Setantia Chapter of Installed 1st Principles No 7755.....<More>
Ian retires after 16 years as Group Officer.....<More>
HELP FOR HEROES BALL - a successful evening........<More>
Preston Group Bowling tournament 2010
....<More>
PRESTON MASTERS QUIZ 2010 – ANOTHER
SUCCESSFUL NIGHT!........<More>
A RARE SCOTTISH DIAMOND - On Thursday 15th
April, the Lodge of Concord no. 343 hosted a very special
meeting at which Alexander Green celebrated sixty years
of being a mason......<More>
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Setantia Chapter of Installed 1st Principles No 7755
Installation meeting was on held on Thursday 6th May 2010 at Wellington Park, Leyland.
Excellent Companion Tom Jackson PGStB was installed as 1st Principle; Excellent
Companion J Alan Bibby PPrGSwdB as 2nd Principle and Excellent Companion
Raymond Haworth PPrGSN as 3rd Principle. The ceremony conducted by Excellent
Companions WAJ (Bill) Thompson PGStdB; David Harrison PPrGSN and Brian Wood
PPrGSN, who installed their successors with aplomb.
Any installed first principle or past installed principle interested in joining this
vibrant and friendly Chapter should contact Excellent Companion Ian Taylor –
ian.mosthi@hotmail.com
Ian retires after 16 years as Group
Officer.
In May this year Ian Greenwood retired from his position
as Chairman of the Preston Group. During his time as a Group
Officer Ian served as Group Secretary, then as Vice-Chairman
prior to becoming Chairman. The Membership of the Preston
Group of Lodges,Chapters and Individuals, demonstrated their
affection and recognised the sterling service Ian had given
to the Group by collecting together thus enabling a presentation
of a Lap-top computer, plus printer, to replace his hard
worked existing equipment.
In recognition of the magnificent support Ian has received
throughout his period in office from his wife Gwynneth it
was possible to present her with a state of the art ladies
wrist watch. The presentations were made at the annual Group
Officers' Dinner.
"Gwyneth with her watch, Ian with his
computer and Group Chairman, Stan Rigby"
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Help for Heroes Gala Dinner &
Dance
The Gala Dinner and Dance on the 5th of June to raise money
for Help for Heroes was a great success.
113 guests sat down for an excellent 4-course dinner followed
by Beating Retreat from the Preston City Pipe Band who gave
a fantastic display of pomp, splendour and piping. After
dinner we were able to dance into the night with Adrian
Ross, one of the best disco’s we have had at the hall
for some time.
On the night we raised money by the old favourites of Heads
and Tails, A raffle and an auction. Counting donations we
also received from some people who could not attend due
to other engagements we raised a spectacular sum of £1322.61
that has gone directly to Help for Heroes.
"Happy diners"
"Beating the retreat"
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PRESTON GROUP MASONIC BOWLING
COMPETITION Broughton & District Club, Sunday 30th May
2010
The event took place at the popular Broughton & District
Club. Whittingham Lane, Broughton. We found the green conditions
to be firm but excellent, and ‘luckily’ the
weather remained fine but with a rather cool breeze.
Thirteen participants entered the competition, which was
divided into two mini-leagues, and played in a ‘round-robin’
format. The individual winner of each league then had to
‘play-off’ in the final. There was a good standard
of bowling throughout the day, and the competition was as
usual, played in a jovial, friendly and convivial manner.
Food and drink was provided by the club, and the whole event
turned out to be a great success.
We were delighted to see in attendance our Group Chairman
and Vice Chairman who competed in the event. There were
also numerous guests, visitors, and spectators who all helped
towards creating a great atmosphere for the occasion. We
are grateful to the ladies for assisting to run the raffle,
and all those who kindly provided the prizes. The raffle
successfully raised £100 towards charity.
The eventual winner of the Group Trophy and Presidents Prize
was Mel Johnson who defeated Peter Cornwell 15-11 in a closely
contested final. The encounter at one stage looked to be
going Peters way before Mel produced a very late ‘come-back’
to clinch victory. Peter was presented with the Chairman’s
Prize as runner-up. Cliff Bell took the third prize, and
Gordon Payne the fourth. All four prize winners now qualify
to play in the West Lancs Masonic Bowling Tournament, which
is to be held at Fox Lane Bowling Club, Leyland on Saturday
24th July.
"The Winner, W. Bro. Mel Johnson, receiving
the trophy and prize from W. Bro. Gordon Payne"
"W. Bro. Peter Cornwell receives his
prize as loosing finalist, from the Chairman, W. Bro. John
Watson"
"The third placed bowler W. Bro. Cliff
Bell with his prize"
"W.Bro. Gordon Payne with the fourth
place prize"
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PRESTON MASTERS QUIZ 2010 –
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL NIGHT!
On Friday 26th February 20 teams from the Preston Lodges
gathered at Preston Masonic Hall to contest the 2010 Quiz
competition, two lodges providing 3 teams each. In total
over 100 people attended, and the evening raised over £500
for Preston Masters’ charities.
