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Deacon
The Sussex
The Magazine of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex
Royal Arch
Bi-Centenary
celebrated in
Canterbury Cathedral
see pages 4 – 10
Where we
went wrong?
A revealing
analysis
Pages 20 - 21
Suffering is
universal
Fortunately so is
Freemasonry
Page 30
Giving sight
to the blind
The work of
Prof Liu
Pages 40 – 41
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Inside
thisLodge
issue
Provincial
Grand
Deacon
The Sussex
The Magazine of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex
Issue Number 40 Summer 2014
Barford Court residents break out
35
In Closing
MSTFC
35
Personal Reflections
4
Sussex Masonic Golf Association
36
Closing date for Issue 41: 10th October 2014
8
Grand Officers Luncheon Club
36
Masonic Bowls Club closes
37
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING
Double initiation of Lewises
38
Editor & Advertising: Alan Woods
[email protected]
Tel: 07764 166421
Three generations of Kerwoods
38
The Hadrian’s 80’s night
39
Supreme Grand Chapter
Bi-centenary
A special day at Supreme Grand Chapter
Group 8 celebrate at Canterbury Cathedral
Ceremony of the Veils
10
Lodge News
Provincial Grand Chapter
Congratulations to long-serving Companions
7
2014 Annual Convocation
11
The newly exalted companions
11
Member News
News from the Chapters
46
Deputy Editor: Chris Penny
[email protected]
Tel: 07799 617084
Reporters:
Ray Sparks Tel: 07778 642687
Peter Whiteside Tel: 07710 903057
Nicholas Broadway Tel 07843 436894
Chris Field Tel 07882 475168
Let there be light
40
Freemasons with New Year Honours
42
Stuart Holt’s lifetime achievement award
43
Stanley Bottom’s 60 years
43
14
Derrick Bellingham’s 60 years
45
Advertising Rates:
Full page £200, half £100,
quarter £50, eighth £25, all + VAT
100yrs of Sussex Masters’ Lodge
16
Craft Long Service Awards
46
Closing date for Issue 41 10th October 2014
Knights of the Road Centenary
18
Regency Chapter’s 50th
12
Features
Derwent Lodge celebrates bi-centenary
Freemasonry and the press: the Prestonian Lecture
2013
20
Addressing
Provincial Grand Lodge
Keith Schofield, APGM
22
Chris Farrow, PProvSGW
23
Mike Conn, PProvJGW
23
Recruitment: The Provincial perspective
24
We welcome our Initiates
25
Sussex Masonic Charities: March Report
26
2017 Festival Update
27
AGM Newsflash: PGM’s new team
27
Charity Matters
Grand Charity gifts to Sussex hospices
28
Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust
28
Wheels of Hope
30
ShopMobility
31
Carousel
32
Tandem bike for High Trees
33
Hear the Deacon
33
Masonic Societies
Christmas for Eastbourne Ladies
34
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
T
publication delays:
he last issue of the Deacon
was late and this issue even
more so. The problems
turn upon the sheer size of the
magazine and, in consequence,
the number articles to be
written, the increasing amount
of research made to make each
as interesting as possible, and
the conversion of the articles
into a well laid out, high quality
and entertaining magazine. So,
how to deliver two Deacons a
year and on time?
We will publish in May and
November. The May issue will report
the Royal Arch Annual Convocation
and the PGM’s appointees for the
Craft AGM, whilst the November
issue will report the AGM. This
should assist our advertisers as well
as you, our readers.
The workload will not change, but
fortunately you have created an
opportunity for us! You now supply
many of the articles to me, which
means that the role of the reporter,
though still important, requires less
work than it did. This allows us to
create a new role, sub-editor; I
send your details to them and they
liaise with you, turning your ideas into
interesting articles. I will also appoint
an Advertising editor. He (or she?)
will liaise with our advertisers, new
and existing, and ensure that we
give them the best service.
If you are a budding sub editor
with an enquiring mind, or would
like to take care of our advertisers,
phone or email me and let’s talk.
Communications is fundamental
to the continuing success of the
Province. Be a part of it.
Page 3
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
The Grand Temple in readiness for Supreme Grand Chapter
Events many
and various
Royal Arch
Freemasonry
Celebrates its
Bi-Centenary
A Little Background
On the October 16th 2013, Supreme
Grand Chapter celebrated the formal
recognition of its Bi-Centenary
and around that date Provincial,
Metropolitan and District Grand
Chapters held their own many and
various celebrations.
You might at this point ask why on
that date? Or, then again, you might
not if you have delved into the
hidden mysteries of Masonic history
before. For the lay companion such
as your editor, suffice it to say that
the Articles of Union between the
then two Grand Lodges were agreed
in principle by the Moderns (aka the
“others”) at their last meeting on 23rd
June 1813. The actual signing of the
Articles of Union took place on the
25th November 1813.
On 30th November 1813, the Supreme
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
of England “Resolved that HRH the
Duke of Sussex be invested with full
powers to negotiate and conclude
a Union on behalf of this Supreme
Grand Chapter with the Grand
Lodges under their Royal Highnesses
the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of
Kent, in such a way as may appear to
HRH most conducive to the general
interest of Masonry.”
Page 4
On the 1st December 1813 the Duke
of Sussex, as Grand Master of the
Moderns and, as of that morning,
also of the Ancients, processed into
Grand Lodge to become the Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge (what is
now known as UGLE).
The Articles, signed on 27th December
1813, state in part that:
“It is declared and pronounced, that
pure Antient Masonry consists of
‘four degrees’, and no more, viz.
those of the Entered Apprentice, the
Fellow Craft, the Master Mason ‘and
also’, the Supreme ‘Degree’ of the
Holy Royal Arch.”
However,
negotiations
clearly
continued to the wire, because the
document was hand-amended so that
‘four degrees’ became ‘three degrees’
and Supreme ‘Degree’ became
Supreme ‘Order’.
The information contained in the
preceding paragraphs are drawn from
Yasha Beresiner’s book “200 Years of
Royal Arch Freemasonry in England,
1813 -2013”, which was on sale in
Grand Lodge on the 16th October. If
you are of an academic or enquiring
nature and find masonic history of
some interest to you, I commend Bro
Beresinger’s book to you. But beware,
you may find yourself being led into
the bibliographical references!
Supreme Grand Chapter
In preparation for the 200th
anniversary, you may recall that
some two years ago SGC initiated the
Royal Arch Masons Appeal, designed
to raise £2m for the Royal College of
Surgeons. This was publicized widely
through chapters at home and abroad
and reported in Issue 37 of the Sussex
Deacon.
With that in place, two convocations
held on 16th October in the Grand
Temple of Freemasons Hall, London.
The morning convocation was
convened by the Metropolitan Grand
Stewards Chapter No. 9812, followed
in the afternoon by a Supreme Grand
Chapter Convocation.
Meanwhile
Provincial
Grand
Chapters organized their own
celebrations. We in Sussex celebrated
by attending a joint service held
in Canterbury Cathedral on 21st
September. The Province of East Kent
organised the Service on behalf of
Group 8, which comprises East and
West Kent, Surrey and Sussex. To
complete the celebrations in Sussex,
the ME Grand Superintendent
authorized a demonstration of the
Ceremony of the Veils, which was
hosted by Knights of the Road Chapter
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
No. 3673 at the Charmandean Centre,
Worthing. Now read on!
The Exaltation by MetGC
At 11:00 on the 16th October, the
Metropolitan
Grand
Stewards
Chapter opened their convocation in
the Grand Temple. Attendance was
based upon a “first come, first served”
basis and, as one would expect, was
fully subscribed. The main business of
the convocation was a demonstration
of the Ceremony of Exaltation using
the authorized changes published in
2004. The ceremony was exemplary,
displaying the new workings as a
coherent whole, word perfect and
delivered with utter conviction and
meaning; an inspiring example to us
all.
The Chapter was then closed and
those who had made a reservation
retired to the Grand Connaught
Rooms nearby where an excellent
luncheon was served, presided over
by the ME Pro Grand Principal, E
Comp Peter Lowndes.
The Supreme Grand Chapter
Convocation
The second convocation of the day
was the Regular Convocation of
Supreme Grand Chapter presided
over by the ME First Grand Principal,
HRH The Duke of Kent. You will
know from the efforts of your Scribe
E that the Regular Convocations of
SGC occur just twice a year, in April
and November. On this occasion
the November convocation was
brought forward to coincide with
the Bi-Centenary celebrations and
additional agenda items introduced.
However, there was at least one other
difference; getting in! Admission was
by ticket only. On arrival at the ground
floor there was something of a scrum
to change into regalia and deposit
coats and cases at the cloakroom.
On climbing the winding staircase
to the first floor there is an open area
with closed gates barring the way to
the Grand Temple. As all were keen
to proceed, by the time the gates
were opened we found our tickets
were not enough to gain admission.
Every ticket was checked against the
latest Installation Return of the ticket
holder’s chosen chapter to ensure he
was a past or present Principal of or
in it. So, companion Scribes E, now
you know why the Return must be
submitted promptly and accurately!
After climbing the next winding
staircase your editor encountered a
photographer, accompanied by Alex
Maclean Bather, the UGLE webmaster
and Adjutant to the Grand Scribe
E, who kindly agreed to supply the
photographs accompanying this
article. In passing, he also supplied
the excellent photograph of surgical
operation in Issue 37.
The general feel of the convocation was
what one might expect of a business
meeting; quiet, elegant, understated
and efficient. The President of the
Committee of General Purposes, E
Comp Dr Malcolm Aish, reported that
the SGC is to fund the renovation of
the Grand Temple’s organ at a cost of
£500,000. It will be out of action for 9
months whilst the work is completed.
The regular business having been
completed we moved to the additional,
celebratory agenda items, beginning
with E Comp John Hamill’s delivery of
an excellent talk on the subject “Pure
Antient Masonry Triumphant”, much
of which was new to your editor. This
was followed by a fulsome Oration
from the Rev Dr J.R.H.Railton and
addresses of congratulation from the
First Grand Principal of Scotland and
the Grand King of Ireland. The ME
First Grand Principal then addressed
the convocation before closing the
meeting.
The First Grand Principal prepares to enter the Grand Temple
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Page 5
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
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24 Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9SE
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Page 6
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The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
Prof Norman Williams, President of the
Royal College of Surgeons
Savoy Hotel
The fortunate few then walked the
short distance to the Savoy Hotel
where rooms were reserved for a
reception followed by dinner in the
Lancaster Ballroom. After a rather
nice meal and the toast to the Queen
and Royal Arch Masonry, the Pro
First Grand Principal, Peter Lowndes,
proposed the toast to the First Grand
Principal, the Duke of Kent, in which
he noted that the Duke had held office
for nearly 25% of the life of SGC, that
is 46 of the 200 years being celebrated.
This did cause a momentary gasp
from the Duke and some amusement
from the assembled companions.
From my personal perspective I was
20 years old, a whole lifetime away,
when the First Grand Principal took
office. In his reply, he did express
some surprise and shared a little
welcome badinage with the Pro First
Grand Principal.
Royal College of Surgeons
He went on to announce that the
Bi-Centenary Appeal on behalf of
the Royal College of Surgeons had
achieved its target of £2M [note:
the final figure was £2.5M]. Prof
Norman Williams, the President of
the Royal College, thanked Royal
Arch Freemasonry for its continued
support and generosity, assuring
those present that the money will
be well spent, funding research
into innovative surgical techniques
and practices. Indeed he suggested
that as there will be few among us
who won’t benefit from the surgery,
we might consider it not only a
generous donation but also a prudent
investment! The Professor continued
in good form, taking the opportunity
to entertain for several minutes,
greatly to the pleasure of his audience.
The dinner was then closed with the
Janitor’s Toast and we each made our
way home feeling fully satisfied.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
L to R, E Comp Eric Mock, GS of West Wales, E Comp Kenneth Thomas and the First Grand
Principal, HRH Duke of Kent
A view of the Lancaster Ballroom from the South East corne
Congratulations
60 Years
E Comp Samuel Glover Cadden
50 Years
E Comp Alan William Pilbeam
E Comp Herbert Charles Farlow
40 Years
E Comp Graham Stuart-Hill
E Comp David James Mouland
E Comp Edward William Herbert Jackson
E Comp Dennis Charles Matthews
E Comp Jack Louis Spencer
E Comp Sidney Andrew Leftwich
E Comp George Henry Boyd Bennett
E Comp Roy Desmond William Laker
E Comp John Roger Gordon Bunn
E Comp Martin John Edward Bunn
E Comp Allan David McNeill
E Comp Gordon Leaman
E Comp Edward George McCrossen
E Comp Edward Shepherd
E Comp David Stephen Oakes
The following Brethren have had Certificates
issued for their long service to Chapter from
May 2013 to February 2014
12/6/13
C6350 Heene
15/1/14
3/2/14
C2187 Adur
C4962 Temple
19/5/13
4/7/13
6/8/13
6/10/13
23/10/13
8/11/13
20/11/13
21/11/13
1/12/13
1/12/13
7/12/13
12/12/13
15/1/14
1/2/14
3/2/14
C1726 Gordon
C7995 Wayfarers
C8286 Worthing Temple
C341 Wellington
C1141 March and Darnley
C8863 Witterings
C56 Mount Moriah
C3164 Sinai
C3571 Selsey
C8963 West Sussex First Principals
C6349 Regency
C1726 Gordon
C56 Mount Moriah
C2907 Seaford
C6349 Regency
Page 7
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
Group 8 celebrates 200 years of
Royal Arch Freemasonry
in Canterbury Cathedral
L to R, George Francis (2ndGPrin), Jonathan Winpenny (GS of W Kent), Mrs Winpenny, David Boswell (GS of Suffolk), Mrs Boswell,
David Williamson (3rdGPrin), Ann Taylor, Mrs Dearing, Geoffrey Dearing (GS of E Kent), Mrs Thomas, Kenneth Thomas (GS of Sussex),
Mrs Stuart-Bamford, Eric Stuart-Bamford (GS of Surrey) and Russell Race (GS of MetGC)
Y
ou will have seen elsewhere in
this issue a report of Supreme
Grand Chapter’s celebration of
its Bi-Centenary on the 16th October.
Meanwhile across the country
Provincial Grand Chapters have
held their own celebrations and, for
us and the other members of what
is known by Grand Lodge/Supreme
Grand Chapter as Group 8, a major
part was a service of thanksgiving
at Canterbury Cathedral organized
by Roger Odd, the DepProvGM of
the Province of East Kent, assisted
by David Kershaw, Prov2nd Grand
Principal. Group 8 comprises the
four Provinces of East and West
Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
What follows is the report produced
by Tony Elliott, Media Manager
for Province of East Kent and as
published on their website. The
photographs are courtesy of Ron
Berry (RB), on behalf of the cathedral,
and John Sammonds (JS), on behalf of
Page 8
the Province of East Kent. The Sussex
Deacon is grateful to the ME Grand
Superintendent of East Kent, Geoffrey
Dearing, for permitting their use.
George Pippin and David Williamson
share a joke with the Archdeacon of
Canterbury, the Venerable Sheila Watson
“The nave of Canterbury Cathedral
was packed with around 1,000
freemasons, families and friends
for a service to celebrate the bicentenary of Royal Arch Masonry.
This unique event not only marked
a special milestone in Masonic
history but also demonstrated the
great affinity between Freemasonry
and the Stonemasons of Canterbury
Cathedral. Freemasonry has its roots
in the lodges of medieval stonemasons
and to this day supports the training
of apprentice stonemasons at
Canterbury Cathedral.
This very special occasion was
a combined celebration for the
Masonic Provinces of East Kent,
West Kent, Sussex and Surrey,
each led by their respective Grand
Superintendents, Geoffrey Dearing,
Jonathan Winpenny, Ken Thomas
and Eric Stuart–Bamford. The great
significance of the occasion was
acknowledged by the presence of the
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Supreme Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
Kenneth and Maureen Thomas thank the Venerable Sheila Watson for the conducting the Service
Second and Third Grand Principals,
George Francis and David Williamson,
respectively.
The
Metropolitan
Grand Superintendent, Russell Race,
and the Grand Superintendent of
Suffolk, David Boswell, were also
in attendance, as was the Sheriff of
Canterbury, Councillor Ann Taylor,
who represented the City and people
of Canterbury.
Although he was unable to be present
on the day because of an overseas
commitment, the service had been
arranged through the good offices
of the Dean of Canterbury, The Very
Reverend Robert Willis, who set the
scene with his message of welcome
printed in the Order of Service.
The Archdeacon of Canterbury, the
Venerable Sheila Watson, conducted
the service, while the grandeur of
the surroundings of the cathedral
lent its aura to the proceedings,
as did the superb King’s School
Crypt Choir. In her Sermon the
Archdeacon referred to the long
connection between the Cathedral
and Freemasons, in particular
the gifts of the Chapter House
East Window and the Coronation
Window in the Martyrdom. She paid
tribute to the Masonic principles
of unity, fellowship and service to
the community. She also spoke of
“service beyond ourselves”, a virtue
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
embraced and encouraged by the
Church and Freemasonry alike.
The Old Testament Lesson was
read by Jen Jordan and the New
Testament Lesson by Sam Matthews,
both Stonemasons who had recently
completed their apprenticeships.
