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First
initiate for Lodge of Equity and Appleton.
At
the March meeting of the newly formed Lodge of Equity and Appleton No 1384, the members were extremely pleased to welcome
Ian Edge as the first initiated into this new Lodge. Becoming a Freemason is something that Ian, a family man from Widnes
working as a Sales Representative for a medical supplies company, has wanted to do for a long time. After he was given some
good advice from two of his friends who are members of a Lodge in Cheshire, he used his own imitative and self motivation
to seek a way of becoming a member of a Lodge in Widnes. His path led him to the internet and the Widnes Group of Lodges website.
Ian said that after completing the online application form he got a quick response which was followed by a smooth follow-up
procedure and culminated in his initiation, something he is very pleased about. Ian is the second internet candidate to join
the Widnes Group of Lodges; the first was initiated into Goodwill Lodge No 3896 in 2008 and has since introduced two more
candidates into the Lodge.
An excellent initiation ceremony, performed by Derek Parker, WM of the Lodge of Equity and
Appleton and all his team, was witnessed by a good number of Lodge members and visiting brethren including Alan Pattinson,
Vice-Chairman of the Widnes Group of Lodges. Ian said that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the initiation ceremony
and would like to thank his allocated mentor for the evening, Brian Harris, for looking after him throughout the proceedings
and making him feel at ease. Ian is now looking forward to a long and progressive career as a Freemason in the Lodge of Equity
and Appleton.
The festive board was another pleasant experience for Ian, and after pulling Derek Parker’s ticket
out to win a bottle of whisky in the raffle he won a friend for life. Ian was then presented with an initiates information
pack by Alan Pattinson which contained an explanation of the First Degree and a lot of other useful Masonic information.
 Pictured left to right are; Ian Edge and Derek
Parker, WM Lodge of Equity and Appleton.
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Lodge of Equity and Appleton No 1384 Installation
The
installation of Derek Parker took place at the February meeting of the newly formed Lodge of Equity and Appleton No. 1384
by Bill Cank the retiring Master. To mark this nostalgic occasion, the Lodge was honoured by the presence of Lionel Gornall,
Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, who’s own Lodge has historical connections with the Lodge of Equity
and Appleton going back many years making this and even more nostalgic occasion. Lionel was the special representative of
the RW Provincial Grand Master, Peter Hosker and he conveyed Peter’s and his own best wishes to the new Master and to
the Lodge for a successful year.
At the start of the proceedings Bill Cank had a very pleasant duty to perform in presenting
cheques to the Lodge’s nominated recipients. A cheque for £300 was presented to Lionel Gornall for the 2010 Festival,
Gary Turner was presented with a cheque for £400 to go towards the Building Fund of Widnes Masonic Hall Ltd. Arrangements
are being made to present the final cheque of £500 to a representative of the Kings Cross Project, a local charity working
with disadvantaged families in Widnes and Runcorn.
Bill then went on to install Derek into the Masters Chair in what
can only by described as a superb ceremony, Bill and his Officers did a magnificent job, congratulations to all. This is the
second time Derek has been a Master of a Lodge and he is the second installed Master of the Lodge of Equity and Appleton and
the third Master of the Lodge. Bill was the first installed Master of the Lodge and Derek’s father, Mike, was the first
Master when the Lodge of Equity No 1384 and Appleton Lodge No 6468 amalgamated in April 2008. Derek was initiated into Appleton
Lodge No 6468 by his brother Stewart in 1990, installed as Master of Appleton Lodge by his father in 1999 and for Stewart’s
second time as a Master of a Lodge, his father gave the address to the Master. Which just goes to prove, as well as being
a family by name, we are all one big family of Brothers.
So far, in the Lodge of Equity and Appleton’s short history,
there have only been recycled Masters in the Chair, but this is all about to change from next year as there are a good number
of Master Masons on the ladder of the Lodge who are all more than capable of taking the Chair. We wish them and the Lodge
every success for the future.
 Pictured
left to right are; Lionel Gornall, Derek Parker and Bill Cank.
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Working Tools Lecture
A
lecture on The Working Tools of an Operative Mason was excellently delivered by Tony Baker, a Liverpool Cathedral Stonemason,
to members of the Lodge of Equity and Appleton No. 1384 and many visitors from other Lodges. Tony is well known throughout
the diocese for his work as an operative mason and for the lectures he has given to visitors to the Liverpool Cathedral and
throughout the Province of West Lancashire. Tony was advanced as a Mark Mason in Southport Mark Lodge No 473, he is a Past
Master of Hillside Lodge No 8622 and is now a member of Southport Lodge No 4034.
Tony’s lectures and demonstrations
of his work as an operative mason are always interesting and popular. He gives a very informative account of the work required
by a banker mason to prepare the stone, goes through the many tools required to get the stone from rough to smooth and demonstrates
the techniques used with these tools. When the stone is finished and it matches the template given to him by the setter, the
banker mason puts his own special mark on the stone to identify it as his stone.
Everybody present appreciated the time
and effort Tony had put into his lecture and as a token of that appreciation he was presented with a donation to go towards
the charity of his choice.
 Pictured left to right are Tony Baker with Bill
Cank, Master of the Lodge of Equity and Appleton No.1384.
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