On 18 November 2013 members and guests of the Chapter of Fidelity, celebrated its Golden Jubilee and the 50th anniversary, almost to the day, of the exaltation into Royal Arch Masonry, of E Comp Gordon Gentry. It was appropriate for the Festive Board to be adjourned to its original venue, the Saracens Head Hotel, and, coincidentally, it was attended by exactly fifty diners.
The Chapter was consecrated on 19 February 1963, at the Masonic Hall, Towcester by the then Grand Superintendent, E Comp HG Lewis. Of the thirty-three founders, E Comp Alan Stewart, now living on the Isle of Man, is the only surviving member. He was particularly sorry that he could not attend the Golden Jubilee Convocation.
In November 1963, a brother from Westministerian Lodge No 3344 and a Schoolmaster working at St John’s School, Tiffield, E Comp Gordon Gentry, was exalted into this Chapter in a double ceremony with a Bro John Lockart of Bugbrooke. It was rather special that E Comp Gordon Gentry received his 50th Anniversary Certificate from our Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, E Comp Wayne Williams on the occasion of the Chapter’s Golden Jubilee Convocation.
As PGM of the Royal Order of Scotland in the Province of Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire, E Comp Gordon Gentry has committed many years of dedicated work to Freemasonry, though he has also moved in other grand circles in our capital. He became Master of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London in 2007 and was responsible for investing none other than HRH, The Princess Royal as his successor. Married to Anne, E Comp Gordon he has three children and four grandchildren.
Lodges that helped launch the Chapter of Fidelity were not necessarily based in Towcester. At that time there was only one Towcester Craft Lodge, our namesake (the Lodge of Fidelity) but Brackley and Daventry had a major part to play. Waynflete Lodge contributed twenty-eight members and now have a Holy Royal Arch Chapter of their own. Similarly, Beneventa Lodge provided twenty-two exaltees and Coritani Lodge five of which the two remain in our membership, E Comp Rick Bott and E Comp Norman Scrimshaw, who were both present at this Golden Jubilee Convocation.
The evening was constructed around a number of brief addresses by Companions of the Chapter. Contributors were E Comps Andrew Graham, Steve Brame, Graham Minett, Norman Scrimshaw, Rick Bott, Arnold Francklow and Gordon Gentry (after he had been presented with his Jubilee Certificate by the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, E Comp Wayne Williams).
Addresses became an eloquent flow of stories of frustration and boredom with previous versions of ritual, then delight with revisions and unusual events such as a certain Companion being allowed to join the Chapter on one occasion and then, in the next meeting, to be installed into all three Chairs. Who was this? Well, he is none other than our own Past Pro Grand Master and Past First Grand Principal, The Marquis of Northampton, who remains a subscribing member of the Chapter.