When North Harrow Lodge No 6557 joined Twitter back in April 2011, it’s fair to say that we had no idea what the effect on our Lodge – if any – would be.
It certainly seemed like a good way to promote the website, with which we were already beginning to have success in increasing membership numbers.
But just how much power could 140 characters really wield for an organisation that
was stuck in the relative dark age when it came to social media and technology?
Well the answer, 5900 tweets, 1716 followers and a 60 strong Twitter meet-up later, seems to be: quite a lot. And nowhere was that more apparent than on our Lodge’s annual sailing trip in July 2014.
Every year, members of North Harrow Lodge gather at Hamble Point Marina for a weekend of sailing around the Solent. But unlike previous years, there was an added purpose to this trip – and it was all down to a speculative tweet sent a few months earlier.
With nine members of North Harrow Lodge scheduled to arrive in Poole Marina
aboard“Janes Buoy”, a 43′ Sun Odyssey yacht, on 4th July, I made a passing comment on Twitter inviting any available brethren (the Masonic “Twitterati”) to join us for a pie and a pint on the back of the boat.
The response was immense and quite unexpected. So much so, that it soon became clear that our boat wouldn’t be big enough, and most importantly, our limited beer and pie supplies might not meet demand.
In light of the huge interest, WBro Brian Chidgey from Dorset kindly arranged for caterers to put on a meal at Amity Lodge in Poole.
Months passed and the numbers of attendees continued to grow, and finally the day arrived when we moored at Poole and were greeted by WBro Alex McCombie, a few other Dorset Masons and a couple of bottles of Champagne to toast our arrival.
This alone would have been a good enough result from one speculative tweet, but the best was yet to come.
Upon walking into the Amity Lodge, I was amazed to see over 60 Twitter brethren from 9 Masonic Provinces including RWBro Richard Merritt, PGM, VWBro Clive Deakin, DepPGM, WBro Nigel Leonard, APGM and other members of the Provincial Team turn up for what was to be the largest gathering of freemasons ever assembled as a direct result of Twitter.
After a couple of presentations given by WBro NigelHarris-Cooksley on the merits of social media inclusion and Bro Colin Luther-Davies on the activities of the Connaught Club, we were fed a superb four course meal. Then there was plenty of time to answer questions, chat, network and exchange views with the brethren who had travelled to be there.
It was a fantastic evening, and one we couldn’t have
arranged (or catered for) without the help of WBro Brian Chidgey, ProvGReg and his team.
Twitter hasn’t just proven itself to be a fantastic tool for Lodges to communicate with one another through. It has also enabled us to raise even more money for worthy causes.
A few months ago, WBro Paul Hughes, Somerset Provincial Social Media Officer began the Masonic Twitter pins initiative, whereby small lapel pins featuring the Masonic logo and the iconic blue bird would be made available to promote social media in Freemasonry and it was agreed that the funds raised would be donated and split equally between the 2020 Somerset Provincial Festival in aid of The Grand Charity and the 2020 Middlesex Provincial Festival for the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.
Through the Twitter Gathering in Poole, we were able to add a further £130 to the present total, which in the first three months currently stands at a massive £3,000.

After our hugely successful night in Poole, the next day we were back on the boat and on our way to Yarmouth, the Isle of Wight, Cowes and beyond. During our last few days on the water, we had plenty of time to reflect on what was easily one of the best team building and bonding exercises North Harrow Lodge has experienced so far.
If there had ever been any question of the importance of Masonic Lodges getting involved with social media and keeping up with developments in digital technology, this trip had more than answered them. We have to move with the times in order to sustain the memberships of Lodges around the UK, stay connected and promote Freemasonry.
Twitter is just one proven way of doing it – what’s next?

Maybe a similar gathering at Freemasons’ Hall in the near future ?

We will wait and see, and in the meantime, we hope to repeat the success on our 2015 sailing trip.

I made a passing comment on Twitter a few months ago concerning the North Harrow Lodge sailing week-end, where we were expecting to moor in Poole marina on the 4th July and that if any Twitterati brethren are available, they would be more than welcome to join us for a pie and a pint on the back of the boat. Some days later Brian Chidgey, Dorset ProvGReg  contacted me and said that the response from Local and other South Coast Freemasons had been immense and that in the light of this he had booked Amity Lodge in Poole and the caterers to put on a meal . It was then perfectly clear that the boat was not big enough. We arrived in Poole on the afternoon of the 4th and were welcomed by WBro Alex McCombie and a few other Dorset Masons with a couple of bottles of Champagne. What a lovely thought !!!! Well the clock struck 6pm and I was amazed to see over 60 Twitter brethren from 9 Masonic Provinces turn up for the first and largest gathering of freemasons ever assembled as a direct  result of Twitter, I was then charged with giving a PowerPoint Presentation on the merits of Social Media and Twitter, along with another of our crew, Bro Colin Luther-Davies who followed with a presentation about the activities of the Connaught Club. This was followed by a superb meal 4 course in the dining room and great chance to have an informal chat with the brethren who had travelled to be with us. We were also honoured with the presence the RW Bro Richard Merritt, ProvGM who is known as a promoter of Social Media, gave a short speech after the meal, he was accompanied by VW Bro Clive Deakin, DepProvGM, VWBro Nigel Leonard, APGM and several members of the Provincial team.

