s latest sojourn round the Province. The Provincial Grand Master thanked W.Bro Cullum and said that the Deputy PGM W.Bro Phil Voisey would take the Ark to Herbert Fuller Lodge on 24th September to commence a new journey round the Province. (Full details of the journey are available here).
Before closing the assembly the Provincial Grand Master gave his address and thanked everyone for making the event a success.