Author Archives: Peter Maguire

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS update August 2025

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Dear Sir and Brother,

We hope you’re enjoying the summer break and looking forward to the resumption of the Masonic season in September.

As you may be aware, the province has been actively working on several initiatives to grow our membership. We’re pleased to report that from September to September, our numbers have increased by 22, comprising 7 in the Mark degree and 15 in the Royal Ark Mariner.

We’ve also seen a healthy number of advancements (35) and elevations (24) during this period. While these results are encouraging, we recognise that not all Lodges are experiencing the same growth.

If your Lodge would like to explore how these initiatives, or any additional support from the province, could benefit you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

You can contact us at membership@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk or speak with a member of our Provincial team, who will be happy to assist.

Membership Initiatives

We offer a range of existing and new initiatives designed to help Lodges attract new members.
Here are some of the key options:

Presentations

1. Open Evening with Open-Door Team Presentation
A great way to introduce suitably qualified non-Mark Masons to the degree by highlighting its
traditional links with the Craft and Royal Arch.

 2.  “Adoniram and His Place in Freemasonry” Presentation
Delivered through your Royal Arch Chapter, this talk explores the connections between the orders
and can help raise awareness and interest. 

3. RAM Presentation in a Mark Lodge
A similar presentation tailored for Royal Ark Mariner Lodges, available for delivery on a suitable
evening.

To arrange any of these presentations, please contact us
at membership@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk.

ASK a Potential Candidate

1.  Gold Card Initiative
Introduced in 2023, the ASK campaign has shown promising results. The new Mark Gold Cards
are proving especially effective for starting conversations with potential candidates.
These are available on request from our Mark Leaders.
2.  RAM Boarding Pass
Similar in concept to the Gold Card, this tool is ideal for approaching Mark Masons who have yet to join the Royal Ark Mariner degree. Available from early September via our leadership team.

Social Media & Digital Outreach

For our younger brethren, a strong online presence is increasingly vital. Positive use of social
media helps raise awareness and promote both the Mark and RAM degrees.

Launching this September, we’re introducing a new series of short interviews titled “A Mark
Minute.”

These videos will highlight various aspects of the degrees and support our membership initiatives.
Keep an eye on our social media platforms for updates.

Support for Lodges
The province is here to support Lodges seeking guidance or assistance in achieving self-sustainability, especially during challenging times.
If your Lodge would like to discuss membership strategies or explore available options, please contact me directly at markapgm@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk.
Additionally, the Cheshire Cats team are available to assist with ritual work or officer support. They can be reached via our membership email.

Get Involved
If you’re interested in participating in any of these initiatives, including joining the Cheshire Cats, please get in touch.
We’d be delighted to welcome you into what is becoming a vibrant and successful team.

Yours sincerely and fraternally,

Worshipful Brother John David Miller

Assistant Provincial Grand Master.

A Mid-Summer Nights Team (visit)

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On Wednesday 22nd July, The Cheshire Mark team, led by our Provincial Grand Master Gary Horstman, travelled to the masonic Hall at Dukinfield, to attend and support the Benjamin Addy RAM lodge, and the slightly later meeting Ashton and District Lodges.


At the Ben Addy RAM meeting, which met before the Mark at 5 pm, the lodge Commander Steve Headdock, assisted by our Craft PGM David Dyson, and Mark APGM John Miller, elevated the Local area Royal Arch APGP, Ian Bailey in a fine ceremony that was witnessed by the 40 or so present, which was in turn a great example of the respect and mutual support enjoyed between the orders in Cheshire.


Following the RAM meeting, there was a quick change around, and the Ashton and District Lodge of Mark Master Masons TI (One of the constitutions oldest Mark Lodges) then met, essentially for a business meeting, but with our Provincial Grand Master being called upon to present a Grand Lodge certificate to the lodge’s newest member, Bro Simon Truswell.


The Brethren then retired to what was an excellent festive board which was enjoyed by all present, and at which we also celebrated the recent Birthday of our DPGM Derek Walsh, with our PGM leading the best wishes and singing.

If you would like to discover more about the Magic of the Mark in Dukinfield, please contact us at membership@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk, and we will put you in touch with the Local Mark and indeed RAM lodges.

Cheshire Freemasons perform a17th Century double Installation at Great Queen Street.

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On a unusual hot day in England Stanlow Lodge held a special meeting to initiate two new members, Daniel Kellett and Conner Ross, in Lodge room number 10 at Great Queen Street, with the brethren working a 17th Century version of the ceremony initiation- a great day which was the cumulation of 8 months of planning and was attend by the Pro Grand Master the Provincial Grand Master of the Craft together with his deputy and all five of his Assistant Provincial Grand Masters.