The Precentor, Reverend Matthew
Rushton, led the prayers.
A television crew from ITV Meridian
filmed during and after the service
and included interviews with both
the Grand Superintendent of East
Kent, Geoffrey Dearing, and his
Deputy Provincial Grand Master,
Roger Odd,.”
The Grand Superintendent, E Comp
Ken Thomas, led the representation
of 100 companions from Provincial
Grand Chapter of Sussex, including
Richard Wigmore, Robert Martin,
Peter Ixer, Maurice Adams, Peter
Lang, Grahame Carr and Trevor
Newman.
Roger Odd, Dep ProvGM of East Kent, being interviewed by Meridian Television
Page 9
Chapter News
Supreme
Grand Chapter Bi-Centenary Celebrations
The Veils come to Sussex
A ceremony rarely seen in the Province
The Veils at the rehearsal for the convocation. Drawing the red veil reveals the entrance to the Chapter. Picture courtesy Michael Hearn
A
s part of the Royal Arch Bi-Centenary celebrations,
the Province of Sussex invited the Knights of the
Road Chapter No 3673 to host a unique event
on Saturday 23rd November 2013. The event was a
demonstration of the Excellent Masters Degree, more
commonly known as the Ceremony of Passing the Veils.
It provided a rare glimpse into the history of the Royal
Arch and the indissoluble link with Craft Masonry
before 1834.
The Chapter was opened at 4:45 and the Dispensation read
to permit the convocation to be held in the Charmandean
Centre instead of the Sussex Masonic Centre and a week
later than normal. The minutes having been approved,
the numerous guests and visitors were welcomed and
the purpose of the evening briefly explained. Letters and
Communications were read, and the Chapter called off
(who knew it was even possible?).
There followed 10 minutes of set-up where the veils,
previously arranged flat against the wall, were moved
to the positions as shown in the photograph, the blue
veil being in the West and the white veil in the East.
The four veils form three areas or chambers, each being
under the direction of a Captain. The candidate moves
from one chamber to the next, hence “passing [through]
the veils”, by giving and receiving a series of passwords.
The candidate is actually seeking to participate in the rebuilding of the second temple and as a reward becomes,
in Scotland least, an Excellent Mason. Passing the white
veil reveals the three Principals of a Royal Arch Chapter,
Page 10
with the candidate representing a stranger from Babylon,
and marking the start of the Royal Arch ceremony of
Exaltation.
On completion of the demonstration, the veils and other
equipment were moved away and the Chapter called
on. Alms were collected and the Chapter closed. Those
dining then retired to the bar (nothing new there then)
and then enjoyed a fine Festive Board. This event saw a
large number of Companions attending, representing all
of the Chapters in the Province. Whilst a number of other
Provinces in the EC have their own demonstration teams, it
is only in the Province of Bristol that the Excellent Masters
Degree ceremony is performed prior to the Exaltation of
a candidate into a Royal Arch Chapter. Outside of the
English Constitution (EC), Royal Arch Chapters in both
the Scottish and Irish Constitutions perform the Excellent
Masters Degree as a matter of course as a necessary
precursor to the ceremony of Exaltation.
Having been eased out of the RA ritual (EC) from 1834,
the Excellent Masters Degree ceremony is now rarely seen,
and is unlikely to be performed again in our Province for
some considerable time. We were fortunate to have the
Mount Sinai Chapter No. 19 demonstration team (courtesy
of Metropolitan Grand Chapter), assisted by two members
of the Province of Sussex, provide us with an excellent
insight into the ceremony.
Michael J. Hearn
Ed. Michael was one of the two Sussex companions
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Chapter News
Sussex Royal Arch Annual
Convocation
A happy afternoon superbly conducted
T
he Annual Convocation of
Provincial Grand Chapter
of Sussex was opened on
17th March at the Charmandean
Centre, Worthing by the ME Grand
Superintendent, E Comp Kenneth
Thomas, assisted by the Second and
Third Provincial Grand Principals, E
Comps Robert Martin and Peter Ixer.
Given the extent of news about Royal
Arch matters elsewhere in this issue,
and not to decry the achievements of
the many Companions who received
appointments and promotions, two
appointments stand out.
The ME GS was pleased to appoint
E Comp Geoffrey Cornwell, the
immediate Past Provincial Grand
Registrar, to Provincial Grand Scribe
E, succeeding E Comp Maurice
Adams who had completed his
four year stint. The PGM has since
confirmed that E Comp Cornwell
will be appointed Provincial Grand
Secretary on 2nd June at the Craft
AGM, according to antient custom.
E Comp John Crone, he who wrote
the excellent article about the role
of Assistant to the Provincial Grand
Principals in the last issue of the
Deacon, has completed his term of
office in that capacity and has been
succeeded by E Comp Michael Steer.
As a closing remark, the whole
Convocation took much less time
than in the past and that was plainly
due to manner in which it was held.
This was not because it was rushed,
disrespectful of either the Order or the
individuals attending, or lacking in
ceremonial. It was evidently the result
of a careful analysis of the process,
considerable planning and the active
cooperation of both Scribes E and the
Provincial Grand DC, E Comp Peter
Lang. Oh, and the presence conveyed
:HOFRPHWR
&KDSWHU
The following Brethren have been exalted
into Sussex Chapters from May 2013 to
February 2014
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Gareth Andrew Russell Thomas-Prause
John Matthews
Adrian John Fry
Geoffrey Graeme Chalk
Darren Douglas Beeching
Seth Joshua East
John Stuart Clack Edwards
Jay Chandrakant Shah
Russell John Chance
Kevin Paul Gillett
Charles David Kitching
Malcolm Gordon Brinson
Leslie Joseph Hercho
Richard Anthony Quantrill
Daryl William Robert Smith
Cyril Selby
David Jonathan Mullineux
Charles Brian Durrant
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
by the Deputy and Assistant GDCs in
the performance of their floor work.
Chapter Number
C40
C271
C311
C311
C341
C341
C851
C916
C916
C1110
C1110
C1141
C1619
C1636
C1797
C1821
C1842
C2483
Comp
Comp
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Comp
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Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
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Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
Comp
E Comp Geoffrey Cornwell, our new
ProvGScribeE
E Comp Michael Steer, our new Assistant
to the Three Principals
Mark Kevin Henderson
Anthony Brett Seymour
Colin John Parsons
Richard Edward Martin
David Thomas Birchenough
Michael Sheldon Dover
Craig Brawley
Peter Malcolm Smith
George Arthur Callow
Thomas Francis Finlay
Roderick Farnan
John Arthur Mayle
Anthony George Timms
Clive Richard Barham
John Henry West
Michael James Robinson
Robert John Taylor
Cyril Bernard Goodsell
Charles Frederick Ward
Noel Mark McAuliffe
David Leonard Foster
Roger Leslie Day
John Antony Rimmer
Francis Gaston Mertens
Royston Kenneth Brown
Paul Richard Hills
John Portlock
C2591
C2591
C2676
C2676
C2692
C3164
C3164
C3164
C3277
C3277
C4150
C4460
C4499
C4905
C5240
C6349
C6630
C6680
C6680
C7218
C8035
C8035
C8286
C8630
C8738
C8863
C8863
Page 11
Chapter News
Regency Chapter’s 50th
88 Dine to celebrate a half-centenary
The magnificent cased set of Bibles made by Comp Ron Flower
O
n the 20th September last, Royal Arch masons descended on the
Sussex Masonic Centre to help Regency Chapter 6349 celebrate
its 50th anniversary. The Deputy Grand Superintendent, E Comp
Richard Wigmore led a team drawn from the officers of the Provincial Grand
Chapter of Sussex, including the 2nd and 3rd Prov Grand Principals, Robert
Martin and Peter Ixer respectively, and the ProvGDC, E Comp Peter Lang.
The preliminaries having been completed, Roland Hobden, MEZ, and his
fellow Principals vacated their chairs in favour of the Three Provincial
Grand Principals. The E Comp Wigmore delivered an address describing the
importance of the Convocation to Regency Chapter and pleasure he and his
fellow Grand principals would have in dedicating the three new bibles. E Comp
Peter Ixer then delivered the oration, after which the bibles were received and
processed around the Chapter whilst the hymn “O Word of God here written”
was sung. E Comp Richard Wigmore dedicated them and prayers were offered.
The Three Principals resumed their chairs and E Comp Wigmore (a busy night!)
presented a Supreme Grand Chapter certificate to Comp Robinson.
Being an Installation Convocation, E Comp Hobden installed his successor, E
Comp Burditt, as MEZ who, in turn, installed Comp Ian Cadlock as J. Alms
were collected and the Provincial team withdrew. The final work of the Chapter
was completed and the Convocation was closed.
The Festive Board was an excellent affair, with 88 dining. This included the
Provincial Team of seventeen, five members of Neptune Chapter and four from
Loxfield Chapter. Regency, Neptune and Loxfield Chapters enjoy reciprocal
visitations, ensuring that even on quiet occasions each can be confident of
support from the other two.
However, in some ways the star of the evening was another visitor, E Comp Ron
Flower. It was he who bound and embossed the three bibles and constructed
the fine wooden case in which they are stored. Comp Ron rightly received
acclamation both in the convocation itself and at the Festive Board afterwards.
The pictures of the Festive Board were taken by the 3rdProvGPrin, E Comp
Peter Ixer and testify to the success of the evening.
Page 12
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Chapter News
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Page 13
Deacon Features
Derwent Lodge No 40
Celebrates 200 years
And moves to do it!
The White Rock Theatre, Hastings
T
he bicentenary meeting of
Derwent Lodge No 40, was
opened by the WM, W Bro Ian
Duncan, on Monday 13th May 2013
and a dispensation was read.
The Move
The Lodge normally meets at the
St. Leonard’s Masonic Centre, but
because of the high number of
brethren expected to attend (over 200
guests and visitors), a dispensation
was granted to hold this meeting at
the White Rock Theatre, Hastings.
However, the obtaining of the
dispensation was a minor matter
compared to the physical logistics
involved. In many ways the theatre
(see picture) should have been ideal;
a large foyer, cloakroom facilities,
two bars and a large seating capacity
in the auditorium. But an auditorium
is not appropriate for a lodge meeting
or for dining. The solution was to the
area beneath the stage. That meant
moving the the equipment from St
Leonards, knocking it down and
setting it up in White Rock, then
knocking it down and re-laying for
dining, all in a short space of time.
As a visitor it all appeared seamless,
but the work undertaken was
considerable.
Now, back to the meeting. A report
was taken and W. Bro. David Evans
was admitted. He announced that
a deputation of the Association of
Atholl Lodges was without and
requested admission. The WM was
pleased to receive and greet them.
There were numerous letters and
communications most of which were
not read in order to conserve time,
but one in particular was, it being a
reply from the Private Secretary of
Her Majesty the Queen to the Lodge
for sending her its Loyal Greetings
on the occasion of its bicentenary.
The W.M. then rose and greeted the
guests and visitors drawn from over
75 lodges, 17 Provinces and brethren
from Germany and Norway.
With the preliminaries completed, the
ProvGDC, W. Bro. Trevor Newman,
was admitted. With the permission
of the WM, the Provincial team was
admitted followed by the PGM, RW
Bro Kenneth Thomas. The PGM
then took the chair of the Lodge
and congratulated the members
for reaching this milestone in its
history. He said it was with regret
that there could be no representatives
from Grand Lodge but asked that
their good wishes and apologies be
recorded.
The Atholl Lodges
W. Bro. Geoffrey Abraham, the
Chairman of the Association of the
Atholl Lodges then gave a short talk
on the history of the Association and
ended by presenting the W.M. with
a unique gavel. The Association is in
essence a group of lodges, chapters
and individuals with an interest
in early Masonic ritual, of which
Derwent Lodge is a member. But it
has an interesting history in its own
right.
The Lodge History
The Lodge Room
Page 14
After the talk by W Bro Abraham,
the PG Chaplain invited brethren
to stand for a short prayer followed
by a condensed history of the Lodge
delivered by the WM, who coauthored it with the longest-serving
member, W Bro Clive Morris. A copy
of the 44 page Lodge History was
given to all attendees. The writing
of such a history requires careful
editing (something your Editor
might do well to consider) given that
it had to embrace 200yrs. It included
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Deacon Features
from Hastings and other local Lodges
have obtained and presented to 938
a complete set of lodge furniture
and have had a banner made for
them. Regular visits are made to
Muhlhausen to attend their meetings
and to socialise with them and their
wives.
W Bro. Steve Gough of Derwent
Lodge No 884 then presented a book
recording the history of his Lodge’s
150th consecration. The Lodge
was closed, the visitors joined the
Provincial Team and the members
began the conversion of the lodge
room to a Festive Board.
The brethren of Derwent Lodge No 40
a list of all Master, Secretaries and
Treasurers, lots of pictures and a
four-line description of the most
significant event in most years of its
200 year history. Perhaps the tribute
to the Lodge and its History lies in
the Conclusion:
Einigekite Lodge, No 938 (HZBEL)
in the Province of Thuringen in
Germany, presented an inscribed
marble tablet to the WM in recognition
of the support and friendship that has
existed between the two Lodges over
the past 20 years.
“Thus we may look back over more
than two centuries of activities and
try to appreciate that tenacity of
purpose and that spirit of fraternity
which distinguished those now gone
of the Derwent Lodge.
HZBEL 938 was the first lodge to be
reconstituted in East Germany after
the two Germanys reunited. Derwent
arranged to visit them in its fledgling
years and now enjoy an exchange
program with them. HZBEL 938 were
very few in number and did not own
their own Lodge accommodation.
They subsequently acquired their
original lodge building, it having
been taken from them by the Nazis in
1933. With assistance from the local
government and their own efforts,
they now have a shared interest in
the premises. In recent years brethren
These qualities enabled them even in
difficult years to carry through their
task and justify the ‘trust reposed in
them’.
But whilst we admire what they have
done, we must realise that it is to the
present and future we must look, to
those to come.
The Lamp that burns so brightly now
must be handed on ever undimmed
to others and for this purpose we,
too, have our own part to play - to
set forward the high traditions of our
Craft and to maintain and uphold that
for which we stand. Above all things
let us put Fellowship, remembering
that ‘Fellowship is heaven and lack of
Fellowship is hell and the deeds that
ye do it is for Fellowship’s sake that
ye do them’”.
The ProvGSec read the Bicentenary
Warrant before being presented to
the W.M., after which the ProvGChap
gave an excellent oration to the
Lodge. The Lodge officers resumed
their respective chairs and the PGM
retired from the Lodge, escorted by
the Provincial Team.
Hermann Zu Bruderlich Einigekite
Lodge, No 938
W Bro. Wolf-Dieter Kirchner, Master
of the Hermann Zu Bruderlich
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
The Festive Board was a fine affair,
with good food, good service and
good fellowship. A superb evening
entirely fitted to the Lodge’s bicentenary. An event of which the
members, and in particular the BiCentenary Team, should be proud.
The Master of the Hermann Zu Bruderlich
Einigekite Lodge No 938 presenting the
commemorative tablet to the Master of
Derwent Lodge No 40
The Atholl Lodges
In the mid 18th century there was a move by the premier Grand
Lodge of 1717 towards modernising the ritual, so much so that they
became known as “the Moderns”. As one might imagine, others felt
this heretical and sought to oppose them. In July 1751, a number of
lodges got together and, with great enthusiasm from a number of Irish
Freemasons led by RWBro Lawrence Dermott, formed their own Grand
Lodge of England, “aka the Ancients”, later that year. But for credibility
one really needs a GM with Royal connections - enter the 3rd Earl of
Atholl, who was made its Grand Master in 1773 but sadly died in 1774.
What to do? Invite the 4th Earl’s son to step into the breach. Minor
problem; the 4th Earl is 19yrs old and not freemason. But, it seems,
where there is a will, there is a way. On 25th February 1775, the 4th
Earl was initiated, passed and raised in, and installed as, the WM of
Grand Masters Lodge No 1. A month later he was installed as GM of
the Grand Lodge of England. In 1813 what we now know as UGLE was
formed by the union of the Ancients and Moderns. Those lodges that
were members of the Ancients became known as the Atoll Lodges and
are now members of the Atholl Lodge Association. The Association has
113 subscribing lodges, all of which are identified in the “Directory of
Lodges and Chapters”, published and distributed every 4 years to lodge
secretaries and scribes E of chapters by UGLE.
Page 15
Deacon Features
Sussex Masters’
Centenary
Provincial Grand Secretary, W. Bro
Joshua Carpenter, thought the idea of
an installed masters’ lodge had merit
and caused a meeting of Masters and
Past Masters to be held at the Royal
Pavilion, Brighton, in October 1912.
At that meeting it was decided to form
a lodge, with its objects being:
1. to provide a centre and bond of
union for Masonic students and
brethren of literary tastes in and of
the Province of Sussex.
2. to provide and encourage an
exemplary rendering of the
Masonic ritual and ceremonies.
3. to attract and interest brethren by
means of papers upon the History,
Antiquities and Symbols of the
Craft in order to imbue them with
a love of Masonic Research.
4. Generally to cultivate Masonic
Good fellowship and promote the
grand principles upon which the
order is founded.
The regular place of meeting was fixed
by the warrant to be Brighton, but it was
suggested that many of the meetings
should be held at other places to create
and foster interest throughout the
Province. It would meet on the second
Saturday in February, second Tuesday
in April and the second Thursday in
June (Installation) and September.
