Excellent Companion Harry Carr of Sun Square ans Compasses Chapter No 119. Fifty Year Holy Royal Arch Chapter Certificate Presentation
Friday the 13th of May 2016 was not an unlucky one for the Sun Square and Compasses Chapter No 119: we were meeting to celebrate Excellent Companion Harry Carr’s 50 years in Royal Arch Masonry. We were extremely lucky to have the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent Companion Norman James Thompson DL, along with his full Provincial team in attendance to present the certificate.
“On the 13th July 1961 Companion Carr completed his journey in pure and ancient freemasonry when he was exalted into this Supreme Degree. In 1969 he became the First Principle of this Chapter In 1973 he was appointed to Provincial Grand Chapter rank of Past Provincial Grand Sojourner”.
“Companion Carr was born in Kirkham Lancashire on the 3rd October 1926 “…..
“1926 was a time of social unrest in our country. The wheels of industry ground to a halt for nine days in May in the greatest concerted national strike ever seen in Great Britain. The action was taken in support of Britain’s coalminers, two thirds of whom had been locked out by their employers for refusing to accept the lower wages proposed by the Samuel Commission. The strike started on May 3rd and was called off May 12th but the miners stayed out until November.”
“Companion Carr attended Kirkham Grammar School and much of his life was spent working at Sellafield, he started his working life there as an Administration Officer in 1948 and when he retired in 1983 as a Welfare Officer.”
“Companion Carr served for four and a half years in the Household Cavalry where he reached the rank of Corporal.
Three weeks after the war ended, Companion Carr was posted to Germany where he spent three and a half years from 1944 to 1948 with the British Forces of occupation of the Rhine.”
“In 1952 he married his wife Margaret and they have been married for 63 years, they have two children Margaret and Debbie and three grandchildren.”
“In his younger days Harry played cricket for Blackpool Cricket Club and football for Kirkham” and is a lifelong supporter of Preston North Football Club.
“All in all companions we celebrate with Companion Carr a long and I hope enjoyable association in Royal Arch Masonry and may it continue for many years to come”.
Following the presentation, Harry replied with recollections of his time in the Chapter and the close links between The Cumbria Lodge No 6643 and Sun Square and Compasses Chapter No 119 and the personalties and characters he had met over his 55 years membership. His speech was received with warm acclamation by the Companions.
The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent then directed that EC Carr be paraded around the Chapter to show to the assembled Companions his 50 years Certificate
A very generous and warm round of applause ensued.
There were Forty Nine Companions present.
Comp G S D’Arcy
Scribe Ezra, Sun Sq & Compasses Chapter no 119.
Extracts in quotes are from the speech made by The Most Excellent Companion Norman James Thompson DL.
Submitted on 2nd June 2016 by E.Comp. Gerard Stephen D’Arcy
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