Craft News
Congratulations to Bro Michael Greene on winning the recent Bottle competition. The correct answer was £131.82. He guessed the amount in the bottle was £132 and wins one year’s subscription to his Lodge - Petriburg Lodge No 8767.
Even better news for the Provincial Grand Charity is that Bro Michael has donated his winnings to the Charity. Thank you Michael and also a big thank you to all who took part and helped to raise £750 for the Provincial Grand Charity.
The Lodge of St George has celebrated their 500th meeting on 7 January 2015, with a 2nd Degree ceremony, followed by a banner re-dedication. The WM, Bro Danny Hunt carried out a fine ceremony and passed Bro Mark Rigby to the 2nd degree.
PGM, RWBro Max Bayes, then took the chair and conducted a very enjoyable banner re-dedication. The Lodge was also treated to a short presentation of some of the history behind the Lodge of St George by the ProvGChaplain WBro Rev Ray Hemmingway. (A more detailed history can be found here.)
There were in excess of 120 brethren present to support the Lodge on this very special night and the banner re-dedication team did a superb job, with excellent support from Grand Lodge Officers and Provincial Grand Lodge officers. To see the Lodge and Festive board packed to capacity was a wonderful sight.
WM, W.Bro Danny Hunt, with the Provincial Grand Master and the newly dedicated banner.
- Written by: John Fergusson
On the 30 September 2016, our Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, dedicated the banner for Silverstone Lodge 9877. He was very well supported by 17 members of the Provincial team, and, in total, there were 90 people in attendance from over 40 lodges both in and outside the Province of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire.
It was a great evening with the banner being finally unveiled and dedicated by W Bro Ray Hemmingray PProvGChap, which was a special treat as W Bro Ray Hemmingray had assisted in the consecration of the Lodge in May 2013 and is an honorary member of the Lodge. This was the first time that Silverstone Lodge had returned to Sheaf Close since its consecration in 2013, which was one of the very first meetings held at the new Provincial centre. The banner was escorted around the Lodge by five of the founders of the lodge and the ceremony was conducted by the Provincial Grand Master RW Bro Max Bayes and supported by Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies W Bro Dale Gilbert. The Master accepted the banner on behalf of the Lodge which is looking forward to displaying it at their next regular meeting on the 4 November 2016, where normal service will be resumed and Fish and Chips will be served.
The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, is pictured below with the Worshipful Master of Silverstone Lodge, W Bro Richard Stokes and other members of the Lodge.
- Written by: John Fergusson
On 7 October 2016, our Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, surprised the Past Provincial Grand Orator, W Bro Michael Gorrod at the Lodge of St James Installation meeting. W Bro Michael had been expecting to be part of a Q&A lecture that he has delivered many times with W Bro John Harvey.
However, the Provincial Grand Master had other plans and decided that this was a suitable occasion to present him with his Certificate of Merit along with an immediate promotion to Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden. This promotion was made to reflect W Bro Michael’s massive contribution to Freemasonry in this Province and he was rendered speechless and not a little surprised by this significant and rarely given promotion.
In 2011, the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Barrie Hall appointed W Bro Michael as the first Provincial Grand Orator and it was a very challenging role. It was a challenge that he relished and over a period of four years he transformed the role and its perception through a range of interesting, informative and educational talks so that Lodges look forward to receiving them as well as putting in place the structure for the Provincial Orations team to flourish.
W Bro Michael was initiated into Kirkhill Lodge, No 1230, in the Scottish Constitution on 23 March 1961. He travelled widely as a Sales Executive in the shoe industry and eventually settled in Kettering at which point he recommenced his Freemasonry by joining Willowbrook Lodge in March 1993. In 2005, he became Worshipful Master and did a two-year term, his performance as Worshipful Master was rewarded by being appointed to Provincial Grand Steward in 2008.
W Bro Michael is also a member of Palmer Lodge of Provincial Grand Stewards, Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire Lodge of Installed Masters, Richard Sandbach Lodge of Research and Pro Musica Lodge as well as being a Past First Principal of St Crispin Chapter.
The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, with W Bro Michael Gorrod