Following my previous post on my journey of becoming a Liveryman and obtaining the Freedom of the City of London . I thought you may be interested in my next step which was on Thursday 3rd September when I was honoured to be  ‘clothed’ in the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Butchers in a ceremony which for the first time in the Company’s history was allowed to be witnessed by my family and good friends Vaughan & Susan Coleridge-Matthews. The ceremony was followed by the traditional champagne reception and a superb Luncheon of racks of Devon Lamb for the 160 Liverymen and guests in the Great Hall of Ironmongers’ Hall, as Butchers’ Hall has been leased to developers for Five years before its refurbishment.

The Worshipful Company of Butchers is one of the seven oldest of the City of London Livery Companies, we are ranked 24th in order of precedence out of 111 Livery Companies. Granted its Royal Charter of Incorporation by King James 1 in 1605, the Worshipful Company of Butchers has been the significant power behind the trade in the City of London and around Smithfield for over a thousand years. Direct links with the Crown go back before the 12^th century when rents were extracted for markets and grazing.

Livery Companies play a vital part in the government of the City of London, the constitution of which, although unique in the structure of local government in the United Kingdom and enshrined in custom and tradition, is assuredly as effective, economic and democratic as any. Above all, it maintains the position of London as a world centre of business life.

Every Liveryman of the City of London plays his or her own part in the government of the City, as all Liverymen must initially become a Freeman of the City of London. This status allows the Liveryman to choose and elect the Lord Mayor of London and the Sheriffs of the City each year. Liverymen participate in many functions of the City and of the Corporation.

Admission of the individual to the Livery is, accordingly, an act of dedication to the cause of good government and order – and of community service. The Liveryman may earn, indeed may expect to receive if he or she discharges his obligations, the respect and approbation of his fellows. He or she, however, must not expect any personal material advantage or preferment.

The Company is highly active within the City of London and the meat industry. We proudly participate in The Lord Mayor’s Show during November while the traditional delivery, by Liverymen, of a boar’s head to the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House is symbolic of a payment for rent on a piece of land supplied to the Butchers by the Lord Mayor in 1343-but which the City no longer owns and the Butchers no longer rent!

Such events provide the opportunity for fellowship between industry members and the City of London. As part of its educational charitable work the Company is proud to facilitate the development of butchery skills through competitions, courses and apprenticeships while funding bursaries for the Postgraduate Meat Management Diploma at Harper Adams University and supporting Nuffield Scholarships.

A proud and active Livery Company we look forward to serving the country and our industry over the next millennium.

Grand Lodge continues a scheme to enable Master Masons not serving in the office of Warden to attend Quarterly Communications and experience Grand Lodge proceedings

The next Quarterly Communications of Grand Lodge will be held on Wednesday 9th September 2015 at 12 noon and will normally be concluded around 1.00 pm. MMs are required to arrive by 11.15am for registration and be seated by 11.45am.

This is a reminder to encourage all Master Masons who have received their Grand Lodge Certificates and not serving in the office of Warden to attend the Quarterly Communications and enjoy a Grand Lodge meeting at its best.

Admission is by ticket only. Full information will be communicated in advance.

It is our intention to meet at the Freemasons’ Arms after proceedings for refreshments and a bite to eat if required and where we may be honoured by a visit by the Pro, or the Deputy ProvGM, for a chat and a drink with the “boys”.

If you haven’t already done so, could you bring this event to the attention of your members and urge them to come along, would you also please forward this message to the Lodge Events Coordinator and the Mentor if one is appointed.

All Past Masters are encouraged to attend with the MMs to guide and inform them on procedures of Grand Lodge.

Those MMs attending will need to wear a dark suit or morning dress, their Master Mason aprons (no Lodge collars), white gloves and either a plain black tie or the Craft tie.

Please note that the Provincial tie must not be worn.

The closing date for applications is 1st September 2015, but please don’t leave it too late, we have a limited number of seats allocated.

Please reply directly to me by either telephone, or email so that I can register your attendance.

Electronic tickets will then be sent to you from Grand Lodge.

We Battle on at the Proms . What a great event yet again.[wds id=”5″]

On Saturday the 18th July,  12 members and partners/friends of North Harrow Lodge attended the Battle Proms at Hatfield House for what has always been a great afternoon and evening of fun and fellowship. The Proms are held every year at 5 different venues over the course of the summer and because of our links with Hatfield House we have attended that one.

A few of us arrived early in the afternoon in the hope of missing the queues, but alas we were again wrong and joined the snaking masses to the entrance gate. As always the event is a massive sell out and more so this year as 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. We came well prepared and took along a gazebo ( just in case it rained) ,plenty of picnic food and drink.

The weather Gods were again good to us and we were blessed with glorious weather. The evening was the usual success with copious quantities of food and wine consumed accompanied by excellent live orchestral music, simulated horseback cavalry displays and numerous fly pasts fly by a WW2 Spitfire, culminating in a fantastic firework display in time to music from the 1812  overture. Live cannon fire included….

Will we go again…. ?  Damn right we will…

Our next Social is for lunch on Sunday the 9th August at The Pavillion in Bushey, why not join us ?

 

It’s almost that time again !!!   8 members of North Harrow Lodge in Middlesex are getting their sailing gear together for the second Twitter Gathering on the 3rd July at Branksome Masonic Hall in Poole.

Last year’s meeting was attended by over 60 masons from 9 Provinces who were eager to hear how Website and Social Media inclusion could be a tool for increasing membership and awareness in Freemasonry.

If you would like to attend, book in or find out more about this year’s event , send an email to twitter@dorsetfreemasonry.info  .

The meeting will start at 6pm in the bar for drinks for a 6.30pm start, Updates and Presentations will be given by the Secretary (Me) of North Harrow Lodge, Dorset Provincial Social Media Team and Representatives from United Grand Lodge, culminating in a slap up meal at 8pm.[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”3″]

 

Exactly twelve month’s ago W.Bro Nigel Harris-Cooksley of North Harrow Lodge no.6557 in Middlesex and W.Bro Paul Hughes, Somerset Provincial  Media Officer embarked on a joint initiative to promote Social Media as a tool in communication within Freemasonry whilst raising money for their respective Provincial Festivals. The result was the Masonic Twitter Pin, based on the iconic blue Twitter bird, embossed with the square and compass.

The lapel pins would be sold in bulk to Provinces and to individuals on eBay, the Internet auction site and all proceeds of the sales would be split between The 2020 Somerset Provincial Festival in support of ‘The Grand Charity’ and the 2020 Middlesex Provincial Festival in support of the ‘Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys’.

They were an immediate success, with the initial stock of 300 being sold out in a matter of weeks on eBay . To date well over 1000  pins have been sold.

In July last year, greater communication was achieved when 60 masons from 9 Provinces attended a gathering and presentation on Social Media in the Masonic Hall in Poole, Dorset  as a direct result of the Twitter Pin. A larger gathering is scheduled at the same venue on the 3rd July

Last week, WBro Harris-Cooksley had great pleasure in presenting a cheque of £2,000 to the 2020 Middlesex Provincial Festival in support of the RMTGB.