2K Mount Ararat Lodge No 158
 
In 1873 a group of Mark Masons from Bolton went down to London to petition for a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge to be formed and attached to The Rose and Thistle Lodge of Mark Master Masons No 158. The petition was consequently granted and Mount Ararat Royal Ark Mariners Lodge No 158 came into existence.
The Warrant was issued on 17th April 1873, with the Lodge being consecrated on the 4th October the same year. At this time there was only four Mark Provinces in existence with Lancashire being one of them. Zoom forward 150 years to Bryn, Masonic Hall on Tuesday 28th November and the Sesquicentenary meeting, (150th Anniversary) for Mount Ararat Lodge.
For this important meeting The Provincial Grand Master,  RWBro Keith Beardmore was in attendance along with his Deputy, WBro Giles Berkley and the APGM, VWBro Geoff Bury, also WBro Mike Pinckard, Prov. Grand Secretary and the rest of the Provincial Offices Team. The Lodge was also honoured by the presence of RWBro Prof Denovan Wilson, Assistant Grand Master.
The Lodge was opened by the Commander, WBro Lucas Kelly at 18.00.  The Provincial Grand DC, WBro Arthur Robinson then announced the PGM and Provincial Team who entered the Lodge in procession. RWBro Keith Beardmore accepted the sceptre from the Commander and took the chair and salutations were given. It was now the turn of the Deputy Grand DC, WBro Andrew Brown to announce The Assistant Grand Master. RWBro Prof Denovan Wilson was then introduced to RWBro Keith Beardmore and in turn accepted the sceptre.
Once in the chair and he had received his salutations The Assistant Grand Master, gave an enthusiastic account of the history of Mount Ararat and pointed out that at the present time Mount Ararat, No 158 is the 5th oldest Royal Ark Mariner Lodge in the Country. During his address RWBro Prof Denovan Wilson asked the Prov. Grand Secretary, WBro Mike Pinckard, to read the original Warrant and then asked The Deputy Grand DC, WBro Andrew Brown to read the Sesquicentenary Warrant.
With the Commander, WBro Lucas Kelly back in the chair a potted history of Mount Ararat was given by WBro Andy McMath. Apparently the current Lodge name came about because Lodge is a double Keystone lodge and so it was decided to commemorate this by putting 2K before Mount Ararat. This short history was well received by all present.  WBro Andrew Brown then asked all the members of Mount Ararat Lodge to line up in the North so that they could be presented with their Sesquicentenary Jewel by The Assistant Grand Master, RWBro Keith Beardmore and The Commander, WBro Lucas Kelly.
Once the presentation was completed, RWBro Prof Denovan Wilson and WBro Andrew Brown retired from the Lodge. At this point, The Provincial Grand Master asked the Prov. Grand Secretary, WBro Mike Pinckard to read the 150-year Certificate that had been granted by the Provence to the Lodge. Then the PGM and his team retired before the Lodge was closed. One of the highlights of the night was the obvious friendship between RWBro Prof Denovan Wilson and RWBro Keith Beardmore and this came out during the Toasts at the festive Board. Congratulations to 2K Mount Ararat Lodge No 158.
 

Words and pictures by Derek Gaskell