West Wales Mason Magazine Autumn 2011

Story Page

Grand Charity 4/5/6

Connect 14

Music in Masonry 20/21

Scolton Manor 26/27/28

Royal Arch Appeal 33

Candlewick Makers 40/41

Offas Dyke Walk 42/43

Grand Officers 59/60/61

Autumn 2011

Volume XXXI

Scolton Manor a Success

Well, what do you know; Well, what do you know; Well, what do you know; Well, what do you know; a bear and a giant rabbita bear and a giant rabbita bear and a giant rabbita bear and a giant rabbit

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West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 2222

The summer recess seems to get shorter each year, and before I know it we are back in harness

again and off on another Masonic Year. I must admit that I look forward to it each year, and

wonder what challenges lay ahead.

I thank everyone for their messages of goodwill after my illness at the end of June. It is most

heart-warming to know that there are brethren who care out there. I have now recovered (I

think) but I have taken heed of the warnings.

I also thank those brethren who helped me personally over the two days of the Provincial

Meetings in July. Their assistance made it possible for me to attend and do my part of the

proceedings. The Provincial Meetings were a great success, and I thank and congratulate

all those brethren who contributed to the success of the day. Particular mention must be

made of the brethren of Old Priory Lodge and the companions of Kensington Chapter who

worked hard and diligently on both days. After the event I received many letters of thanks

and congratulations from visitors, which was most gratifying and shows that we made a

very good impression.

On that day, of course, the new teams of Provincial Officers were duly invested, and having

enjoyed a relaxing recess, they are keen to start getting around the circuit. I too am looking

forward to seeing them all again and being in their company, and to being in your lodges

and chapters sharing in your enjoyment of Freemasonry.

The annual Provincial Meetings is one of two events each year at which the Province seeks

your attendance and support. The other is the Church Service, which this year will be held

at St Peter’s Church, Carmarthen on Sunday 16th October 2011, starting at 3.00 p.m. The service

this year will again be interdenominational. We need to fill the Church and therefore need a

lot of Masons, and their families and friends, to be there. Please make every effort to be there,

not only to celebrate our Freemasonry but also to support the Provincial Grand Master, and

the brethren of the Carmarthen Lodges who are organising the occasion.

We are now over half way in our progress to the 2015 Festival, and I know that the Chairman

of the Festival Committee, W Bro Brian Hilling, has written to every lodge seeking a

redoubling of effort to reach the target that we would like to achieve. The Provincial Grand

Master thanks all of those brethren who do contribute regularly and those who put in extra

effort through fundraising events, and he urges those who do not make a regular contribution

to start doing so now. This is a message that will be repeated often in the coming year.

However, I am reliably advised that we will stop banging on about it when the message gets

home and the vast majority of brethren do give on a regular basis.

And finally..............

I can find no different way of saying this so I shall continue to use it as my sign-off paragraph.

May we all continue to enjoy our Freemasonry, and please remember – whilst we all have

slightly different reasons for being Freemasons, we should all be doing it for fun as well.

Be assured that the Provincial Officers are all here to help. All you have to do is ask. If we do

not know the answers we will soon find someone who does.


Teddy Bears galore, destined to help make

a little child smile, were delivered recently

to the four main A & E units at Bronglais

(1); Withybush (2), Prince Phillip (3) and

Glangwili (4).

The Appeal is now well established in the

Province of West Wales. Fundraising

amongst West Wales Freemasons and

Lodges was started in April 2005, and

A&E units have been using the TLC

Teddies since October 2005. In that time

more than 17,000 severely distressed

children at A&E units Bronglais,

Aberystwyth; West Wales General,

Carmarthen; Withybush, Haverfordwest;

and Prince Phillip, Llanelli; more recently

Cardigan has been added to the list and

have benefited from a TLC Teddy. That’s

around 17,348 smiling faces and a

potential 34,000+ parents, grandparents,

siblings and friends of the families who

have come into contact with Freemasonry

in this particular way. The success of the

Appeal is rightly attributed to them all.

For the young recipients it does

not just end in hospital; they are

encouraged to give their new

cuddly toy a name and of course

they will be taking it home. On

every Teddy there is a small tag

saying "Donated by Local

Freemasons”.

For every bear that ever there was...For every bear that ever there was...For every bear that ever there was...For every bear that ever there was...

1 2

3 4

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Supporting Freemasons in the local area

One of the key priorities for The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is providing Masonic

Relief Grants to assist Freemasons and their dependants in need. Grants are made

towards:

Essential daily living costs

Unexpected needs (e.g. funeral bills, minor home repairs, or hardship faced following

an accident, redundancy or other personal crisis).

In the first six months of this year, £17,000 was given to support Freemasons and their

dependants in the West Wales area.

If you or someone you know would like to enquire about help available please contact

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity on 020 7395 9391 / 9293 or visit www.grandcharity.org

New national grant - £5,000 for a West Wales branch of Parkinson’s UK

The 2011 Annual National Grant from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has been

awarded to Parkinson’s UK. Each of the 48 Metropolitan and Provincial Grand Lodges

have been given £5,000 to donate to a local Parkinson’s UK branch, and the money will

be spent on helping to improve the lives of people affected by Parkinson’s. The aim of

this grant is to support local branches, allowing them to decide how they spend their

money. The branch allocation is being decided by Parkinson’s UK.

Teresa Forgione, Major Gifts Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said:” We are delighted that

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity are joining us and supporting our work with this generous

donation. Our local groups run a wide range of activities and support for people affected by

Parkinson’s, including Pilates classes, education days or day trips for members. The money may

also go towards part funding a new Parkinson’s nurse or a new minibus.”

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition, which affects 120,000 people

in the UK. People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of a chemical called dopamine

because some nerve cells in their brain have died. Without dopamine people can find

that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things. The loss of nerve

cells in the brain causes the symptoms of Parkinson’s to appear. There’s currently no cure

for Parkinson’s and we don’t yet know why people get the condition.

