Page 2 - Triangle Summer 2009 Issue 6
P. 2

Provincial Grand Lodge Annual Meeting



         Grand Master of Somerset, The V. W. Bro. Raymond Guthrie and   Grand Lodge. The Travelling Keystone, that has been roving around
         members of the Provincial Team. The PGM greeted the assembly, the   the Province over the last 20 years, bringing Somerset Lodges together
         opening Hymn was sung and Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in   and making countless friends during its passage, was presented to the
         due form.                                            PGM by the Master and Brethren of the Cerdic Lodge No. 571 who
         A further report at the door heralded the entry of the Deputy Grand   had travelled from Chard to present it. (The PGM in turn delivered the
         Director of Ceremonies Nicholas Murzell, who requested all to stand   Keystone to Nailsea Lodge in May, to start its new journey around
         to receive The Assistant Grand Master, The R. W. Bro. Benjamin   the Province). Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in due form and all
         Addy, accompanied by the Assistant Grand Secretary, The V. W.   rose for the Provincial Grand Master and dignitaries to retire.
         Bro. Simon Mighall; all were suitably greeted by the Provincial Grand   Eighty  ladies  accompanied  the  Brethren  to  the  Webbington  hotel
         Master.                                              and were suitably entertained whilst Provincial Grand Lodge was in
          The items of business were speedily dealt with, which included a   session. An account of their meeting, related by Heather Morrisey
         special welcome to a delegation of Royal Ark Mariners dressed in the   follows.
         Regalia of their order and Brethren who were newly Advanced into   The  happy  atmosphere  of  the  Provincial  Meeting  and  especially
         Mark during the current year.                        the dinner that followed is ever growing in popularity each year.
         The meeting culminated with the appointment by the Provincial Grand   The Province of Somerset is, as far as can be determined, the only
         Master of his Senior and Junior Wardens. The remaining Provincial   Province that invites their ladies to the festivities of this special day in
         Officers, Active, Past and Promoted were then greeted individually   the Provincial Calendar. Some 300 diners later sat to enjoy a pleasant
         and invested by the PGM, after which he rose to address Provincial   dinner with minimum formality and maximum enjoyment.Ed.
                                 Ladies’ Gathering at the Mark Provincial Meeting

                                           On a sunny afternoon   training and duties of this unpaid voluntary work consist of. She then
                                           in  April  80  ladies   explained the sentencing structure available in a magistrates’ court.
                                           gathered  at  the   This was in preparation for the task that she was about to set us. In
                                           Webbington Hotel for   groups of twos and threes we were given an Adult Short Case Study,
                                           an enjoyable afternoon   a real case with names altered. The offence was Actual Bodily Harm
                                           and  evening.  After   which had happened on a bus while the offender was drunk. We were
                                           lunchtime  drinks   asked to decide what would be our sentence for this offence. After
                                           in  the  bar  or  on  the   ascertaining that hanging was out of the question, some hot debates
                                           terrace the gentlemen   ensued. Some were in favour of a fine or conditional discharge, while
                                           retired  for  their   others favoured six months in gaol. Finally we were told that the real
                                           Provincial  Meeting,   offender had been given three months in custody, and it emerged that
                                           and the ladies, hosted   he had committed other similar offences. We all left the room with a
         by  Catherine  Nelson,  took  their  places  in  the  dining  room  where   greater understanding of the judicial system. It wasn’t long before our
         cups of tea and coffee were being served. Once settled in our seats,   gentlemen re-appeared and after pre-dinner drinks we all went in to a
         Hazel  Guthrie  introduced  the  speaker,  Diane  Atkins  a  Magistrate   splendid meal.
         from Minehead. She told us how she came to be a JP and what the   ...Copy/picture, Heather Morrisey.
                                    The Provincial Grand Master’s Project Fund

         The Provincial Grand Master’s Project Fund for the forthcoming year   donated by the Mark Benevolent Fund throughout England; the gift
         will benefit two Somerset Charities, the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People   was valued in excess of £2million.
         and the City of Wells Ambulance. It may well be remembered that in   It is the wish of our present PGM David
         the year 2000 on a particularly sunny afternoon in Wells and following   Nelson that his Project Fund will provide
         Evensong at the Cathedral, the Mark Master Masons of Somerset,   sufficient  funds  to  purchase  an  ECG
         headed by the then Provincial Grand Master Tony Hick, presented   Monitor  to  turn  our  Crusader  into  a
                                                a new Crusader   Paramedic Ambulance.
                                                Ambulance  to   The  second  project  will  be  the  Hearing
                                                St. John, City of   Dogs  for  Deaf  People.  It  is  hoped  to
                                                Wells Division.  purchase  two  dogs  and  sponsor  their
                                                The Ambulance   training, thus enabling an improvement in
                                                was  part  of  a   the quality of life for two disabled Somerset
                                                donation  of  40   people...Ed.
                                                such  vehicles

          Front page pictured from top left clockwise: 1.  Nicholas Murzell-Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies  Simon A.
          Mighall-Assistant Grand Secretary, Benjamin Addy-Assistant Grand Master, David Brian Nelson-Provincial Grand Master for Somerset
          and Raymond Guthrie, Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Somerset. 2.  Hearing Dogs for Deaf People,  Linda and Mike Sullivan with
          Flint. 3.  David Nelson with newly advanced Brethren, Bill Roberts, Adrian Bligh and  Paul Rabbitts accompanied by Benjamin Addy.
              4.  The Wells Ambulance crew with their Mark Wells City Ambulance, Ian Abraham, Kevin Penny and Andrew Scott...pics, Ed.
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