Also present was the Provincial Grand Master of the Mark degree in Cheshire, to show the continued support of the Companion Orders to the Craft in Cheshire.

Both Candidates had a great day and will remember this very special occasion for many years to come.

From a Mark perspective, it was great to see that the initiation team where all Mark masons (bar one, who is being advanced later this year), and an added bonus was the request and presentation of four Cheshire Mark Gold Cards to those who expressed a wish to join the Mark degree at some point in the future.
The day did not end well for the Mark PGM who had to travel home to Liverpool in order to get the 07:07 train back to Birmingham tomorrow to attend the Installation of the new PGM, his train having been cancelled and then the next train being diverted to all points East arriving in Liverpool too late for the train home, this having already attended Mark Grand Lodge on Tuesday made it a busy week for the Mark in Cheshire.

Companion Orders supporting the Craft Province of Cheshire Tercentenary celebrations.

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On Saturday 7th of June, the City of Chester welcomed Freemasons from far and wide to help celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Province of Cheshire, the oldest in the constitution, in the presence of the Pro Grand Master, Jonathon Spence.


The event was very well supported, including by leaders from the Mark and Companion orders, who attended the Service at Chester Cathedral, before a short meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, before Celebratory dinners at the Chester Grosvenor, and Crowne Plaza hotels.

The end of a drought at Tarporley RAM

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While the period of warm weather continues across the Constitution, it was a case of “making hay while the sun shines” at Tarporley RAM, (which meets in the splendid setting of the Cheshire plains at Willington Hall,) when the Lodge not only welcomed two high profile joining members in Steve Simpson and Mike Steggles, but also ended a drought of new candidates, by elevating Bro Stephen Kinsey into the lodge in an excellent ceremony conducted by Worshipful Commander Phil Johnson and his team.
 
Remarkably, the Commander then proceeded to install his successor, Bro David Bailey, again in a flawless manner witnessed by our PGM and his team, who had accompanied the Representative Kevin Atherton to the meeting.
 
Whilst we may expect the weather to turn inclement in the near future, at least the future of Tarporley RAM lodge is looking secure.

A family affair at Wallasey Mark Lodge

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Wednesday 26th March saw our APGM and a strong team of Grand and Provincial officers attend the Wallasey Mark Lodge,known locally as the 600, to witness an excellent advancement ceremony of Michael Roberts performed by his uncle  Derek as Master, and Father Trevor as Chaplain.
Bro Michael became the 4th advancee into Wallasey Mark in the last two years, and with most of the officers being none past masters the lodges looks forward to a healthy future.
However, as a technical glitch meant that we were unable to hold a traditional festive board, we toasted the newly advanced brother, with all the visitors promising to return in September for Dave McGaws 30th celebration in the friendly degree

Province of Cheshire AGM

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On Saturday, 15 March, the Province of Cheshire welcomed friends from as far afield as Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and even the District of Spain to their Annual General meeting at the Ellesmere Port Civic Centre, which was well attended with around 240 in attendance.

The Prov.G.M., R.W.Bro. Gary Horstman outlined his thanks to the outgoing Officers, his congratulations for the new Officers, the members of his Province not only for their support for the 2024 festival, but also for the efforts of the membership and support teams.

He also later advised that when combining the Mark new membership figures with the R.A.M. degree, whilst some losses are inevitable, we enjoyed a figure of 97 advancements, elevations, joining and re-joining members in the last 12 months, hopefully indicative of better times ahead for the province.

The Festive board was held at the Whitby Club, which is a short drive away from the Civic Centre, with some 140 dining, and in giving the toast to our Prov.G.M., the Asst.Prov.G.M. John Miller also advised that it was also our Prov.G.M.’s Birthday, and he was presented by John and Derek (Dep.Prov.G.M.) with a card signed by both his outgoing and incoming team’s, as well as a Birthday cake, and a fine bottle of Champagne to enjoy when he got home.

All in all, a successful meeting in the province of Cheshire, which concluded in good time to allow our guests and friends to return home, hopefully in good time, and we look forward to supporting and seeing them all again hopefully soon!