O
n June 29th, Sussex Master’s
Lodge No 3672 celebrated
its Centenary meeting at the
Sussex Masonic Centre, Brighton, in
the presence of the ProvGM, RW Bro
Kenneth Thomas.
As is customary in Sussex Masters’
Lodge, it was opened in the three
degrees and then resumed in the First.
Sadly the WM, W Bro Willie Slater, was
unwell and had to offer his apologies,
but fortunately the IPM, W Bro Derek
Oliver, was able to step in as WM and
as Installing Master. This is, of course,
a key strength of an Installed Masters’
lodge; there is always a Brother able
to step in at short notice, even at an
Installation meeting. But there was
Page 16
another sadness before celebrations
were appropriate: a eulogy to W Bro
McMillan, who had passed to the
Grand Lodge Above on the 12th May,
delivered by W Bro Chris Moore.
The ProvGM then entered with the
full Provincial team, was greeted by
the WM and accepted the gavel. The
ProvGM then requested the Provincial
Senior and Junior Wardens and
Pursuivant to act in their respective
offices. W Bro Michael Hearn delivered
a short history of the Lodge, a history
necessarily summarised here.
A History
In response to a suggestion from one
W. Bro E. A. Mansell in 1911, the then
There were 94 petitioners for the
new lodge, the Duke of Richmond
Lodge No 3143 acting as sponsor.
Sussex Masters’ Lodge No 3672 was
consecrated on Thursday 25 June 1913
at the Royal Pavilion. The Pro GM,
MW Bro. Lord Ampthill, consecrated
the Lodge and installed RW. Bro. His
Grace the Duke of Richmond and
Gordon, PGM, as the first Master
of the Lodge. Bro. Mansell became
Master of the Lodge in 1918.
Between 1913 and 1921, only 2 of its
33 meetings were held in the Royal
Pavilion, primarily because 14 months
after the Lodge’s consecration,
WW1 broke out and, by 1915, many
buildings had been commandeered
to become hospitals for the wounded
from the battlefields of France. Among
the buildings was the Royal Pavilion,
where Sussex Masters’ met, the Corn
Exchange and a number of hotels and
schools. All but one of the 31 meetings
were held by the invitation of, or
under the banner of, a host Lodge.
Most meetings were held in Sussex
but two were in London, once in 1916
and once in 1922, as guest of the Lodge
of the Men of Sussex No 3712. This
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Deacon Features
pattern continued until 1928 when
the Lodge started to meet at the new
Sussex Masonic Centre, which later
became its regular meeting place.
Membership was high almost from
its consecration. Just two years after
its consecration it had a membership
of over 100, and the numbers were
steadily growing; at the beginning
of 1931 there were 66 members and,
by the end of it, 64 new brethren had
joined. Indeed between 1930 and 1963,
membership increased from 66 to 360,
as a result of the efforts of W. Bro A.
H. Edwards PGD and his successor W.
Bro. T D Raby PAGDC who were both
secretaries of the Lodge.
Yet whilst recruitment records were
being set, there were also resignations.
With many members on active war
service in WW2, 10 resignations were
received at the meeting of February
1940. The outbreak of WW2 caused
the September 1939 meeting to be
cancelled, the only one to be cancelled,
but the Lodge met continuously
throughout WW2. Much later on,
no one could have predicted the 30
resignations that were recorded at the
April 1976 meeting. It was a timely
reminder for all members to recruit as
it is today.
In the 1950’s to early 1960’s, some
attendances were over 100. The
Prestonian Lecture for 1950, “LoIs:
their origin and development” was
given by a PM of the Lodge, W Bro
Ivor Grantham, and was attended
by 185 brethren. A travelling lodge,
Lodge Glittering Star No 322
(Irish Constitution), conducted an
Initiation at Queens Road, Brighton
in September 1960, at which 290
brethren were in attendance. At
the 1960 Installation meeting
members of the St Vincent
Lodge No 1404 demonstrated
the Third Degree ceremony,
Bristol workings; 264 brethren
attended. But Sussex Masters’
record was set on April 1989,
when 159 visitors and 156
members witnessed Colston
Lodge No 610 give another
demonstration of a Bristol Third
Degree ceremony! The lodge also
produced its own Transactions along
the lines of those of QCCC, but they
ceased in 2001.
In its time, the Lodge has sponsored
three new lodges and one chapter:
Royal Pavilion No 4307 in 1921, Sussex
Provincial Grand Stewards No 8195 in
1967, Claitune No 8907 in 1979 and
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Bro Chris Moore addressing the Festive Board as its new WM
Sussex First Principals Chapter No
3672. The Chapter was consecrated in
1939, just months before the outbreak
of WW2 - another superb piece of
timing!
Sussex Master’s remained the only
Sussex lodge of its kind until 1972
when East Sussex Masters’ arrived
on the scene, followed by West
Sussex Masters’ in 1980 and Worthing
Installed Masters’ in 2011. The lodges
each had memberships of between 50
and 64 (as at 31/12/12), compared
The controversial coaster!
Actually a really nice momento
with the Sussex Masters’ peak of 360
in 1963.
Installation
On behalf of W Bro Slater, the IM
thanked the officers of the year for
their commitment to the Lodge. The
Lodge having been resumed in the
Second degree, the RW Prov GM
then presented W Bro Chris Moore,
AProvGM, to the IM who recited his
obligation. The Lodge was resumed
in the Third Degree and a Board of
Installed Masters was convened.
W Bro Moore was duly inducted
into the Chair of King Solomon and
congratulated by the PGM. The PGM,
DepPGM and W Bro Martin Mitten
delivered the Addresses to the Master,
Wardens and Brethren, respectively.
Four charitable donations were
approved and Notices of Motions
were made for three brethren
wishing to join the Lodge.
The Lodge was closed. At the
very fine Festive Board that
followed, the WM noted
the membership record
contained in the Lodge
History and expressed
the hope that in his year,
and with the help of the
members, this Past Masters’
lodge will become an even
more attractive proposition for
future joining members and more
relevant for us all. He also offered
an alcoholic prize to the brother who
identified the apparent error on the
Welsh slate coasters, drawing from
a hat should there be more than one
correct answer.
Would you have won?
Page 17
Deacon Features
Knights of the
Road Lodge
Centenary Celebration
1913 - 2013
The iconic Thiepval Memorial, commemorates 72,000 allied troops who died on the Somme
T
he meeting to celebrate the
Centenary of Knights of the
Road Lodge was opened
by the WM, W Bro Barry Jeffcoat,
at 5:45pm. In due time the PGM
entered the lodge room escorted
by the ProvGDC, W Bro Trevor
Newman, and a team of Provincial
Officers. RW Bro Kenneth Thomas
received the offered gavel and took
the Chair. The RW ProvGM invited
the ProvSW, W Bro Chris Farrow,
the ProvJW, W Bro Mike Conn, and
the ProvGPurs, W Bro Simon Aston,
to occupy their respective places,
addressed the brethren and, after a
prayer offered by the ProvGChap,
W Bro Stephen Terry, invited the
ProvGSec, W Bro Maurice Adams,
to read the Centenary Warrant. The
PGM, assisted by his Wardens, then
presented the warrant to the WM.
The Lodge banner was re-dedicated,
always an impressive and moving
ceremony, not least by the execution
of the ceremonial aspects by the
Provincial banner party, and the
ProvGDC in particular. The WM then
invited W Bro Roger Chillman to
deliver a brief historical outline of the
Lodge history.
There then followed a dedication to
the memory of Bro John Shoesmith
delivered by Bro Lee Harding. Bro
Shoesmith was initiated into the Lodge
in February 1916 and was killed in
the Battle of the Somme at Martinsart
Wood, near Thiepval 9 months later.
Page 18
After Bro Lee’s recitation, and to fully
mark the occasion, the ProvGChap,
W Bro Stephen Terry, called the
brethren were called the brethren to
order to remember Bro Shoesmith
and two recently departed members,
Bros Hugh Peters and Peter Ratcliff.
Matt Ellis kindly sounded Last Post
from just beyond the opened Lodge
Room door, a prayer was said by W
Bro Terry and then sounded Reveille.
The impact on all who had the good
fortune to attend was immediate,
very moving and likely to be long
remembered.
Bros Harding and Andy Huggett
produced a full colour, 24 page A4
booklet prefaced by the PGM and
containing many fine black and white
as well as colour photographs. A copy
was distributed to all those attending.
It records the Lodge History, together
with the story of how the Lodge came
to discover Bro Shoesmith and the trip
made by members to the battlefields
of Flanders to honour the Lodge and
the fallen. With the alms taken, the
PGM and his team withdrew and
the Lodge closed in due form. The
Festive Board proved to be an equally
fine affair with 84 brethren dining
to a very fulsome cold table and the
speeches extolling the evening and
the contributions made by brethren
towards its success.
What follows is a précis of the story
of John Shoesmith that I hope many
readers will find interesting and
informative, and above all provoke
reflection.
“W Bro Roger Needham discovered a
box of Knights of the Road documents
in the basement of Queens Road
that included a photograph album.
One image was of a man in military
uniform and inscribed ‘Bro. John
Shoesmith, initiated 19th February
1916, killed in action in France about
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Deacon Features
path, stands a beautifully manicured
cemetery with graves of soldiers and
airmen. Martinsart British Cemetery
was begun at the end of June 1916,
when 14 men of the 13th Royal Irish
Rifles, killed by a single shell, were
buried in what is now Plot I, Row A.
It was used as a front-line cemetery
until October 1916 and again in
September 1918, when bodies were
brought in from the battlefields for
burial.
W.Bro Michael Harris signed the
Visitors Book on behalf of the group.
The WM, W Bro Barry Jeffcoat, and the PGM enjoy a moments relaxation
at the Festive Board
18th November 1916’. This discovery
was to form a major part of Lodge’s
Centenary Meeting held at the Sussex
Masonic Centre on 20th July last.
Grand Lodge, the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission and
West Sussex County Council were
invaluable in uncovering the life, and
death, of Bro Shoesmith.
He was born in Leeds in 1886 but
later moved to Brighton, living at
11 Stafford Road. He was initiated,
passed and raised in the February,
March and April of 1916. Within two
months he had responded to Lord
Kitchener’s call to arms, joining a
‘Pals’ battalion, the 13th Battalion of
the Royal Sussex Regiment. Private
Shoesmith aged 30 years, and three
others, were killed in the Battle of
the Somme at Martinsart Wood on 3
November 1916 and is named on the
Thiepval Memorial. His body was
never recovered. The Sussex Daily
News of 6th December 1916 recorded
the sacrifice made by our Brother,
adding that he fell in battle just a
few weeks after his younger brother
suffered a similar fate.
and men from United Kingdom and
Commonwealth Forces who fell in
that area before 16th August 1917
and who have no known grave.
The buglers of the local fire brigade
sounded Last Post, as they do every
evening, after which wreaths are
laid, including one by a branch of the
Royal British Legion. The ceremony
brought home the enormity of the
sacrifice made by those men whose
bravery is commemorated in such a
special way.
The following morning was just a
little warmer than the cold, gloomy,
damp air of the previous day. At 10.30
the group set off from Lille for the
British Cemetery at Martinsart, very
near to where Bro John lost his life.
In a quiet country lane, with just a
few houses dotted along its winding
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R.W. Bro. Kenneth E Thomas
V.W. Bro. Grahame Robinson Carr PGSwdB
W. Bro. Martin Francis Mitten PSGD
W. Bro. Michael Brian Harris PSGD
W. Bro. Christopher Linton Moore, SGD
W. Bro. Keith Malcolm Schofield PAGDC
Provincial Grand Master
Deputy Provincial Grand Master
Assistant Provincial Grand Master
Assistant Provincial Grand Master
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Against this background, members
of the Lodge decided to make a
pilgrimage in John’s memory.
On 18th May 2013, eight Brethren of
Knights of the Road Lodge, together
with wives and friends, gathered
in the Eurotunnel departure lounge
ahead of their crossing to France.
That same evening, just before 8pm,
they joined a crowd of some 1500 at
the Menin Gate, just outside Lille.
The Menin Gate memorial to “The
Missing” is one of four British and
Commonwealth memorials to the
missing in the battlefield area of the
Ypres (now Ieper). The memorial
bears the names of 54,389 officers
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
From there the group moved on to
the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing
of the Somme, which bears the names
of more than 72,000 officers and
men of the United Kingdom and
South African forces who died in the
Somme before 20 March 1918 and
have no known grave. Over 90% of
those commemorated died between
July and November 1916. Its visitor
centre presents a graphic portrayal
of the allied offensives of 1916 and
serves to illustrate the horror and
suffering of our soldiers. The stone
of remembrance is in the centre of
the memorial, surrounded by sixteen
square pillars each bearing thousands
of names. On pier 7 they found,
under the heading of the Royal
Sussex Regiment, ‘SHOESMITH. J’.
The party were alone with Bro John
Shoesmith as they remembered him
in prayers written by the Provincial
Grand Chaplain W Bro Stephen Terry.
A wreath of poppies with at its
centre a picture the original Lodge
banner and a photograph of Bro
John, together with a separate note
recording the visit and a picture of
the Regimental cap badge, was laid
at the stone of remembrance by Bros
Harvey Waterworth and Michael
Harris. Silence prevailed yet again.
Hearts felt heavy, though none could
deny the feeling of pride in Bro. John
and Knights of the Road Lodge.”
.QLJKWVRIWKH5RDG/RGJH1R
Patron of the 2004 RMBI Festival
Grand Patron of the New Masonic Samaritan Fund
Patron of the Freemasons’ Grand Charity 2017 Festival
Centenary Celebration
1913 - 2013
20th July 2013
Brighton Masonic Centre
The splendid brochure cover page; all
attendees received a copy of the 24 page
illustrated souvenir
A sample spread from the souvenir brochure”
Page 19
Deacon Features
As we were seen:
Freemasonry and the Press
The Prestonian Lecture for 2013
O
n July 9th last, VW Bro Paul
Calderwood delivered the
2013 Prestonian Lecture to
assembled brethren as the honoured
guest of Worthing Installed Masters
Lodge No. 9860. Bro Calderwood’s
lecture, “As We Were Seen:
Freemasonry and the Press”, has a
scope far wider than can be included
in this article, being taken from his
doctoral thesis on the subject. His
book, “Freemasonry and the Press in
the Twentieth Century”, documents
the findings of the thesis and, as
one might expect, contains 25 pages
of bibliography. For the purposes
of this article no such evidence
is offered, instead it reports the
findings as fact and invites your
perusal of the book if queries or
doubts arise.
Then and Now
Bro Calderwood set out to examine
the way in which Freemasonry was
portrayed in the national press in
England and Wales during the 20th
century. He considered how and why
the public image (as distinct from
the internal image) of Freemasonry
changed from that of a highlyrespected élite organisation, at the
centre of public life in 1900, to a
position on the fringes in the 1990s,
regarded by many people with
suspicion and disapproval.
He went on to describe how the press
conveyed positive news about the
Freemasonry during the first 40 years
of the 20th century, and concluded
that the change in public regard for
Freemasonry which subsequently
occurred was mainly - though not
solely - due to Masonic withdrawal
from the public sphere. In England
and Wales, Freemasonry’s reluctance
to engage with the media after 1936
powerfully assisted its critics, who
grew in strength significantly as a
result of developments within the
media and the churches. He also noted
that throughout this latter period “
Conspiracy culture” remained strong,
rendering the privacy/secrecy of
Freemasonry a major handicap to
public understanding.
Page 20
The full realisation that Freemasonry
“had a problem” and the enormity
of its implications came in 1998
when the then Grand Secretary,
Commander Michael Higham, RN,
was called before the Commons
Home Affairs Committee to comment
on accusations of corruption in
public life by brethren. Surrounded
by a largely hostile audience and
in the glare of television, intensive
questioning ensued. By respecting
confidentiality and declining to
reveal a list of members, Bro Higham
came very close to Contempt of
Court and possible imprisonment.
The somewhat staid Financial Times
described it as an “electrifying
meeting”. This of an organisation of
which Edward VII had said in 1901,
“as Protector of English Freemasons,
I shall continue to watch over
your interests and to rejoice over
the prosperity and growth which
I anticipate for you”. Fifty years
later, George VI said he would pray
that freemasonry “will continue to
maintain that beneficial influence
which has characterised it in the
past”.
The Causes of Decline
The principal source of information
about freemasonry had been the
organisation itself, demonstrating
that UGLE was one of the pioneers
of public relations in Britain’s private
sector. Decisions regarding UGLE’s
media communications policy was
not usually matters for debate and
seem to have been made informally
by the “ruling elite”.
After 1916 there had been a new era
of communication with the media,
but from 1936 the organisation was
steered out of the public eye. UGLE’s
policy of silence and its refusal to
engage with the media gave free reign
to its critics who were assisted by
developments within the media and
the church, as well as the decrease in
royal endorsement.
Meanwhile during WW2 newsprint
was rationed and from the 1950s
onwards newspapers have been
VW Bro Paul Calderwood, PGSwdB,
PhD, Prestonian Lecturer 2013
in steady decline, encouraging an
increasing tendency towards hard
news and sensationalism. Society
as a whole became increasingly
questioning of all forms of authority,
resulting in a dramatic reduction
of deference and a corresponding
increase in investigative journalism.