Siobhan McCarthy

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 5555The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement. As

well as affecting movement, people with Parkinson’s can find that other issues, such as

tiredness, pain, depression and constipation, can have an impact on their day-to-day

lives. The symptoms someone has and how quickly the condition develops will differ

from one person to the next. The symptoms can be controlled using a combination of

drugs, therapies and occasionally surgery.

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has funded Parkinson’s UK since 1981 and in 2010,

finished funding £177,056 for a three-year study into a gene involved in Parkinson’s

called PINK1. The research was carried out by Professor Nick Wood at University

College London. The research team aimed to find out more about how mutations in

the PINK1 gene might be linked to the death of specific nerve cells within the brain.

The PINK1 gene gives rise to a protein that usually keeps nerve cells healthy, but the

protein needs to be changed from its original form before it can work.

Through their research, Professor Wood’s group have discovered new factors that

work with PINK1 to alter it to allow it to work correctly. Mutations in the PINK1 gene

prevent that interaction, and this eventually leads to nerve cell death. But scientists still

need to understand more about how this happens and how they can prevent the death

of nerve cells occurring. However, the team’s discovery is a significant step towards

understanding how the nerve cells die in Parkinson’s and to finding out whether and

how the cells can be rescued.

Major grants from the Grand Charity – over £1 million donated so far in 2011

The Major Grants programme provides funding for national charities in support of

medical research, vulnerable people and youth opportunities. So far this year more

than £1 million has been given to support over thirty organisations. Examples of some

recent grants:

£50,000 for St Dunstan’s in Llandudno

£50,000 has been donated by The Freemasons’ Grand Charity to St Dunstan’s, the

national charity supporting blind ex-Service men and women. The donation is helping

to build a new Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Llandudno. The new Centre will

provide state-of-the art rehabilitation, training and respite support for blind ex-Service

men and women from all over the United Kingdom, but particularly those from Wales

and North West of England. The vast renovation and expansion project which began

on the former North Wales Medical Centre is due to complete this Autumn.

The 40 bedroom Centre will also house a rehabilitation sports gym, arts and crafts

room, training kitchens and specially adapted dining and accommodation facilities ca-

tering for everything from residential training weeks, to nursing and respite care. The

new facility will enable St Dunstan’s to help even more ex-Service men and women to

discover a life beyond blindness.Continued over page......

[email protected]

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 6666Robert Leader, Chief Executive of St Dunstan’s, said “We are honoured to accept the

£50,000 donation from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, which will help towards St

Dunstan’s mission to enable ex-Service men and women overcome the challenges of

blindness so they can live independent, full lives.

£35,000 for Catch22

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity recently donated £35,000 to a vocational skills centre,

run by young people’s charity Catch22. The much needed money will be ploughed

into continuing the work that Catch22’s Vocational Skills Centre has been doing for the

last 16 years. The purpose-built training centre reflects the set up of a motor vehicle

garage; the upper level containing a PC suite for classroom learning and offers young

people vocational related qualification Level 1 in car mechanics.

Mick McCarthy, Catch22’s area manager says “This donation really will make a difference

to the lives of the young people that use the Centre. Our work with young people shows that

they need the right support and proper preparation if they are to make the most of real job

opportunities. It takes time and effort to get young people job-ready and this means giving them

access to the right training that will equip them for the workplace”

The Centre works closely with the young people it trains to find out how best to meet

their individual learning needs and help them obtain the skills they need. This might

involve help with numeracy and literacy skills and an onsite tutor helps with exam

preparation methods.

£50,000 for immediate help following disaster in Japan

On 11 March a massive earthquake struck Japan, triggering a tsunami that swept

across the east coast, leaving a trail of destruction. Thousands of people were killed

and whole towns destroyed. Red Cross

© British Red Cross/Claire Durham

The President of the Grand Charity approved an emergency grant of £50,000 to the

British Red Cross, to assist with its Japan Tsunami Appeal. In the weeks following the

earthquake, there were repeated earthquakes, with magnitudes of 6.6, every 30 to 60

minutes. The tsunami alert has remained active. Landslides were reported in 37 areas.

Roads, bridges, railroads, dykes and buildings were damaged in about 460 places and

many roads remained impassable for weeks. 15,400 people have been confirmed dead

and some 7,400 were missing following the disaster.

The Japanese Red Cross mobilised 14,000 volunteers who provided mobile kitchens,

distributed food and relief items and directed people to evacuation centres, helping

people to recover homes that have been buried in mud.

The Grand Charity donation helped to purchase: 131,500 blankets; 183,000 items of

clothing;; 28,000 emergency relief kits; 12,500 sleeping mats; 15,500 household tools;

4,900 buckets; 30,000 towels and other hygiene items; 61,000 instant meals.


On Saturday June 4th the Provincial

Grand Master Rt.W.Bro. Eric Mock

accompanied by his wife Helen hosted

the annual Provincial Officers dinner at

the Royal Ivy Bush Hotel in Carmarthen.

There was a good attendance of Provincial

Officers and Grand Officers accompanied

by their Ladies. A most pleasant and

convivial evening ensued with everybody

enjoying the good food and excellent

company. All this contributed to a very

successful celebration for a Provincial team

of Officers who had really enjoyed their

year.

The evening was organised by the

Provincial Senior Warden W. Bro. Syd

Smith who provided a superb finale when

he introduced Alwyn Evans a young tenor

from Machynlleth and his pianist Elenid

Thomas who enthralled us with a

wonderfully balanced and crafted

programme of traditional music.

The Provincial Grand Master expressed his

thanks to all his Officers for their support

throughout the year and said how much

he was looking forward to the Provincial

Meeting at Trinity College on July 7th.