This perfectly shows the potential power of Social Media as a communication tool. My grateful thanks must go to WBro Brian Chidgey ProvGReg and his team for organising such a fantastic evening and finally to WBro Paul Hughes , Somerset Provincial Social Media Officer, for the Twitter Pin initiative and for raising another £130 on the evening selling the Twitter Pins, all of which will be added to the present total of approx. £2,500 and eventually donated to The Grand Charity and the RMTGB. Pins are available on eBay

Two years ago, I knew very little about “Twitter” the Social Media phenomenon.  I have administered my own website for many years and had set up the North Harrow Lodge website in 2010 , which has proved to be a great success as a tool for recruitment and communication. (See our Progression Sheet)

However, Twitter is also proving to be another great form of communication in promoting Freemasonry in general and our Lodge profile in particular.

Where Freemasons used to know what went on at Lodge meetings in their own Masonic Centre, or at a push, in the Province, now through Twitter,  Freemasons can now find out what’s going on in Lodges throughout Britain and other parts of the world and interact with them.

Social Media is also being embraced by U.G.L.E, where at the recent Grand Lodge Communications, proceedings were Tweeted live and where they now have a following of in excess of 5,000 and it they retweet one of your posts it immediately goes out to 5,000 other Twitter users.

More Lodges than ever are opening Twitter accounts in order to communicate with other like minded people and in most Provinces the practice is encouraged, which has resulted in thousands of Freemasons joining, bringing the fraternity closer and closer…..

Following North Harrow Lodge’s successful sailing weekend on the Solent over the last three years, my idea was, in the absence of any Lodges on the south coast having meetings on the 4th July weekend, to have an informal gathering of the #Twitterati on the back of the boat in Poole Marina, accompanied by fish & chips, a few beers and the odd ‘Dark & Stormy’ (Dark Rum and Alcoholic Ginger beer)

Through the interest on Twitter, this event has escalated with the help of W.Bro. Brian Chidgey, Dorset ProvGReg to at least 100 brethren gathering at the local Masonic Hall on the evening of the 4th July, where I have now agreed to give a presentation on the benefits of website and social media, followed by a meal and a few beers in the dining hall. Book in with Brian via Twitter @dorsetreg if you wish to join us.

This event is now being supported by Provincial Grand Masters and Assistant Grand Masters from most of the South Coast Masonic Provinces. Such is the power of Social Media.

To mark the occasion and to further the benefits of Twitter as a Social Media tool to promote Freemasonry,  W.Bro Paul Hughes, @prhughes, Somerset Provincial Social Media Officer, has produced a Masonic Twitter Pin and along with myself are making them available to all Freemasons with Twitter accounts.

They are now available to buy on eBay as well as at the event in July and have agreed that ALL PROFITS will be divided equally between the Somerset Provincial 2020 Festival in support of The Grand Charity and the Middlesex Provincial 2020 Festival in support of RMTGB, so please give generously.  Both I’m sure you will agree are worthy Masonic causes.

If you’re on Twitter, you can follow us @HarrowFreemason.  

On Saturday the 5th April, members of North Harrow and their partners had the pleasure of being invited to attend Gradation Lodge 6368’s Ladies Dinner, which this year was held in a private room at the prestigious East India Club, where some 40+ guests were welcomed at a champagne reception followed by a fantastic meal. What a great evening was had by all.

W.Bro Mason

With the announcement at the latter part of last year that our W.Bro Roger Croome QPM, Pro Provincial Grand Master was to retire at the next  Provincial meeting in May. It was open to speculation who would be his successor, but it didn’t take too long before it was announced that W.Bro Alastair Mason, Dep Provincial Grand Master,  would be his replacement. Alastair is a superb ritualist and is well versed in the running of the Province.

W.Bro Thoday

But then , the next question was “who will be his replacement” ? At the recent meeting of Middlesex Masters Lodge (Harrow) a couple of days ago, Alastair had the pleasure in announcing that W.Bro Simon Thoday APGM would be appointed the new DepProGM at the Provincial Meeting in May and that W.Bro Barry Cramer PProvDepGDC, would be appointed the new APGM.
Our hearty congratulations must go to Alastair, Simon and Barry on their appointments and we at North Harrow wish them well, as do, I am sure the rest of the Province.
Onward and upward !!!!