Category Archives: Events

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

It’s that Van Van again!

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Van van day 2.
With our kit dried overnight( following the day 1 deluge), and an early breakfast, the team set off at around 7.20am for the longest distance day, a planned 222 miles to Tewkesbury.
However the vagaries of the several hills on the A30 meant that the team became spread out, to the point that two of the lads missed our 10am rendezous with the PGM of the Mark Province of Devonshire, RWBro David Purdie, accompanied by his Deputy, VWBro John Clendenning. Both were pleased to meet the team, and present our APGM, with a very generous cheque towards the 2024 festival. They also brought some Devonshire scones, for comparison with those brought by Cornwall, and we have to say we took a vote but couldn’t decide which was best! Nevertheless, we did enjoy the welcome, and they were both pleased to receive an official ride shirt.
Setting off from Devon, as soon the Team crossed the border into Somerset, the British weather again gave the team a good soaking, to the effect that apart from fuel stops and with no other appointments arranged, they rode on in mostly torrential conditions to their stop over point at Tewkesbury, to once again dry off their riding gear, before tomorrow’s shorter ride back into Cheshire via the A49.

The Salmon Lunch Returns to Stockport

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The Salmon Lunch Returns to Stockport
On Sunday 2nd of June, and after a break in 2023 due to the clash with the Sesquicentenary, Cheshire Mark held its annual Salmon Lunch at the Guildhall Stockport, under the organisation of Keith Goulden, and Howard Waddell, with a lot of help from Steve Flood.
The event was a great success, with 74 Guests attending, and enjoying the meal, whilst being entertained by the excellent Table Magician Dean Lahan.
The raffle to which many of the members had donated prizes, raised the magnificent sum of £875.00 towards our 2024 MBF Festival.
( NB: It should be worth noting that the unusually bent forks were part of Dean’s Magic show, and nothing to do with the food- which was excellently prepared as usual!)

The Mark Province of Cheshire held their AGM on Saturday 16th of March – APGM John Miller

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The Mark Province of Cheshire held their Annual General Meeting on Saturday 16th of March, within a reversal of approach (brought on by reasons out of their control) a Morning Brunch meeting held at the Whitby Club, prior to the AGM itself at Ellesmere Port Civic Centre, just a few minutes “down the road”, instead of the more normal “meeting then Lunch” approach.
Although this was a one off, it was very successful, and those who dined were treated to an excellent breakfast, in which the Local Widows Sons chapter presented a generous Cheque of £500, and the Local Cheshire Freemasons Luncheon club also donated £250 towards the 2024 Cheshire Festival.

Despite our PGM not liking surprises, the DPGM and APGM risked being reappointed by celebrating his 70th Birthday (which occurred the day beforehand) and having a cake presented by Sue Horstman and Diane Miller, who assisted on the day with the selling of raffle tickets etc, to Mark him becoming a septuagenarian.
We then proceeded to the Ellesmere Port Civic Centre for the main meeting, which included an “in regalia” procession by our Companion Orders, a separate procession of all our Distinguished Guests, and of course the ever colourful RAM delegation, all present in time for the 1 pm meeting.
When Introducing the many distinguished guests, our PGM was very pleased to be presented with a further donation of £7,000.00 to our 2024 Festival from the PGM RWBro Keith Beardmore from our neighbouring province of West Lancashire, which was very gratefully received.
During the meeting, the Festival Chairman Steve Simpson was pleased to present several honorific collarettes to various brethren, and, whilst the Lodge was called off for a short while, to present three of our Cheshire Ladies with their Grand Patron Gold broaches, in recognition of their contributions made.
Whilst appointing and promoting provincial officers, our PGM also included three non-collared appointments of Stone Bearer to Bros, Simon Wall, Simon Porter, and Graham Knowles in recognition of their work in support of the order.

Just before closing the Lodge, he conducted the draw for the signed bottles of single malt, the one signed by the Grand Master being won by RWBro J Trevor Bolton (PGM of West Yorkshire), and the second (signed by the High Rulers) by our own Past APGM WBro Bob McMillan.
The meeting was a great success and concluded at 3 pm – albeit next year we will return to the more normal format of holding the Dinner after the meeting.

“Let’s Talk” initiative

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“Let’s Talk”

We are pleased to introduce the “Let’s Talk” initiative, for all
Cheshire Mark and RAM Masons, to help support our
members.
If you would like to chat to somebody, but don’t wish to talk
to one of your friends or peers within your lodge you can
contact Dave, an experienced and dedicated Mark Mason
who would in complete confidence be more than happy to
speak to you, and be able to assist access that help,
assistance, or guidance you may seek.

To get in touch, please email
letstalk@cheshiremarkmasons.co.uk and Dave we will do
his best to help or direct you accordingly, where he can.

From time to time, we all need a friend like Dave, so when
you do “Let’s talk”.

Poster

150 Years of The Province of Cheshire

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150 Years of The Province of Cheshire

Although the shrouded history of Operative Mark Masonry begins much earlier, this story has its outset in September 1769, where we find the first written record of any working of a speculative Mark degree, when at a newly chartered Royal Arch Chapter, known as the Chapter of Friendship, held at the George Tavern in Portsmouth, the famous Thomas Dunckerley, son of the Prince of Wales (later King George II), Provincial Grand Master.

“Up to 1872, there had been no Provincial Grand Mark Lodge for the Province of Cheshire. The consecration of the Stamford Mark Lodge No. 148 in March 1872, now meeting at Sale, brought the number of Mark Lodges in Cheshire at the time, to four, the other three being Ashton District at Dukinfield, Benevolent No. 67 (now Benevolent TI) at Stockport, and Fidelity Mark No.31 at Birkenhead. With the addition of North Wales, it was deemed desirable by several eminent Mark Master Masons, that a Provincial Grand Lodge should be established for the area of Cheshire and North Wales. on 5th April 1873 therefore, through the united exertions of Brothers Bulkeley Hughes, W. Romaine Callender (who we mentioned earlier as the Mark Provincial Grand Master in Lancashire), J. Chadwick, Lt. Col Wilkinson, J. A. Birch, and Richard Newhouse, the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Cheshire and North Wales was Instituted and Consecrated under the command of The first Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. The Hon. Wilbraham Egerton (later Earl Egerton of Tatton). W. Bro Newhouse was appointed as the first Provincial Grand Secretary (and indeed, he held the same position in Craft).

The combined Province separated in 1880 and The Province of Cheshire as we know it today, was born.

Mark Benevolent Fund- helping those in need

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Mark Benevolent Fund- helping those in need

During their recent trip to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukraine by supplying much needed Ambulances and medical supplies to the Ukraine, which was partially funded by the Mark Benevolent Fund, Cheshire Mark Mason Mike Ross visited an orphanage in Chernivtsi, and was struck by their plight, and need for a minibus to transport the children to the nearest hospital some 30 miles away, and if needs be, to assist with any future evacuation that may be required.

Mike was so moved by their need and the conditions they faced, that he promised to do what he could on his return, and immediately started a new appeal to purchase a suitable minibus, and again taking Humanitarian aid and supplies to deliver it as soon as possible to where it was urgently required.

Following a further request for aid from the Mark Benevolent fund, he was overwhelmed to have quickly received a further grant of £10,000.00 towards the costs of providing the minibus, the target for which has now been met, with any excess funds going to providing suitable supplies for the orphanage in question.

Mike is now rapidly making arrangements to put his plan into action, and hopes to again make the journey into the Ukraine, in the next week or two, and we look forward to news on his progress.