E R Hughes Consultancy Services

Box 32Cefn Esgair

Llanbadarn FawrAberystwyth SY23 3JG

Tel/Fax 01970 615 3054Mobile 07831 391 841

Emyr Rh Hughes F.S.Ag.S., A.I.Ag.S.A.

Email: [email protected].

Agricultural Consultant

[email protected]


The photograph shows, back row: Ill. Bro. Tom Place 32° [North Wales]; Ill. Bro. D Keith

Davies 32° [District Recorder, South Wales & Monmouthshire]; Ill. Bro. Michael Nelson 18°

MWS; Ill. Bro. Colin Fisher 32°; Front row: V. Ill. Bro. David Edwards 33° [Inspector

General, South Wales & Monmouthshire] ; Ill. Bro. Colin James 32°; V. Ill. Bro. Dr. John

Lloyd 33° Inspector General the District of Dyfed.

At a meeting of Ceredigion Chapter Rose Croix on 25th March 2011, Ill Bro Colin James

32nd Degree was presented with a certificate celebrating his 50 years as a Rose Croix

Mason. He was perfected in the Ledbury Chapter on 23rd March 1961 and spent much

of his Masonic career in South Wales before returning to Cardiganshire on his retirement

from the teaching profession. The certificate was presented to him by V Ill Bro Dr John

Lloyd, Inspector General for the District of Dyfed and the Chapter was further honoured

by the presence of V Ill Bro David Edwards, Inspector General for South Wales and

Monmouthshire. We congratulate Ill Bro James on attaining this milestone in Masonry

and we wish him good health and every other blessing so that we can continue to enjoy

his company for many to come.

Colin’s Rose Croix History: Perfected in Ledbury Chapter [April 1961]; Founder of Maesyfyd

Chapter [February 1963 and its Sovereign 1969]; Member of Sir Frederick J Alban Chapter

[Sovereign 1989]; Founder Recorder of Wye Vally Chapter; Founder D.C. Of Sarn Helen

Chapter [1983]; Founder D.C. Of St Mary’s Priory Chapter [1980]; Founder member of

Cornelius Chapter [1998] and last but not least a joining member of Ceredigion Chapter.

Comment West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 9999

None reading this needs to be told we are

living in austere times, and there appears

to be no end in sight. We all know that

inflation figures are poppycock. There have

been massive increases in the call for our

income and pensions through higher costs

of necessities and increased taxation, stealth

or otherwise.

All this has an inevitable reduction in our

deposable income. One of the causalities of

this is the ability to give to charities and

good causes. Having given you the doom

and gloom, and it’s very real, we see from

from the pages of the West Wales Mason

that many thousands of pounds have been

donated to worthy causes.

We are now half way through our Festival

2015 appeal and it is our duty to support

the Province and with it our Provincial

Grand Master. We now need to pull out all

the stops to make the Festival the success it

merits.

The Scolton Manor event was a success,

although Saturday was a tad damp! Sunday

turned out to be a perfect day with the sun

shining and hardly a cloud in sight.

Seven Lodges had stands which helped to

raise additional monies for the Festival.

Perhaps next time more Lodges could see

their way to have a stand. If it’s difficult for

individual Lodges to have a stand possibly

the Lodges that meet in the same Masonic

Hall could organise a joint stand.

The Province and its members owes a well

deserved thanks to all those Masons who

helped and made the event a pleasure for

the rest of us. Against all rules that say you

should not name names, one name does

come to mind and surely all members of the

Province appreciate the hard work that Bob

Darkins and his team have done to organise

the event.

We have had two cracking shows. Will

there be another?

This comment page is being written in an

hostelry, with the obligatory ale when a text

request for information received the reply

of, ‘Yes’.

So let the West Wales Mason be the first to

encourage everyone to make it an even

greater success.

Let’s go for it...

[email protected]

Our Deputy PGM took this photo

[you’d think the bear could have taken

it!] at the Masonic stand at the

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Show.

This event was organised by Iwan

Jenkins, and yes he is the bear.

The photograph shows from left to

right:- David Elsley, Bradley Davies,

Iwan Jenkins, Gerald Taylor, Phillip

Rimell and John Everett.

Is this the first of many?

Masonic Samaritan FundJohn Williams


The Masonic Samaritan Fund was established in 1990. It is a grant making charity

that supports those who:

HEALTH, DENTAL, MOBILITY, HOME ADAPTATION or

RESPITE CARE need

Authority

And

Support is available to: Freemasons Their: Wives, Partners, Dependants and surviving

dependants.

There are no age limits – to date applicants have ranged from 6 months to 104 years!

There is no qualifying period of membership and no requirement for the Freemason to

still be active in the Craft.

Freemasonry Cares “It really does work”Dear Brethren,

We as Freemasons have all heard the message that “Freemasonry Cares”. Indeed

many of us will have the Leaflet, which tells us where we can readily get help.

I want to tell you about two instances where my wife and I have witnessed for

ourselves that care which bind us together in the fraternity.

The first was when I needed urgent medical treatment for a debilitating condition,

which left me unable, to walk and in a wheelchair. I was told I would have to wait at

least eighteen months before I could have surgery on the NHS. This was devastating

news because the pain was becoming unbearable.

This was when my Lodge Almoner advised me to apply to the Masonic Samaritan

Fund for help. The application process was done in the strictest of confidence and

within a short time I received the welcome news that the Fund would pay for my

treatment. Everything was arranged with my comfort and convenience in mind. I had

the operation in the private wing of a local hospital and the care I received was first

class. I cannot thank my fellow Freemasons enough for the relief from pain and the freedom from the worry that I could not afford to pay for the treatment.

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 11111111 This, Brethren, is what making a difference really means. My

quality of life improved one hundred per cent in the years

that followed and I shall always be grateful that the MSF

came to my aid when I needed it most.

