The Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire Biennial Service of Thanksgiving & Dedication of an Icon to St Michael the Archangel

The Cathedral & Abbey Church of St Alban
On Sunday 16 June 2019 15.00
(you are requested to be seated by 14.30 )

This will be the Biennial Service of Thanksgiving and will see the Dedication by the Dean of St Albans of an Icon of St Michael the Archangel, presented to the Cathedral and Abbey Church by the Province of Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire Masons and their families and friends are requested to attend to support the Provincial Grand Master and Province at this important event in our Masonic Calendar.
It is hoped that all Lodges will be represented and that Lodge Chaplains especially consider support of the Service.

The Dean and Provincial Grand Master invite those attending to a Reception in the North Transept following the Service  There is no charge for attendance at the Service and Reception

Tickets will not be issued but brethren are asked to record intended attendance numbers on the link below to assist arrangements and planning.

Book Now: www.pglherts.org/service
 
Brethren are advised that dress regalia will be worn and should be brought to the Service in a plastic bag because of space limitations.

On Saturday, 3 November Tudor Lodge No 7280 hosted a special meeting featuring a demonstration of an early 19^th Century Ceremony of Raising by the Northumberland Masonic Demonstration Team.

The meeting took place at Bushey Sports Club with the Demonstration Team in full authentic costume from the period. Team leader W Bro Brian Denton first set the scene and then the Lodge and its guests were treated to a highly-involved rendition of the Third Degree as it would have been delivered in 1805. The ritual was recognisable but was carried out with much greater theatrics, so that the Candidate might learn and understand much more of what he was going through. With the demonstration complete, the Team were thanked by W Bro Stuart Adams, Worshipful Master of Tudor Lodge, followed by rapturous applause from all present.

After the meeting, there followed a Trafalgar-themed Festive Board with themed place settings and tables named after Admiral Nelson’s fleet. A total of 111 Brethren dined and, as the highlight of the evening and by way of thanks, the Worshipful Master presented W Bro Denton with a cheque for £500 , in aid of the charities supported by the Team. A similar amount was also raised for the 2019 Festival.

The Emulation Lodge of Improvement is to hold its Annual Festival at Freemason's Hall on Friday, 22 February; starting at 5pm. The Festive will feature demonstrations of four sections of the Lectures and will see the Provincial Grand Master for West Lancashire presiding as Festival President.

After the meeting, there will be a sumptuous Festive Board at The Grand Connaught Rooms.

Tickets for the Festival cost £10 for the meeting only or £45 for the meeting and dinner and can be reserved by clicking here

At the end of February, W Bro Matthew Dennis of the East Hertfordshire Lodge No 3748 will be joining with 25 other participants to cycle the 550 kilometres from Saigon, Vietnam to Angkor Wat, Cambodia to raise money for The Ark Centre.

This fantastic charity, based in Chelmsford, provides support and therapy for young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder; helping them to improve behaviour, confidence and well-being.

Matthew and his team are aiming to raise £100,000 for this amazing cause and, at the time of publishing, nearly £79,000 has already been pledged!

Please click below to donate and help Matt and the team hit their target. To find out more more about the great work The Ark Centre do please click here

Park Street Lodge No 8556 will be hosting an old time music hall evening on Wednesday, 6 March at the Memorial Hall in Kimpton. The evening, which is being hosted in association with Provincial Grand Lodge, is raising funds for the Herts Air Ambulance and the 2019 Festival and will feature entertainment from the Kimpton Players and a 'pie and pickle' supper for all guests.

The evening starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £20 per person. To book your places, please contact Stewart Willett on 07956 020962 or click here

At the end of May, Rosewood Lodge No 8793 will be hosting a dance event in support of the Maggie's Centre at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge.

Maggie's Wallace supports those with cancer as well as their families. They provide counselling, advice regarding all aspects of treatments and therapies such as reflexology & massage for patients and their carers. They are a drop-in centre providing tea, coffee and excellent cakes any time during office hours or just a quiet space to sit and ponder. They also run classes in the evening using professionals from the hospital to help people understand and deal with all aspects of life with and after cancer.

The event, which is to take place at 7pm on Friday, 31 May at Mayflower Place in Hertingfordbury is open to all and costs £25 per person; inclusive of a buffet dinner.

To book your tickets and support this excellent cause, please contact W Bro Bob Sheppard by clicking here

You can find out more about the excellent work that Maggie's does by clicking here

This month, we spoke to W Bro Darren Sylvester; Worshipful Master of Cheshunt Lodge No 2921

How are things for your Lodge at the moment?

Cheshunt Lodge was 116 years old on 31 October 2018 and is a healthy, with a mix of older and younger Brethren. All the progressive offices are filled by ‘light blue’ members and the Lodge has a well-attended, weekly Lodge of Instruction.

Has your Lodge recently had any notable events or milestones?

We recently held a successful 'White Table' in November 2018, where over 60 guests attended. After the formal business was completed and the Lodge closed, guests and visitors entered the Lodge Room and received short talks about Freemasonry and charity, the history of Cheshunt Lodge, our aprons and, finally, were given the opportunity to ask questions! As a result of holding the White Table, three Initiations are being planned!

What makes your Lodge unique? What does your Lodge do that others don't?

The Lodge has recently joined Twitter and have regular General Purposes Committee meetings to plan and organise the Lodge calendar. The weekly LOIs assist with the learning and development of ritual and help the younger Brethren gain a better understanding of Freemasonry.

What challenges do the next 18 months hold for your Lodge?

Potential non-attendance by older Brethren (due to illness etc), and the loss of experience in Freemasonry that they bring, is a likely challenge. However, it is anticipated that the Lodge’s presence on social media will grow, that more Candidates will be attracted to join a ‘Saturday’ Lodge and that greater social events will occur, so that wives, partners, children and non-Masons can share in the convivial elements of Freemasonry.

The Fleet House Light Blues Club is kicking off a full year of events with a Pub Social at The Practitioner in Hertford on Friday, 1 February. The evening, which is open to all (members, non-members, partners and friends) is a great opportunity for people to meet up in a purely social setting. There's no need to book – simply turn up and enjoy a pint (or two) with friends!

The evening starts at 19:00.

If you would like to find out more about the Fleet House Light Blue Club, please click here