“The earth constantly revolving on its axis in its orbit round the sun and Freemasonry being universally spread over its surface, it necessarily follows that the sun must always be at its meridian with respect to Freemasonry.”
A short narrative with pictures by W/Bro Roger Crow, P.PrJGD, Worcestershire.
At the time of writing I am the current Assistant Director of Ceremonies for The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge 1555 EC by a strange quirk of fate I was also in the 2nd year of being the Immediate Past Master for my Mother Lodge the Wyre Forest Lodge 8653 in the Province of Worcestershire, England.
All this was soon to come to an end when I went back home for five weeks on 29th April 09 to the UK in order to visit my family and friends.
The then current Worshipful Master, of Wyre Forest Lodge, Worshipful Brother Geoff Holland had done two years in the chair of King Solomon during this time his health had deteriorated due to his transplanted kidney beginning to fail, the original operation took place 16 years ago.
Early in 2009 divine help was to come from Worshipful Brother Holland’s youngest son James, who donated one his kidney’s to his father. “It was thankfully received and faithfully applied.”
The operation went smoothly but time was moving on fast towards the date when the Master Elect was to be inducted into the chair. Installed or Inducted as the Master Elect is a Past Master? I’ll let you decide.
As each day passed Worshipful Brother Holland was recovering well and getting stronger and by the 18th May 09 the date of the Installation Ceremony it was decided that he would open the lodge, receive Right Worshipful R.G.H. Goddard The Provincial Grand Master of Worcestershire and his team and then hand over the ceremony to the Immediate Past Master to conduct the Ceremony of Installation, a novelty which means that I have now installed the two consecutive Masters of my Mother Lodge.
For me this was to be no hardship but a Masonic pleasure, the Master Elect, Worshipful Brother Peter Ransome and I had served together in the Police and are good friends. (We could tell you some wonderful stories of what happened and what we did during our careers.)
He has in fact installed me twice into the chair of King Solomon at Wyre Forest Lodge, my first time as Worshipful Master in 2001 and again in 2006 which was actually my third time in the Chair. The other lodge of which I am a Founder member is the West Mercia Lodge 9719 in the Province of Shropshire, England.
As a Worshipful Master of any Lodge there will of course be many high and sadly low points during your time in office, a high point for me was on Saturday 11th June 2005 when as the current Master of West Mercia Lodge 9719 we held our Lodge Banner Unfurling Ceremony. It was indeed a most wonderful Masonic occasion.
But for Worshipful Brother Ransome it is his fourth time as the Master of Wyre Forest Lodge. Something I know that he is proud to do, he has also been the Worshipful Commander in Vernon lodge of Royal Ark Mariners 923, and he is also a Past Master of Vernon Lodge of Mark Master Masons 923 both in the Province of Worcestershire, England.
In Mark Degree he was promoted to an Active Provincial Standard Bearer and after one season and several duties on the ‘circuit’ he was promoted to Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer the same rank that he holds in Craft Degree!!! I know that he loves his Freemasonry.**
However, I digress; Worshipful Brother Prashanta Kumar Das the Worshipful Master of Royal Prince of Wales Lodge 1555 EC had given to me a Lodge Bannerette to present to W/Brother Peter Ransome, to pass on his congratulations and to wish him well and every success during his year in office.
This was presented with suitable words at an appropriate time during the festive board; the photograph was taken in the Lodge Rooms.
For me to return to the UK and to my Mother Lodge and install the Master Elect was not a burden or a chore but total enjoyment and I am truly grateful to Worshipful Brother Holland and the Brethren of Wyre Forest Lodge 8653 for this opportunity.
At the time of writing this I have learnt that Worshipful Brother Holland has had some post operative problems which is requiring further surgery but his son James has fully recovered. I am sure that we all wish him well and a full and speedy recovery.
Even though I have been asked to take up ‘Country Membership’ of my UK lodges I decided against it and remain being a fully paid up member of all my UK lodges and side degree’s.
**”Let me exhort you to dedicate yourself to such pursuits as may at once enable you to be respectable in life, useful to mankind, and an ornament to the society of which you have this day become a member; to study more especially such of the liberal Arts and Sciences as may lie within the compass of your attainment, and without neglecting the ordinary duties of your station, to endeavour to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge”.
Worshipful Brother Peter Ransome certainly did listen and act on those words.
Worshipful Brother Roger Crow.
July 09.