Little did I know that twelve years later I would be asking the

Fund for help once again? Although my condition improved

and walking became much easier, over the years it had become increasingly difficult to

bathe or to shower. I applied to my local council for a Disability Grant but

unfortunately did not qualify. Once again the Fund came to my assistance and paid for

an adaptation to my bathroom. This has made such a difference to the quality of my

life and is yet again a manifestation of the message that “Freemasonry Cares”.

These two examples have made such a difference to our lives. My wife no longer has to

push me in a wheelchair and she also now receives the benefit of a walk-in shower.

My wife and I are both pensioners on a modest income. There is no way we could have

afforded the medical treatment and the bathroom adaptation from our savings

Brethren, this is Masonic Charity at its best. I cannot better praise the work of the Ma-

sonic Samaritan Fund than by recommending it to you and your loved ones in your

time of need.

I cannot adequately express our admiration for and our appreciation of the Masonic

Samaritan Fund in this short article, which I hope you will read with interest.

Sincerely and Fraternally

A Grateful Brother

If you know someone who you think needs our help PLEASE tell them to contact

the Fund on 0207 404 1550 or via Freemasonry Cares on 0800 035 60 90.

Masonic Samaritan Fund, a

charitable company limited by

guarantee, registered in England.

Company number 6876310,

Charity Number 1130424

[email protected]

Pictured below, looking on with keen interest and proudly savouring his Lodge's

achievements at the inaugural playing of this precision instrument – a concert grand

piano no less – is V W Bro Tom Evans, Deputy President of the West Wales Grand

Charity. Seated, with his fingers almost magically moving at prestissimo speed

over the ivories, is Mr Islwyn Evans, the Musical Director of Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion.

Whether it was musical or bank notes – it mat-

tered not; for the Brethren of the Peterwell

Lodge were both pleased and proud to spear-

head the response when the Province of West

Wales heard the members of Ysgol Gerdd Cere-

digion, a musical organisation for youngsters

based at and from around Newcastle Emlyn,

needed financial help to purchase their own

concert grand piano.

It was the plaintiff tugs on the heartstrings of

the Brethren rather than musical chords on this

occasion that triggered the response when they,

the members, heard the children were anxious

to purchase their own precision musical instru-

ment.

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason

Accountancy and Tax Services1, Parc y Cwm

Glan yr Afon Industrial Estate

Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3JQTelephone: 01970 627 561 Fax: 01970 627 560

Email: [email protected]: M B Samuel M J Lawton Mrs K A Jones

M. B. Samuel & Co.

12121212

© Tony Beckingham

[email protected]


Wines from around the WorldChris Samuel

07816 857 [email protected]

13131313Having achieved major

successes at such venues

as St David's Hall,

Cardiff, Llandaff

Cathedral and the Royal

Albert Hall, London,

coupled with their

outstanding wins at the

Llangollen International

Musical Eisteddfod and

culminating with first

overall at the National

Eisteddfod, they were

finding they were much

in demand – both locally in person and nationally on CD material.

Buying and installing their own precision musical instrument was the only way to offset

the costs of long distance travelling to recording studios in Swansea, Cardiff and London

– these venues generating the added disadvantage that the children could hardly be

expected to be at their best after such tiring journeys.

Following an impassioned appeal by V W Bro Tom Evans at the October 2010 meeting,

the members of the Appeals Committee of the West Wales Grand Charity were pleased

to recommend the approval of the substantial award of £15,000. The Trustees,

unanimously and without any hesitation whatsoever, endorsed the Committee's

recommendation and immediately made the award.

Thus the children, and not forgetting the Musical Director of course, had the instrument

of their dreams. One only has to look at the expressions on their faces in the group

photograph shown above to realise their appreciation. Also shown are V W Bro

Tom Evans and the Charity Stewards of the local Lodges.

© Tony Beckingham


Since the introduction of the Freemasonry Cares project in West

Wales Province, initial results indicate that there has been an increase of 17% in

inquiries for help. Not all have been successful but at least it shows that Brethren

are becoming aware that help is available.

Brethren, I cannot remind you often enough how important it is to keep your

wives/partners and close family fully informed of the Freemasonry Cares project and exactly

what it does. God forbid but if anything happened to you, make sure that your loved ones

know that help is at hand if they need it.

Remember:-

Grand Charity can help in providing financial help for Masons and their families who are experiencing

hardship. Grants are made towards: essential daily living expenses; unexpected needs (e.g. urgent property

repairs, funeral expenses, major household appliances)

The Masonic Samaritan Fund. Provides support to those who have an identified health care need

(Medical; Dental; Ophthalmic treatment and respite care.) and who are faced with a long wait for treatment

on the NHS and cannot afford to go private without incurring financial hardship. Furthermore,

in certain circumstances, mobility equipment (e.g. wheelchairs, stairlifts, electric scooters) can

also be provided.

The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. Provides help for those who look after the children of Masons

who are in difficulty through the death, disability or financial position of a parent. The trust

aims to help beneficiaries to receive the education and training they need to achieve their

potential and so succeed in life. Examples include providing assistance with the cost of

academic study or with pursuing apprenticeships for practical trades. Support is available in

a wide range of educational environments, including state and private schools, colleges and

universities.

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution. Provides residential, nursing and dementia care for older

Freemasons and their dependants. All of their 17 Homes can accommodate people who may

be becoming a little confused, and where specialist care is needed. The R.M.B.I. can also offer

short-stay breaks, including respite care. These are helpful both to those living alone, and for

families that need a little respite from the demands of caring for an older relative.

Who Qualifies? All current and former Freemasons under the United Grand Lodge of

England. Dependants of a Freemason, former Freemason or deceased Freemason, wives,

widows, children and partner. (A partner is defined as someone who is living with a Freemason

'as if married or was doing so at the time of his death'. This applies equally to same sex

partnerships.) A 'dependant' is someone who is physically or financially dependent on a

Freemason. (In some cases, non-dependant relatives such as mothers, sisters will qualify)

Finally, please remember that applications for all of the grants are means tested. However,

that being said, the criteria between the charities do vary considerably.

