Worcestershire Source 20 by Wayne Barker

Issue 20 Summer 2013

WORCESTERSHIRE The Newsletter of Worcestershire Freemasons

SOURCE Installation Souvenir

‘Be an ambassador for Freemasonry’ A special message from our new Provincial Grand Master, RWBro Robert Vaughan

Each of us will have his or her own memories of the summer of 2013 but my installation on June 15, and more recently the Cathedral Service at Worcester, were both very special occasions for me and for the Province and I must thank all those whose hard work brought them about and to everyone who supported them by attending. As I write this, we are basking in the heat of a British summer and sporting success continues everywhere. As far as the province of Worcestershire is concerned, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future. To that end, I ask that you all see yourselves as ambassadors for Freemasonry and take every opportunity of promoting it as a force for good.

THE NEW TEAM: Provincial Grand Master Robert Vaughan is ﬂanked on his right by Deputy Provincial Grand Master Stuart Edwards, and (from the left) Assistant Provincial Grand Masters Keith Evans, Stephen Wyer, and George Barrow.

A lodge rehearsal had just ﬁnished at Northﬁeld Masonic Hall and the brethren were about to leave when in walked Robert Vaughan with a bundle of Source magazines under his arm. So keen was he to get the magazines distributed that he’d driven over from his home in Solihull to deliver

The newly-installed PGM with the Deputy Grand Master, Jonathan Spence, after the Installation ceremony.

He’s a man at ease among his Brothers

them himself! Freemasonry is undoubtedly a hierarchical institution but our new Provincial Grand Master is determined to remain a brother among brothers, a man as much at ease with the newest Initiate as he is with the Grand Master himself. OK, well, perhaps not that much at ease with the latter! Throughout his years as Deputy Provincial Grand Master to Richard Goddard and, with the experience he has gathered along the way, his appointment will

undoubtedly prove to be a seamless progression. He brings a lively mind and a great zest for life to the Masonic task in hand and as his thoughts move seemingly in several directions at once, he remains a relaxed friendly individual with a warmth that communicates itself to everybody who meets him. Nowhere has this been more evident than when going about the Province in an endless round of Masonic duties that sit comfortably on his shoulders and along with

the warm friendliness comes a quiet dignity that beﬁts the great ofﬁce he has now attained. The young Bob Vaughan had no thoughts of such a future when he was initiated into the Lodge of St George, No. 5691, by his father in law, Philip Fitter, in November 1971. “I didn’t set out to make such progress,” he said, “but as I was promoted I still felt I wanted to contribute more.” Despite all this, he has always shown an almost “Boys’ Own” enthusiasm for many pursuits outside of Freemasonry. He is actively engaged with classic cars and hot air ballooning when time permits and he has found many other Masonic friends keen to share in these and other hobbies and interests. turn to page 2

Issue 20 Summer 2013

WORCESTERSHIRE The Newsletter of Worcestershire Freemasons

SOURCE Installation Souvenir

‘Be an ambassador for Freemasonry’ A special message from our new Provincial Grand Master, RWBro Robert Vaughan

The newly-installed PGM with the Deputy Grand Master, Jonathan Spence, after the Installation ceremony.

He’s a man at ease among his Brothers

PGM looks to future

from page 1

To describe this as further study of “liberal arts and sciences” may perhaps be stretching that interpretation somewhat! Of Freemasonry today, R W Bro Bob says: “We face challenges in attracting more people into the Craft and, just as important, in retaining its present members. As well as recruiting young people, we should not forget that there are a lot of older men who are still young in mind and maybe looking for a new interest.” He attributes his ability to cope with all the demands made on him to the unstinting support of his wife Stephenie, known to all as Steve. “Steve is very involved in our work,” he says. “She and her colleagues do so much behind the scenes, raising money for charity, and making sure social functions go smoothly.” The Vaughans have two sons in their thirties. Richard is an electronics engineer and lives and works in Surrey, while James is a lecturer in the International Politics Department at the University of Aberystwyth.

Provincial Grand Masters present and future attended the memorable centenary celebration of Campbell Lodge, 3643, meeting at Kings Heath. With them are the Worshipful Master, W Bro Roy Cooper (left) and the lodge’s longest serving Past Master, W Bro Bill Howarth.

‘An enormous honour’ Extracts from the Provincial Grand Master’s address at the Annual General Meeting. Thank you all very much for being here today, - I hope that, like me, you have enjoyed sharing the experience of this very special day in the history of Worcestershire. As with Lodge mastership, it is an enormous honour to have been asked to lead our Province and to have the opportunity to encourage and support its members, to widen the Masonic experience for all of us, and to

promote its work for charity. 300 years Ours is an institution that in just four years’ time will be celebrating a very signiﬁcant 300th Anniversary – and that will be a great opportunity to demonstrate that we are part of our local communities, not merely existing within them. There are signiﬁcant changes to the composition of the Executive and, with the retirement of W Bro Raymond Rooke as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master, we lose a truly great character

