On 31 October the PGM RW. Bro. Tom Quinn fully supported by the most senior Provincial Grand Officers Consecrated Locomotion Lodge
- Members of the Consecration Team
- A proportion of the members of the lodge and consecration team
- The Junior Warden Bro. Andrew Hardie and ‘Beeching’ the axe
- The Station Buffet!
- The Provincial Grand Master RW. Bro. Tom Quinn, the Worshipful Master W. Bro. Graham Elms and RW. Bro. Sir David Wootton P.G.S.W.
- RW. Bro. Tom Quinn and the Master W. Bro. Graham Elms
- The Provincial Grand Inner Guard W. Bro. Mark Elphick
- The Deputy Grand D.C. W. Bro. Oliver Coddington and the Provincial Grand Sword Bearer W. Bro. Tony Bowen
- The lodge D.C.W. Bro. Tony Codd and the Provincial Grand Secretary W. Bro. Robert Anderson.
- W. Bro. Don McGarr and the creator of the lodge logo W. Bro. D. Gibney.
- The Master and the Primus IPM W. Bro. Don McGarr
- The Deputy Prov. Grand Master W. Bro. Tim MacAndrews and W. Bro. Sir David Wootton PGSW
- W. Bro. David Lucas and W. Bro. Cliff Sturt APGM’s
- W. Bro. John Ellis and W. Bro. Wes Hollands APGM’s
- The Past PGM RW. Bro. David Ashbolt drops in to add his congratulations on the formation of the new lodge
- The Worshipful Master toasting the creator of the lodge logo W. Bro. D. Gibney
- The Provincial Grand Master presenting the Master with a copy of ‘Memories of Steam’ written by somebody called ‘Tom Quinn’?
It was an early start on 31st of October as the Brethren of London gathered at Mark Masons’ Hall to witness the Consecration of our newest lodge of Mark Master Masons – the Locomotion Lodge No.2013.
The Provincial Grand Master entered the Grand Temple in procession and proceeded to install his principal grand officers in their respective offices. The Provincial Grand Master then went on to consecrate the new lodge in an exemplary manner ably supported by his consecrating team. Such was the high standard achieved by all the consecrating officers that you would not have believed that this was the first time that they had performed the ceremony together.
Once the lodge had been formed the Provincial Grand Master handed over the chair of Adoniram to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master who proceeded to install Brother Graham Elms as the Primus Master of the lodge. The newly installed Master then appointed and installed his two Wardens – however when it was the Junior Warden’s turn to be installed the ceremony was interrupted and W. Bro. Charlie Newman presented the Junior Warden with a shiny new axe which was promptly named ‘Beeching’ after the well-known doctor who took the axe to the British Rail network. The Worshipful Master then proceeded to appoint and install the rest of the lodge officers and being a themed lodge the Worshipful Master presented the Charity Steward with his old ‘British Rail’ cap to be used to collect charity donations and the Director of Ceremonies was presented with a whistle courtesy of the Past Provincial Grand Master RW. Bro. David Ashbolt to keep order in the lodge. Also to assist the Junior Warden and the Inner Guard to ascertain that the lodge was secure at all times they were provided with Railwaymen’s lamps to aid them in their communications.
After the obligatory group photo the Brethren retired to the Station Buffet on the first floor for a reception prior to luncheon. To mark the occasion those Brethren who witnessed the consecration and partook of lunch were given a small memento of the occasion in the form of a portable power bank suitably decorated with the lodge’s new logo.
All in all a most memorable meeting and I’m sure that all the new members of the lodge were pleased that the lodge had finally achieved ‘locomotion’ and launched itself down the tracks to a prosperous new future. I’m also sure that the members all went their respective ways feeling suitably chuff, chuff, chuffed.
Richard Veness