On the night the previous Preston Masters’ Group Chairman,
John Sarti, presented cheques for £750 each to representatives
from Actioneers for Children (part of action for Blind People),
Galloway’s Society for the Blind, Pear Tree School
and St. Saviour’s PCC. They also presented £150
to Ian Greenwood for the Preston Group Chairman’s
Charity. Preston Ladies’ Barber Shop Singers’
Charity Fund has since received £175.
The evening was run by Quizmaster Stuart Elliott (from
Royal Preston, the previous year’s winners) and his
wife Val, who acted as scorer. The quiz was closely contested,
and was won by Fraternity lodge, second was Preston Guild,
third Halcyon, and forth Unanimity. In all, win or lose,
this proved to be a very enjoyable night.
"The Ballroom on Quiz Night"
"The representative from 'Action For
Blind People' receiving their cheque from John Sarti"
"Pear Tree School's cheque being presented"
"John with Rev. Graham Halsall and
the St. Saviour's PCC"
"Chairman Richard Johnson (second left)
presents the cup to the Winners"
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A RARE SCOTTISH DIAMOND
On Thursday 15th April, the Lodge of Concord no. 343 hosted
a very special meeting at which Alexander Green celebrated
sixty years of being a mason. The Lodge was opened in the
third degree, and then Assistant Provincial Grand Master
Leon Tax, entered and immediately took the chair to expertly
close down to the first and begin the celebration.
Alex Green was born on 24th November 1931 in Dalmuir, Scotland,
the first and only child to Alexander and Helen Green. The
family moved to Bowling when Alex was three and he attended
Gavinburn Primary School. Due to the school being severely
damaged by bombing during the blitz he was evacuated to
Pollock Academy which institution he left in 1944 with a
qualified exam. This enabled him to graduate to Dumbarton
Academy where he studied until 1947 - Moving on to Clydebank
High School to complete his education – leaving in
1950 with a Scottish Higher Certificate. It was in this
year that he began his National Service, joining the Army
Pay Corps, and serving in Singapore before his demob in
1953. Anxious to obtain work he was able to secure a four-year
student apprenticeship with Babcocks and Wilcox who were
boilermakers. He then moved on to Albion Motors. However
by this time Leyland Motors had taken over the company.
Alex then moved on again to work at Barr and Stroud. They
were making Range Finders, Periscopes and Guidance Systems
and Alex went to work in the gear-cutting department.
During his career he moved on many times working for very
many light engineering companies before finishing his working
life with British Leyland, retiring in 1992. Whilst at Leyland
he demonstrated his deep love of sport, and ran the Leyland
Motors Athletic Football Club for many years.
In 1953 he began courting Jean Stewart, who worked in the
local sweet shop come café, and four years later
on 3rd April 1957 they were married. They have three children,
Susan born in 1958, Julie born in 1961 and Alexander James
nicknamed Sandy by his parents who was born in 1970. Alex
and Jean are proud and doting grandparents they have three
grandchildren Louise age 24, Fiona age 19 and Baby Oliver
who was born just before Christmas on 20th December. It
was in 1982 that the Greens bought and moved into their
present home at Garsdale Close, Walton Le Dale.
Alex’s Masonic career began when at the age of eighteen
years and five months, he was initiated into Lodge St Patrick
No 1309 on 17th April 1950. His proposer was his father
Bro Alexander Green and his seconder was his uncle, Bro
James Watson. He was one of five initiates on that night,
demonstrating the strength of Scottish freemasonry - which
is further illustrated by the fact that the lodge met twice
per month and only missed July and the first half of August.
He was passed on 21st August 1950 and raised to the sublime
degree of a MM just two weeks later on 4th September 1950.
The date of his raising was bought forward as Alex was called
up and joined the Army in September 1950. He was advanced
into Mark Masonry on 15th February 1954. He was exalted
into the Royal Arch in Dalmuir Chapter No 317 in 1955.
He was installed as Right Worshipful Master of his lodge
in 1964, and served as Master for two years. It was on 17th
November 1988 that Alex joined the Lodge of Concord, and
he was installed as Worshipful Master on 18th January 2007.
He then joined Concord Chapter No 343 and Progress Mark
Lodge No 898.
In Scotland he was the Acting Provincial Grand Almoner
for three years from 1967 to 1969 but it was when he celebrated
his 50th anniversary as a freemason in April 2000 that it
pleased the RW PGM to appoint him a Provincial Officer in
West Lancashire as PPrAGSupWks.
At the end of the meeting after presenting him with his
commemorative certificate, Leon surprised Alex by announcing
that the Provincial Grand Master had agreed to bring forward
his forthcoming promotion in Provincial Grand Lodge, and
after Ian Greenwood, the Preston Group Chairman, had read
out the Patent of Appointment, he invested him with his
new rank of PPrJGD.
“ W. Bro. Ian Greenwood,(Group Chairman)
W. Bro. Alex Green, W.Bro. Ted Fry (Worshipful Master),W.
Bro. Leon Tax, A.Pr.G.M. and W. Bro. Paul Hesketh (Provincial
Deputy Director of Ceremonies)”
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