Winter Comes Early to 348
It was certainly a busy night on Friday, 13th October, at Fidelity and Unanimity RAM in Taunton, and nothing went wrong.
It was a night of mixed emotions as, after the Lodge was opened, the brethren said their official goodbyes in the form of eulogies to 3 long-serving members who had passed to the Grand Lodge above during the summer recess, WBRO’s David Hartley, Sidney French, and Sidney Honniball.
However, as the Lodge lost three members, it gained three new brethren, in the form of the candidate for this evening, Richard Winter, plus two joining members, John Phillips from Sussex and Gary Boon, a former member of a RAM Lodge in the Channel Islands.
The lodge members were especially pleased that Richard, a well-known Mason in Somerset province, was Elevated to the Degree by the new Worshipful Commander, Darren Sinclair, supported by his officers. On the completion of Brother Richard’s ceremony, the ballot was taken for our joining members, and again, both were welcomed into the Lodge by the Worshipful Commander.
No sooner had Worshipful Brother John Phillips sat down; he was immediately back on his feet after the Worshipful Commander invited him, as his first duty for the Lodge, to present a Grand Lodge certificate to Richard Dunn, who was Elevated at our last meeting. John also showed Richard his own GLC, now nearly 40 years old. There was some difference!
During “Any Other Business,” the scribe read out a letter he had received from the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Worshipful Brother Tony Guthrie, thanking the Lodge for hosting him at the Lodge Installation ceremony back in April. He apologised for not being able to be at this meeting to see his great friend Richard join the Degree, but he did say, and I quote, “You will be Elevating the hardest working and best-looking Assistant Provincial Grand Master in the Craft.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, a fine festive board was supplied by Karen and her catering team. Richard’s proposer, James Brown, the Junior Warden, gave a most entertaining speech, plotting Richard’s route over many years to the Lodge this evening.
All in all, all had a very enjoyable evening, and the brethren warmly welcomed our new members.
