New Year s Eve Bash. Newsletter January 2017.

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1 Newsletter January Christmas seems to come around quicker every year and now that we re into 2017 we have a busy year ahead to look forward to is the tercentenary anniversary of Craft Freemasonry and groups throughout the province are all planning and preparing their local celebrations. Leigh is no different and our social group committee are leading our plans. I really would like all lodges and chapters to be involved in this once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate a tremendous landmark for our institution. So please, if you have any ideas about how we can celebrate 300 years of Freemasonry, don t hesitate to contact the social committee or Steve Gerrard directly. Group Chairman Len Hart. Welcome to the first edition of the Leigh Group newsletter. In addition to keeping you updated with items of interest on our web page, our publicity team will be keeping you in the picture with more items than they can presently upload onto the site. I d like to begin the first article by wishing each of you and your families a very happy and prosperous New Year and hope that your Christmas was filled with everything you wished for. The tercentenary coincides with the launch of a 4- year charity festival which will be launched officially at provincial grand lodge in May. There is more about this later in the newsletter, but I encourage all lodges and chapters to donate generously and consider patronage of the festival. New Year s Eve Bash The social committee organised this year s New Year s Eve party at the hall. With around 100 guests the show went on with a swing, a cha cha cha and a thoroughly good time was had by all.

2 Masters and Principles will have an opportunity to meet with the PrGM at 6.15pm prior to an informal reception in the bar area at 6.30pm. Dinner will be served at 7pm. Menu is steak pie followed by apple crumble. Party Go ers being put through their paces The crowd were entertained by swing singer Scott Westwood who crooned his way through several of the most well known numbers. He was followed closely in the entertainment stakes by professional dance couple Michael Johnson and Sallyrose Beardall. The couple who run their own dance school are also professional show dancers and assistant choreographers on BBC 1 s Strictly Come Dancing. Tickets 12 per person excluding wine are available from your lodge secretaries and chapter scribes Lodge News Recent changes at the top include new masters for Lilford :Tony Roe, Atherton :Mike Peckitt and Makerfield : David Gordon Williams. Lodge of Truth welcomed Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison to their last meeting. He was accompanied by the provincial team and was treated to an excellent third degree ceremony. Michael Johnson & Sallyrose Beardall Group Dinner The Biennial group dinner will be held at Leigh masonic hall on Friday 24 th February. The PrGM Tony Harrison will be the principle guest accompanied by several distinguished provincial craft and chapter officers. PrGM Tony Harrison (L) with WM Jim Carey (C) and Group Chairman Len Hart.

3 Tercentenary Pageant Staying with Lodge of Truth, their April meeting promises to be something special. As part of the group s tercentenary celebrations Truth are hosting a Tercentenary Pageant. This is a rare opportunity to watch, hear and understand the cycle of Freemasonry throughout the last 300 years. It is only being held once in those groups fortunate enough to have the players visit them. The date is Tuesday 4 th April, you re advised to book your place for this event via Peter Tighe secretary of Lodge of Truth A Message from the Provincial Grand Master, Tony Harrison Dear Brethren and Companions, I write to further inform you and encourage you to wholeheartedly support our West Lancashire 2021 Festival in aid of the Masonic Charitable Foundation which will be formally launched in May 2017 at our Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in Blackpool. It is the first time that any Festival in West Lancashire has been designated for a four year period. Previous festivals have been for five, seven or ten year durations. This has been achieved due to the impetus of the forthcoming 300 year celebrations which also commence in It is for this reason that I would like any charitable donations raised from Tercentenary celebrations in 2017 are to go to the West Lancashire 2021 Festival in aid of MCF, and not the Tercentenary fund. It is the first time that any Province has been able to display its own Coat of Arms on a festival jewel. The jewel is unique, bespoke to our Province and I encourage you to wear your steward s jewel with pride. It is the first time that a white relief chest envelope will be used for charity plate donations within lodges and chapters that is attributable to personal festival patronage. It is my wish that during festival the white envelope should be your first choice and priority for donations within lodge and chapter. The Festival in preparation has already achieved several firsts and I am grateful to the Festival Vice President WBro David Winder and WBro Philip Preston the Provincial Grand Charity Steward and his charity team for securing them. I am proud that our Province was the first to be invited to support the new Masonic Charitable Foundation which brings together and overarches the four main Masonic charities of the Grand Charity, Samaritan Fund, Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. Tony Harrison.