In need of Help?

Contact your Lodge Almoner, if this is difficult or embarrassing; try the Provincial Almoner

or ring. Freemasonry CaresFreemasonry CaresFreemasonry CaresFreemasonry Cares 0800 035 60 90

CONNECTRoy Leett, Provincial Grand Almoner

‘Freemasonry Cares’‘Freemasonry Cares’‘Freemasonry Cares’‘Freemasonry Cares’

[email protected]


Laura Chapman

If you needed financial, healthcare or

family help would you remember

Freemasonry Cares?

Many people only think about charity

when fundraising for events like the 2015

Festival in support of The Grand Charity.

Through Freemasonry Cares, the central

Masonic Charities are working with

Provinces to remind Masons and their

dependants that the first role of these

Charities is offering support. The

Freemasonry Cares For You leaflets, which

are currently being distributed by

Almoners, give more information on what

is available.

Freemasonry Cares is supported by a

freephone number (0800 035 60 90), which

puts individuals who are unable to speak

to their Lodge Almoner in contact with the

appropriate Masonic Charity, and provides

information on eligibility and how to apply.

For the Provincial Launch of Freemasonry

Cares, Laura Chapman, Chief Executive of

the Grand Charity, joined West Wales

Masons. In the past year, The Grand

Charity has supported nine people in West

Wales with financial grants towards daily

living costs and larger expenses, like

essential home repairs. Freemasonry Cares

aims to help many more eligible individuals

benefit from the assistance of the Masonic

Charities. Early signs are encouraging.

Freemasonry Cares has already received

over 1,000 enquiries from across the

country, many resulting in financial,

healthcare or family support being given.

If you would like more information about

the range of Masonic supports available for

those in need please contact your Lodge

Almoner or Freemasonry Cares.

At the meeting in Carmarthen

W Bro John Watson R W Bro Eric Mock

Laura Chapman

W Bro Roy Leett

[email protected]


Quality Used Office Furniture

Hardware & Tools WarehouseCarmarthen road, Newcastle Emlyn

Carmarthenshire, SA38 9APTel: 01239 710 703

16161616

On Saturday 16th April 2011 the Assistant

Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Brian

Hilling accompanied by Strumble’s

W.M., Charity Steward, Assistant

Secretary and Bro. Joe Taylor of Tenby

Lodge, together with their wives,

attended a dinner at the Plas Hyfryd

Hotel, Narberth, to celebrate the 25th

Anniversary of the H.O.P.E. Multiple

Sclerosis Centre at Neyland.

Last year H.O.P.E. were presented with

£2,000 from the Province together with

a total of £1,550 raised by various lodges.

On this occasion the Assistant Provincial

Grand Master presented a cheque for

£2,500 from the Province and the W. M.

Basil Phillips of Strumble Lodge

presented a cheque for £250 to mark the

25th Anniversary.

Everyone wished the H.O.P.E. charity all

the best for the future in continuing their

very important service to the

community.

In the top photo, W Bro Brian Hilling, Asst.

Provincial Grand Master, presenting the

Provincial cheque W Bro Dr Bryn Barton,

and Ken Bramley, H.O.P.E. Chairman.

The lower photo, W Bro Basil Phillips,

W.M. Strumble Lodge presenting the Lodge

cheque.


John EverettEarlier this year, VW Bro Mike Davies announced his retirement as the

head of CAD for our Province after 8 years of energetic and dedicated

leadership and I count myself as very fortunate to have been able to assist

him during that period. Everyone who knows VW Bro Mike will be aware

of his untiring energy and enthusiasm that he brings to any task that he

undertakes and over the past eight years he has generated a great deal of goodwill and

support for the CAD process which I hope will stand us in good stead for the future.

Following VW Bro Mikes announcement, I was pleased to accept the Provincial Grand

Masters’ invitation to continue the programme for the next few years and I am absolutely

delighted to announce that W Bro David Elsley has agreed to take over the duties of CAD

secretary. W Bro David has been an enthusiastic and committed supporter of the system

over the past eight years and has contributed much to the process in terms of talks and

admin details and I know that there is more to come!

Now to the future – well I start from a position of two guiding principles that I believe

are appropriate: -

anything too dramatic!

need to respond to the needs of Lodges and individual members and not

impose high ideals from above

So we have an excellent opportunity to review a number of areas such as:-

the result we determine is appropriate and attainable.

But none of this can be achieved without the support and ideas coming from both

Lodges and individual members. So if you have any constructive ideas for the future or

suggestions of how the process can be improved please contribute when the opportunity

arises - success or failure will surely be determined more by your active involvement

and support than by any smart ideas that are imposed from above.

So I intend to make a start on the review of our current achievements early in the

forthcoming Masonic year and once again I would encourage you al to participate in any

way that you can – sometimes very small contributions can have a really dramatic

impact on a sensitive programme such as CAD by ensuring that the members get what

they need rather that what other think they need!

I look forward to working with you all in the coming months.

[email protected]


Earlier this year, I spent a delightful

afternoon in the company of young, Welsh,

talented musicians at the Brangwyn Hall,

Swansea. It was one day of a weeklong

Swansea Festival for young musicians,

sponsored for the next five years by our

Province of West Wales Grand Charity.

I was present at two of the classes in

particular (a) Instrumental soloists in

contemporary music, aged 13 years and

above, and (b) a piano master class

conducted by Frank Wibaut, Prof. of

Piano and Head of Post Grad

Performance studies at the Royal

Academy of Music.

Both the competition and master class

were enthralling and delighted a large

and appreciative audience. During the

weeklong Festival there were 70

competitions as well as master classes,

recitals and concerts.

The Festival organisers were extremely

grateful for our Masonic contribution

and emphasised our sponsorship during

the classes as well as in the programme of

the week.

