On Sunday, 16 June, Freemasons of Hertfordshire gathered at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban for the Biennial Service of Thanksgiving. This year, the service was even more special as it included the dedication of an Icon of St Michael the Archangel; a gift to the Cathedral from the Province of Hertfordshire.

Over 400 Freemasons, family and friends enjoyed the wonderful service, including the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Janet Smith, the Provincial Grand Master, R W Bro Paul Gower and Grand Superintendent, V W Bro James Sharpley.

The Dean of St Albans, V Rev Dr Jeffrey John commented, ‘We are very grateful that this beautiful icon will grace the St Michael Chapel and assist our worship.’

The Provincial Grand Master said, ‘It was a truly magnificent occasion and one in which it was appropriate to reflect on our very close and happy association with the Cathedral, which stretches back over a number of years, and also to give thanks for the continued well-being of this Masonic Province during somewhat turbulent and difficult economic and political times.’

He also said that he had received many positive messages following the service; including one from one attendee who said, ‘It has to be the one of the best services in the Cathedral; made even more special by the dedication of your stunning St Michael icon. I continue to be overwhelmed by the support you give to the local community and thank you with all my heart for what you do!’

During the service a collection was taken for the 2019 Festival in aid of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, which will conclude on Saturday, 6 July.

After the service and dedication, the congregation enjoyed light refreshments in the north transept; kindly provided by the Province.

Provincial Grand Stewards’ Lodge and the Fleet House Light Blues Club for their very hard work on the day and to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team, who displayed the high levels of efficiency, tact and professionalism that we have come to expect from them as standard but which are the envy of many other Provinces.

The Emulation Lodge of Improvement will be hosting its annual Preceptor’s Festival at Freemasons’ Hall, London on Friday, 28 June.

This year they will be demonstrating the Ceremonies of Initiation and Installation and all Master Masons and Past Masters are warmly invited to come and see what is sure to be a real showcase of excellence in ritual.

Doors will open at 3.30pm and the meeting will commence at 4.30pm. Afterwards, dinner will be served at the Grand Connaught Rooms nearby. Tickets for the meeting cost £45 (inclusive of dining) or £10 for the meeting only. You can book your space for this unique event by clicking the link below:

Earlier in the year the province lost Bro. Charles Wandrag to mental health. As an active member of the Fleet House Light Blues the club would like to remember Charles by raising awareness of mental health issues and donating money to the charity Mind. The event is Sat 29th June and open to everybody, from those who knew Charles well, to people who would just like to be involved in raising money for a very worthy cause. Everybody can be involved, so please click the button below to find out more...

Honorary member of Cecil Lodge No 449 recently celebrated 50 years since he was first Initiated into the Lodge, in May 1969. This impressive achievement was marked by the presentation of a Certificate of Service from Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Jay Patel and gifts from the members of the Lodge.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire cordially invites all those who have recently joined Freemasonry to join them for an afternoon of socialising (and finger food) at Mayflower Place, Hertingfordbury on Sunday 30, June.

The goal of the afternoon is to give any interested Entered Apprentices, Fellow Crafts or Master Masons (or anyone, for that matter) an opportunity to find out more about the organisation and the Province and to meet some of personalities that are involved in the running of our ‘Happy Hertfordshire’.

Guests will be invited to listen to a series of short addresses from the Provincial Grand Master, as well as the Provincial Grand Almoner and Charity Steward, the Fleet House Light Blues Club and the Masonic Sport Association. After the addresses, a finger buffet will be served; providing the perfect opportunity for everyone to have a conversation and get to know each other.

The event runs from 12pm-3.30pm and is free for Freemasons of less than three year’s membership and their partners. Tickets for all other guests are £10 per person. To book your places, please click the link below.

Lodge Mentors are strongly encouraged to attend alongside the new members in their Lodges.

The Worshipful Master of Romeland Lodge No 7080 warmly invites you to a talk on the history of the Victoria Cross, entitled 'For Valour'.

This captivating talk, presented by Mark Smith, will give an in-depth history of the Victoria Cross medal and some of the myths from its inception in 1854; allowing the Brethren to re-live the experiences of upmost bravery and valour of its holders. It will also provide a rare opportunity for detailed examination of the medal which is, in itself, a unique experience.

The talk is to be held at Ashwell House, St Albans, on Tuesday, 8 October; commencing at 5pm. A festive board and raffle will follow the talk, with all proceeds being donated to ‘Blind Veterans UK’ (formerly known as St Dunstan's).

For further details and to book your places, please click below to contact Ian Dowse, Secretary of Romeland Lodge.

Do you or your Lodge have any events or news that could feature in this newsletter?
We are keen to feature as much of the goings-on in Happy Hertfordshire as we can manage, so please send your stories to news@pglherts.org

All stories should be between 100-300 words and we would love it if you could include a photograph too. We look forward to hearing from you!