4 Both festival jewels and the white envelope system will be introduced from January 2017 due to the four year festival being achieved through the impetus of 300 year celebrations. Jewels are available for patronage now. It is also the first time that Provincial merchandise in the form of Provincial ties (both Craft and Royal Arch) cuff links and pocket squares have been designed to match and coordinate with the festival jewel. The first time also that the Province has had an online shop for individual merchandising. Profits from merchandise will go to the festival. There is also a freepost envelope system for white envelope returns to London which is also a first for any Province. Individual jewel patronage can be achieved by taking out direct debit mandate over a 48 month (four year) period in the sums of 5, 10, 15 or 25 per month for Steward, Vice Patron, Patron and Grand Patron respectively. Jewel patronage can also be obtained by making a single one off payment of 240, 480, 720 or 1200 respectively for Steward, Vice Patron, Patron or Grand Patron. All donations at whatever level will be greatly appreciated and I very much hope that you will wear your Stewards jewel with pride! Lodge and group patronage will be 1500, 3000, 4500 over four years for Vice Patron, Patron and Grand Patron respectively. Patronage amounts for Royal Arch Chapters will be exactly half that for lodges or groups. On attaining patronage Groups, Lodges and Chapters can display that achievement on their summonses and documentation. Festivals are the main source of fundraising for MCF and the four main charities that it now overarches and supports. It is a salient and thought provoking fact that in the last five years alone our own Masons, widows and dependents in this Province alone and not including non- Masonic giving to hospices and other worthy causes has received 6,500,000 from what is now the MCF. We often say when toasting charities May we never need them. In truth we do not know whether or when we might need them! There are clearly 6,500,000 very good reasons over those last five years to give support to our own Masons, widows and dependants who are in need. There may of course be many more that we do not as yet know about. Your charity steward has recently attended a training presentation and has a full pack of information to assist him in further explanation of any questions you may have. You should also have received your own launch brochure. You can also watch a shortened presentation video about the West Lancashire Masonic Charitable Foundation 2021 Festival by David Winder. If you have any questions any member of the charity team will be happy to provide help, advice and support. Our Province has a fine history of supporting those in need and putting service before self. Charity is at the heart and one of the cornerstones of being a Freemason. Could I therefore encourage you to take up patronage of the festival as early as possible, to wear your Stewards Jewel with pride; to organise fund raising events in support of it and to have a thoroughly enjoyable time in the process, knowing that your effort will be to the benefit of someone in need. It is good to know that MCF really does cover the whole gambit of charitable care and is there should we need it!

5 Burns Night The Gavel that travels. Many of you will be aware of the gavel that travels. At present, it seems to have taken up a somewhat permanent residency at the Lodge of Truth. Makerfield lodge s next meeting falls on Burn s Night 25 th January and their social board will be a traditional Burn s night. The social board is open to wives, partners and non- masons. The night will follow a traditional theme with haggis, tatties & neeps, piper in full regalia and toasts. We all know of course that Robbie Burns was Bro Robbie Burns! The cost is per person Haggis with Neeps and Tatties Braised Steak with Whiskey and Mushroom Sauce Served with Roast and New Potatoes and Roasted Root Vegetables Traditional Cranachan with Shortbread Cheese and Biscuits Tea and Coffee Places can be booked via Phil Spencer Matt Ryan For those who aren t too familiar with it, the principle is easy. It was intended to be used as a working tool to encourage more visiting between lodges. The rules are really simple and require that a visiting master accompanied by a number of brethren from his lodge may lay claim to the gavel during the risings of the lodge they are visiting. Leigh Group Social Committee. The social committee is made up of representatives from each lodge. Their focus is on creating an environment where Masons and their family and friends can enjoy social events whilst helping raise money towards the building fund and other worthy causes. Your support for the events they arrange is crucial. Likewise, if you have any ideas for the type of event you think would work well, please let John Galbraith or your lodge rep know. Members of the committee listed below. John Galbraith Matt Ryan David Pickles Steve Gerrard Simon Isherwood Alf Hayes Andy Hardman Mark Rainsford Jonathan Battye

6 Leigh Lightblues. Future editions We hope that this first edition of the Leigh Group newsletter has been informative. We intend to publish every two months during the masonic season and once during the summer break. Our next edition will be in March If you have any items for sharing, be it good news, events or stories please let the Group publicity team know. We like to attend as many notable meetings as possible such as installations & anniversaries heralds the formation of a Lightblues section within the Leigh Group. The principle aim of the club is to bring together new or young Masons so that they can relate to each other more easily. The club is about complimenting and enhancing an individual s enjoyment of his freemasonry by introducing wide ranging extra activities. It is hoped that Light Blue Masons will view the activities as an ideal opportunity to bring along their Non Masonic friends to join in the fun. If you would like a report for the newsletter and group website, please contact us as per the below details. The group publicity team is Steve Gerrard: stevejgerrard@aol.com Wayne Barnes: waynebarnes@fastmail.com Upcoming Events 21 st January Haydock Race Day 25 th February Clay Pigeon Shoot 25 th March Bank Top Brewery Tour For information and reservations contact Andrew Hardman Wayne Barnes