Hyde Mark Lodge Open Door Event

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A Busy Period ahead in the Mark degree in Cheshire.
Now that the 2024 Festival has been concluded, the Mark brethren of Cheshire have
changed focus from fundraising, to raising positive awareness and membership as their
priority for the new season, to build on the slight increase in membership achieved last year.
The Open -door team have a busy two months ahead with four events being held, including
one by arrangement in a Royal Arch Chapter for the first time which is indicative of the close
working relationship we have with the Craft and Royal Arch Leadership.
The Open- door event is a informative and interactive presentation or talk, given in a “called
off “Lodge (or Chapter), whereby none-Mark Masons who are duly qualified can find out a bit
more about the degree, and its connection with the Craft and Royal arch- and becoming the
next logical step in masonic knowledge.
The open-door events currently planned are as follows:

  • 20th September -Hyde Lodge of Mark Master Masons, Hyde
  • 15th October – The Stayleybridge Chapter of Integrity (daylight Chapter) Hyde
  • 16th October – Walter De Hereford Mark Lodge , Northwich
  • 30th October – the Stamford Lodge of Mark Master Masons, Stockport

We have also established several teams and a contact network to see if we are able to
attend the Royal Arch Chapters in Cheshire on a quiet evening, and give a short but equally
informative talk called “Adoniram, and the Mark degree “, which again goes some way to
explain the interconnection of the Mark degree within the core masonic knowledge, again
with the hope of increasing positive awareness of our order, and from that hopefully an
increase in our membership.

If you would like to attend an open-door event, or perhaps receive the Adoniram talk in your
Chapter, please contact us on the email below and we will help as best we can
membership@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk

2024 2025 season letter from the PGM

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30/08/2024

Dear Brethren

The last two years have been exceptional in the history of the Mark Province of Cheshire, not only with the sesquicentenary celebrations in June 2023, but also of course the culmination of the 2024 Festival in July, raising over £1,161,000 for the Mark Benevolent Fund.

With all of our lodges achieving Grand Patron Diamond status, and also Grand Masters Keystone lodges, the province also achieved the honour of being the first to achieve this remarkable double in the Constitution, all thanks to the work of the team and support of the brethren over the last 7 years.

The magnificent total of over £1,161,000 also showed the care and commitment that our brethren have towards our charity work.

All the work and effort over many years has made it possible for masons around the province to join together to support each other and in doing so to meet new friends and to enjoy these events and their masonry in general. That, brethren, is our aim, to ensure that when brethren attend events or Lodges that they have an enjoyable experience – the good ritualists can enjoy themselves, the good organisers can enjoy what they do best, the more outgoing and sociable can organise and run our social events, the good mathematicians can look after our funds, and so, as you can see, we all have something to offer, and we are each an important part of the Cheshire Mark Team.

The help and support I have received from the leaders and from the brethren, has made my role a pleasant one – hard work and time consuming no doubt, but very rewarding and enjoyable when I see so many happy masons.

Your Provincial secretariat and Director of Ceremonies teams continue to go out of their way to support Lodges and individuals, and our group of Cheshire Cats is being called on more and more to assist Lodges.

Your Provincial Treasurer is charged with keeping the running costs of the province down, and in doing so ensure that any increase in Provincial subscriptions is kept to a minimum.

This year will see more and more online forms being sent out, not only saving you time but reducing postage costs to you and the province, which as I am sure you are all aware is very expensive now.

As with every facet of life we have been forced by cost and bank closures to ask that all payments are made by BACs to avoid the cost of depositing cheques into the bank, which is rising all the time and adds considerably to the running costs of the province. So please help us to help you by making payments this way in future.

Finally, where do we as a Province go from here? Well, I have tasked the leadership team to go out and visit all lodges that have an advancement or elevation, and if your lodge wishes to invite them, to encourage more new members to join us and enjoy our order.

Our APGM John Miller is running the Open-door meetings either in Royal Arch Chapters or in your Lodges, to allow more masons to fully understand the makeup of our degree and where it fits in the masonic ladder, hopefully resulting in new members for your lodges.

I am also pleased to advise that after several years of seeing a reduction in our membership, this year we have had a slight increase both in the number of advancements and also elevations.

This a trend we are working hard to maintain with the various membership initiatives introduced, including the Open-door meetings being held increasingly in our Mark Lodges, and a shorter “Adoniram nugget” being introduced into our Royal Arch Chapters, increasing the positive awareness and relevance of our orders – and of course the Just Ask campaign, which I’m sure you will have heard about.

Our Leadership team are looking to again visit and support as many lodge celebrations as possible, including advancement and elevation ceremonies, but of course will always ask if they may attend first, as we recognise that sometimes it’s nice to meet in the more normal setting of a regular lodge meeting.

I look forward to another busy year and visiting as many lodges as I can, making new friends and cementing those friendships that have already developed over the past years.

Have a great season 2024 – 2025 and remember to Mark Well.

Yours sincerely and fraternally, 

Right Worshipful Brother Gary Raymond Horstman

Provincial Grand Master