Steve pledges her support As Worcestershire Province’s new “ﬁrst lady,” Steve Vaughan pledges her full support as husband Robert takes over the reins. In fact, she sees little change in their lifestyle. “Rob has been heavily involved in Freemasonry for so many years – the past nine as Deputy to Richard Goddard - and I have always helped as much as possible,” she said. “Nothing will change there. And my father was a very active Mason, so the Craft has always been part of my life.” In fact, it was her father, the late Phil Fitter, who initiated his son in law

into the Lodge of St George at Kings Heath in 1971. So why “Steve?” “Well,” she said, “my parents were keen fans of the Paul Temple radio series and , as Temple’s wife was called Steve, they vowed that if they had a daughter, she would be Steve. But the vicar ﬂatly refused to name me Steve so I became Stephenie which my parents did not acknowledge and I’ve been Steve ever since!” Even as Robert was being installed as PGM, Steve herself was also involved in a Masonic event. She presided over the Ladies Lunch as Kings Heath when 125 wives of Masons and their friends had an enjoyable time and

raised £1,600 for charity. She also presented a gift and ﬂowers to Helena, wife of Richard Goddard, the previous PGM, for “her magniﬁcent contribution over the past nine years.” Steve is a local girl. She was born at Wythall and went to King Edward’s, Camp Hill. After university she taught geography in Birmingham and Solihull but gave this up to raise their two sons (now aged 38 and 40). Like Robert, she lives a busy life, being a magistrate in Birmingham and also PA to her husband’s business as a quantity surveyor.

from the team, but not from the work of the Province. Protocol requires that RWBro Richard Goddard is not with us here today but in his absence I can tell you that serving as his Deputy since 2004 has been a great honour and a pleasure. His place in the history of our province is assured and what he and Helena together have done for us over the last 9½ years means that I succeed him with the Province in good heart and with truly encouraging prospects for the future.

My aim

In the longer term, my aim, and I hope yours too, is to help each and every member of the province to continue to enjoy his freemasonry to the full and at the same time and, most importantly, to recognise and support those whose enjoyment of freemasonry is, for whatever reason, not what it should be. Furthermore, my aim is to increase public awareness of what freemasonry really is and what it does – and to prove to the world its happy and beneﬁcial effects. For my part, Brethren, it is a huge honour to have been installed as your Provincial Grand Master today. I am looking forward to the challenge with optimism but also with a degree of realism. I know that there will be problems and issues to be addressed.

Stuart: “I’m here to enjoy it”

Proﬁles of the three Assistant PGM’s are on Page 6

Stuart Edwards has one of those faces that light up a lodge room like a 200 watt lamp bulb. He frequently declares that “I’m here to enjoy myself,” and there’s no doubt about that. Yet underneath all the bonhomie there’s a steely resolve to further the cause of Freemasonry to the utmost of his ability – and he will ﬁt into the role of Deputy Provincial Grand Master with consummate ease. As an Assistant Provincial Grand Master, he has had a long experience of working with the new “boss” and his step up is a seamless transition. He takes into the job an unrivalled knowledge of Masonry in all its guises. As well as his Craft associations, he holds senior posts in pretty well every other Order and holds that most rare distinction – he’s a 33-degree man. Among his many ofﬁces, he was Grand Treasurer at Mark Masons Hall in London

and in 2009 was installed in Rose Croix as Inspector General for Staffordshire and Shropshire. He joined the Brotherhood in 1969 when he immediately followed his father Eric into a Lodge at Halesowen. Stuart has never been one to sit on the sidelines in any aspect of his life. As a chartered accountant based in Redditch he became almost inevitably President of the Birmingham and West Midland Society of Chartered Accountants. As a one-time enthusiastic squash player, he was a founder member of Stourbridge Lawn Tennis & Squash Club. It was here that he met and married Valerie Turvey, also a get-up-and-go personality who has played a leading role in the Ladies Gift Fund which has raised many thousands of pounds for Masonic charities. The couple live out in the country at Roughton, a village near Bridgnorth.

Stuart Edwards... a fund of goodwill and good Masonry.

Ceremonial splendour at its best By Ed Baker Provincial Information Officer The magnificent surroundings of the Great Hall of the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston was the stage for the installation of the new Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Worcestershire on Saturday 15th June 2013. The well tried and tested Provincial team are used to putting on a show of ceremonial splendour. The addition of a visit by the Deputy Grand Master, RWBro Jonathan Spence, and a clutch of acting Grand Officers, along with many invited rulers from other provinces, added a level of tension and excitement rarely seen. The day began with an 8am rehearsal of the installation ceremony which was overseen by the Acting Grand Director of Ceremonies and the scene was set for the Installation of the 16th Provincial Grand Master,

luncheon, the stewarding of which was provided by members of the Provincial Grand Stewards’ Lodge, resplendent in their red ties.

The Provincial Grand Tyler, WBro Keith Whitehouse, conducts the PGM to the stage.