Before WWII newspaper readers were
left in no doubt that freemasonry was
designed for people with a declared
belief in God and a strong interest
in morality, and that freemasonry
attracted followers from the world’s
major religion. Indeed a lodge was
formed dominated by leaders of
the Press and, in particular, editors
of newspapers such as The Times,
who readily published articles about
Masonic activities.
Press profile of Freemasonry in
the first four decades came largely
from the involvement of the Royal
Family, who had played a key role
in the administration of the order.
Royal involvement declined after the
death of George VI and even though
HM the Queen has unwaveringly
supported the RMBI, and her cousins,
the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael
of Kent, have continued to provide
the organisation with valuable
leadership, Prince Phillip and his
sons have not become Freemasons.
The
relationship
between
freemasonry and religion also
declined significantly. In the mid
30’s the Christian churches debated
whether freemasonry was a religion
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Deacon Features
and therefore a rival. In the eyes
of the Roman Catholic Church,
freemasonry was undoubtedly seen
as both. The assertion of UGLE that
freemasonry was not a religion
nor a rival to it, failed to convince
many church leaders. Freemasons in
Germany were persecuted because
we acknowledged Judaism and
jews as brothers. Islamists became
critical of us for similar reasons.
understanding. A renewed, proactive “openness” is being actively
promoted, whilst UGLE
actively monitors
Bro Calderwood has
chosen
three:
The
National Autistic Society,
The Royal College of
Surgeons and the RMBI.
Masonic benevolence, evident
in the first half of the century,
fell victim to changes, changes
hugely aggravated by the
deliberate withdrawal of UGLE
from the public scene, resulting
in that same benevolence
going unnoticed in the second
half of the century. This when
Freemasonry was one of
the largest benefactors and
grant-making organisations
in 20th century Britain.
Indeed by the end of the
century it was one of the
25 largest charities in the
UK.
Throughout
the
century some critics,
and especially those
on the extreme left,
endeavoured
to
draw freemasonry into
the world of party politics but
their attempts proved unsuccessful.
Nonetheless in the final decade of
the twentieth century these critics
successfully mounted a challenge
in Parliament upon the secrecy of
the organisation, culminating in the
interview with Bro Higham. Under
pressure from both state and church,
and staring at the possibility of being
publicly outlawed, UGLE diluted
its policy of secrecy and by the end
of the century was again becoming
more communicative. At the same
time it revisited its rituals so that they
appeared less offensive, and expelled
members convicted of breaking the
law. The subsequent realisation that
freemasons were not controlling
the judiciary, nor at the heart of
conspiracies within the police or
local government, nor encouraging
Christians to abandon their faith,
came as a surprise to many.
The whole strategy of withdrawal
had been an alarming experience.
In the 21st century UGLE once
again concedes that public relations
are necessary and that robust
communication is the key to
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
The lecturers now travel around the
country and abroad so far as they
are able, delivering their lectures to
those requesting it. Customarily the
proceeds go to charity, each lecturer
choosing his own.
VW Bro Dr Paul Richard
Calderwood
V.W.Bro Dr. Paul Richard
Calderwood
PGSwdB
graduated in History from
the University of Leicester
in 1969 and then pursued a
career in journalism and Public
Relations. After a career of 40
years he retired from business
and returned to university where
he was eventually awarded the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by
Goldsmiths, University of London,
for his thesis on the history of
Freemasonry and the Press.
negative press
and responds with not
only denials but considered and
informed responses designed to
enlighten rather than obfuscate.
In 2010, Dr Calderwood was
awarded the Norman B. Spencer
Prize by Quatuor Coronati Lodge
No. 2076, the premier lodge of
Masonic research, for his essay on
Freemasonry and Architecture in
Twentieth-Century Britain. In 2013,
the academic publishers Ashgate
Publishing published a substantial
book based upon this doctoral thesis.
In his book, Bro Calderwood
concludes, “As one of the pioneers
of public relations in the nongovernment sector between 1916-36
this denouement [of dis-engagement]
is deeply ironic”.
The Prestonian Lecture
On his death in 1818, one William
Preston bequeathed the sum of
£300 as an endowment for “some
well informed Mason to deliver
annually a lecture on the First,
Second or Third degrees”. The
lecturers were appointed and held
office for many years until, in 1862,
they ceased. Lectures were resumed
in 1925 along the current model,
ie. annual appointments where
the lecturer chooses a subject of
Masonic educational value. They
have continued to date with only a
break during the Second World War.
The story goes on
Page 21
Provincial Grand Lodge
Our
nearly
new
APGM
Keith
Schofield,
first hand ….
P
robably the last time I was asked to write a small piece about myself
was at school, which I approached with the same trepidation as now.
Born two years after the end of WW2, a true ‘baby boomer’. I was
born in North London, but we move to Brighton 8 years later when my
father transferred from Charrington’s East London Brewery to Kemptown
Brewery in Brighton. My early schooling was at St. Mary C.E. School, then
after taking the 11+ exam, transferred to Fawcett School Secondary in the
centre of Brighton. It was a mixed abilities school with many streams and
a good sporting ethos. It excelled in swimming and boxing and I competed
in both for the school; literally a school of hard knocks! After taking GCEs
I joined Rayners, an established Brighton optical company, and continued
my education through their optical apprentice scheme. On qualifying as a
registered Dispensing Optician in 1972, I became a Fellow of the Association
of Dispensing Opticians.
The mid-sixties were a great time to be a teenager. Never quite a ‘Mod’ or
‘Rocker’, I was happy to ride pillion on a Lambretta or Ariel Arrow. The
favourite haunt for most teenagers was the Regent Ballroom, which stood
where Boots is now in Queens Road.
Seemingly every teenager spent
Thursday evening there and it was where I first met my wife Angela. Some
two years later we were married and in the last 47 years our family has grown,
our daughter and son producing two granddaughters each.
Page 22
In later years I was accepted as a
Fellow of the Worshipful Company
of Spectacle Makers, a London Livery
Company given its charter in 1629
by Charles 1, thus just predating
recorded
Freemasonry.
I
was
subsequently made a Freeman of the
City of London, however I have yet to
drive my sheep over London Bridge!
Being semi-retired, most of our spare
time is taken up by touring the UK
and Continent in our motorhome,
when not on duty (masonically
speaking).
My masonic life began when, in 1983,
I was initiated into South Down
Lodge. I became Worshipful Master
in 1993, was appointed Provincial
Grand Steward in 2000, Provincial
Grand Mentor 2009 and APGM in
2013. I was exalted into South Down
Chapter and became MEZ 2009.
I keep out of mischief by trying to
learn to play the ukulele, but I had
better not give up the day job! I don’t
have a lot of time to watch television,
but I am a great fan of the Simpsons,
also very keen on all things sci-fi
and in particular Star Trek. In my
younger days, I have been known to
go to a fancy dress as my hero ‘Spock’
complete with pointed ears!
Keith Schofield, APGM
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Provincial Grand Lodge
Chris Farrow, PProv SGW
The Nigerian connection
Louise, 25, Joseph, 16 and Natalie,
14. Apart from Masonry and work
Chris is also chairman of Chailey
Bonfire Society, very involved in
fund raising for Chailey Sports Club
and enjoys playing Bar Billiard for
the local Pub when he has time....
C
hris moved to Chailey with
his parents in 1963 and has
lived in different parts of
the village ever since. He joined
East Sussex County Council as a
trainee accountant in 1974 but soon
moved to the computer department
becoming Head of Computer
Services. In the late 90s he joined
Fujitsu and, amongst other things,
has most recently been responsible
for the deployment of the WiFi
infrastructure in the London
Underground.
He married Julie in 1985 and they
have four children, Daniel, 27,
He was initiated into Pelham Lodge
(Father’s mother lodge) in 1980
and was Worshipful Master in
1987, 1994 and again in 2010. He is
particularly proud of the fact that
he has only missed two meetings
since he was Initiated and, apart
from progressing to the Chair, has
been Secretary or Charity Steward
throughout. He is also a Past Master
of Chaggeley (old name for Chailey)
Lodge where he is also Charity
Steward. Chris was appointed
ProvGStwd in 1994 and joined the
Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge
where he is currently Secretary. He
holds the rank of PAGDC in the
Royal Arch and is a joining member
of South Saxon and Ockenden
chapters, having originally been
Exalted into Ebute Metta Chapter
No 3973 in Nigeria. He is also active
in other degrees and is PGJD in the
Mark Degree, a holder of Royal Ark
Mariner Grand Rank, 30° in the
Rose Croix, PPrGReg in the Knights
Templar and a Knight in the Knights
Templar Priests.
Editor: When I first read Chris’s
story I wondered how the Nigerian
connection had come about. His
reply was: “I’d not long been Raised
and was visiting my Father who, at
the time, was working in Nigeria.
We went to a Craft meeting and the
District Grand Superintendent for
Nigeria, Cliff Mayes, who happened
to attend too. At the meeting he
asked if I had considered the RA?
By the end of the evening there was
a handwritten Dispensation on a the
back of a menu and I was Exalted
the following week!”
Mike Conn, PProv JGW
Organist extraordinaire
I
was born in Brixton, South East
London, in 1956 and went to
school in North Dulwich. From
as long as I can remember I loved to
make music and decided at a very
early age, that I would eventually
become a Music teacher. In 1977 I
graduated with a degree in Music
and, a year later, gained a Post
Graduate Certificate in Education.
I embarked on a teaching career,
working in a number of London
comprehensive
schools
before
taking a four-year career break to
gain wider commercial experience.
During this time I worked for travel
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
companies and a major airline,
travelling to most parts of the
world and gaining valuable ‘real
life’ experience before returning to
the classroom in 1986 as Head of
Music then Head of the Creative
Arts Faculty. Later I became Senior
Teacher in a large comprehensive
school in Camberwell. Then, in
1993, I became Deputy Head teacher
of Dartford Grammar School and a
JP in Inner London. In 1998 I was
appointed Head teacher in Bexhill
On Sea and thoroughly enjoyed
nearly 16 years in that post.
I was initiated into the Rose of
England Lodge No. 6493 at the
Masonic Temple in St Leonards-OnSea, in January 1991, and appointed
Lodge Organist in 1992. I became
Worshipful Master in 1998 and
returned to being Organist the year
after, an office I have held ever since.
I became Provincial Grand Organist
in June 2004 and could not have
been happier. I enjoyed every single
moment of 9 years in that office. The
work was varied and I was fortunate to
work alongside many distinguished
brethren in the Provincial Team.
When the PGM invited me to become
the Provincial Junior Grand Warden I
was overwhelmed. It was the biggest
surprise I have ever experienced. The
role was extremely rewarding and
I really enjoyed every aspect of the
work.
Last September I decided to take early
retirement and am now fully engaged
in my Masonic duties, both with the
busy schedule in the Craft as well
as several other degrees. I am also
taking advantage of holidays during
term time (a luxury I have not had in
many years). My partner and I plan
to continue our obsession with cruise
ships as well as travelling around the
UK in our beloved caravan.
Mike Conn, Prov JGW
Page 23
Provincial Grand Lodge
Recruitment
The Provincial perspective
F
ive or six years ago I was
happy to go on the road with
Keith Schofield and assist,
with others, in the setting up of
the Sussex Mentoring Programme.
That now seems a very long time
ago. Little did I know that I would
be honoured to be asked to take
up the reins from Keith following
his appointment to APGM. Having
acted as a Regional Mentoring
Coordinator for 5 years, the step up
was not quite as daunting as might
have been. Nevertheless, at the Craft
AGM in June, I was in a state of
total excitement and apprehension
in equal measure. Silly, really, for
as my wife Karen says, “it’s only a
hobby”. Hmm, well it’s easy for her
to say that isn’t it?
I knew I was to inherit a well-formed
system of 17 Regional Mentoring
Coordinators each looking after and
advising, on average, 10 “collared”
Lodge Mentors who each have many
Personal Mentors to oversee. The
system, whilst requiring constant
updating as Lodge Mentors come
and go, is now firmly established and
is functioning well. Of course there is
always room for improvement and I
suspect the system will always be a
work in progress. For the majority of
the last five years the last two of the
three “R’s” have been concentrated
on, Retention and Retrieval. Whilst
these require constant vigilance,
especially at Lodge level, they appear
now to be an integral part of the
Lodge psyche and are considered the
duty of all brethren, not just that of
the Lodge and personal mentors.
Our Mentoring emphasis must
now, and with some considerable
urgency, shift its focus to the first of
the three “R’s”. Yes, you’ve got it,
RECRUITMENT. To state an obvious
fact, it is no good whatsoever to have
the best mentoring system in the
world if you don’t have anybody to
mentor (or fewer and fewer Lodges in
which to practice it). Unfortunately,
it is an absolute fact that every
Lodge requires an adequate intake
of initiates, if only to replace the
natural passing of brethren. The
Page 24
perpetual practice, through necessity,
of dedicated Past Masters filling the
offices within a Lodge, whilst helpful
in the short term, will only result in
the gradual decline and ultimate
demise of that Lodge.
Initiates beget Initiates by creating
actual and relevant work for the
Lodge, by becoming officers who will
undertake that work, thus brewing
general excitement and interest in
the Lodge. This in turn will create
an atmosphere in which guests
are invited frequently and accept
those invitations willingly. Thus a
Lodge might revitalise itself with an
influx of new, eager and dedicated
young Initiates and perhaps joining
members. I use the word “young”
advisedly, I did not join until my 40’s,
and many others later than that.
It is no longer enough waiting for
someone to express an interest in
joining; we must be far more proactive in our approach. Today, more
than ever, social and professional
organisations are out there competing
for the attention, commitment and,
let’s be frank, hard earned money of
potential right minded and suitable
candidates. How can Freemasonry
compete?
Here I must introduce an all important
caveat in our pursuit for recruits. We
must ever be mindful of the words
of Dr Oliver oft quoted as a footnote
on a Summons, “one false step at this
point may be fatal...great numbers
are not always beneficial.” Clearly
we must never entertain the notion
of lowering our entry standards, nor
should we wish to overpopulate the
Lodge with too many Initiates too
quickly. That path leads equally to
lack of progression within a sensible
timeframe and, as a result, frustration
and discontent.
So, let us accept that recruitment is
vital. Without it we wither and die.
With it we grow and prosper. Let us
avail all options available to us as
individuals.
For the more techno-savvy among
us, the use of social media sites might
Geoffrey J Draper
Provincial Grand Mentor
prove very useful. Perhaps some
statuses or tweets concerning your
Masonic activities, not just restricted
to Masonic closed groups, might be
in order? This could prompt much
welcomed inquiry from those to
whom you are digitally connected.
You are permitted and, at this time,
especially encouraged to discuss
your Masonic experiences and what
we are all about, with anybody
you like, but just do remember the
intricacies of our actual ritual should
remain private so as not to spoil the
experience of a brother not yet privy.
Every Lodge should set a target to
recruit at least one Brother every
year, preferably two. YES! I mean
every Lodge in the Province of
Sussex. Without one Initiate at least
per year your Lodge is in danger.
To be brutal and blunt, count your
membership, work out the average
age of membership and you do the
maths. Equally I am not saying a
Lodge of average age 70+ should try
to recruit, as the only brother under
50, a 23 year old graduate. Who is
he going to have fun with and relate
to? But members of Lodges with an
average age of 70 do, most probably,
have sons in law, younger brothers
in law, younger work or ex work
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Provincial Grand Lodge
colleagues who might like to discover
more of what we Masons do. Those
initiates themselves know younger
people who can then come in later
and thus a cross-generational yet
united Lodge is created. This sounds
simple, and though we might think
this will happen naturally, it does
not. It now takes care and hard work.
Formation of a Lodge Recruitment
Committee would be a good first
step and greatly aid the endeavour.
Communicate on a regular basis,
go hunting, explore all the avenues,
question your start times and any
barrier your Lodge might have
impeding your recruitment efforts,
and go out and get them. They, like
I was, are out there but need to be
found. When found, they will be
eternally grateful, as I was, and will,
like me, wish to give a little back.
The Province is encouraging public
open days at our Masonic Centres
and active presence at all the County
events, and the Province is very
grateful to W. Bro Peter Martin
and our illustrious editor here W.
Bro Alan Woods for their tireless
assistance at these events. Thanks
also to the Motorcycle Lodge 9871 for
immediately embracing the ethos. If
your local centre is getting involved
then it really does behove you to
participate and assist wherever
possible. If your local centre is not
planning such an event, then why
not? Get in touch.
Beat the drum for Freemasonry in
general, Sussex Masonry in particular,
but, above all, for your Lodge, beat
the drum more loudly. You are a
Freemason. Be proud of the fact,
never apologetic. As a good Mason,
and a good Man, extol the virtues of
our Order.
The UGLE have decided that our
tercentenary celebration in 2017
should, above all else, prompt all
of us to become ambassadors for
Masonry and to promote its virtuous,
wholesome, inclusive and charitable
nature. Let us in Sussex be the
vanguard in answering this call.
In this article I have not had time
or space to discuss our endeavours
to join the Universities Scheme and
other Provincial initiatives which are
ongoing. Watch this space.
