Vivary Lodge – October Installation Report
Vivary Lodge, Taunton held its Installation meeting on the 16th October with Assistant Provincial Grand Master Barrie Palmer in attendance as the Presiding Officer, ably supported by Paul Wilson as his Director Of Ceremonies. Jon Cresswell was presented as the Master-Elect by his father-in-law Ray Hackett, who had again travelled to the South-West with his fellow Sussex Masons, as they had done for all Jon’s ceremonies, starting with his Initiation way back in November 2019. As the incumbent Worshipful Master and then Installing Master Ed Richings lead the proceedings to install Jon into the Master’s Chair with precision and attention to detail, with all participating officers delivering their parts to a very high standard; the extra hours of rehearsals certainly paid dividends on the night!
Worshipful Brother Jon appointed and invested all his officers in a confident and adept fashion; his choice of a number of long-form rarely-heard investing addresses (refer to the back of the Emulation Ritual book!) has certainly set a very high bar for those that follow after him to the Master’s Chair.
Vivary Lodge members Paul Hayman and Mark Besley also completed their final respective sets of Working Tools during the Installation Ceremony and were duly presented with their PGM Working Tools Challenge (WTC) pin badges by Barrie Palmer; these are the very first two Vivary recipients of the WTC badges. Brothers Sam Sheasby and Dave Gardner were in attendance to represent the Adair Club and explained more about the superb support the Club gives to Light Blue Masons in Somerset.
The Festive Board afterwards was enjoyed by all – including a brief moment of dining by mobile phone torch light, when the hall power went off for a short while. Karen and her 5* catering team provided a superb Installation meal and Jon was toasted as the new Vivary Master in the customary manner from atop his dining chair.
Jon and his new team of Officers kick off their first full meeting together, with a 3rd degree raising ceremony on Friday 20th November. The Vivary Lodge members wish Jon a successful and enjoyable year in the Master’s chair.
Report by: Ed Richings – Vivary Lodge 8654, Taunton – Comms Officer