RWBro Robert Christopher Vaughan The Great Hall held over 800 eager Masons as W Bro Stuart Edwards opened Provincial Grand Lodge, the 55th time the venue has been used for this event. He then handed the gavel to Jonathan Spence who carried out the Installation of our Provincial Grand Master, who in turn appointed, obligated and invested the Deputy

Provincial Grand Master W Bro Stuart I Edwards PSGD, and the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, WBros S J Wyer PSGD, K M Evans PPrSGW, and G W Barrow P Pr JGW.

Promotions Having addressed the meeting and thanked the brethren from Grand Lodge for their attendance, the Provincial Grand Master called off for a suitably grand

Over 200 brethren dined and then returned to the Great Hall for the Annual Investiture meeting, at which the Provincial Grand Master welcomed our distinguished guests and proceeded to appoint and invest the ofﬁcers of the year and promote those worthy brethren in Provincial grand ranks. The Provincial Grand Master then addressed the meeting and thanked all the brethren present for making this such a special day. As an onlooker, I was pleased and proud that all the hard work of the Provincial Grand Secretary and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies had shown all present what a truly great Province we represent. More pictures pages 4 and 5

800 Masons ﬁll the Great Hall

ABOVE: The Great Hall at Birmingham University forms a ﬁtting backdrop for the Installation of Robert Vaughan as Provincial Grand Master of the Worcestershire Province. Sharing the splendour of the occasion are 800 Masons, including the Masters of many other Provinces throughout the land.

A group of Worcestershire Masons in relaxed mood before the ceremony began. Amng them are Dave Morris, Robert Wynne and John Pritchard.

Masons by the hundred ﬁlled the Great Hall and this group moved forward to ﬁnd their seats. Among them are Colin Young, Brian Fiddaman, Derek Hopper, and Peter Band.

A day to remember LEFT: Robert Vaughan approaches the Chair followed by Stuart Edwards and Stephen Wyer.

RIGHT: John Ling, PrGDC, keeps a close eye on proceedings.

RIGHT: Applause greets the procession of guest Grand Masters and/or Deputies from other Provinces. Leading on the right is the PGM of Warwickshire, David Macey. BELOW (from the left) :Mike Dancer talking to Barrie Simpson. Also in the group are Tom Emmerson, Leslie Widdus, and John Stevens. Provincial Grand Secretary Mike Cole offers a helping hand to Dr H J White. The new Provincial Grand Wardens sort out their regalia. Left is Robert Wynne, Junior Warden, and the Rev Justin Parker, Senior Warden.

A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bolt from the blueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for George

A leap year for Stephen While his 18-year-old 6ft2in son Alex is bidding for national honours as a longjump and triple jump athlete, Stephen Wyer is making his own leaps to prominence. Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sphere of activity, of course, is Freemasonry in all its forms and, after being appointed Assistant Provincial Grand Master only ODVW VXPPHU KH QRZ ÂżQGV himself as the senior APGM. His leaps and bounds donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end there. In 2011 he was installed as Provincial Prior for Worcestershire in the United Orders (â&#x20AC;?Knights Templarâ&#x20AC;?) and even more recently has ended spells in the Chair of both Royal Ark Mariners and Mark. He is also a Past Sovereign of Rose Croix. Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry into the Craft was inspired by his father Graham, a leading Freemason in Kidderminster and it was Graham who initiated his son into Old Carolian Lodge in 1988. In 2002 Stephen was promoted to Provincial Junior Grand Warden and during the next six years he attended 128 Installations as well as visiting countless other lodges. The momentum is certainly not easing up. He oversees the Education and Training Programme in conjunction with his predecessor, PAsstPGM Colin Young, and at present has three major projects in hand. One is to set up a team of ambassadors to give talks as a recruitment and PR exercise to network groups and other non-Masonic organisations to extol the virtues of the Craft. Another is to co-operate with Provincial Mentor Nick Cripps to beef up the mentoring scheme through seminars, and thirdly, more emphasis is being given to the university recruitment SODQ E\ IRUPLQJ OLQNV ÂżUVW RI all with Worcester University.

Stephen Wyer

His elevation to Assistant Provincial Grand Master came as a bolt from the blue for George Barrow. Not that he is a stranger to life in the top echelons. For the past eight years he has been EXV\ ÂżUVW DV DFWLQJ $VVLVWDQW DC, then Deputy DC, and from 2009, Prov Junior Grand Warden. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dream Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have another promotion,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to my new job.â&#x20AC;? He began his Masonic career in West Lancs in 1975 and, when his job brought him to the

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wonderful way of life Keith Evans brings a rich West Country accent to his new role as an Assistant Grand Master. He was born and raised in the city of Bristol, proud of his Welsh heritage, and moved ever westward to Taunton and then to Plymouth in his job with a large insurance company. There he was KHDG KXQWHG E\ D ÂżUP RI Insurance Brokers whose speciality was jewellery and it was this that brought him to the Midlands some 25 years ago to work in Birminghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewellery Quarter, from which he retired at 65 last year. He has fond memories of Plymouth (â&#x20AC;&#x153;A grand place to bring up the kidsâ&#x20AC;?) but is very happily settled in

