WBro Maurice Rye celebrates his 90th Birthday and 50 years as a Freemason

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He lives with his Wife, Evelyn, at Dukes’ Court, Wellingborough, a residential Care Home, and his recent birthday party with family and friends, included RWBro Barrie Hall, WM of Risdene Lodge and WBro Steve Squires, Secretary, and their Wives. RWBro Hall presented WBro Rye with his 50th Certificate, explaining the reasons for the award of his certificate of merit in 2000.

Guisborough Lodges help to fund commemorative bench to honour D-Day hero Stan Hollis VC

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On Thursday 30 June 2016, Hollis family members, the Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland Council Barry Hunt, members of the Green Howards Regiment, the local community and Freemasons from Guisborough gathered at St Cuthbert’s Church, Ormesby for the unveiling of a commemorative bench to Company Sergeant Major Hollis, the only man to receive the Victoria Cross for his Operation Overlord heroics serving with the 6th Battalion on Gold beach, Normandy on 6 June 1944.

Three Uses of Memory in Freemasonry by W.Bro. J. Scott Kenney

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Why is memory so important to Freemasons? I’m sure to many of you, that will seem obvious. Yet, beyond memorizing material so that you can do things like prove up to a higher degree, perform your ritual part well, do the floorwork, deliver a charge or even deliver a tracing board, there is a great deal more to this topic than one might think at first glance. Thus, in this brief paper, I hope to sketch out three interrelated areas in which memory may – whether consciously or inadvertently – be of significance to Freemasons.

Captain Fryatt – The Martyr of Bruges

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As it will be 100 years since his demise, in this coming July we are holding an exhibition in memory of the great man, it will last for 9 days, we hope to have many visitors to view the more than a hundred artefact’s we have and of course we hope to attract interested men into masonry.

                                             

John Paul Jones – Freemason and Naval Commander of the Revolutionary War

John Paul Jones   Freemason and Naval Commander of the Revolutionary War

John Paul Jones is probably the best known Naval figure of the Revolutionary War He was born John Paul (The Jones was added later in America) in Kirkeudbright Scotland on July 6, 1747. His father, also named John Paul, was a gardener and his mother was Jean MacDuff. There were seven children in his family, John was number five. His oldest brother William Paul migrated to Fredericksburg, Virginia and was an important point of contact on this side of the Atlantic.

Wallsend Festival 2016

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The display stand was situated immediately inside the entrance to the Customer Service and Library complex and so it was an excellent spot. The team consisted of 5 fine men in the persons of W Brothers Dave Watson, Bob Bruce, Steve Reay and Brothers John Holmes and Tom Clifford.

On Saturday 2nd July 2016 the Wallsend Masonic Hall’s “A Team” was in action at the Wallsend Festival. The aim was to advertise and promote Freemasonry in Wallsend. The display stand was situated immediately inside the entrance to the Customer Service and Library complex and so it was an excellent spot. The team consisted of 5 fine men in the persons of W Brothers Dave Watson, Bob Bruce, Steve Reay and Brothers John Holmes and Tom Clifford.The event was not particularly well attended and there were long periods of inactivity. There were visitors from Canada who were after directions to an ancestral home in Wallsend and were more than happy with the directions we gave them although it was nothing to do with Masonry but we made friends.The upside of the day was that we got two young men interested in what Freemasonry is about and one of whom left his personal details. Tom has since been in touch with this gentleman and has arranged to meet him on Wednesday. Well done, Tom. Bob also had the contact details with another gentleman but he is still waiting to hear from him.All in all it was a quieter day than anticipated but rewarding was all part of a learning curve.

A change of hands at the Helm of Portal Royal Ark Mariners No. 127

A change of hands at the Helm of Portal Royal Ark Mariners No. 127

With the Portal Dreadnought safely berthed at Eastgate Masonic Hall, it was time to welcome, and Install, the new Skipper who had agreed to take on this motley crew and navigate them through the next 12 months. Who was willing to take on this arduous task, none other than the much travelled Provincial Grand Master Overseer for 2015/2016 in the Province of Mark Master Masons West Yorkshire, Brother Charles David Lindsay, not a happy soul after he had to hand in his Acting Officers Jewel.