Advancement at Furness
 
The first meeting of Furness Mark Lodge No 36 since the installation saw WM John Parrott advance Stuart Braithwaite into our wonderful order.
 
John undertook the first part of the ceremony in fine style and set a high standard for those who were to share the work with him. There was to be no downturn in the quality of the ritual with firstly Ian Cottam taking the chair for the middle part of the ceremony and doing so with both accuracy and excellent delivery. In what has become somewhat of a custom of the lodge a junior member was called upon to deliver that part of the ceremony which follows the presentation of the badge and jewel through to the welcome. On this occasion it was Graham Benson who undertook the work and did so with great aplomb.
 
John Parrott, Stuart Braithwaite, inner guard-Steve Rennie and tyler-Carl Hallows
Stuart is a well-respected member of Semper Sursum craft lodge and will no doubt bring the same enthusiasm and commitment to our order. He is also the web-master for the Furness and South Lakeland group web-site and is the treasurer of the group light blues club “The Cavendish Club.”
On the day he had been in the Accident and Emergency Dept. of the local hospital having suffered a knee injury. Such is the character of Stuart that he did not let that prevent his attendance and dosed up with painkillers and anti-inflammatory tablets limped his way round the lodge room. Some careful editing of the perambulations during the advancement minimised the amount of walking he had to do. This change in routine made the evening a unique and memorable one.
Stuart Braithwaite, Graham Benson, John Parrott, Ian Cottam and Stuart Brackstone
Senior deacon Alan Hilton performed his role admirably and adapted to the situation faultlessly especially bearing in mind it was his first outing in that role.
Amongst the visitors was special representative Stuart Brackstone who handed to the candidate a letter of welcome from the Provincial Grand Master. He was also called into action to present a certificate to Brian Davey to mark the fact that Brian had become a vice-patron of the Masonic Benevolent Fund.
 
 
back row John Torrance WM of Jubilee Mark Lodge, and
Duddon Mark Lodge members Mort Richardson, Peter Storey and Lee Storey
front row are Jubilee members Jim Richards and Peter Quirk
The special representative was just one of several visiting brethren who attended the meeting who included among their number members of Duddon Mark Lodge from Millom in the adjoining province of Cumberland and Westmorland.

The same team will be called into action again at the November meeting of Furness Mark Lodge when there is to be another advancement.
Words and pictures by Dave Sear