Keith Evans

Worcestershire where he lives in Droitwich with his wife Chris. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Ask Keith what hobbies he has outside of Masonry and he will tell that being a granddad is top of the list. Other pastimes include DIY, where he admits to not being the quickest, but is a bit of a perfectionist. He is a member of Droitwich Golf club, with a high handicap, and plays regularly for the Whelks Golf Society attached to White Ensign Lodge and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;living the lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the wheel of his Morgan Plus 4 sports car. His mother lodge is Plymouth Ho No 4235 and was Master in 1996. After several years as a regular visitor he joined Wyche Lodge No 3638 in 1995 and was WM both in 2001 and last year during the lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centenary year. He has been on the Provincial circuit for eight years non- stop as acting ADC then Deputy DC and in 2010 as SW. He is Provincial DC in Chapter too, as well DV ÂżOOLQJ OHDGLQJ UROHV LQ several other orders. He has a great love of Freemasonry and says â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a most wonderful organisation It teaches a way of life we should all follow and I always try to live according to its teachings.â&#x20AC;?

Midlands, he joined the Lodge of Stability No 564 at Stourbridge in 1992 and RFFXSLHG WKH &KDLU ÂżUVW LQ 1999 (the lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 150th year) and again in 2009.

Plays golf While Masonic matters loom large in his life, George still ÂżQGV WLPH WR SOD\ JROI DW Enville three or four times a week, reads novels and biographies, and listens to classical music. He lives at Kinver, has been married to Iris for over 40 years, and they have two grown up daughters, one of whom is a Church of England priest, and the other runs her own business.

George Barrow

KEEP IN TOUCH: visit the website www.

worcestershirepgl

.org.uk

A special Friday Night for Fred The Friday Nighters throw a party for Fred Hill. Left to right: Stuart Stanford, Andy Jones, Brian Heathcock, Steve Goodridge, Fred, Phil Hollins, John Stephens, Geoff Smith, and Richard Bache.

John, the Teddy Bear Man ,WÂśV KDUGO\ DQ RIÂżFLDO 0DVRQLF title, but at hospitals throughout Worcestershire WBro John Gaston is known as The Teddy Bear Man. John, a member of Severn Lodge No. 5583 and a PAGDC, is in charge of the distribution of the cuddly toys under the Provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teddies for Loving Care scheme. No single act of compassion by Worcestershireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masons brings more joy and comfort than this highly successful project. Every week many a troubled young boy or girl smiles with delight as a teddy bear is presented to them at any one of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitals or A&E units. When stocks get low, a nurse will call John and he

pops a couple of boxes on the back seat of his car and goes on his errand of mercy. In the ten years since the scheme was launched in the Province, more than 20,000 teddies have been handed out, a charitable act that captures the true essence of Freemasonry - and at a cost of a mere ÂŁ2,000ÂŁ2,500 a year. The appeal had humble beginnings when three members of the Thames Mouth Lodge in Southend started a project for the local A&E department. It caught RQ OLNH ZLOGÂżUH DQG LQ no time at all it was adopted by pretty well every

A helping hand The Province is pleased to sponsor The Side By Side Theatre Company, an award winning group of actors with learning difďŹ culties based in Stourbridge. In June, their updated version of The Prodigal Son, told through dance, dialogue, mime, music and much humour at the Town Hall in Stourbridge, was attended by our new Provincial Grand Master, Robert Vaughan and his wife Steve.

In the picture: David Atkins, as the Prodigal Son, and Ben Rees as the wicked Damien, who attempts to lead him astray.

Province in United Grand Lodge and the number of teddies hugged by eager

A teddy brings a little TLC to Bruno.

little arms has now passed the milestone of one million. The scheme has even spread abroad, being adopted in America, Gibralter and Cyprus. Sister Gail Bradford at the Worcester Royal said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not pleasant for toddlers to be brought into the A&E Department and the teddies help to ease the tension. We use our judgment with the teddies and there are no strict rules. If you give a little one a teddy and he has his ÂżYH \HDU ROG VLVWHU ZLWK KLP well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave them out can you? And it makes overwrought parents happy, too.â&#x20AC;?

Members of Lodge of St Thomas 7940 are so keen that they hold a lodge of instruction almost every Friday and for about 40 years WBro Fred Hill, 88, has been a loyal supporter and has been Preceptor for a number of years. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reckoned he has attended about 1,280 meetings and his enthusiasm was recognised at the Provincial AGM when the newly-installed PGM, RtWBro Robert Vaughan, presented him with a &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 0HULW More was to follow. The Friday Nighters, as they are called, suspended the usual routine and gave a surprise party for Fred instead. They presented him with a shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decanter and a celebratory card they had all signed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We then had sarnies and a good chat,â&#x20AC;? said secretary John Stephens. And Fred, a PPrSGW, at SUHVHQW ÂżOOLQJ LQ DV WKH lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SW, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what all the fuss is about!â&#x20AC;? The Friday Nighters now carry on as usual â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and would welcome brethren from any other lodge who would like to join them.

