Our Lodge has had a great relationship with some brethren from the province of South Wales for some 30 years now. Every couple of years, some of our Welsh brethren make the journey up to Arran with their partners to attend our annual ladies’ night dinner and dance and catch a regular meeting in our Lodge. We had planned a first degree for them this time around so they could see the tracing board lecture with real ashlars, keystone and Lewis and our system of pulleys.
One of our Welsh friends, worshipful brother Gerald French stepped in as the candidate and was ably led through the ceremony of being made an Entered Apprentice. The degree team performed very well and the tracing board lecture was a particular highlight of the evening.
The full degree team was as follows:
- Secrets: John Murchie WJW
- Badge: Chris Stirland WSW
- Northeast Corner: Alex Roberts SD
- Working Tools: Alex Roberts SD
- Mode and Manner: John Murchie WJW
- Tracing Board: Alan Campbell JD
- Charge: Chris Stirland WSW
Brother Colin Manning has been visiting our Lodge for some 30 years, after having struck up a friendship in South Wales with one of Lodge 774’s members, bother Alexander Greenhorn. Brother Archie Reynolds is a more recent visitor, having been coming to Arran for only five years, but he’s a regular visitor both to craft lodge and chapter. He’s presently master of a Lodge in Wales and also Z in Chapter at Llantwit Major. Both of these brothers have been great supporters of Lodge 774 and it was, therefore, our honour and privilege to recognise that fact by conferring on them both honorary membership at our meeting. Neither of the two of them was expecting this honour, making it rather a special moment for all attendance.