Despite my protests, I was occasionally

referred to as the P.G.M., and thoroughly

enjoyed the experience!!!

The photo shows; Robert Codd (adjudicator),

Joshua Xerri (winner), Frank Wibaut

(adjudicator), Kate Thompson (second),

Elizabeth Silverberg (third), Anna Jenkins

(fourth) and Hywel Lewis is somewhere in there!

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On Friday 24th June the Provincial Grand

Master Rt. W. Bro. Eric Mock visited the

Bush Comprehensive School in Pembroke

to attend the opening of the Sensory

garden, which had been created with

funds donated by Castle Martin Lodge

and the West Wales Province. This project

has taken several years to complete and

was undertaken by the Green Links

organisation, which was set up in 2006 to

provide practical vocational training for

children who are at risk of exclusion from

conventional learning paths. The £12,000 pounds donated by West Wales Masons has

not only given the Autistic department of Bush School a haven of peace and quiet to help

with their demanding work but has also offered other pupils the opportunity to develop

their skills and create a beautiful and tranquil garden. The Provincial Grand Master

congratulated everyone that had been associated with the project and wished them every

success in the future.

Also present was Sharon Grange the mother of Liam. Liam is an 11-year-old boy who

has been seriously ill since birth with multiple disabilities. Liam’s dream is to lead a pain

free and active life but as he suffers from spastic cerebral diplegia that affects the lower

limbs his dream appeared unobtainable. His parents discovered that there was treatment

available in America and set about

raising the money to have Liam treated.

However, during the fund raising they

found out that this pioneering

treatment is now available at Frenchay

hospital in Bristol. Sharon told the

Provincial Grand Master that the fund

raising was progressing well towards

the £32,000 goal with £28,000 raised.

She was completely overwhelmed

when Tim Mable, Worshipful Master

of Castle Martin Lodge presented her

with a cheque for £500 closely followed

by the Provincial Grand Master with a

cheque for £5,000 from the Provincial

Charity. This means that Liam’s dream

is about to become a reality.

Sensory Garden at Bush School

[email protected]


On Thursday 12th

November 2010, the

Regular Meeting of

Richard Warburton

Lodge No.9767 met at the

Masonic Hall in

Carmarthen, at which the

Provincial Grand

Secretary and Scribe E, W.

Bro. Stephen D. Hookey,

held his annual meeting

of Secretaries and Scribes

E. However, both these

meetings were shortened to

accommodate a visit by W. Bro. Wayne

Buffett Warlow S.B.St.J., B.Mus. M.A.

P.G.Org. (South Wales), the 2010

Prestonian Lecturer, who gave his

lecture on ‘Music in Masonry and

Beyond’.

The lecture was somewhat of a sur-

prise to those present as it was very

interesting and informative and deliv-

ered with the style and humour to that

of Denis Norden, present-

er of ‘It’ll Be Alright on the

Night’ fame. The evening

was punctuated with mu-

sical extracts of varying

genres throughout the

years of Masonry, starting

with the Overture to (Bro.)

Mozart’s last opera, Die

Zauberflote (The Magic

Flute) and ending with

(Bro.) Thomas Arne’s ar-

chetypal manifestation of

national pride, Rule Britannia.

The lecture and musical extracts were

interspersed with audience

participation and it was highly

amusing to see various Brothers being

dragged from their seats to assist in a

vocal demonstration. This was

rounded off with a participation in the

closing ritual of Auld Land Syne,

which was written by (Bro.) Robert

Burns to an old Ayrshire folk melody.

1111

2222 3333


[email protected]

The Provincial Grand Master, R. W. Bro.

Eric G.S. Mock, nine Grand Lodge Officers

and fifty-seven Brethren, who contributed

generously to the Lecturer’s chosen

Charities by purchasing booklets and

musical compact discs, attended the

meeting.

The four listed Charities were DebRA

(Dystrophic Epidermolysis Nullosa

Research Association, The Royal Society for

Musicians, The Freemason’s Grand Charity

and The Royal Masonic Benevolent Fund.

The evening was a success for W. Bro.

Warlow, as everyone left the Lodge

enriched with music in their hearts and

minds reminding them of the three great

principles in Masonry of Brotherly Love,

Relief and Truth.

W. Bro. Wayne also delivered the Lecture

to Aeron Lodge which was equally well

attended. And, equally, members of the

audience were prepared to demonstrate

their ability to abandon all embarrassment.

The photographs show: [1] W. Bro. Wayne

Buffett Warlow; [2] Richard Warburton

Lodge with, W.M. Omri Davies, Wayne

Warlow and the P.G.M. [3] Aeron Lodge

with, W.M. David Parry, Wayne Warlow

and Nigel Adams. [4] Mike Cross and

David Rees, à la 633 Squadron. [5] Mike

Cross’ interpretation of Brahms’ Lullaby.

[6] David Rees’ finest flamenco of ‘Espana

Cani.

4444

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Learn, Enjoy and Support Charities

If you would like to purchase the

book and the CD (£5 each), contact;

Wayne Warlow through -

The West Wales Mason

On

[email protected]

Enjoy reading the Lecture, relax

listening to the music and help

support worthy causes.

[email protected]



The Grand Charity Concert held on

the 26th March 2011 at the Sir Thomas

Picton School, Haverfordwest and

organised by the Brethren of

Strumble Lodge with help from

Kemes Lodge, turned out to be a

great success.

The Goodwick Brass Band together

with the Tenby Male Voice Choir

and the Welsh tenor, Trystan Llyr

Griffiths with the compère the Rev-

erend Hugh George, performed to

an audience of over 400. Many con-

gratulating messages and letters

have been received which indicates

how much everyone enjoyed Con-

cert.

The Goodwick Brass Band were

given £1,000 from the Province last

year and volunteered to give a

concert to raise money for the 2015

Festival. The Province has agreed to

provide a further £1,000 each year for

the next five years. The Provincial

Grand Master presented the first

instalment to their conductor,

Matthew Jenkins after the Concert.

