September 2019 West Lancs No.65
 
The start of autumn sees the start of the Masonic season, (in most cases).   It is certainly true for the Liverpool based Mark Lodges; with the oldest Mark Lodge in the province West Lancashire Mark Lodge No 65 starting it all off.
The lodge’s first meeting of the season was held at Liverpool Masonic Hall, Hope Street on Wednesday 4th September and was a double advancement ceremony.   When the DC WBro John Roberts, PProvGStB, had filled all the absent officer’s seats with willing visitors,  he informed the Worshipful Master WBro Billy Skinner, PProvGSD  that his officers were in place, and the lodge was opened in due form.   Once the first few items of the summons had been satisfactory completed a ballot was held for the two new members.   (It is worth mentioning that both of the candidates had attended the Liverpool Mark Festival hosted by Temperance Mark Lodge No774 in April.
One of the candidates Bro Tony Fennel had just gone along to see what the Mark was about and after seeing the festival signed up.)   With the ballot proving satisfactory the advancement ceremony began.   Once he had admitted the candidates the Inner Guard Bro Alan Ray handed Bros James Pape and Tony Fennel over to the deacons; acting SD for the night was WBro Richard Wilson, PGStB and acting JD WBro David Richards, PGStB.   With the candidates in safe hands; WBro Skinner worked his way through the advancement ceremony.
 When you have visitors sitting the Junior and Senior Overseers chairs things can start to go wrong.    The acting junior overseer WBro Derek Gaskell, PProvGJD, would not accept the first candidate’s work and handed him off to the acting senior overseer WBro Les Norton, Prov Grand Almoner, who was equally unimpressed with the work and so chased the candidate off.   This left the final decision to be made by the Master Overseer Bro Paul Green, who was not happy with the work either and called on his brother overseers for an explanation as to why they had passed on the problem.   The two visitors being experienced Mark Master Masons knew how to place the blame on each other, which again left the MO to make the final decision which he, did.
When it came time for the second candidate to present his work it was no better than the first and so he too was given short shrift by the two visiting overseers and so the above sloping shoulder exercise was carried out.   Fortunately in both cases the candidates were saved by the Deacons.   Both candidates were rewarded by the WM with the secrets of the Mark degree; ably assisted by the two Deacons.  The working tools were presented to the candidates by WBro Jack Poller, PProvGSD, in fine style.   With the advancement ceremony completed it was time for the lodge to elect a Master Elect for the new season and so WBro Jack Poller, was duly elected as Master Elect.  The office of treasurer once again went to WBro Eric Poole, ProvGSD.     All that remained was to close the lodge, before retiring for an enjoyable festive board.  We wish Bros Fennel and Pape a long and enjoyable time in the Mark Degree.
 
Words and pictures by Derek Gaskell