Geoffrey J Draper
Provincial Grand Mentor
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
:HOFRPHWR)UHHPDVRQU\
The following Brethren have been initiated into Sussex Lodges
from May 2013 to February 2014.
We wish them every happiness on their Masonic Journey
Bro
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Varadarajan Kalidasan
Michael Kavalieros
Philip Evans
Simon Clifford
Jason Philip Brooke
Paul Robert Knott
Jonathan Alexander Lindfield
Matthew Edward Townshend
Kevin Howard Fry
Michael Andrew Barnett
Richard James Talman
Stephen Alfred Crathern
Roy David Crosweller
John Sims
Darren Timothy Greene
Edward Paul Allison-Wright
Jeffery Michael Halls
Robert Kevin Woolgar
James Richard Cunliffe
Thomas William Graham
Stephen Kevin Sands
Michael John Kennedy
Mathew Robert Draper
Wayne Paul Marder
David John Tucker
Adrian Mark Robert Cloke
Roger Clive Phillips
Thomas William Barnett
Andrew Simon Barnes
Terence Charles Bourne
Andrew Alan Conibear
John Paul Elliott Mason
Samuel Harry Collyer
Martin Seamus McCabe
John William Rainsley
Toby James Henry Langford
Timothy Alexander Benson
James Robert Francis Turle
Gary Ian Borg
Damien Mark Rowatt
Richard Hart Runalls
Christopher Wadd
Francis Louis Gaskin
Keith William Gaskin
Robert Scotford-Smith
David Shaun Urry
Marc Peter Fewell
Anthony Joseph Clarke
Tristan James Todd
Derek Jeffrey Curtin
Peter Kendema
Michael Paul Cornish
Graham Caldwell
Mark Dennis Nicholson
Alexander Karl Grineisen Hayes
William Lawrence Sauer
Martin James Morgan
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David John Charles White
Martin Paul Green
Kes Travers
Jean-Luc Brouard
Stephen John Raymond Gates
Malcolm Nigel Clark
Vincenzo William Sergi
Daniel Michael Rickwood
Lewis David Clark
Barry Leslie Hinves
Clive Roger Tinkler
Marco Peter Rummery
Adam Robert Frederick Baker
Robert Joseph George Baker
Philip Thomas Norman
Mark Anthony Merrydew
Amir Delavari
David Andrew Brown
Philip James O’Neill
Barnaby Anthony John Hall
Hisham Daghestani
Aston Ford Mark Garrett
Anthony Colin Smith
Nicholas Craig Streeter
Samuel William Wilson
Ronald Price
Antony David Oxley
Juan Jose Recouso Alvarez
Nicholas Daniel Gully
Ian Duncan Sandison
Richard Arthur Sweatman
Anthony Duncan Whiteley Smith
Audley Thomas Clark
Steven Bruce Paul
James George Albert Stanhope
Ian Martin Sharp
Paul Harry Scott
Christopher Antony Beech
Shaun Peter Reed
Garry James Butcher
Christopher James Harris
Edward Frank Rosswilliam Norris
Joby Martin Jones
Stephen Ian Hands
Stephen Mark Beckett
Jeremy Eckersley James
Jason Guy Bunce
David Thomas Straker Crone
Justin Roy Godfrey Tyler
Ryan Gould
David Alan Elmslie
Adam Richard Latus
John Fenton Watt
Timothy Paul Davies
Simon Alexander Green
Raymond Leslie Collins
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L7931
L7965
L7995
L8035
L8039
L8042
L8049
L8049
L8102
L8104
L8148
L8243
L8256
L8286
L8303
L8318
L8504
L8504
L8504
L8504
L8630
L8648
L8648
L9080
L9117
L9117
L9450
L9871
L9871
Page 25
Provincial Grand Lodge
Sussex Masonic
Charities
Chairman’s Report March 2014
O
n 24th March, the Chairman
of the Sussex Masonic
Charity, W Bro Colin
Scourfield, delivered his twiceyearly report to the PGM and the
Charity Stewards of Sussex. What
follows is based upon that report.
It covers the six-month period
following the October 2013 report.
ALMS
The Provincial Grand Almoners
Office has dealt with a total of 424
enquiries. The PGM’s Relief Fund,
which assists with immediate
domestic
emergencies,
granted
£4,000 in the period. Please remember
to support this important, rapid
response charity designed for those
in dire need. The key phrase is “rapid
response”; if there is a longer term
need then three of the four Central
Masonic Charities are approached for
grants.
For example, 34 applications were
submitted to the Freemasons Grand
Charity (FGC) for a Relief Grant, 21
of which received grants totalling
£44,700, the largest single grant being
£6,650. The FGC also continued to
support four petitioners from the
Transferred Beneficiary Fund, a
total of £4,160. So nearly £50,000 has
been received from the FGC for the
direct benefit of Sussex members and
dependants in the six-month period,
showing where to put your donations
whilst we are in Festival Mode
until 2017! The Masonic Samaritan
Fund made grants of £29,370 for
essential surgery, respite care and
mobility equipment to seven Sussex
applicants. The Royal Masonic Trust
for Girls and Boys supported 6 new
applications for children of Sussex
masons with grants totalling £42,177
per annum. The fourth of the four
charities is the RMBI, which operates
care homes across the country for the
benefit of masons and their families.
John Hornblow, the Provincial Grand
Almoner, is back after his serious but
Page 26
very successful surgery and is his
usual ebullient self. In his absence
his Team, led by Geoff Cornwell,
carried on regardless. Geoff has now
moved on to be ProvGScribeE and
was invested as ProvG Sec in June.
As a result of Geoffrey becoming
Provincial Grand Scribe E, John
Hornblow has a vacancy in his
Provincial Grand Almoner’s team of
a deputy. This will be filled by Neil
Philipson.
CHARITY NEWS
With the regular receipts, plus
interest received for the Grand
Charity, the 2017 Festival appeal now
stands at £2,004,861. Receipts for the
Festival are averaging just under
£44,000 per month, with in excess of
£500,000 received during 2013, very
encouraging!
will notice increases in merchandise
prices. They reflect product cost
movements, not Peter’s expenses!
Some cheques are still being received
with incorrect payee details, though
perhaps not too surprising given the
number of payee options. To help
solve this all cheques to the Charity
Office should now be payable to
‘Sussex Masonic Charities’, but
with the purpose of the money, ie.
the PGM’s Relief Fund, TLC, the
2017 Festival, Stewards’ Jewels or
Merchandise, written on the back. If
you prefer you can now pay on-line
via BACS.
ADVICE
A small number of Lodge Charity
Stewards have been seeking advice
regarding the administration of
Lodge Charity accounts. Compliance
with the Book of Constitutions is the
key, but any immediate concerns can
be directed to the office. However,
a more practical and definitive
to support the Charity Steward’s
handbook in due course.
VAT
In the last six months the Province
of Sussex has donated £40,000 to the
Sussex Air Ambulance, £10,000 to
widows and dependants in the form
of Christmas gifts, £20,000 to local
hospices, £5,000 to the Philippines’
Typhoon
Disasters
Emergency
Committee and £10,000 to the Argus
Appeal.
Additionally,
Matched
Funding amounted to £45,000,
meaning local charities benefited by
£90,000 across a very broad range
of needs. Sussex Masonic Charities’
investments now stand at in excess of
£1.8million and are allocated across
a broad range of stocks and shares
to give a balanced portfolio, and the
interest can be used to fund giving,
where appropriate.
You may have read reports in
newspapers about a court case that
the Grand Charity has brought in
seeking a VAT tribunal ruling on VAT
reclaim and exemption. These reports
are very misleading, if not completely
wrong!
ADMINISTRATION
2017 FESTIVAL
Jo Jameson, our new Administrator
has settled down extremely well
alongside our relatively new, but
very experienced Provincial Grand
Charity Steward, Paul Dedman. In
addition, Mike Fortin has joined
to assist in the processing of the
Charity work and Peter Whiteside
has responsibility for the sales of all
Provincial merchandise. Sadly you
In closing, Bro Scourfield said “We are
heavily committed to our Festival and
your support is essential. As I have
said many times before and as you
are well aware, charity on occasions
begins at home, and until 2017 we
are at home in Sussex and in Festival
mode! The support of all the Brethren
of the Province is acknowledged and
we are forever grateful.”
UGLE brought the case, NOT the
Grand Charity. The Grand Charity, as
a long established registered charity,
is and remains completely outside the
scope of VAT. This complicated case
does not in any way have a bearing
on your charity donations, or the way
in which such funds are distributed.
We await further information from
the United Grand Lodge of England
on their next steps.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Provincial Grand Lodge
2017 Festival Update
Great progress, more to do
T
he 2017 Festival was launched
in September 2010 and has
achieved just over £2M in
less than 4 years (43 months)! As
the Chairman of Sussex Masonic
Charity, W Bro Colin Scourfield,
said at the March Provincial Grand
Charity meeting, “it is a wonderful
achievement and a great tribute to
the generosity of you, the Masons of
Sussex”. It would appear that within
a month or so we will have achieved
our target of £2,017,000. Time to
reflect, have we done enough, or is it
in fact, all going to plan?
The 2004 RMBI Festival was launched
in September 1998 and closed in
December 2003, an active period of 64
months. It had a target for members of
Lodges (us) of £2.5M. Those brethren
raised £3.1M. Other contributions
increased that total to £4.1M.
But comparisons can be misleading.
Yes, the 2017 target is lower than that
set in 2004, 20% down, and 10 years
of inflation makes the 2017 figure
seem even lower. And, as if that is
not enough, the active period of the
2017 is likely to be at least 76 months,
compared with 64 months of the
2004 Festival. But then we are going
through tough economic times; but
on reflection it may be worth noting
that a large number of Lodges have
already exceeded their anticipated
% of contributions for this stage of
the festival. Not only that, but some
of the “other contributions” such as
interest on the growing fund, that got
the 2004 figure to £4.1M are already
being included in the just-declared
£2M, so whilst this looks to be a very
impressive sum raised to date, we are
perhaps not as close to achieving our
lodge 2017 target as it first seems.
Consider a different tack. The
Freemasons Grand Charity is both
the most outward facing of the four
Central Charities, as well as the
prime source of long-term charitable
support to needy Freemasons and
their families. The FGC typically gives
around £300,000 a year to Sussex.
Over the 6½ year period of the 2017
Festival, Sussex will have received
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
around £2.1M. Or put differently, if
all we achieve is our target, we will in
effect, have given nothing to support
our brothers and their families across
the country, nor anything towards
non-masonic giving. Nor anything
to anyone, even ourselves in Sussex,
until our next FGC Festival in, say, 30
years time.
The inescapable conclusion is that
we must try to continue giving at
our current rate and, if you haven’t
participated in the past, to start now!
To quote Bro Scourfield:
“charity on occasions begins at home
and, until 2017, we are at home in
Sussex and in Festival mode! The
support of all the Brethren of the
Province is acknowledged and we are
forever grateful.”
Tony Davies, 2017 Festival Chairman,
Past APGM
By the Editor, with the grateful assistance
of Bros Colin Scourfield, Don Durrant
and Tony Davies, Chairmen of the Sussex
Masonic Charities and the 2004 and 2017
Festivals, respectively
Newsflash: PGM makes
big changes to his team
A
t the very enjoyable Craft AGM on 2nd June, the RW
ProvGM made several key appointments to his Provincial
Team. Most changes are designed to reinforce our current
Sussex practices, whilst others will be more about innovation. The
key announcements are:
‡
W Bro Martin Mitten was appointed DepProvGM, succeeding VW
Bro Grahame Carr who stood down after 4 years service in the
office – yes, it really was only four years.
‡
W Bro Maurice Adams was appointed APGM, succeeding Martin
Mitten
‡
W Bro Geoffrey Cornwell was appointed ProvGSec, succeeding
Maurice Adams (E Comp Cornwell had already succeeded E
Comp Adams as ProvGSE in early March), as is customary in many
Provincial Grand Lodges
‡
W Bros Robert Wicks and Michael Lear were appointed Provincial
Grand Senior and Junior Wardens for 2014-15, succeeding Chris
Farrow and Mike Conn.
‡
W Bro Colin Dann, PAPGM, is the new Provincial Information
Officer. Colin is to coordinate the Provincial media activities to best
effect, and to respond to external media.
Your next Deacon will report more fully on all these appointments,
but in the meantime let us congratulate not only those who were
promoted, but also those who stepped down after outstanding service
to the Province (us!) in their respective offices.
Page 27
Charities
Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust
Generous donation from
Carfax Lodge
L
ying just outside Horsham is
Kerwin Court, a part of the
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Trust (BIRT) and a grateful
beneficiary of a generous donation
from Horsham’s Carfax Lodge.
Members raised £1100 at a recent
“Ladies Festival dinner”, with an
additional £600 from the Provincial
Match Funding scheme. The Lodge
decided to donate the money, which
was presented on 10th January, as
a tribute to a member’s friend who
died of a brain aneurism two years
ago.
Kerwin Court plan to spend the
money on 3 new computers to assist
their users to practice their cognitive
Peter Lewis takes the
weight whilst Danny
Hilliard presents the
cheque to Wendy Fletcher
exercises, improve social activity
opportunities via Facebook and
Skype and so speed rehabilitation.
previously an inaccessible activity.
This is the best possible start to the
New Year”.
Wendy Fletcher, the Service Manager,
was delighted with the donation,
saying “Service users will have a better
opportunity to express themselves
using non-verbal methods, as well as
being able to participate in what was
From Peter Lewis,
photo by Bro Norman Perry.
Donations to Hospices
From The FGC and SMC
E
very year the FGC makes
donations to hospices around
the country. They are presented
on its behalf by the Provincial Grand
Lodges and they, in turn, supplement
the FGC donations by contributing
additional funds. In total, the ten
Sussex hospices collectively receive
around £30,000 a year from the FGC,
and Sussex hospices have received
£545,248 since 1984.
The FGC annually calculates a total
“hospice support budget”. The
budget comprises three elements;
home care services, day care services
and a per bed sum for residential
care. They then divide each of those
budget elements by the number of
hospices to be assisted and, in the case
of residential hospices, the number
of beds they collectively maintain.
Therefore the sum each hospice
Martin Mitten on the left and Wendy Mitten on the right presenting the cheques to
Caroline Lower, CEO of the Martlets
Page 28
Editor: For further information about
the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust see
www.thedtgroup.org.
receives will dependent upon the
services it supplies and how many
beds it has. Hence the apportionment
is eminently fair and transparent.
Further, the grant given to any given
hospice appears random and varies
from year to year reflecting the size
of the hospice support budget for
that year and the variables described
above. For example, three Sussex
hospices are no longer operating,
whilst the Chestnut Tree opened in
2004. In 2013 the average donation
for Sussex hospices was £3,130 and
the maximum £5,329.
The cheque presentations take place
throughout the year and are made
by senior members of the Province.
In addition to the FGC cheques, the
trustees of Sussex Masonic Charities
approve hospice donations totaling
around £20,000 per year. Three such
presentations were made in January
this year and on this occasion the
words and photographs are those of
hospices themselves.
Ed: The writing of paragraph 2 of
this article was made possible by the
explanations of the process from Caroline
McHale, Grants Officer of the Freemasons
Grand Charity and John Hornblow, our
ProvGAlmoner, who made the initial
contact with Caroline on the behalf of the
Deacon.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Charities
We are incredibly grateful for the
continued support of The Provincial
Grand Lodge of Sussex in this way,
such support having made a very
real difference to the lives of so many
people over so many years. Please
pass on my thanks to all concerned.
Of course as we discussed, the
support does not stop there; the
amazing generosity of local Lodges
has, over the years, contributed
hugely to the care provided by the
hospice for local people
Martin Mitten on the left and Wendy Mitten on the right presenting the cheques to
Sue Adams
The Martlets Hospice, Hove
“We were delighted to welcome Mr Martin Mitten and his wife Wendy to the
Martlets in January 2014. They presented us with donations of £2,000 from
Sussex Masonic Charities and £3,097 from the Freemasons’ Grand Charity.
Since 1997, we have received over £164,000 in donations from Freemasons
including from many local Lodges.”
Ed: Taken from the Martlets website
St Catherines Hospice, Crawley
“Dear Colin, it was lovely to meet Maureen and you at Catherine’s Hospice
this morning and thank you so much for the wonderful donation of £2,000
from Sussex Masonic Charities, in addition to the gift of £3,597 from The Grand
Charity.
Having
celebrated
our
30th
Anniversary in 2013, we are now in
the process of finalising plans for the
development of our services in the
year ahead, particularly our plans to
offer more care in the community to
patients across the area served by the
hospice.”
By Andy Perry, Trustees & Legacies
Fundraiser
St Peter and St James
“The Freemasons Grand Charity and
Sussex Masonic Charities are among
the first supporters of St Peter & St
James Hospice’s brand new Pay for
a Day scheme and will pay for the
cost of running the hospice and all its
services on Friday 24th January 2014
Martin Mitten, APGM, and his wife
Wendy recently visited the hospice to
deliver donations of just over £6,300
awarded by the Freemasons Grand
Charity and Sussex Masonic Charities
to support the hospice’s work.
The donations will be used for St
Peter & St James’s newly launched
Pay for a Day scheme through which
supporters raise funds to cover the
costs of the hospice for a whole
day by raising £6,225. Pay for a day
supporters get to choose the day their
donation pays for, to visit the hospice
and make a tour of its facilities, meet
with the staff and receive a framed
Pay for the Day certificate.
