Temperance Lodge of Mark Master Masons No.774
 
Woolton Golf Club, Speke Rd, Woolton, Liverpool. L257TZ..(New Home)
 
Installation Meeting Tuesday 16th February 2016.
 
Well this was a meeting with lots of firsts and other surprises, it started off as quite a normal day, got the car out of its house powered up Snoopy and Tom and off we go, five minutes to the motorway approach, ten minutes to actually join lane one, then quick as a flash made my way over to lane three which crawls faster than the others over the high level bridge at Barton, a short distance on to the M62 and free flowing traffic, phew. Set off early as always, as you never can tell what you are going to faced with, all was going fine until I got quite close to the Golf Club, turned right and right again and there I was going up a road full of humps and some wonderful looking houses (very posh) and just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she said “I don’t Think I’m in Kansas” I thought “this isn’t the road to Woolton Golf Club” I was right. Turned round in a court yard, back to the lights turn left, left again at the next lights follow the road and bingo Woolton Golf Club on my left on through a barrier and there it was an excellent looking building with a great view over the links.
View from Dining Room
Dining Room Ready
Secretary's Table

Secs Table & Warrant
Once inside I had a quick look round as you know is my nature, the dining room was all ready laid out for the Festive Board and again had a magnificent view of the Golf Course, back towards the entrance I climbed a spiral staircase which showed a sign for the different robing rooms, case deposited and it was off to the Lodge Room. As usual even though I was there 90 minutes early already in situe was the Provincial Director of Ceremonies W.Bro. Dave Emmerson, always early, always paying close attention to every detail for the evenings proceedings. I did take a few pictures around the Lodge room including a very interesting Secretary’s table which contained the Lodge Warrant, before too long it was practise time. The Prov DC ably assisted by the Deputy and Asst DC were soon putting all the Acting Provincial Officers through their paces and finished with Dave’s immortal words “Don’t leave your wands in the Lodge”  On making our way back to our allotted rooms to prepare for the meeting the RW Prov GM Bro. Keith Alan Beardmore could be seen greeting one and all, making everyone from the newest Brother to those of Highest Rank feel welcome and how pleased he was that they had attended. 
WM's Chair
A Special Old Chair
View from SW Wicket

Lets practise
W.Bro Nairns joke shared by all
This was indeed to be a special night of firsts, this being the First Meeting of a Mark Lodge at Woolton Golf Club, the First Meeting of Temperance Mark Lodge at their new home, and the First Mark Lodge to  be established in the Woolton Group. 
WM with Provincial SW , JW and Standard Bearers
WM with PGM and 'All Chains'
WM & Doug Holgate
WM & Uncle W.Bro.Phil Lyon
The Lodge opened on time and as was to be expected did take some time to deal with its housekeeping at this inaugural meeting these included the Minutes, a Ballot for a number of Joining Members, to receive communications, Elect Auditors etc, then it was time for the R.W. PGM to enter the Meeting accompanied by Grand Officers and members of his own Acting Provincial Team. The PGM was warmly welcomed in to the Lodge by the Acting W.M. W.Bro.Bryan Humphries PAGStdB who was standing in for the W.M. Bro Peter Brown due to illness, he was by right offered the gavel which on this occasion he accepted. The PGM then gave his personal introduction for the benefit of Lodge members of all his Provincial Team present, which is always much appreciated by those officers and makes them feel part of something very special. (after all this is the Mark Degree)
PGM Newly promoted PPrGSW
WM With the Grand and Provincial Officers
Once the Gavel had been returned business of the evening resumed and here as far as I’m aware was another First, well certainly something which I had never witnessed before, one of the Joining Members W.Bro. Stephen Lyon entered and in the blink of an eye became the Master Elect and was duly Installed in to the Chair of Adoniram, by W.Bro. Humphries, now as I think everyone would agree that must have taken some nerve and was handled superbly by the new Temperance W.M. Bro Lyon. All the new officers were appointed and invested and the usual Addresses followed which were all excellent but it has to said the star of the evening was the presentation of the Tools by Bro. Doug Holgate which was something special for a relatively new Mark Mason in front of such an august gathering, he did tell me later that he was soon going in to be Installed in to the Chair of his Craft Lodge as well the office of ”J” in his Chapter, now that’s I call a dedicated Mason.
WM Ins WM (Sec)
Well if you thought that was it wrong, the PGM took up the Gavel of the Lodge from the newly Installed Master and opened a Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, (not often witnessed in Private Lodges)  before calling for W.Bro. Leslie T. Moore PPrJGW (Lodge Treasurer) to be presented to him, he gave all present an insight to all the outstanding work Leslie had done for Temperance Lodge including its move from Hope Street to Woolton which did incur the loss of considerable members now thankfully after a lot of hard work the Lodge is growing strong again by new Joining members, to honour the man and the Lodge the RW,PGM promoted Leslie to PPrGSW. Following long well earned applause the RW.PGM closed Prov Grand Lodge and returned the Gavel to the WM.
I must admit that at this point I was losing the plot as so much was happening, sitting in a meeting trying to scribble notes on your summons is not easy, it makes sense at the time but trying to decipher it after the meeting is another matter. One more First was still to come W.Bro. A.Cross the Prov JW stood up and showed to the Lodge a new lapel badge which has been created for the Woolton Group of Lodges and he was pleased on this special occasion to present the very First one to our PGM, which he said he was honoured to receive and would treasure it.
WM & PGM Toast
Well what a great meeting that was, it was now time for the RW.PGM his Prov Team and Grand Officers to retire at which point I would think the members of Temperance Lodge breathed easy and reflected on what they had just witnessed, a truly memorable Mark Meeting.

A Table Happy to Meet.
Off we  went to the Dining Room, warm and welcoming all set up for the Festive Board, an excellent meal was enjoyed by all, served up by very friendly attentative staff, time was now passing quickly we were treated to some excellent Toasts and speeches and before we knew it there it was gone another wonderful night enjoyed by all. This is the Mark Degree and all the goodbye handshakes with the words looking forward to our next meeting are all genuine, Mark Well.     
 
Here’s to Our Next Meeting
Austin N Fletcher. PrGJO. Flixton Shepherd Eastwood Mark Masons Lodge. No.1173.