New member for Bispham-with-Norbreck – and a surprise visitor ! |
| Friday the 8th of April was a special night for Bispham-with-Norbreck Mark Lodge at Adelaide Street in Blackpool. We had a candidate! |
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Nicolae Marius Chelaru |
| Brother Nicolae Marius Chelaru became a Master Mason just a few short months ago and was keen to expand his Masonic knowledge by joining the Mark Degree. He owns a tiling firm, so we had every expectation that the work he had prepared for the building of the Holy Temple would be first class……….. |
| Brother Nicolae was the first candidate to be advanced by our new WM, James Rashid, who was installed in the Chair of Adoniram in February, so the pressure was on – especially as James had witnessed his friend, and WM of Fylde Mark, Bro Craig Scott, do his first advancement ceremony just a few weeks before, in fine style. |
| James has recently been afflicted by the dreaded covid bug, and this had slowed his preparation for the ceremony. We were a little worried at the final practise, when James was clearly a little poorly still, with the after effects of the bug. On the night, our valiant WM seemed much recovered…….and the stakes were about to get much higher. |
| After we opened the Lodge, there was a knock on the door. Had there been a brother delayed in traffic? Was it one of the missing brethren, who had succumbed to illness, suddenly risen from their sick bed? |
| No, it was our very own Provincial Grand Master, who demanded admission! Right Worshipful Brother Keith Beardmore was admitted to the great delight of all present (apart from perhaps the performing officers, who suddenly had the PGM to impress). The PGM greeted all present, explaining that he had a spare hour or two, and wanted to see our Lodge perform an advancement ceremony! |
| I have to say that, despite the extra pressure, everyone performed absolutely brilliantly. James did not even need one prompt – an absolute triumph of ritual during what is a wonderful ceremony. |
| We had a few stand-in officers due to illness and injury – our SW Tony Hanson was replaced at short notice by Bro Brian Burgess Dicks, the WM of Wyre Mark Lodge. Our SD Vinny Carte had had treatment on the day for an Achilles injury, and so Peter Maxwell stood in for him. Peter Roscoe stood in as Senior Overseer, for Joe Codling who had given his apologies. They all performed wonderfully, alongside the regular officers who were brilliant as always. John Chapman delivered the working tools in fine style. |
| The ceremony complete, the Provincial Grand Master retired with the Grand Officers, after praising all who had taken part, and gave his apologies for the festive board, with the comment that he should really spend the rest of the evening with June! |
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| Our thanks go out to Keith for sparing time out of his very busy schedule to support the Lodge, and the newest Mark man in West Lancashire. As it turns out, Michael, the son of our candidate, attends the nursery run by our PGM, and so in about 20 years or so, we may have another candidate from the family! |
| Words by Giles, family photos by Brother Nicolae |