The hospice needs just over £2.2
million every year to meet its costs
and receives less than 16% of its
income from statutory sources so the
voluntary support through schemes
like Pay for the Day is critical to
ensuring it has the funds needed to
deliver services.”
Colin Scourfield on the right and his wife Maureen on the left presenting cheques
Caption
to AndyPlease
Perry
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Taken from the Press Release written
by Sue Adams, Head of Fundraising
& Marketing for St Peter and St James
Hospice
Page 29
Charities
Temperance Lodge
And its Filipino connection
Caption Please
M
y name is Bro George
Robert Santos, a Master
Mason of Temperance
Lodge 4064 and originally from
the Philippines. At my Raising
last October I asked the members
present to consider contributing to a
charity close to my heart: the Wheels
of Hope Project. They kindly agreed
that the proceeds of the evening’s
raffle would be donated to the
project.
We collected a total of £180 and I
told everyone that my family and
I would make a donation of £75 for
the project. This would purchase 4
wheelchairs for people living in my
home town of General Santos City in
the Philippines. In December 2013 my
family and I returned home for a
holiday and three of the four chairs
were purchased and distributed. The
fourth was donated in February.
The Wheels of Hope Project is a
charity run by our brother Masons of
Dadiangas Lodge 225, Grand Lodge
of Free and Accepted Masons of
the Philippines (GLP), which meets
in General Santos City. The aim of
the Project is to supply refurbished
wheelchairs to children and young
adults with disabilities in the local
community. Dadiangas Lodge has
been operating the project for 5
years. The Lodge meets monthly
and donates one wheelchair every
meeting. Its aim is to reach out a
helping hand to give the gift of
mobility to the deserving physically
impaired. The beneficiaries are drawn
from those so poor as not to afford
medical help and are identified on the
recommendation of local community
leaders.
I am attaching some photos during the
distribution of the said Wheelchairs
in the hope that this article will be
included in the next Issue of the
Sussex Deacon.
Bro George Santos, Temperance Lodge No 4064
Editor: The pictures illustrate both the
great need for the chairs, all of which
bear large side panels identifying both
Temperance and Dadiangas lodges,
and the contrast between them and the
chairs that we would supply to similarly
disabled children in Britain.
Page 30
The Grand Lodge of the Philippines is
recognized by UGLE, a fact easily verifiable
by referencing the UGLE Masonic Year
Book 2013/4 and the website of the GLP,
something the Lodge Secretary, ProvGSec
and others would have checked before
Bro George was admitted into the Lodge.
Likewise Bro June (pronounced as the
month) Bitong who joined Temperance
soon after Bro George.
The GLP celebrated its centenary in 2012
and received a very fulsome congratulation
of the work achieved from President Aquino
of the Philippines “Guided by the principles
of charity, moral uprightness, and fraternal
friendship, Freemasonry has inspired
Filipinos to live a life of service to his
country and fellowmen. Indeed, from your
ranks come many of our nation’s patriots
and distinguished citizens, established
leaders not only in their fields, but also in
their communities and in the national arena.
As you gather for this celebration, it is my
hope that you continue to demonstrate
excellence in your pursuits and encourage
your members to continue making a
difference in Philippine society, as we
begin to reap the fruits of our reforms in this
era of revitalization.
May this milestone inspire and propel your
organization to pursue your undertakings
with fervor, guided by the tenets of Masonry,
especially in this period of renewed vitality
in our economy, our society, and our
institutions.”
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Charities
Shopmobility Scooters for Sussex
Province gives a whole new fleet, or three!
S
hopmobility is a generic name
for organizations, often local
charities, that hire scooters
for short-term use, users typically
arriving in the morning by car or
public transport and using the hired
scooter for local shopping. The
scooters therefore form a convenient,
reliable and cost-effective solution
to people with limited mobility. A
typically enthusiastic client is Eileen
Martin, who has used Littlehampton
Shopmobility for many years and is
pictured here on one of the brand
new scooters.
Shopmobility organizations operate
in most major towns and are
continually fund-raising in support
of new scooters, their maintenance
and the administration of the office
and hiring. Sussex Freemasons have
been supplying mobility scooters to
Shopmobility organisations across
the Province for several years,
including to Hastings, Bournemouth,
Brighton and Worthing.
Scooters for Littlehampton
On 22nd August, Grahame Carr was
pleased to present Mr. Torquil Morgan,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of
Littlehampton Shopmobility, with
six mobility scooters. Littlehampton
Shopmobility had been finding it
increasingly difficult, both financially
and practically, to maintain it’s aging
Weald Mobility Care Centre deliver the six
new scooters
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Grahame Carr signs over the six scooters to the care of Torquil Morgan whilst Littlehampton councillors and members of ShopMobility look on
fleet of scooters. Fortunately the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex
has good contacts with Shopmobility
charities throughout the province
and became aware of their need.
The result was the delivery of the six
scooters seen being unloaded from
the Weald Mobility Care Centre’s
delivery van, all bearing a “Donated
by Sussex Freemasons” display card.
Bognor Regis and Horsham
Since then, Shopmobility in Bognor
and Horsham have each received
their own fleet of six scooters, again
courtesy of Provincial Grand Lodge.
How we do it. All the latest scooters
supplied are actually funded by
the Sussex Masonic Charity, each
donation having been authorized by
the Trustees of the Charity, and are
leased at zero cost to the receiving
Shopmobility. The first scooters were
funded by Sussex4Sussex and on a
slightly different basis to the current
SMC-direct route, but SMC pays
most of the cost of having a private
company maintain and repair the
scooters. It also retains the right to
reclaim them if and when any given
scooter is no longer required by the
Shopmobility leasee.
Eileen Martin giving the thumbs up to the new scooters
Page 31
Charities
Carousel: Arts for the disabled
Helped by Sompting Lodge
and Matched
Funding
M
y lodge, Sompting No 8450,
organised a wonderful
Lodge Festival at the
Charmandean Centre in October
2012 and gave great support to both
me, Craig Mackay, the then Master
and our guest, Liz Hall, of our chosen
charity, Carousel. You could have
heard a pin drop while Liz talked
enthusiastically about her charity.
The relevance of her message was
demonstrated by the generous
response of the brethren, plus
matched funding from Provincial
Grand Lodge. What follows is an
overview written by Liz of some
of the work of Carousel. It paints
a picture of the charity, reminding
us who were there and introducing
Deacon readers to its great work.
“Back in October 2012 I was invited by
Craig to the Sompting Lodge Ladies
Night. Craig had kindly offered
to support our charity through the
money raised on the night. It was
a fantastic evening of great food,
speeches, toasts and dancing and I
was overwhelmed with flowers and
support for Carousel. With the money
raised on the evening and further
support from the Sussex Masons we
were awarded £1350, which makes
a big difference to the work we do
across Sussex and the rest of the UK.
Over thirty years ago, when Carousel
first began working with learning
disabled people in the arts, most
of our participants were living in
long-stay institutions. Fast forward
to 2012, and the Carousel Singers,
a twenty-strong choir, performed
Page 32
on stage at Glyndebourne in our
Olympic themed show, Gold Run.
The driving force behind all our work
is to give learning-disabled people
the same opportunities to express
their creativity as we enjoy. So, from
the Board down, we are completely
inclusive. Five of our Trustees have a
learning disability – and four of them
are women. There is certainly nothing
ordinary about our organisation!
Oska Bright
The projects that we support range
across music, film and performance.
In November 2013 we staged the
world’s first and only festival of short
films made by people with learning
disabilities. Called Oska Bright,
the three day event was planned,
managed and presented by the Oska
Bright committee, including Becki
Brujas who says: “I never used to be
proud of myself, but working with
Oska Bright has made me feel equal
to everyone else.”
One of our longest running events
is the Blue Camel Club, held four
times a year at Brighton Dome’s Corn
Exchange. The club brings together
our rock and pop bands, DJ’s,
film, video art and includes guest
performers. It is just a like regular
club, with a pay bar, chill-out room
and lots of space for dancing. Over
400 people attend each time, coming
from way beyond Brighton. For many,
it is a rare pleasure to able to mix with
friends, shed inhibitions and just
have a thoroughly good time. Chris
Love, a popular DJ, says: “If it didn’t
happen I would be sitting around at
home. It’s a really good night.”
Carousel is a lean operation with
a small core staff and a team of
freelancers and volunteers. People
are very important to us, and the
support that we get from individual
donors
alongside
the
trusts,
foundations, corporate sponsors and
public funders underpins everything
we do. We go to great lengths to raise
money for the charity – from the Bird
Man of Bognor pier jump to running
the Brighton Marathon and holding
a Christmas Makers Fair – we have
fundraising continually in mind. Now,
in these challenging times, we need to
make sure that our work endures and
build on our history of pioneering
and distinctive arts projects. To find
out how you can support our work,
through donation, sponsorship or inkind, and what fundraising events
we have coming up, visit our website
at www.carousel.org.uk/support or
sign up to our regular newsletter on
the home page.”
Pictures courtesy of Carousel.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Charities
High Trees a local house for
disabled teenagers
Lizzie relaxes with Callum in control
I
I didn’t immediately agree to help
because a bit of research was needed
to find out what costs were involved.
Initial research discovered that a
tandem could be purchased for around
£650; so I informed my neighbour the
purchase of a tandem was on. The
next step was to ask other Lodges that
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Thanks to Bros
Robinson and Wastie
W
Caption Please
t all started with a conversation
over the garden fence with the
new neighbour, Rob, back in
the summer of 2012. During the
conversation it transpired that my
neighbour is a carer at the High
Trees Respite Home for children
with learning difficulties in Ifield,
Crawley. I said “I know where that is,
because two or three years ago we at
Crawley Lodge donated a computer
games consol and games, funded by
[the proceeds from] the Installation
raffle”. As Charity Steward for
Crawley Lodge, I asked if there
was anything else we could do for
High Trees. It emerged that one of
the children had been on holiday
with their parents, was able to ride
on a tandem and, on more than one
occasion, told the story about their
time on the tandem as being the
best thing they had ever done. So
my neighbour said it would be nice
to have a tandem as a treat for all
children that stayed at High Trees.
Treats are one of the ways carers
at High Trees build the confidence
and promote the development of
their charges, much as every child is
encouraged.
Hear the Deacon
meet at the Crawley Masonic centre
if they could possibly help. Manor
Royal Lodge came to the rescue with
a donation of £150 towards the fund
of £650. By May 2013 we were there,
the target of £650 had been reached.
Time to buy a tandem? Not as easy
as you might think. Suddenly the
cost had doubled! Ryan Smith, the
Charity Steward of Manor Royal
Lodge, reminded me that Provincial
Grand Lodge was still operating the
‘Match Funding Scheme’. So without
hesitation I applied. The only thing
that worried me was that High Trees
is run by West Sussex County Council
and therefore is not a charitable
organisation. Nevertheless I kept
in contact with Sue Hutchinson at
Provincial Grand Lodge (to whom we
offer thanks) and to my great relief
‘Matched Funding’ was granted. The
hunt for the right tandem was on.
A joint effort with Lianne Finch at
High Trees secured just the right
tandem; a three wheeled one. It was
still a long haul as from placing the
order to delivery was nearly twelve
weeks. However it was well worth the
wait. It arrived at the end of October
2013 and was formally handed over
24th November. As the pictures show,
Lizzie, a carer, feels safe in Callum’s
hands, whilst the Charity Stewards
couldn’t help but join in. First and last
chance, brethren!
Peter Addison of Crawley Lodge,
pictures by the Editor
e in the Deacon team
now
receive
many
articles from you, the
freemasons of Sussex, and that
results in our being able to
provide you with what we hope
is an interesting and attractive
magazines twice a year. The
stories are enhanced greatly by
pictures that convey far more
information about what you do
than mere words can express. We
thank you for your support and
involvement.
Sadly, however, several brethren
are either partially sighted or
wholly blind and so are unable to
appreciate the visual images, much
less read the text. This is where Bro
Leslie Robinson comes in. As you
may recall, Leslie is himself blind
and his wife Barbara is partially
sighted, but he has a recording
studio in his home where he is
able to produce and subsequently
distribute audio recordings of
various magazines including The
Sussex Deacon and Freemasonry
Today. The masonic recordings
themselves cannot be read by
Leslie but his long-time friend, Bro
Forbes Wastie, has been helping by
reading them aloud, so it is Forbes
voice that is heard.
Leslie relishes contact with those
who show interest and the best
communications route, the audible
route, ie. the telephone, is the
most direct for a blind person. If
you know of brethren who would
benefit from audio recordings,
please invite them to contact Leslie
on 01323 412079, or call Leslie on
their behalf
Page 33
Masonic Societies
The Ladies of Eastbourne
Enjoy Masonic fellowship
guests at the Hydro Hotel on the 17th
December 2013. It had been organized
by the Eastbourne and District
Masonic Widows Association, which
includes the twelve lodges that meet
in Eastbourne plus the three that meet
at Herstmonceux, and the Fellowship
Club.
It had been a great year for
Eastbourne widows, with three
outings culminating in the Christmas
Lunch. The ladies were greeted with a
glass of sherry or orange juice before
sitting down at 12.55. After grace
they were treated to a festive menu of
melon, turkey with all the trimmings
and Christmas pudding, followed by
coffee and mints.
The photographers’ friend in the centre, with Santa Claus Ray and Jonathan Payne oblivious
I
n our last issue of the Deacon
it emerged that the masonic
widows in Eastbourne were well
served by the Eastbourne & District
Masonic Widows Committee and
the Eastbourne Masonic Fellowship
Club. And as Ray Sparks explains
below, they still are!
First an outing to Blue Water ....
The trip organised by Eastbourne
Almoners to Blue Water Shopping
Centre on the 14th November was a
treat for the widows. Lynns Travel
of Eastbourne supplied a coach
and a mini bus to travel through
the beautiful Sussex and Kent
countryside with its varying shades
of autumn. This with an informative
On the way to spend at Blue water
Page 34
and entertaining coach driver helped
to pass the time to the north Kent
shopping centre and make the trip all
the more enjoyable. The ladies left at
around 10.00am and arrived back at
4.30pm.
The PGM gave a short after dinner
speech, followed by Mrs Maureen
Baker, President of the Eastbourne
& District Friendship Club. Finally,
the Association Secretary, Jonathan
Payne explained that as the dinner
had depleted the funds there was no
money left for presents, but he had
had a chat with Father Christmas
who had kindly take time out from
his busy schedule to distributed
presents to the ladies. He was helped
by the Almoners who had attended
and who, in many cases, had ferried
the widows to and from the venue.
Although the weather was cold, as
might be expected for a November
day and Christmas fast approaching,
the shopping centre was warm
and festive inside. The widows
were accompanied by three lodge
Almoners led by Jonathan Payne to
make sure they enjoyed the day.
… and then the Christmas lunch
RW Bro Kenneth Thomas and his
wife Maureen attended a bumper
Christmas Lunch with nearly 100
A fine lunch in fine company and a fine hotel
Entertainment was supplied by
W.Bro Les Stannard of Eastbourne
Lodge who despite a busy schedule
had taken time to play the Keyboard
throughout the function before
dashing off to entertain at another
booking in Eastbourne. Shortly before
his departure, Bro Eastwood took the
time to chat with the oldest member
of the widows, 102 year old Georgina
White.
Editor: Jonathan’s remark about
having no money left was not
entirely frivolous. Despite what the
pictures suggest funds are tight, as
they are almost everywhere. If your
Lodge delegates widows’ events to a
Group, please be sure it is given your
support.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Masonic Societies
Barford
residents
break out!
And enjoy the
fellowship of
golf
Chrissie and Brian, Noel, and John and Gemma on the balcony
new Secretary of the Sussex Masons
Golf Association, and the job was
done! Fred said they would be pleased
to host Brian and John and suggested
that the best event would probably
be the President’s Challenge Cup, to
be held
in Hove on 25th September.
From that point on Noel Anderson,
who is the Friends principal driver,
liaised with Fred ensuring that the
occasion would successful. The
President’ s Challenge Cup was first
staged 1936 and is also known as the
Inter-Lodge Teams-of-Three, so a
little inter-lodge rivalry would add
spice.
A
t one of its bi-monthly
committee meetings last
summer, the Friends of
Barford Court became aware that a
couple of physically active residents,
Brian Gadd and John Hoskins,
wanted to watch some “live” golf.
It is important that residents get
out and about and, fortunately
they knew of a club with some
particularly helpful members, not
least because Ian Lay is President
and all the other members are Sussex
freemasons.
The RMBI will always ensure that the
residents are kept safe and requires
that qualified carers be on hand. In
A quick email to Fred Moghadam, the
this case Chrissy and Gemma from
the Home and Noel driving. They
arrived at the West Hove Golf Club
at 1pm shown to the Club House
balcony overlooking the 18th hole.
They were given a warm welcome,
drinks at the bar and enjoyed a
superb lunch courtesy of the Club
committee. After lunch, Ian Lay
presented the President’s Cup to
Paul Grevatt and Graham Marchant,
and the Inter-Lodge Cup was
presented to Taurus of Sussex No
8148. Noel thanked the members for
their warm and generous hospitality,
and for making the occasion such a
happy experience for Brian and John.