The Band again won their group in

the Welsh Championships in March

and is going to Cheltenham in

September to compete in the National

Championships. The Province wishes

them every success.

Thanks are given to the ladies of

Strumble Lodge who provided a

superb tea for the performers, helpers

and all those who helped in the

organising and stewarding the event.

The Concert raised £3785 (after

expenses), which will be put towards

the 2015 Festival.

[email protected]


The Province of West Wales has granted Luke Sterio £1000 to help him with

travelling and accommodation expenses for his many activities. Luke is a very

talented young man who broke previous records at Cwrt Sart Community

Comprehensive School when he sat his GCSE examinations.

He is also a fine trumpet player and has gained a place on the National Youth

Wind Band and National Youth Jazz Access Course. He has a reserve place on

the National Youth Orchestra of Wales as well.

Luke's achievement is even more remarkable as he has successfully battled

cancer during his A level course. He is in complete remission and is hoping to

read medicine next year. We all wish him well in his future endeavours and

trust that the grant will enable him to take full advantage of the places he has

earned in national musical ensembles.

Pictured presenting the cheque is Prince of Wales' Master, W. Bro. Peter Emlyn

Williams. Also pictured left to right are Luke's music teacher, W. Bro John

Jones, Lodge Secretary W. Bro. Jim Drummond, Lodge Charity Steward W. Bro.

Hywel Lewis and Master Elect Bro. Paul Mann.


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The Romans and Celts weekend event

at Scolton Manor proved to be success-

ful in achieving our three aims: (1)

Promoting Freemasonry, (2) Putting

on a fun filled family show, (3) Raise

money for the 2015 Festival.

Promoting Freemasonry - we

distributed 20,000 leaflets, had Radio

advertising several times a day for a

week, had an article printed in the

Western Telegraph, had a stall at the

Cardigan, Nevern and Haverfordwest

Agricultural shows plus banners and

Posters all over the place, and of course

a stall at our own show at Scolton

Manor featuring TLC Teddy Bears.

All these media outlets clearly

identified ‘Presented by the

Freemasons of West Wales'.

The first three photographs show the

Collegiate Knights Templar. A Medieval

Re-enactment group demonstrating a

living history of Knights Templar. The

Collegiate of Knights Templar was formed

some 17 years ago by three enthusiasts and

now has 18 members.

The last picture of this set is inside the

‘Crimson Moon Tavern’ run by Susie

and Iain Sewell and is decorated in

medieval fashion. You can sample fruit

wines, mead and Black Rat Cider.


Putting on a fun filled family show -

that was evident by the amount of

young families present at the show,

there were three times more young

children this year than last year and

several comments were received

thanking us for a brilliant show.

The photographs on this page are of ‘VICUS’

an Iron Age and early Roman re-enactment

society that interprets history through the media

of experimental archaeology, reconstruction and

living history.

A Vicus is a settlement that grows outside of

Roman military bases to cater to the needs of the

soldiers (and their money).

[email protected]


Raise money for the 2015 Festival-

Again this year preliminary analysis

of the accounts show we are able to pay

a 25% dividend on each £10 ticket

bought through a Lodge. We were

hoping to achieve more but were

beaten by rain, which came down all

day Saturday. It is encouraging to

know that the two events we have

organized, we have helped Lodges to

raise around £35,000 towards their

Festival sums.

My little organizing committee and I

sincerely thank all the Lodges for their

support and those who came to help.

The first 3 photographs are of the ‘Black

Mountain Falconry’ demonstration in

the main ring. This was very popular with

the children who were encouraged to take

part in some of the demonstrations. The

were truly magnificent birds of prey, well

trained and entertaining with educational

and humorous cometary from their owners,

Roger and June. In one picture you can see

children laying down with an owl

swooping low over them.

The last picture is of our own Don Mallams

showing off his ‘Lister’ (I think) engines.

He is dedicated to keeping these find old

engines in working order.


Right Worthy Brother David Nigel Adams

the Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler for the

Province of West Wales in the Order of “The

Secret Monitor or Brotherhood of David and

Jonathan” presented a cheque for £2000 to

Dr.Urfi Respiratory Consultant at the Cardio-

Respiratory Department of Bronglais

Hospital to purchase a new Spirolink

Portable Spirometer together with network

access Software for 5 users. This will allow

detailed and portable testing of patients Lung

Function both in the Hospital and in the

Community and enable the results of such

lung function tests to be viewed on a shared

database, a considerable improvement on the

current system. Also present were Sheila

Pugh Lead Respiratory Therapist and other

members of the Masonic Order.

The Order also made a donation of £2000 for the

purchase of new equipment for Withybush

General Hospital.

Withybush General Hospital has been able to

purchase new monitoring equipment for

The Children’s ward 9. Ward staff accepted

a cheque for £2000 from R Wy Bro Nigel

Adams towards this important piece of

monitoring equipment.

Jenny Philips of Withybush said, “We would

like to thank the members of the Order of the

Secret Monitor who came to visit the ward

staff to present this very generous donation.

The P.G.S.R., Nigel Said: “A major part of

Freemasonry is to give to charity. Supporting

our local hospitals is a necessary cause, which

we are more than happy to assist. As part of

the scheme, the Conclaves in the Province

were asked to raise £1000, and this has been

match funded by the Grand Conclave in

London. It was an absolute pleasure to

present the cheques to purchase vital

equipment that will help patients throughout

the Province of West Wales.

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At the Masonic Hall, Llanelli, on 23rdJune,

2011, Mrs Yvonne Heath, wife of

Worshipful Master of the Trevor Kelway

Lodge, W.Bro Ken Heath, presented a

cheque to the value of £500to Mrs Enid

Rosser, Chairperson and Secretary of the

CefnSidan Branch Local Committee of the

British Heart Foundation.

