Page 3 - Triangle Spring 2018 Issue 23

T h e E x m o o r / F o r t e s c u e M a r k L o d g e s

T r a v e l l i n g K e y s t o n e s u c c e s s s t o r y

A Joint Somerset/Devon the Lodges and the Provincial Grand
venture raises over £4,000 for Masters of Devon and Somerset.
charity in ten years. A suitable keystone was made by W.Bro
The introduction of the Andrew Petherick, current DC of
Keystone ten years ago was the Fortescue, & was fashioned from a
brainchild of good friends piece of oak, taken from an old beam in
V.W.Bro John Lendon and Andrew’s house. The house was built
W.Bro John Organ, who were in 1683 so the timber used could well
then secretaries of the Exmoor be 350 years old!
Mark Lodge No 697 (Somerset) In autumn every year the members of
and Fortescue Mark Lodge No Exmoor visit South Molton to collect
9 (Devon). John Lendon is a the Keystone, the following spring
great Minehead stalwart, John Fortescue members come to Minehead
Organ’s Masonic roots were at to retrieve it.
South Molton in Devon, he is To celebrate ten successful years of joint
however, a joining member of visits the Provincial Grand Master for
Exmoor Craft Lodge and was Devon, R.W.Bro. Peter Balsam and the
elevated into the Exmoor Royal Provincial Grand Master for Somerset
Ark Mariner Lodge at R.W.Bro. John Morgan were present at
Minehead. the meeting of Exmoor Lodge on 2 nd
Both were well aware of the March to witness Fortescue Lodge once
popularity of visits to other again retrieve the keystone. Both
Mark Lodges in their respective expressed their great pleasure at the
Provinces but that ‘cross success of the venture and hoped that
border’ visiting was rather infrequent. Graham Gamble, then the visits would continue for many years to come.
Master of Fortescue at the time as well as Lodges in Minehead, In ten years the two Lodges have raised over £4,000 for
was also enthusiastic about encouraging more visiting between charitable causes as a direct result of these biannual
Somerset and Devon. The idea of a travelling keystone to forge Travelling Keystone cross border visits. …john lendon,
stronger links was mooted and supported by the brethren of

Donations to the Benevolent Fund

Donations can

be made to the
Somerset
Benevolent

Fund or to the
Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund.
Gift aid forms for both can be obtained

from the Provincial Charity Steward.
Donations to the Grand Lodge will attract
patron collars based on the amount of

money paid, whereas the payments to the
Somerset Benevolent Fund will ensure that
we have sufficient funds to support
Charities of our choice.

Also payments can be made into the J.J.
Webber Fund which is purely for Somerset

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