The party left for Barford Court at
4:30pm feeling fully satisfied.
Tight
lines
catch
the
smile!
MTSFC
in Sussex
2014
&KDULW\5HJ1R
We depend
upon you, the brethren
of Sussex,
and your
lodges to provide
funds and, by
our
prior arrangement, you are welcome to attend an event to see what we do. Speaking of which,
you will
appreciate
that both privacy
and safety
are
critical
issues when
organising
events
for children,so you
may bepleased
to hear
that
we
have beenaccredited
status,
clubmark
a safe, rewarding and fulfilling environment
meaning
we provide
for young
people – see
www.clubmark.org.uk.
Brian Raw, Peter Whiteside and our Chairman,
Bryan Spearman, on a rainy day at Duncton
Mill Sussex
Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
The
To attend an event contact Brian Raw, our Events Coordinator (07801 673561 or b.raw@
talk21.com) who will be pleased to answer your questions– not least, how to get there! To
make a donation, cheques should be made payable to “MTSFC” and sent c/o Peter Whiteside,
SussexMasonic Centre,
Queens
Road,
25
Brighton,
BN1 3YH This years events are : May 13th
Mill Trout Fishery, Duncton
Duncton
Ponds), Horsted
Keynes
Hill Fishery
(Piplye
June 10th Cinder
July 8th Brick Farm
Lakes,
Golden
Cross
September 16th Duncton Mill Trout Fishery, Duncton
For
more information
about
the
Masonic
Fishing
Charity
and
the 29 participating
Provinces
go to www.mtsfc.org.uk
The Masonic Fishing Charity (MTSFC) is ready to bring more smiles to Sussex children in
adversity. With the continued support of Sussex Brethren four events have been arranged for
76
pupils from
special
needs
schools
in the area to
2014,
giving the opportunity
for up to
countryside
experience.
enjoy a fly-fishing
and
Page 35
Masonic Societies
Sussex Masonic Golf
Association
Grand
Officers’ 2013 an exciting year!
Lunch
T
Club
The
Grand
Officers
Luncheon Club is the
idea of RW Bro Ian Lay,
PProvGM. He thought
there was a gap that
such a club, meeting
twice a year, might fill.
An increasing number
of Grand Officers, both
Craft and Royal Arch, are
now attending, subject
to other commitments
preventing them. If you
haven’t been able to
attend so far, you may be
reassured to know that
there are no subs, no
speeches and no guests.
The Club enables GOs
to meet socially, enjoy a
good meal and meet old
friends, as well as making
new ones. Whilst every
GO has had a letter from
Ian Lay, any GO who has
not yet responded and
would like more details
can get in touch by writing
or E Mailing Ian Lay c/o
the Provincial Office. The
next lunch will be at the
Sussex Masonic Centre
on
18th
September
starting at 12:00. On this
occasion wives/partners
are invited.
he 2013 year was an exciting with membership nearly doubled and
many trophies won by newer members. Several innovations were
introduced including two divisions played for on each day, Golfer
of the Year for the new PGM Trophy and, the most enjoyable, the Annual
Captain’s Prize-presentation Dinner, where Ian and Jane Lay won the SMGA
Quiz and Katie Moghadam winning the first prize in the raffle which was
donated by Mark Dodd. The Trophy winners for 2013 were:
Millennium Putter - Trevor Brown
Inter Lodge Event - Taurus of Sussex
PSMGA Individual Trophy - Derrick Simpson
Abu Ghaffari Memorial Trophy - Chris Beech
Captain’s Trophy - Ivor Bennett
Secretariat Trophy - Tim Beech
President’s Trophy - Paul Grevatt, Graham Marchant
PGM Trophy - Paul Grevatt
The photo shows, l to r, back row, George Shilliam, Ivor Bennett, Paul Grevatt, Lew Howard,
Tim Beech, Chris Beech and, front row, Mark Dodd, Ian Lay, Peter Lang, Fred Moghadam and
Derrick Simpson.
Peter Lang, the 2013 Captain, raised £400 for Riding for the Disabled, plus £400
from SMC through Matched Funding.
The Officers for 2014 are
President
Ian Lay
Captain
Mark Dodd
Vice-Captain
Ian Bourns
Treasurer
John Ranger
Secretary
Fred Moghadam
The 2014 calendar will be:
27th March (Thursday) at Sweetwoods Park GC, AGM Millennium Putter
1st May (Thursday) at Mid Sussex GC Captain’s Day
5th June (Thursday) at Highwoods GC PSMGA Individual Trophy
10th July (Thursday) at Hill Barn GC President’s Trophy (pairs)
16th September (Tuesday) at Mid Sussex GC Provincial Presidents Challenge,
Inter Lodges Teams-of-3
20th October (Monday) at Lingfield Park GC Secretariat Trophy
22nd Novmber (Saturday) at EBMC, Peacehaven Captain’s Prize Presentation
Dinner Party
Membership of the SMGA is free. If you are a Sussex mason and play golf,
email Fred Moghadam [email protected] (or 07814 662936) and he will
put you on our email list that goes out on a regular basis.
Fred Moghadam, Secretary
Page 36
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Masonic Societies
Masonic Bowls club closes
all of whom are volunteers. The
Ambulance Response Teams (AResT)
are all volunteers and are called upon
when they can reach a 999 medical
caller before an ambulance crew. The
intention is to save life, calm patients
etc in emergencies and to be a provider
of first aid until the ambulance crew
can be on the scene. Good medical
outcomes are particularly improved
where cardiac arrests are involved
and a defibrillator is to hand, hence
the donation.
Jack Jay, centre right presents the cheque to John Darvall centre left, on behalf of the East
Brighton Masonic Centre
T
he Brighton and Hove
Masonic Bowls Fellowship
determined late last year that
they must, of necessity, wind the
Fellowship up. This sad situation
has arisen because too few masons
are participating to justify the
“Masonic” element in the title. There
were, however, increasing numbers
of non-masons participating, so
the Fellowship closed, disposed
of its assets and allowed the nonmasons to reform under the name
Phoenix Bowls Club. This enabled
Phoenix Bowls Club to continue
the Fellowship’s match fixtures but
under the new name. The closure
of the Fellowship involved two
meetings at Jerrom Hall, Peacehaven
(aka East Brighton Masonic Centre)
where presentations were made,
Tranche One on the 1st February and
Tranche Two on 30th March.
In Tranche One two cheques
were presented. The first was the
presentation by the President,
Joe Wilkins, PDepProvGM of a
defibrillator to Nigel Ring of the
Seaford Community First Responders,
Graham Amey, Lyn Austin, Joe Wilkins, Nigel Ring, Jack Jay and Peter Smith with the
Response car
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
The second cheque, of £800, was
a surprise presentation by Jack
Jay on behalf of the Fellowship
to Simon Thomas as Chairman of
the East Brighton Masonic Centre,
Peacehaven. This is to help with the
ongoing refurbishment of the Centre,
much of which is being done by
Tracey Grevatt, the Centre Manager.
Moving to Tranche 2, a celebratory
lunch was held at the Peacehaven
Masonic Centre on the 30th March
2014 to mark the final closure of the
Fellowship after nearly 50 years.
A number of lodge widows were
delighted to attend as guests of the
Fellowship and participate in the
bitter-sweet celebrations.
The lunch was co-hosted by the
President, Joe Wilkins, PDepProvGM,
and Jack Jay, on behalf of the
Fellowship, supported by their wives
Terry and Jean. The guests of honour
were Grahame Carr, DepProvGM
and his charming wife Pip. A total of
38 sat down to a sumptuous meal of
hors d’oeuvres, Scotch salmon and
fruit salad, followed by mints and
coffee. The culmination of the lunch
and the closing of the Fellowship
was Jack’s presentation to Grahame
of a cheque for £1365-50 to the 2017
Festival. Grahame gave a summary
of the amount so far collected and
said he had no doubt that the target
agreed with Grand Lodge and the
PGM would be met and then topped.
Please note that the indoor Bowls
Fellowship (BHMBF) is not connected
to outdoor the Sussex Masonic Bowlers
Fellowship (SMBF). The latter is alive
and well and will, I am sure, be happy
to receive expressions of interest and
support. The Secretary is David Vine and
he may be reached on [email protected] or
01903 203313.
Page 37
Lodge News
Two generations of lewises
And three generations of Kerwoods
LGR, the
initiate.
Grandfather
of
the
W Bro. Daniel Kerwood had many
years previously initiated his son, the
Worshipful Master, and was now to
witness his son initiate his son.
The Worshipful Master greeted the
guests and W Bro Daniel Kerwood
responded to the greeting, adding
that he expected to see his Grandson
initiated in an exemplary manner –
no pressure there then!
The ceremony was conducted in
a most excellent manner by the
Worshipful Master with visible
passion and emotion and to the
delight of the newly initiated
Brother’s Grandfather.
This meeting was concluded with
a festive board with all three Dan’s
seated together on the top table.
From left to right, the WM, his son and his grandfather, Bros Daniel Kerwood all
T
he Worshipful Master of
Burgess Hill Lodge, W
Bro Ian Daniel Kerwood
(Dan) initiated into Freemasonry
his son Daniel Kerwood (Dan)
in the Uckfield Masonic Centre.
In attendance was W Bro. Daniel
Kerwood (Dan), PPrJGW (Surrey),
A very proud moment for Father
and Grandfather, an initiation that
will not be forgotten by the Kerwood
family, or indeed any of the Lodge
members present.
Mervyn Shoobridge
The Baker Bros of Mount Caburn
Double Initiation for WM’s lewises
son, Robert J G Baker, before continuing the double
initiation. W Bros Steve Harvey, Bob Towner and Peter
Rhodes respectively performed the signs, token and
word dialogue with Robert whilst the WM, JW and SW
did likewise with Adam. Bro Mitten delivered a joint
Charge after Initiation to Adam and Robert and, of
course, in fine form.
W Bro Bob Baker with Bros Adam on his right and Robert his left
A
very happy occasion took place in the Sussex
Masonic Centre on 13th November last. In
fact for the WM “happy” is something of an
understatement; his sons, Adam and Robert, were
initiated in the main temple assisted by W Bro Mitten
and in the company of over 50 brethren including VW
Bro Grahame Carr.
The WM, W Bro Robert G (Bob) Baker obligated and his
eldest son, Adam R F Baker, followed by his younger
Page 38
Bob was pleased to pass Adam this March and will
pass Robert next February. Bob was proclaimed WM in
April, and the plan is that he will go on to raise Adam
next March. The Lodge is resurgent with four junior
brethren progressing towards the Chair. Indeed Bro
Grahame Carr presented Bro Leeke with his Grand
Lodge certificate that same evening, so there is plenty
of work in the Lodge for some time to come, and a
succession of first-time Installations hopefully starting
in a couple of years time.
After this Summer’s recess, the Provincial Team will
dedicate new working tools for the Lodge. At that
ceremony Robert will be presenting the 1st Degree
Tools and Adam the extended 2nd Degree Tools. It is
good to see them, as representatives of the younger
members of Mount Caburn standing up to be counted,
and the senior members supporting them.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Lodge News
Hadrian Lodge £1200 for Parkinsons at Barbie
1
1th August saw The Hadrian
Lodge 2483 hold their annual
BBQ hosted by their WM,
David Hanley, and his wife Hazel.
It was an event well attended by
lodge members and their friends
and family and, as is the custom
at Hadrian social events, an
opportunity for potential candidates
to meet many of the brethren.
Our picture shows, from the right,
David “Knobbly Knees” Hanley
and Hazel presenting Mrs. Diane
Baker with cheques totaling £1200,
accompanied by her husband Stuart.
Mrs Baker was representing the
Bexhill, Hastings and Rother Branch
of Parkinson’s UK, and the money was
raised at the Lodge race night held in
January, plus Matched Funding from
Province. Hazel said that in David’s
year they hoped the Lodge would
be able to present a similar amount
to “Silverlinings”, a Sussex based
charity that helps those who have
suffered head injuries to provide help
to others, in this instance towards
creating a hospice’s sensory garden.
An 80s night that raised spirits without Abba
T
he October meeting included
the raising of Bro Ian Wheeler
and, in keeping with the
Lodges’ all-inclusive policy, the WM
designated it to be a Past Masters’
meeting, albeit with a difference!
Bro David Hanley felt that, in
recognition of the ongoing support
that past masters brought to Lodge
of Instruction, the ceremony should
be performed by brethren in their
80th year or above, as the table
shows.
Needless to say, the ritual was
exceptionally good, the candidate
delighted and the Lodge members
inspired by the performance of the
team. At the festive board the DC said
“it is amazing how little prompting
was necessary”, sentiments reflected
more fully by the Secretary in his
fulsome minutes.
Norman Rushbrook,
photographs by Gerald Matthews
(with apologies to Bro Drewell)
From the left, the offices taken and their ages are SD (84), Trad Hist (81), SW (79), Tyler (85), WM pt1 (82), candidate and Bro Hanley,
WM pt 2 (89), IG (89), Wkg tools (82)JW (80), Chap (83) and JD (83)
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Page 39
Members News
Let there be
light, and
there was light
Achieved by lateral
thinking and sound
engineering
P
icture, if you will, having
irrevocably lost the sight
of one eye in an industrial
accident and the realisation that you
will progressively loose the sight in
the other eye in a few years.
You have a wife on whom you
become increasingly dependent and
money gets tighter. You have two
baby sons, but by now your one
“good” eye is so poor you can’t even
distinguish one son from the other.
As they grow they want to share with
you their experiences, their school
drawings and to be read by you. But
you can’t. You are despairing; you
are willing to have any treatment that
offers at least some hope, but you are
allergic to many things, your body
reacting against all manner of agents,
including the anaesthetic gases and
drugs needed to perform operations,
drugs to counter rejection by your
body and cleaning agents used to
Prof 40
Liu in his preferred ‘Office’
Page
sterilize surgical equipment and
materials. Your last surgical procedure
resulted in anaphylactic shock; you
barely survived it. But then you are
told of another somewhat bizarre
operation. It involves embedding
a plastic lens into one of your teeth
and then the tooth into your eye –
toothless patients need not apply!
The “picture” described above was
reality for Ian Tibbetts, a 43 year old
man from Telford. In October last
year a BBC documentary entitled
“The Day I Got my Sight Back”
was broadcast. It described the
technique known as osteo-odontokeratoprothsesis, or OOKP, and told
of Mr Tibbetts’ courageous story
from the first possibility that OOKP
might provide some relief through
to recovered sight and how the skills
of Professor Christopher Liu and his
team at the Sussex Eye Hospital in
Brighton that made it all possible.
Along the way two other patients
related their experiences and the
tremendous improvements in quality
of life that the technique has made to
them.
OOKP was invented in Rome in the
early sixties. Since then the technique
has slowly spread but even now
is rarely performed; in the whole
of Britain only five or six patients
receive it annually, all in the Sussex
Eye Hospital (SEH). Compare this
with, for example, the 3000 cataract
transplants a year performed in
SEH. OOKP is used when the eye is
so damaged that a cornea transplant
won’t work. The solution is to replace
the cornea with a plastic lens to focus
the image on the retina, which is the
photo-sensitive back part of the eye
that translates the light into electrical
impulses for the optic nerve to
transmit to the brain. However, one
of the defence mechanisms that the
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Members News
body uses to protect us is the immune
system. So how to hold the lens
securely without the immune system
rejecting either the plastic lens, or
the “holder” needed to maintain
positional stability? The answer is to
not use alien material. Instead, take
a canine tooth from the patient and
use that as the “holder” or “frame”.
Shape it, drill a hole through it to
receive the lens, remove much of the
internal structures from the front of
the eye to make room for the lens
and insert the whole onto the eye.
And, to stop it falling out, remove a
small “sheet” of skin from inside the
patient’s mouth and place it over the
cornea-replacement.
The surgery is in two stages,
separated by four months. Stage One
involves the removal of a tooth, with
part of the jaw bone attached, from
the patient’s mouth. It is cut to shape,
the hole drilled and the plastic lens
inserted into it. This is then inserted
into a pouch cut in the flesh under
the non-operated eye, while a flap of
skin is removed from the inside of the
cheek and stitched on to the front of
the eye due to receive the tooth.
When the bone material has
developed a blood supply, Stage
Two is carried out. Part of the cornea,
the iris, the crystalline lens, and the
vitreous (the gel inside the eye) are
removed. The tooth and attached
bone lamina is then cut out of the
pouch and stitched onto the eye,
where it is covered by the piece of
cheek skin.
In the case of Mr Tibbetts special
care had to be taken to minimize
his allergic reactions. Even so he
had a major reaction during the first
Stage. During the four months pause
further allergic tests were conducted,
non-allergic products found and with
the use the conduct of second Stage
proved uneventful.
The technical success rate is close to
100 per cent, with about 70% seeing
well for a very long time. Commonly
the bandaging will be removed the
morning after the second operation
and the patient will see immediately.
Unfortunately for Ian, there was
no miraculous moment of restored
sight. He recalled: “My chin just hit
the floor. I went right on a downer. I
was hoping to see for their [my sons’]
birthday.”
