Combined Stewards' Lodge, No.1628 a "virtual" Banner Presentation!
As many of you will know, Wednesday 15th April should have been a special day in the continuing history of the Combined Stewards Lodge, No. 1628.
The original Lodge, that of the "Langdon Hills Lodge of Mark Master Masons", was close to handing its Warrant back with only a handful of faithful members attending the meetings. Various options were explored in trying to prevent losing the warrant and, in the end, it was "repurposed" and renamed the Combined Stewards' Lodge, No.1628 and membership opened to all Provincial Stewards
(and their equivalent) in all other Orders. This had the immediate benefit of attracting both a steady stream of candidates for Advancement along with a number of joining members. Since then the membership has grown significantly and is now in the fifties and there are a number of potential candidates still waiting.
So, the members decided to celebrate their success with the design and dedication of a new Lodge Banner. The banner was duly made and the presentation and Dedication date included in the design. The PGM and his Team were ready and looking forward with anticipation of the Ceremony and then came along the current suspension and lockdown! That being the case, with the planned ceremony cancelled, the Worshipful Master and the Lodge members decided they needed to do something to mark the day. With a little administration from one of the members and their secretary, a Zoom conference was called and whilst the Banner couldn't be formally dedicated, the Provincial Grand Master was in the conference and had the pleasure of presenting it "virtually!".
So, another "notable" event in an already notable Lodge history and certainly a first for Essex Mark Masonry. The Provincial Grand Master still intends to carry out a full dedication at a future meeting once the "prevailing circumstances" have been overcome. Full details of when that might be will, of course, be advertised and circulated in due course.
The original Lodge, that of the "Langdon Hills Lodge of Mark Master Masons", was close to handing its Warrant back with only a handful of faithful members attending the meetings. Various options were explored in trying to prevent losing the warrant and, in the end, it was "repurposed" and renamed the Combined Stewards' Lodge, No.1628 and membership opened to all Provincial Stewards
(and their equivalent) in all other Orders. This had the immediate benefit of attracting both a steady stream of candidates for Advancement along with a number of joining members. Since then the membership has grown significantly and is now in the fifties and there are a number of potential candidates still waiting.
So, the members decided to celebrate their success with the design and dedication of a new Lodge Banner. The banner was duly made and the presentation and Dedication date included in the design. The PGM and his Team were ready and looking forward with anticipation of the Ceremony and then came along the current suspension and lockdown! That being the case, with the planned ceremony cancelled, the Worshipful Master and the Lodge members decided they needed to do something to mark the day. With a little administration from one of the members and their secretary, a Zoom conference was called and whilst the Banner couldn't be formally dedicated, the Provincial Grand Master was in the conference and had the pleasure of presenting it "virtually!".
So, another "notable" event in an already notable Lodge history and certainly a first for Essex Mark Masonry. The Provincial Grand Master still intends to carry out a full dedication at a future meeting once the "prevailing circumstances" have been overcome. Full details of when that might be will, of course, be advertised and circulated in due course.
The Lodge Banner
