The Masonic season running from the 2nd of September 2024 to the 9th of July 2025 witnessed many lodges celebrating important milestones in their history. There were 90 official visits by the active provincial team, reaching into all four corners of our Province. Those visits included Brook House Lodge (50th anniversary), Aultone and Cosham Lodges (75th anniversary’s), Beach Lodge (70 year certificate), and Havant, Aethelberht and Comrades Lodges (Centenary celebrations).
An additional event of note was “The Grandest Night Out,” a double initiation held on the 9th of May at the Novotel in Southampton.
The Provincial executive (unaccustomed to ceremonially acting as a team) were invited to take over from the officers of Charles Dickens Lodge and perform a double initiation on their behalf. Our Provincial Grandmaster, Jonathon Whitaker, took the chair of King Solomon and split the ceremonial work with other members of his team. He was keen to make sure that the stars of the show were the candidates.
Our very own APGM (Chris Bayliss) took the office of Junior Warden, with the charge after initiation also being split between several members of the executive.
The event was well advertised and correspondingly attracted an audience of 220. The candidates (Luke Houllier and Jack Boardman) were treated to a first class ceremony and an excellent introduction into Freemasonry. The festive board was frequented by 197 who collectively raised in excess of £2400 for the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
Congratulations are in order to the organisers of the event and also to the Provincial Grandmaster and his executive for taking time from their busy schedule to prepare for and perform a first class ceremony.