Busy night at Furness
 
At the meeting of Furness Lodge of Mark Master Masons No 36 tribute was paid to John Houlding who had unexpectedly passed to the grand lodge above at the turn of the year. John was a popular and highly regarded Mason. The tribute was made all the more poignant because, as the senior warden, it should have been the meeting which saw him elected as Master for the coming year.
Tony Cassells, John Parrott and Jon Reed
Junior Warden Peter Schofield agreed to take the leap into the chair if so elected and indeed the ballot for him to become Master Elect proved favourable. As the chairman of the Furness and South Lakeland group Peter is a very busy Mason, and businessman, but given his impressive masonic C.V. there is little doubt that he will rise to the challenge which awaits him.
 
The sad loss of John also meant that others also had to leapfrog a position or two. Furness Mark Lodge is lucky to have a potential team of officers in the progressive offices who have not yet been through the chair. Their willingness to help the lodge out by taking an extra step up the ladder says a lot about their commitment to Mark masonry.
Paul Rose, Ian Cottam, Steve Renney, Jon Reed and Stuart Braithwaite
On the evening two new members were also welcomed into the lodge. Tony Cassells became a joining member whilst Jon Reed was advanced into our order.
Jon was conducted through the ceremony by senior deacon Alan Hilton who performed his role impeccably. Jon’s proposer was Steve Renney and his work as inner guard was both accurate and clearly audible. It added to the occasion.
 
The first part of the ceremony of advancement was undertaken by WM John Parrott who then handed over to IPM Ian Cottam for the middle part of the ceremony. Their work was superb. Deserving of a mention is stand-in junior warden Bill Glassey who proceeded to discharge his special duty with great relish!
Terry Pearson, Darren Stainton, Carl Hallows, Kieron Mullan,
Peter Dismore, Bill Glassey and Dennis Laird
The welcoming letter from our PGM Keith Beardmore was delivered to Jon by Brain Davey who was also called upon to give an explanation of the Grand Mark Lodge certificate to David Baker who had been advanced at the last meeting.
 
Your northern correspondent delivered that part of the ritual from the explanation of the badge and jewel. It seemed to go alright.
 
Amongst those in attendance was Paul Rose the WM of the Ulverston based Jubilee Mark Lodge No 375 along with some visitors from Millom representing Duddon Mark Lodge in the province of Cumberland and Westmorland.
 
With advancements at all three meetings in the year John has been kept busy. There is at least one candidate in the wings for Peter when he takes the reins.
As usual I will finish with a totally unconnected photograph of some Furness wildlife. On this occasion it is of the heron which poaches the fish from my pond.
Words and pictures by Dave Sear