Provinces team up Lodges from the Worcestershire and Gloucestershire Provinces have combined to honour ÂżYH \RXQJ DLUPHQ NLOOHG LQ a wartime training accident when their Whitworth bomber crashed in bad weather on the Cotswolds. A memorial to mark the tragedy was erected in Broadway Tower Country Park, but this weathered badly and was vandalised. Evesham and Chipping Campden lodges were approached and they agreed to help fund a replacement.

Marathon man Ed beats the pain barrier in big run Ed Baker had run 12.5 miles when he realised he was in trouble. He had stopped sweating. Here he was, less than half way in the great London Marathon and he was dehydrated and in danger of collapsing. He wanted to stop and end the agony. Then he thought of all those family, friends and Masonic colleagues whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d sponsored him to the tune of over ÂŁ5,000. He thought of all the hours of training he had put in since last July, ďŹ ve days a week, every week, pounding out anything between 22 and 50 miles a week. And in his ears was the exhilarating sound of countless thousands of supporters, cheering on the runners all along the whole 26.2 miles of the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets.

And he carried on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I slowed down and took on water wherever possible,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was far worse than my training sessions. All the time I felt like packing up. All around me people were falling out and I was worried might join them. But I thought of all the good people who backed me asking me afterwards â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How did you get on?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have to say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, I dropped outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and I knew that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t on. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a stubborn streak in me and I kept my legs moving.â&#x20AC;? So Ed Baker, the Provincial Communications OfďŹ cer, Past Master (three times) of the Lodge of Peace and Goodwill No 6010 at Kings Heath, and until recently an acting Provincial Deputy Grand DC, ďŹ nished the course. His target time was under four hours. He

clocked in at four hours and 32 minutes, disappointing for him but a triumph for the human spirit. He virtually collapsed at the end of the run and was wheelchaired off for an hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovery with the St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambulance volunteers. Ask him if he would do it again and he will answer a most emphatic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nope!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a most fantastic experience,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would not have missed it for anything but it was also the hardest thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever done and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never do it again. My marathon days are over.â&#x20AC;? His valiant achievement raised more than ÂŁ5,300 in sponsorship. The money goes to the Acorns Trust, the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospice charity. Edâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reason for choosing Acorns has an emotive history. In 1989 his daughter

Heather died at just three weeks old. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were stuck in a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ward with no facilities for parents. The ward got full and we had to take our baby home and administer to her ourselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were no hospices then and now there are I decided Acorns would be my chosen charity.â&#x20AC;? To ďŹ nd out more, call Acorns on 0845 120 6892, or visit www.acorns.org.uk To give a late boost to edâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fund, visit www.Justgiving. Com/edbaker-vlm2013 t &E #BLFS JT Unbelievably he has arthritic hips and his marathon running may be over. But he has other aims in view. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking at a charity walk of 62 miles in less than 24 hours. And an international cycling challenge in the future.

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9 Ed Baker checks his watch as he sets off on his Marathon run.

The ride of his life!

affair, Andrew’s 21-year-old son Max also did the skydive and together they raised about £900 for the charity. Andrew has previously bungee jumped and paraglided for charity, but this beat the lot. Usually, paradives are done from 10,000ft but because of his 15 stone and a bit weight, Andrew had to

rise to greater heights and he was in freefall for more than a minute. More recently, he and Max joined about 15,000 other bikers at Brize Norton for the annual “Ride of Respect,” to honour fallen heroes. In our picture: father and son just before their skydive.

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Andrew Philpott looked out of the aircraft at the ground 15,000 ft below and prepared to jump. He’d never done it before and, as he says now, “that was the scary bit.” Then strapped to an expert “who knew when to pull the ripcord,” he went off on the most exhilarating ride of his life. This daredevil Junior Deacon of Sabrina Lodge, No. 6595, was taking part in a skydive to raise money for “Bike Tours for the Wounded,” a charity that provides free pillion passenger seats for wounded or sick personnel on a trip along Route 66 in America. To make it a family

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Masons Score at Cricket Club

All eyes are on 200th celebration

The Provincial Grand Master and Norman Broadﬁeld, chairman of the Kidderminster club, in front of the new electronic scoreboard.

Kidderminster Masons’ bold move in building their magniﬁcent new centre attached to the town’s Chester Road Sports and Social Club is proving to be a complete success. Both sides are showing lots of goodwill and mutual support in a “marriage” that sees the cricketers busy in summer and the Masons busy in winter. This was illustrated recently when the PGM, Robert Vaughan, attended a vice presidents’ lunch at the club and presented a £3,000 cheque towards the cost of a new electronic cricket scoreboard. The money was raised by local Craft Masons, the Province, and members of the Mark Order, who were represented by John King,