But just a few weeks later, when the
stitches were removed, he began
to make out shapes, colours and
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Ian Tibbett with his family after his sight was restored
movement. And then – finally – for
the first time he could see his sons,
Callum and Ryan. “I had a picture
in my head of what they looked like
but they were better. The image in
my mind was totally different to how
they were – the features. I gave them
a big hug and a kiss”.
But whilst there are obvious physical
challenges to overcome, some of
the greatest obstacles to success
are mental. Potential patients, who
may have seen nothing for decades,
undergo psychological tests to assess
whether they are robust enough to
withstand the procedure and its stark
cosmetic consequences. The eye looks
very different; the whole eye is red
with just a black dot in the centre,
so dark glasses are often worn in
company. In addition, the injury that
caused the near-blindness may have
damaged the patient’s face so he or
she may find it distressing to look at.
Indeed other people may also have
been scarred by the same incident, or
have changed as a result of lifestyle or
the ageing process.
Professor Liu said that the outcome
is dependent on the degree of eye
damage before OOKP, and that
there can be future and unexpected
setbacks. Yet Ian has no doubt that
others in his position should have
the operation. Professor Liu agreed.
“It is always a joy, of course, that a
patient can see,” he said. However,
his advice to all those he treats is the
same: “Please enjoy every day you
have your sight, but plan your life as
if your sight will not last for ever,” he
adds.
OOKP was first developed in the
1960s but it, like almost all sciencebased developments that impact the
quality of human life, are subject to
increasingly rigorous testing that
invariably involves comparative
studies with control groups sufficient
to achieve proof by statistical
probability. How do you achieve
approval when the numbers of
patients are so low and the control
group is consigned to blindness?
Prof Liu overcame the conundrum
when seeking to use OOKP in this
country by Prof Liu’s persuasive
and persistent arguments. Today
the only British hospital offering
OOKP surgery is the SEH, under
the direction of Prof Liu. Indeed his
expertise is widely sought and he
travels the world delivering papers
on the subject, including offering
support in obtaining approval more
widely. Of course he and his fellow
surgeons carry out many other
operations as well, the Hospital
is widely considered the premier
teaching hospital of the South Coast.
And
the
connection
with
Freemasonry? Prof Liu, who was born
in Hong Kong, is also a Past Master
of Royal Clarence Lodge No. 271,
meeting just down the road from SEH.
Amongst his activities in support of
the Lodge, Bro Liu has proposed into
the Lodge three medical students, the
last of which was initiated on the 14th
February this year. In conversation
over the Festive Board they spoke
of their exploits in Sierra Leone,
providing medical assistance to the
many in need.
But more of that in the next issue ….
Bro Liu has also written a book, “The
Eyes Have It: A personal View”,
from which much of the background
material for this article was drawn.
It provides interesting insights into
eye surgery in the 19th century,
the building of the SEH by Sussex
Freemasons in 1933-5 and a good
grounding in the development of
ophthalmology to date.
For those with an interest, copies
can be purchased at list price of
£14.99 from Professor Liu directly via
[email protected].
Page 41
Members News
Sussex Freemasons receive New
Year honours
Not the first nor, hopefully, the last
T
his
year’s
New
Years
Honours List includes three
Sussex Freemasons; Mark
Spofforth, Robert Sillett and Paul
Dedman. However, lest we become
too jingoistic here, we should
acknowledge that they have been
honoured not because they are
masons, but for their services as
individuals. We should be proud
that their commitments to society
have been recognised and it is a great
pleasure to have the opportunity to
record that in the Deacon. We are
also pleased to take the opportunity
to acknowledge those brethren who
were received into the Order in
earlier years.
on building trust in the profession,
simplification of accounts and deregulation. As part of this programme,
he served on the UK Takeover Panel
and also on the Deregulation Strategy
Group at BIS.
Abraham Lincoln ‘No man stands so
tall as when he stoops to help a child’.
All my many friends in Freemasonry
have been very supportive of
that aspect of my work following
retirement in 2001.” By Bob Sillett.
Mark comments: “I am very aware
how much I owe to the team around
me, both personal and professional,
who have earned this as much as I
have and I’m very grateful. I guess
the only time in my life that I’ve been
more proud was when watching my
daughter Gemma win the World
Championships in Rome in the 100m
Backstroke”.
PAUL DEDMAN
MBE Citation:
For services to St John Ambulance
and to the community in Steyning,
West Sussex.
Paul has been a member of Lions
International for 33 years and has
had significant involvement in other
Charities - helping to raise very
significant sums of money.
MARK SPOFFORTH,
OBE Citation:
President, Institute of Chartered
Accountants in England and Wales.
For services to the Accountancy
Profession.
Mark has been a respected member
of the Council of the influential
Institute of Chartered Accountants
in England and Wales for nearly
20 years, representing the UK
profession on the global stage. He
has been President of the Institute
and Chairman of the Council as well
as chairing committees and working
parties there.
Mark was as a member of the ICAEW
Regulatory Review Working Party,
becoming President of ICAEW in
2012/13. This required him to focus
Page 42
ROBERT SILLETT,
MBE Citation:
For services to the community and to
charity in Billingshurst, West Sussex.
“It has been a great honour for me to
have been awarded an MBE in the
New Year’s Honours. Serving the
needs of others was constantly in my
mind during my professional career
at Christ’s Hospital. My challenge
on retirement was to continue this
ambition in as many areas as possible.
It became clear to me that there was
a void in my life that needed filling.
Raising money for Downs Education
International has been one area and
I thank all those Freemasons who
have helped me raise a lot of money
through my presentations.
I shall continue to focus my mind
on helping those in need bearing
in mind those prophetic words of
Paul became involved with Sussex
St John Ambulance in 1966 when
his local Steyning division appealed
for help with covering the cost of
uniforms for a new unit. He became
President of Steyning Division in
1996 and County Vice-President in
August 2000. He was appointed
County Director in 2004, taking
responsibility for all the charity’s
commercial activities, including first
aid training for local businesses and
the Patient Transport Services that
support the NHS. In March 2011 Paul
was appointed County Commander,
the most senior voluntary post in the
organisation.
Biographical data for this article, as
well as the three photographs, were
kindly supplied by Bro Gene Earland,
editor of “Key Times”, the magazine
for MMM of Sussex.
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Members News
Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded to Bro Stuart Holt
A
t the annual Prosthetics and
Orthotics Industry awards
ceremony on 5th December,
W Bro Stuart Holt was presented
with the Sam Gallop Lifetime
Achievement Award. Our picture
shows Stuart receiving his award
from Eric Ollerenshaw, MP, and John
Read, Chairman of the sponsoring
Limbless Association, at Portcullis
House in Westminster.
Mr Ollerenshaw was representing
the Associate Parliamentary Limb
Loss Group (APLLG), the purpose
of which is “the Promotion of the
Prevention of Limb Loss and of the
Provision of Prosthetic, Orthotic,
Wheelchair/Special Seating, Medical
and other vital Rehabilitation
Services to persons of all ages
suffering Limb Loss and associated
Complex Physical Disabilities in the
UK and Internationally”. With such
a brief it is not surprising that the
Limbless Association is but one of the
63 Associate Members of the APLLG.
The citation for the Sam Gallop
Lifetime Achievement Award is
“awarded to a person with limbloss who has made a significant
contribution
to
the
limb-loss
community over many years.”
The award is named after Sam
Gallop CBE, a 94 year old who lost his
legs when flying as a Spitfire pilot in
1944. He is still very active working
for amputees with the APLLG for the
benefits for amputees. The Lifetime
award was last given in 2009.
Stuart had his bilateral amputation in
1997 after contracting meningitis. He
has since raised a great deal of money
for both the Meningitis Research
Foundation and the Meningitis
Trust, in part by walking up Mount
Kilimanjaro in 2000. Stuart helped set
up the Sussex Rehabilitation Centre
(aka Coasting Together), where he
is well known as the man in charge
of refreshments on Mondays and
Thursdays, but more importantly
for having helped many come to
terms with being an amputee. He is
a trustee of the Limbless Association,
and it’s Vice-chairman. He has been a
Committee member of the Friends of
Barford Court for many years.
Bro Stanley Bottom
receives 60 year certificate
2 months before his 100th birthday
H
ealth has prevented W Bro
Stanley Bottoms, LGR,
from attending meetings
in recent years, although he does
communicate regularly with the
Lodge Secretary, and longer serving
members visit him periodically. It
was hoped that he would be able
to attend the April 9th meeting
of The Hadrian Lodge No 2483 so
that he could receive his certificate
of 60 years in Freemasonry in the
midst of the brethren. He said he
felt unable to manage the formal
opening of the lodge, but would
like to attend. The result was a
somewhat unusual but entirely
fitting presentation
Prior to the opening of the Lodge,
all members and guests, together
with W. Bro Michael Harris
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
(Assistant Provincial Grand Master)
and his escort W Bro. Robert Wicks,
assembled within the Lodge Room
to greet Stanley. After approaching
the East, assisted by the father of the
lodge, W Bro George Rogers, Stanley
was greeted by the WM and then
took a seat in the middle of the room
where he was joined by Bro Harris.
Bro Harris then proceeded to explain
that Stanley had been Initiated into
Freemasonry in the Loyal Citizens
Lodge No. 6063 on 25th January 1954,
becoming Master in 1960. He had
joined The Hadrian Lodge on 10th
December 1980. It was also noted
that Stanley was to celebrate his
100th birthday on 25th June, which
prompted spontaneous applause
from the assembled Brethren. Bro
Harris briefly described Stanley’s
career and also of world events
during
those
intervening
years. Bro. Wicks then read the
Commendation on the Certificate,
which W Bro Harris then formally
presented with further applause.
Finally, Stanley was escorted out of
the Lodge Room to the applause of
all the Brethren, they having stood
in his honour. A great example of
how, by a little lateral thinking,
the needs of the individual can be
respected without diminishing the
formalities of Masonic protocol.
Story by Norman Rushbrook,
photograph by Gerald Matthews
Page 43
Members News
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Page 44
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The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Members News
Derrick’s 60th
Presented by VW Bro Joe Wilkins
O
n the 14th January, nine
friends and fellow masons
of
Derrick
Bellingham
gathered to celebrate his reaching
60 years in Masonry. In view of
Derrick’s inability to travel, VW
Bro Joe Wilkins, Past Deputy
Provincial Grand Master, happily
agreed to make the presentation in
Derrick’s home, the Oakwood Court
Care Home, Haywards Heath. The
occasion was a small, friendly and
intimate meeting, kindly hosted
by care home staff who provided a
private room and light refreshments.
Joe recorded Derrick’s achievements
before presenting him with his 60
year certificate.
Derrick was born in Tonbridge Kent
on 21st May 1925 and is now 89 years
of age.
He attended the Judd School in
Tonbridge and, at the age of 16,
started work for the National
Provincial Bank on a salary of £1 per
week. He advanced through Branch
work, Inspection, Tutoring and finally
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
Premises Management before retiring
to assist at Chailey Heritage for a brief
period. At the age of 18 he joined the
RAF and was receiving training as a
Navigator when the war ended.
He was Initiated, Passed and Raised
in Devonian Lodge No 2834, which
meets in Freemasons Hall, during
1954. He went through the ranks and
became Master for the second time
at the Lodge Centenary meeting in
2000. Derrick was a Founder Member
of both Chaggeley 8609 and Claitune
8907 lodges in Sussex and became
a founder of the Devonian Chapter
2834 in 1976. He also joined Sussex
Installed Mark Masters, Sussex
Installed Commanders and London
First Principals Chapter. He was
WM of Sussex Masters Lodge 3672
in 1997 and is still a member. He is
an honorary member of Devonian,
Chaggeley and Claitune lodges, as
well as Ockenden and Devonian
chapters. He is also a past member of
Lewis 379 and Southdown 164 Mark
lodges and their associated RAM
lodges.
Over the years he has spent
considerable time in preparing and
updating the history of his various
Lodges and has led a very active
masonic life and received many
honours in recognoition. In the Craft
he holds both Past Provincial Senior
Grand Warden in Sussex and Senior
London Grand Rank. In Chapter
he holds Past Provincial Grand
Scribe Nehemiah in Sussex as well
as London Grand Chapter Rank. He
is a Grand Officer in both the Mark
with the rank of Past Grand Junior
Deacon and the Royal Ark Mariners
(RAMGR).
Derrick expressed his delight at the
outcome, and thanked everyone who
had taken part in the proceedings. As
you may have gathered, Derrick, is a
man with a great sense of tradition
and integrity, who set about his duties
in a quiet and efficient manner, and,
is indeed one of life’s gentlemen. He
clearly sets a fine example for us all.
Mike Greenfield
Chaggeley Lodge 8609
Page 45
In Closing
Along with many Residential and
Nursing establishments, BC is
opening its doors to an increasing
number of residents who are
suffering from various forms of
dementia, perhaps the hardest thing
for any family to cope with. They all
too often have to watch the person
that they know and love slowly
slip away from them, remaining
outwardly the same, whilst becoming
effectively a stranger with needs that
are increasingly difficult to meet.
Personal Reflections
on being a Freemason
O
ne of the unalloyed joys
of working where I do is
that I am not very far from
the RMBI Home Barford Court
(hereinafter BC), of which I have
had the honour to be the Chaplain
for the last few years.
The Friends of BC, under the
leadership of W Bro John Angell,
work tirelessly to raise funds for
the work that the Home does, and
my impression is that it is very well
supported by the Senior Brethren of
the Province, judging by how often I
run into them there.
I have had personal experience of this
in my own family, and I can testify
to the immense strain it places on all
those involved in the care of those
afflicted. We were fortunate in that
my father in law did not live long (as
indeed was he), but the experience,
limited though it was, has left me with
a profound thankfulness and respect
for those who devote themselves to
the care of those who often exhibit
the most challenging and extreme
behaviours.
In my view, for someone to devote
themselves to this is to follow a
vocation just as important as I
consider mine to be.
Home Manager who has impressed
me with her sheer enthusiasm for
the task that she and her staff face,
and this, combined with the careful
and committed oversight of RMBI,
gives me great hope that already high
standards will be maintained and
indeed surpassed.
Many Lodges in Sussex are patrons
of BC, and a good many that are not
are generous in their support, both
financially and in terms of time. I
would like to encourage all Sussex
Freemasons to get to know BC better,
and to seek ways of supporting its
vital work, for who knows when we
might have need of it, for ourselves or
for our nearest and dearest?
It is said that a society is rightly
judged by how it seeks to care for
its most vulnerable members. We
have this resource in the heart of our
Province; let us take BC to our hearts
and let us give evidence, both in our
practical and financial support, of
being what we were all encouraged
to be by a past PGM – that a Sussex
Mason is a caring Mason.
BC seems to be going from strength to
strength; there is a new and dynamic
Stephen Terry PAGChap, Prov.GChap
[email protected]
Congratulations
The following Brethren have had Certificates issued for their long service to Craft Freemasonry
during the period May 2013 to February 2014
70 Years
W Bro Charles Robert Cowlin
25/5/13
L7891 Lodge of White Rock
60 Years
W Bro Robert Tarbet Kerr
6/8/13
L8630 King Harold
W Bro William Robert Sweetin
18/8/13
L6351 Patcham
W Bro William Conrad Neville
18/11/13
L9141 Peace & Fraternity
W Bro Charles Benjamin Hasler
28/9/13
L38 Lodge of Union
W Bro John Frederick Hope Leech
18/11/13
L4961 Rottingdean
W Bro Peter Edward Fay
25/10/13L5274 St Wilfrith of Sussex (closed)
W Bro Derrick Walter Bellingham
14/1/14
L8609 Chaggeley
W Bro Peter Raymond Blois Salter
14/11/13
L4937 Hurst Johnian
W Bro Stanley Norman Bottom
25/1/14
L2483 The Hadrian
W Bro Mark Jeremy Calvert-Lee
15/11/13
L271 Royal Clarence
50 Years
W Bro Brian Keith Tietjen
10/12/13
W Bro John James Cullen
1/5/13
L7819 Carfax
L8738 Cudlow
W Bro William Edward Shackell
14/12/13
L3164 Pentalpha
W Bro Harry Frederick Hoare
28/5/13
L8216 Rother Valley
W Bro William Denis Fisher
3/1/14
L6630 Royal Sovereign Light
W Bro Albert Charles Beech
19/6/13
L311 South Saxon
W Bro Kenneth Vernon Keeley
21/1/14
L4499 Tilsmore
W Bro Geoffrey Colin Stiles
3/7/13
L4419 Andredesweald
W Bro Robert Rehbinder Boyack Bruce
28/1/14
L5547 Petworth
W Bro Douglas Malcolm Norman Rice
15/10/13
L315 Royal York
W Bro Thomas Tidy
21/9/13
L4905 Richard Collyer
W Bro Alvin Antony Moore
26/2/14
L4754 Peacehaven
W Bro David William North
27/10/13
L2450 Loxfield
W Bro George Derrick Braham
21/9/13
L7496 Worth
W Bro Anthony Charles Thomas Allchorn
27/2/14
L4006 Southbourne
W Bro Reginald Howard Smith
17/9/13
L6139 William de Warenne
W Bro Leonard James Alliston
27/9/13
L7119 Lodge of Fellowship
W Bro Kenneth Stanley Innes Sinclair
30/9/13
L8169 Rudyard Kipling
Page 46
The Sussex Deacon No. 40 Summer 2014
In Closing
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Page 47
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