Richard Huish Installation
The Richard Huish Lodge 8518 met at the Taunton Masonic Hall on Saturday 23rd September to open the season with our Installation. Like so many Lodges recently, we’ve recycled Masters and so we were delighted that we had a full Installation. It did not disappoint ! Excellent delivery by our Master, W Bro Roger, saw our new Master, W Bro Peter, installed with Roger’s consummate ease.
Peter himself took to the role like a duck to the proverbial and appointed his team easily and smoothly. Just as we were pleased to see Peter progress, so were we pleased to see newer members also progressing through the offices of Warden, Deacon and Guard.
Although we stayed with tradition to deliver all the working tools, with W Bros Mickey and Richard, and Bro Barry, we were treated to a marvellous delivery of The Address to the Brethren by a recent joiner, W Bro Raymond. This was made all the more special because Raymond’s Masonic history is of a different ritual working, and so it was an absolute pleasure – and for many of our audience, a surprise – to hear the Logic workings version. He has a job for life there!
We were joined by W Bro Richard Winter, one of our APGMs and as well as making him work with an Address, he very kindly presented a GL certificate to a recent MM, Bro Lee.
Our Charity Steward brought us uptodate with news of our recent donations to local charities and good causes – £300 to Christmas sparkle in Taunton last December; £1,700 to St Margaret’s Hospice this summer; £100 to Taunton Food Bank as well as individual members’ donations to the Taunton Masonic Centre’s overall programme of support; and £100 to Taunton Sea Cadets.
Festive Board was the traditional Richard Huish Installation 4-course dinner – although W Bro Peter has already exerted his authority on the Lodge by selecting apple crumble, not pie! Despite this innovation, the dinner was its usual convivial affair, with all our toasts and great company. As his Proposer has since moved out of Somerset, we enjoyed hearing Peter’s health proposed instead by his Proposer’s father, W Bro Nigel.
The Lodge is in fine fettle and we are all looking forward to Peter’s year. We have 4 candidates waiting to join us this season, one of whom will be our new Master’s grandfather. Smashing that Membership Challenge!
