Anderton Lodge take the Gavel

The meeting of Peace Lodge No 2269 on Tuesday was marked by the unusually large number of visitors.

Twenty five guests and sixteen members enjoyed an excellent 2nd Degree ceremony by the Worshipful Master, Alan Kenny,  in which Geoff Simpson became a Fellowcraft, escorted around the Lodge by the Senior Deacon, his son Paul.

There followed a word perfect explanation of the 2nd Degree Tracing Board, shared by Gary Smith and Keith Knowles.

The main reason for the many visitors became clear after the ceremony, when Andrew Ashton, Worshipful Master of Anderton Lodge No 8470 laid claim to the gavel that travels, which had been in the custody of Peace Lodge since November 2010.

There immediately followed a counter claim by John Webber, Worshipful Master of St James Lodge No 8910.

The rules of engagement state that the gavel must go to the Lodge with the larger attendance and, on a count by the Junior Warden of Peace Lodge, Anderton took the spoils by 9 to 7 – a close call.

The Group Chairman, a member of Anderton Lodge, paid tribute to St James Lodge for their enthusiasm in the quest for the gavel.

The Lodge had held the trophy on three occasions and had also visited other Lodges twice to claim the gavel, only to be thwarted by a larger attendance from another Lodge.

Once again the gavel proved to be an effective tool in getting visitors to lodge meetings and the polite banter as the trophy was claimed added greatly to the enjoyment of the evening.

The next meeting of Anderton Lodge, the first opportunity to claim the gavel, is the Installation and will be held on Monday 21st February.

The photo shows Alan Kenny handing the gavel to Andrew Ashton, framed by the visitors from Anderton Lodge

L to R: Gary Strange, James Waring, David Dean, George Houghton, John Robson, Alan Kenny, Andrew Ashton, Roger Sherlock, George Fletcher, Gerald Lowe.