MOHAMMED AND THE MASONIC MOUNTAIN
It is said proverbially that if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the mountain. Brethren of Bridgwater’s Tynte Lodge have just turned the proverb around and metaphorically made the mountain indeed come to Mohammed. In this case, Mohammed took the person of W. Bro Mike Greedy (no, not that one!) and the mountain was a cadre from Tynte Lodge in the persons of W. Bros Chris Marchmont (Sec), Alan Chambers (DC) and Rod Mudge (PM), and Bro Paul Knight (Alm).
To briefly recap, W. Bro Mike Greedy, PPrJGW is a 93-year-old ex-soldier and veteran of the Far East Campaign. A retired ambulanceman, who was initiated into Freemasonry in Tynte Lodge in November 1984, he was installed as Worshipful Master in 1993 and subsequently served as Lodge Almoner for a very creditable ten years. He was obliged to withdraw from his masonic activities as his (now late) wife Elsie became increasingly dependent on Mike for her daily care as dementia gradually took hold. Mike & Elsie’s lives were suddenly and irrevocably turned upside down five years ago when Mike went to make Elsie a cup of tea and slipped on a step between the living room and kitchen. His fall resulted in a broken neck and irrecoverable quadriplegia, rendering him in need of 24/7 care and totally dependent on others for his every need. Elsie very sadly was lost to Mike in February 2023.
Despite his condition, and the tragic loss of Elsie, Mike has not for one single minute lost his drive, his strength of character, the very naughty twinkle in his eye or his utterly wicked sense of humour. His one regret was the inability to attend his beloved Tynte Lodge. On one of the many visits to Mike from W. Bros Chris & Rod and Bro Paul, he expressed his sadness at that inability, and the seed was sown. If Muhammed can’t go to the mountain, then the mountain must go to Muhammed, in other parlance, if Mike can’t come to the Lodge then the Lodge must come to Mike.
And so it was that on Wednesday February 4th, Mike was visited at home by the cadre and he acted as Worshipful Master, opening and closing a specially convened “Lodge” from his bed in his specially adapted room at his home in North Petherton. It could almost be described as an “emergency” meeting as Mike, being a retired ambulanceman, was joined by Chris (a retired Fireman) and Alan & Rod (both retired Policemen)! Having been coached by one of his carers, Clive, himself a Mason, Mike performed the ceremonial with amazing skill and dignity, proving that he had lost very little of his dexterity in masonic ritual despite the enormous hurdle that life had put in his way.
In true masonic tradition, all present then enjoyed a ‘Festive Board’ of homemade muffins, suitably iced in masonic light blue, generously supplied by Jackie, wife of the Almoner Paul Knight.