Mark Assistant Provincial Grand Master. They donated £1,000 each. The goodwill of the two parties was emphasised by Norman Broadfield, chairman of the club. He said: “Last year I was saying how significant the building of the new Masonic Centre would be for all parties. I’m delighted to report that I was right. “We have great support here today from the Masonic members (all of them good social members) and they have supported the club brilliantly in the last year. “I welcome them all but should certainly mention the top men in Worcestershire, Bob Vaughan and John King, who are here to confirm their support in a practical way.”

www.worcestershirepgl.org.uk KEEP IN TOUCH: visit the website

Royal Arch has once again been through a very busy period with Chapter Installations, Provincial visits, the Grand Ofﬁcers and New Appointments Lunch and our own Annual Convocation. At the Convocation we were delighted to welcome some 11 Grand Superintendents and numerous retinues who once again witnessed the Province working at its best. As always it included the Installation of the new Third Grand Principal, E. Comp. David J. Bell, who received his Grand Honours some two weeks later. David has already visited a number of Chapters for their Installations. This also led to the usual contingent of Worcestershire Companions venturing forth on the Annual Coach Trip to Supreme Grand Chapter, another excellent day. For the ﬁrst time the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent introduced the wording to accompany the “Illumination of the Pedestal” which is now being conducted by the Provincial Team when attending a Chapter Installation. The hope is to encourage all Chapters to adopt this procedure for all their meetings, which should also

A warm welcome awaits you... By Richard Hoare Inspector General of the District of Worcestershire It has been almost a year since I was promoted to Inspector General and I have managed to visit every Chapter at least once. The 20 Chapters are well spread within Worcestershire and therefore there is a Rose Croix Chapter within easy reach of most parts of the district. Chapters are not generally large in numbers. Brethren wishing to join this beautiful Christian Order will ﬁnd that the emphasis is on members who maintain the quality, friendliness and warmth of the Order, and I must say that whenever I have visited

various Chapters I am struck by the happy atmosphere. Members tell me that this is an Order which they cherish and love. I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to make a note in their 2014 calendar that the MRCCI (Worcestershire) will be hosting the festival on 5 June at Kings Heath. This date is now ﬁxed. During the festival there will be a full explanation of this Christian Order the 18 degree, followed by a festive board decorated in the distinctive colours of the Order. It is my wish that members

ROSE CROIX make a note of the date and come along to support the festival. If any Brother wishes to learn more about this unique Christian Order, they would be most welcome and can contact my District Recorder, John Chattin, on 0121-5505835 or myself on 01299 871577 or mobile 07836 508020 Finally, I would like to congratulate all the Princes who worked so hard and received their 30 degree at Grand East.(10 Duke Street) this year. Well done.

ROYAL ARCH include the small piece of ritual at the end of the meeting of “Returning our Secrets to the Safety of Darkness.” We send our congratulations to all those Companions who were appointed, promoted and invested at that meeting. On Sunday 12th May the Annual Grand Officers and New Appointments Luncheon was held at Kings Heath which again proved very successful. All thoughts now are pointed towards the Bi-Centenary Celebrations due to be held in London on 16th October when the Order will be presenting what we now know will be a significant cheque to The Royal College of Surgeons. This Province can be extremely proud of its own contributions with grateful thanks to not only the Companions but the Craft, other Orders and private donations, including a magnificent bequest of £30,000, will allow the Province of Worcestershire to contribute £60,000, a magnificent effort. The Provincial Presentation Team continues to offer their services, and the next talk for Master Masons will take place at Vernon Chapter’s meeting on Friday 15th November. Anyone who wishes to attend with a prospective Master Mason candidate should contact their SE, Michael Bartels. Tel: 01562 630476 Email MichaelJBartels@ Hotmail.com Finally, on Sunday 2nd June, on a beautiful summer’s day, the Worcestershire Installed First Principals Chapter held their Annual Sunday Lunch at the Chateau Impney at Droitwich. As always the service and quality of food was impeccable and some 83 Companions, their ladies, and guests, enjoyed a wonderful afternoon and the Charity Collection on behalf of the Acorns Trust and Help for Heroes raised the excellent sum of £330.

New boost for the museum

by Bill Mason As the new recently appointed Communication and Information Ofﬁcer for the Worcestershire Masonic Library and Museum, my brief is “to create an increased interest and awareness of the Museum.” The objective is to increase the footfall of visitors from all walks of life, especially Masonic. I was surprised to learn that some Lodge Library and Museum representatives seldom, if ever, visit the Museum, and are unaware of the beneﬁts it can bring to their Lodges. For example, the Library holds numerous lectures which can be used when Lodges have no ceremony, sometimes including the loan of a lap-top and projector. Guided and Sunday lunch tours can also be arranged.

