Worshipful Master, WBro. Sam. Johnson, the Assistant Director of Ceremonies, WBro. Len Whitehead and the Organist, WBro. Alec Stride would be going as official guests, with others attending as well. Although not mentioned in the minutes, one of the others was WBro. I. Jennings, who had been prominent in the twinning arrangements between the towns. He was subsequently a strong supporter of the link between the Lodges. A gift of 5 Candlestick Holders was to be made from De Shurland to the new Dutch Lodge. The Worshipful Master and WBro. Stride reported at De Shurland’s December meeting on the successful Consecration of Loge Arauna. At the end of that December meeting, when the Senior Warden extended Seasonal Greetings to the Worshipful Master, he also congratulated WBro Johnson on having received the Imperial Service Medal that very day.
1987 - Events Outside the Lodge A total of 193 people died and hundreds more were injured when a ferry capsized just off the Belgian coast at Zeebrugge on March 6th 1987. The Herald of Free Enterprise, a modern car and passenger ferry, capsized in calm conditions just after leaving harbour for Dover. Within moments after casting off, the eight-decked ferry listed to port, turned and tipped onto its side, resting half-submerged in relatively shallow water on a sandbank. Had it not fallen onto the bank, many more deaths were likely to have resulted. On 15 October 1987,Michael Fish, a BBC TV weather presenter and Meteorolopgical Office employee, said during a forecast: "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way... well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!". That evening, the worst storm to hit South East England for three centuries caused record damage and killed 19 people.
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