The Widnes Group of Freemasons

Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters

Welcome to the home page for the
Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters No 9057

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Meetings :-

20th April 2012 at St Helens - Talk by W Bro Fred Lomax on the
               "Masonic symbols on the American Dollar Bill"
21st September 2012 at Warrington - Talk by Dr Robert Lomas
               "The real story of Elias Ashmole, warts and all"

TBA January 2013 at Widnes - Installation

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The Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters meets three times a year and rotates the meetings around the Masonic Halls in Widnes, Warrington, Leigh and St Helens. Except for the Installation meeting in January, meetings generally consist of lectures and demonstrations from eminent and experienced Freemasons, which help brethren to increase their knowledge of Freemasonry in general. Although the majority of members are from lodges meeting at the above mentioned Masonic Halls, Membership is open to any Installed Master, but for most meetings any Brother may attend as a visitor. Installed Masters interested in becoming a member should contact any of the Group Executive for details, or e-mail the Lodge Secretary direct.

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  Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters No 9057 were privileged and honoured to have present Assistant Provincial Grand Master Phillip Gunning at the installation of Michael O’Brien into the chair of the lodge at Leigh Masonic Hall. Accompanying Phillip were two other APrGM’s, Tony Bent and Ian Boswell along with the Leigh Group Chairman Malcolm Parr and Widnes Group Chairman David Redhead and other Grand acting Provincial Grand Officers.
  The meeting started with the reading of a dispensation from the Provincial Grand Master to allow the meeting to take place at this time and date. There then followed a few moments of silence for departed merit, Timothy Richard Jones PPrSGD, a member of MVLIM for nearly 18 years, who has gone to the Grand Lodge above.
  After a successful ballot, six new members were allowed into the lodge and presented to the Worshipful Master Mark Derbyshire; they then went to their places in the lodge.
  Mark then continued with the installation ceremony and Malcolm Parr presented Michael O’Brien, a Past Master of Leigh Lodge No 4744, to him for installation into the Chair of King Solomon, which Mark did in an extremely delightful flawless manner. Once in the chair, Michael appointed and invested his officers for the year very professionally and with confidence.
  The address to the WM, Wardens and Brethren were excellently delivered by Malcolm Parr, Len Hart, (Leigh Group Vice-Chairman) and Phillip Gunning respectively.
  As the ceremony concluded, Phillip rose to pass on to Michael congratulations and best wishes from the Provincial Grand Master, who hoped he would have a very enjoyable year in office. In return, Michael presented Phillip with a generous cheque of £300 from the lodge made out to West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity and mentioned that the lodge had donated £50 the Leigh Charity account.
  At the magnificent festive board which followed the installation ceremony over eighty brethren enjoyed a five course meal with wine, tea or coffee. In response to a toast to his health, Phillip commented on how much he had enjoyed a wonderful ceremony and wished Michael well for a happy and successful year. Phillip also praised the Provincial website saying, “It’s a fantastic website, great for its communications and always has up to date information and stories. With Ian Boswell in charge, I am sure it will continue to go from strength to strength.”
  In reply to a toast to his health, Michael said, “It is a wonderful honour to be WM of such a prestigious lodge and I am looking forward to the year ahead.”
  Lodge members are masters or past masters of lodges from four local groups; Warrington, Widnes, St Helens & Prescot, and Leigh, and all four groups were well represented.

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Mark Derbyshire, (left), congratulating Michael O’Brien.

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Pictured left to right, are: Ian Boswell, Tony Bent, Michael O’Brien, Phillip Gunning and Malcolm Parr.

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London Grand Rank Explained

Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters No 9057 were given a very informative talk about the history of London Grand Rank and it’s part in the history of London Freemasonry at their Warrington meeting from Michael Munro Senior London Grand Rank, London Grand Chapter Rank.
  Michael received a warm welcome from Mark Derbyshire WM, Mersey Valley Lodge of Installed Masters. The meeting attracted around 50 brethren including Assistant Provincial Grand Master Dennis Rudd and  other distinguished Grand Officers, lodge members and visitors.
 
Michael has put a great deal of time and effort into his passion for Masonic research over the years, he is a member of Quatuor Coronati Lodge and the Irish Lodge of Research Correspondence Circles, he has also contributed articles to Ars Quatuor Coronatorum and is a founder member of the Internet Lodge No 9659.
 
“As you are aware” Michael said starting his talk, “the organisation of Freemasonry in London differs to that in the Provinces, it is only natural we each have a pride of our own system”. Michael continued his talk by saying that although the first recorded lodge meeting was in Warrington, Lancashire on 16 October 1646 there is no evidence that this lodge had anything in common with the four London lodges that formed the first Grand Lodge on 24 June 1717. As the growth of Freemasonry spread over the country many more lodges took out warrants under the new Grand Lodge and as a necessity for the regulation of Freemasonry outside London, Masonic Provinces were formed. The first Provincial Grand Master was appointed for Cheshire in 1725 and by 1775 25 Provinces had been established, meanwhile London remained under the control of the Grand Master.
  London Freemasonry has evolved over the years with many changes to its structure and organisation. Some of the more notable changes have been the creation of London Rank in 1907 with the first appointments in 1908. London Rank was altered to London Grand Rank in 1939 to match the distinction of Provincial Grand Rank.
  It was forty years later before the next change took place when in March 1979, when it was deemed appropriate that holders of London Grand Rank who had exercised further distinguished service to Freemasonry in London would be eligible for promotion to a new rank of Senior London Grand Rank. The next change was to re-introduce the term London Rank in June 1998, to be conferred on Master Masons of London lodges who had rendered long and meritorious service to the Craft.
 
Therefor London Honours System is based on a points system for merit not seniority and is a reward for services to both Freemasonry and the community. It is viewed in London as preferable to the Provincial system as there are only two ranks, LGR and SLGR. There are, however, still some underlying issues and concerns which need to be addressed.
  Michael continued his talk by detailing many more interesting aspects of London Grand Rank, in conclusion he said, “We are now into our eighth year of Metropolitan Grand Lodge and have already implemented changes in structure demanded of our new status and while there is still some on-going development and refinement to the structure and management I can hardly state we have a better system than the Provinces, but I hope my talk has shown you how and why we have developed a different system for London Freemasonry to that of the Provinces, based, of course, on the best qualities instituted by the Provincial Grand Lodges that precede us”. 
  In thanking Michael for his most interesting talk Mark said, “We are all delighted to have had the London Grand Rank explained in such detail, it was quite an education”. There followed a hearty round of applause from all the Brethren.

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Pictured left to right, are: Michael Munro and Mark Derbyshire.

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