This is my first venture into persuading all of you to visit the Library and Museum, which, since its massive extension in 2007, has grown to be the finest of its kind in all the Provinces. After three years of cataloguing and identification, the Museum now has a database with over 30,000 records. Of these, 5006 are identified museum objects; 5885 are identified books; and 3806 are identified documents. So what of the future? Under the guidance of the Curator, W Bro John Tapson,

work continues apace, with emphasis on making the objects more accessible for research, education and enjoyment. There are now themed displays on Charity; The Liberal Arts and Sciences, Worldwide Masonry (or Masonry Universal), old regalia, and the latest display entitled “Beyond the Craft.” .A dedicated web site is under construction and should

A mark of excellence In 2009 the Rainbow Hill centre was the ﬁrst Masonic Museum in the country to be awarded Accreditation under the scheme that sets nationally agreed standards.. This year it had to apply to have the prestigious award renewed and again its excellence was recognised and the application was successful.

be available soon, and consideration is also being given to an on-line catalogue where users can search for, view objects, and download the images. The Library and Museum is one of the jewels of Freemasonry in Worcestershire and all lodges and individual Masons are urged to arrange visits by e-mailing John Tapson on curator.wmlmt@btinternet. com Please note: The telephone of the L&M given in the last issue of Source is no longer in use. The correct number is 01905 24971.

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Giving to Singing to the Lions Award for charity the Ladies can be fun The Worcestershire Provincial Lottery is a painless way of giving to charity and has raised tens of thousands since its inception in 2003. To take part costs as little as £3 a month . Competitors are given a number – and if that number matches the National Lottery Bonus Ball drawn on the first Saturday of every month, you will win ten times your stake of £5, £4, or £3. Charities that have benefited so far include Macmillan Nurses, Acorns, County Air Ambulance,and the Teddies scheme. To join the fun and raise much need funds, please contact the promoter, Derek Taylor on 07754 703037 or the Provincial Office in Bromsgrove.

Somebody’s got to do it, so Dr Charles Gwynn didn’t hesitate when he was invited, along with other choristers, to join the recent Lions’ Tour in Australia. In truth, the Worshipful Master of George Taylor Lodge 9819 jumped at the chance! And for good measure, he took grandson Henry Gwynn Thomas along as well. They were among about 80 members of the choir chosen to tour with the Lions and to sing at the matches and have grandstand seats

into the bargain. “To sing before 80,000 people was a fantastic experience,” he said. The ofﬁcial tour choir is based in Cardiff but locally Charles has been a member of the Canoldir Choir in Birmingham for 40 years. The doctor, now retired, played rugby himself in his younger days and was captain of the Birmingham Medical School team but had to give it up as lectures and study demands got in the way.

Reporters wanted Every lodge in Worcestershire is being asked to choose a member to act as its Information Ofﬁcer as part of a drive for better communication within the Province. Training will be offered to those selected. It is all part of a Grand Lodge plan for greater transparency and greater public awareness of the beneﬁts of Freemasonry.

The new Chairman of the Ladies’ Gift Fund, Sandra Rouse, presented the Provincial Grand Masters of Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire each with a cheque valued at £3200 at the Fund’s annual lunch. A further sum of £1500 was sent to the Masonic Samaritan Fund. This was the culmination of a year of hard work by the ladies in raising funds for Masonic charities. The highlight of the day came when Richard Goddard presented the “Ladies of the Gift Fund” with his Certiﬁcate of Merit. This he awarded in recognition of the contribution amounting to £289,910 to Masonic Charity over the 60 years of their work to date. Congratulations to all involved over that period for a supreme effort in raising such a huge sum of money.

14 It all started when W Bro Alan Spilsbury slumped to the ﬂoor at the festive board of Bon Accord Lodge on a Saturday in 2012. The majority of the Brethren present had no idea what to do. Fortunately W Bro Joseph Mazouk, a heart specialist, and W Bro Barrie Simpson did, and as a result Alan is still with us to tell the tale.

A matter of life or death By Trevor Barnes

Impressed

The training takes three hours, usually on a Saturday morning, and includes instruction on how to use the AED. This incredible piece of equipment will not only decide on the condition of the patient but will instruct verbally on the action to be taken.

Their action of using CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and calling 999 resulted in the appearance of FAS+AID, a volunteer and charitable group which arrived within minutes and took over, using an AED ( automated external deﬁbrillator). This was followed a little later by paramedics and the ambulance taking Alan to hospital where, following surgery, he was able to go home and lead a normal life. Robert Vaughan, now our PGM, happened to be present and was so impressed by the action of the FAS+AID personnel that he invited them to visit the Lodge of St

It is hoped that should an emergency happen there will be a trained operator available. It is of concern that not all Lodges at Kings Heath have such a trained operator and it would be dreadful should no one be on hand to possibly save the life of a stricken Brother. Further training will be held in the near future and I will be pleased to hear from any interested party. Call trevor5846@blueyonder. co.uk WBro Trevor Barnes, PPrSGW, has been a member of Frankley Beeches Lodge 5846 for 43 years and was Master in 1982 and 2002.

Concern

Bros Steve O’Nyons, Barrie Simpson, and Richard Rosser receive instruction form Bro Bill Rice (FAS+AID instructor). The “patient” is Bro Brian Chaplin.

George to give a talk on their work. As a result, the Masonic Hall at Kings Heath now not only has its own AED, but around 100 Brethren from some 20 plus lodges are now capable of carrying out the life saving action. Both Province and various lodges have also donated considerable sums

to the charity, allowing them to train and equip additional operators. The training of the Brethren who have volunteered is carried out by members of the local branch of FAS+AID under the control of Mr Terry Flower and includes two members who are Freemasons.

