Wednesday 21st of August 2024 and a special night for Fearnley Lodge of R.A.M. No.58. and indeed, everyone else. Not only was it the first escorted visit for the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariner in our Province with the Assistant Provincial Grand Master W.Bro. Andrew Brown in attendance but, it was also a visit from the Worshipful Commander of the Carl Whitehead Lodge No.110., W.Bro. Jim Stanley. Fearnley Lodge explaining the Royal Ark Mariner tracing board on the evening.
The main event of the evening was to receive brethren from Elmete Lodge of Royal Ark Mariner No.111 who brought with them the traveling porphyry stone. They were led by their Senior Warden Bro. David Hancox and, accompanied by six other brethren from Elmete including R.W.Bro. J. Trevor Bolton the Provincial Grand Master. Trevor insisting that he wasn’t present at all! Sitting discreetly in the background. David presented the stone to the Worshipful Commander W.Bro. Malcolm Harrison who accepted it saying it was fantastic to receive it and that it would be kept safe until its next onward journey. The traveling porphyry stone under the recent initiative is now to be escorted three times a year giving it more credence and should increase visiting numbers which, on the night it certainly did with nearly forty brethren present. Just brilliant news for smaller lodges. It really was a fascinating meeting with three ‘main events’ but the highlight of course was the delivering of the Porphyry stone by Elmete Lodge to Fearnley Lodge.
The porphyry stone was originally presented to the Carl Whitehead lodge on its consecration in 1996 by the Mark Grand Master of Germany being received by R.W.Bro. George Henry Philip Birch. It was decided it should be used to encourage visiting in the order and to make it a travelling porphyry stone. It must always be brought back and be present at Carl Whitehead Lodge meetings which are twice a year, the current Lodge holding it with the responsibility of bringing it to and then taking it away from those meetings.
The festive board followed with Andrew firstly bringing greetings from both Trevor (who allegedly wasn’t there but could be clearly seen hiding in plain sight on the middle table!) and W.Bro. Alan Oldfield Deputy Provincial Grand Master. Andrew spoke of the importance of the travelling porphyry stone and that its next ‘home’ would be at the Old York Lodge of RAM T.I. and the escort would be there to support it. Andrew thanked the Lodge for a wonderful evening and reminding everyone to continue to support our Craft as without them Mark, RAM and all the other companion orders we are members of would just not be there.
Jim Stanley then spoke and explained the tradition of bringing with him the port in memory of R.W.Bro. Carl Whitehead the Provincial Grand Master for 30 years between 1959 and 1989. The port is served in a very special decanter engraved to Carl Whitehead. A very expensive night for Jim the lovely decanter having to be refilled twice!
As said earlier it was the first such escorted visit and certainly got off to a flying start and, I am sure will become a very popular event. So, brethren please make a note in your diaries and let’s get behind this wonderful initiative and see you at Old York RAM T.I. on Thursday 31st October 2024.
Andrew Johnson
Communications Manager