50 years of golf The Worcestershire Masonic Golﬁng Society celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Special Charity Day when 116 brethren and guests competed over the Kings Norton course and afterwards held a lavish banquet.Among the guests was Bernard Preston, retired golf professional, who was captain of the society in 198384 and is now in his 99th year. W Bro Bernard is a past master of St Oswald Lodge 5094. The event was won by WBro Derek Taylor’s team which comprised Bro Simon Hayes, both from Forge Hill Lodge 9658, Mr Mark Hayes (twin brother) and Mr Ted Keen. The charity appeal raised £1068 and, together with other donations, the society expect to give a cheque to ACORNS Children’s Hospice in excess of £2500. Thanks were paid to WBro Paul Battle, Lickey Hills Lodge 5947, who, as secretary of the society, organised the whole event.

Four of the volunteers who turned up to help at the Lord Mayor’s Charity Day. From the left: Wayne Barker, Robert Vaughan, Simon Jinks, and Michael Cole.

The cost of secrecy About 100 Masons were held spellbound as Prestonian lecturer Paul Calderwood traced the rise and fall and rise again of Freemasonry in the public image as inﬂuenced by national newspaper reports. Even the hot sunny weather did not keep brethren away from the meeting of George Taylor Lodge 9819 at Kings Heath when, for once and maybe symbolically, both doors of the lodge room were left open as if to emphasise the policy of the Craft in abandoning the disastrous secrecy that led to so many misconceptions (though actually it was to keep the

audience from cooking in the extreme heat of the evening). W Bro Paul’s lecture highlighted the positive inﬂuence of Royal patronage during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and how the anti-Masonry “witch hunt” by the Nazis and then the Communists led to the movement going into its shell – and failing to come out of it again until very recent times. The full team of Rulers supported the event. The booklet, “As we were seen: The Press & Freemasonry” is available on Amazon. com. Proﬁts go to the author’s chosen charities.

Telling the people A “meet-the-people” exercise was deemed a big success after Masons from Worcestershire and Warwickshire manned a special display marquee erected in Victoria Square during the Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity Day. Members of the public were invited to ask questions about Masonry, information brochures were handed out, and some lucky children were given some of our famous teddy bears which are usually reserved for sick children at hospitals and hospices. “There was a lot of interest from the public and the exercise was well worthwhile,” said RtW Bro Robert Vaughan, the Worcestershire Provincial Grand Master.

Day of joy for the children

Trevor Barnes summed it up. “To see the sheer joy on the faces of the children makes it all worthwhile,” he said. He was talking about the annual Fun Day which was held for the 13th year at Cannon Hill Park under the stewardship of Kings Heath Masons. About 500 disadvantaged children from Birmingham special schools once again had the time of their lives at Bob Wilkinson’s Fun Fair.

Highlight “It is one of the highlights of their year,” said Trevor. “Every youngster who comes to it wants to come again.. The enthusiasm of the kids just has to be seen to be believed. They didn’t even notice that it rained now and again. “Of course, they were in the care of their teachers, parents and carers, but we Masons turned out in strength to make sure it all

went smoothly – and we all wore day-glo jackets adorned with the square and compasses symbol. It was a great day.” Trevor’s sentiments were echoed by the headmaster of Selly Oak Trust School, Chris Field. His letter of thanks stated: “The vast majority of our students, over 300, were able to go and there was a real sense of excitement in the air when the ﬂeet of coaches arrived. The students returned smiling, laughing, and chatting about the fun they had had. I am enormously grateful.” Bob Wilkinson, who provided his fun fair free, is a member of a London Lodge. Among the supporters at the park were Richard Goddard, attending one of his last events as PGM, and our new PGM, Robert Vaughan.

Happiness abounds at the Fun Day.

Coming off the menu Time was when PattisonHughes were among the great names in outside catering and were prominent in feeding Masons all over the country. But for many years now the name has survived only at Kings Heath Masonic Hall under the ownership of W Bro Andy Roxburgh and now that era is coming to a close as Andy contemplates retirement. “It will be an emotional break because I have so many friends here,” said Andy. “I’m

hoping the name PattisonHughes will survive but we’ll have to wait and see.” Meanwhile, W Bro Bill Sherlock, chairman of the Kings Heath Board of Directors, says the search has begun for new caterers – but they have plenty of time; Andy is not leaving until August next year. “We’ve always had a very happy relationship with Andy and he will be hard to replace,” said Bill.

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Published by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire, 94 Bromsgrove Road, Bromsgrove B61 0DF. Editor Peter Ricketts 01562 630794. E-mail – p.ricketts@blueyonder.co.uk Communications Ofﬁcer and Source Advertising Manager Ed Baker – 07979 757074 and PCO@ed-baker.com To place an advertisement or for information, and to send reports, contact Ed Baker.

APPEAL 2011