This sum was mainly the result of monies

raised during the Trevor Kelway Lodge

Ladies’ Evening held on 9th April.

Also included in the photograph, along with the Worshipful Master and members of the

Trevor Kelway Lodge are CefnSidan Branch members Eirwen Morgan, Pat Rees, Mair

Roberts, Sally Davies and Jayne Lewis, Fund Raising Manager for West Wales.

This was followed up by the presentation of a personal cheque by W.Bro Peter Davie

(extreme left of photograph), who had recently undergone a triple by-pass operation. W.Bro

Peter became a Joining Member of the Trevor Kelway Lodge in January this year, his Mother

Lodge being the Chantry Lodge No. 4065 in the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding.

[email protected]


Narberth Scouts have received a cash boost of £2,500.00 from Narberth Freemasons.

The gift will enable the progressive scout leaders to purchase much needed camping equipment

for this year’s summer camp initially, but it will also be used in extending the range of facilities

and experiences which can be offered to the new Beaver and Scout sections at Narberth.

John Mycroft, the Worshipful Master of the Narberth Masonic Lodge Number 2001, made the

presentation said, “It is great to be able to donate a substantial amount of money to an

enthusiastic and worthy organization based in Narberth. We hope that the donation will buy all

of the essential equipment that the Scouts had on their vast shopping list, enabling them to

partake in their varied outdoor activities properly equipped for the job.

It would also be a good public relations exercise if the leaders could inform us of what has been

purchased with the donation, and what they have been able to achieve as a result of the donation.

If we had this information before the Celtic Festival in Scolton Manor in August, it could be

displayed for all to see, especially the general public, and it may then assist in promoting

Freemasonry in a different light to the General Public.”

The W. M. was supported by a number of Past Masters of the Lodge, including Ronald Hurst,

Anthony Morgan (Charity Steward), Patrick Wadia (Secretary), Ray Cartwright and David Gibbs.

Upon receiving the gift, William Silverstone the Scout leader of the 1st Narberth Scout Group

said “Thank you once again for the cheque. The money will enable us to offer fantastic scouting

experiences regardless of the background of the children concerned.”

Other Scout leaders and officials had turned out in force for the presentation, which indicated

the importance of the gift to the 1st Narberth Scout Group. These included Sue Benbow (Area

Commissioner for Pembrokeshire) together with Narberth Scout leaders and officials, Steve

Goymer (Assistant Scout Leader), Clare Staniland (Assistant Cup leader), Emma Underwood

(Secretary) and Adrian Clague (Quarter Master).

Picture shows John Mycroft, the W.M. of Narberth Lodge presenting the

cheque to Scouts in the 1st Narberth Scout Group in the presence of Scout

Leaders and officials together with Narberth Lodge members


`The club was started about 9 years ago and has been meeting continuously since

then. There are now three groups running each evening from 4.30 to 8.30 catering

for different age groups and abilities with the seniors and most proficient last. The

group has had lots of success at both local, national and international levels with

many gold medals being won and continues to have many members who are at the

top level of the special needs gymnastics. The group has a long waiting list and

since the younger members require one to one coaching are always looking for

more volunteers to assist with the training. I have already done so and will

hopefully start in September when the group start after the summer break. The

atmosphere in the hall is fantastic and all the participants really seem to enjoy

themselves whatever level they are working at. All in all a very worthwhile

organisation that is providing a valuable service to the community.

STEADMAN JONES & BELL

SOLICITORS CYFREITHWYR

12 College Street, Ammandford, Carmarthenshire, SA18 3AF

Tel: 01269 592 306 Fax: 01269 596 127

S. Elfan Bell LL.B. Simon P. Morris B.A.

[email protected]


I am delighted that we will mark our 200th anniversary in

2013 by working with The Royal College of Surgeons of

England to establish The Royal Arch Masons 2013

Bicentenary Appeal. Freemasonry has had a long and close

association with the College through the 250th Anniversary

Fund established in 1967, and we are delighted to have

supported so many important research projects.

This campaign gives us an excellent opportunity to

contribute further towards something that is helping to save

lives and improve the quality of life for us, our children and grandchildren.

HRH The Duke of Kent

First Grand Principal

We are all justly proud to be the major benefactor to The

Royal College of Surgeons of England for their surgical

research funds.

In order to provide a valuable donation to the College our

target is to raise a minimum £10 plus gift aid from every

Companion. We are using a Grand Charity Relief Chest and

there are no administrative costs.

Please fill in a donation form. You will find the form on the

Supreme Grand Chapter website at www.grandchapter.org.uk and the Grand Charity

website at www.grandcharity.org

This is a wonderful way to mark The Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary Appeal

and any contribution you may wish to make will be gratefully received.

Nigel Brown

Grand Scribe E

Reproduced by kind permission of Supreme Grand Chapter

[email protected]


Front Row: J Lewis (Treasurer): S D Hookey (Scribe E): J K Davies (Deputy Grand Superintendent): E

G Sinnett (Second Provincial Grand Principal): E G S Mock (Most Excellent Grand Superintendent): N L

Murphy Third Provincial Grand Principle): F M Williams (Scribe N): R S Darkins (Registrar): W J L R

Jones (Sword Bearer): Middle Row: R A Jenkins (Director of Ceremonies): D E Rayson (Deputy Director

of Ceremonies): I L Murphy (Charity Steward): R L Leett (Almoner): P Walkden (Sojourner): P R Evans

(Assistant Sojourner): B D J Barrat (Second Assistant Sojourner): P R Scoble (Assistant Scribe E): G Crane

(Assistant Director of Ceremonies): Back Row: D G R Davies (Steward): I W Sewell (Organist): A Hallett

(Standard Bearer): D A R Isaac Standard Bearer): S E Bell (Janitor).

Front Row: L C Hughes (Director of Ceremonies): S D Hookey (Secretary): B G W Davies: D J Elsley

(Senior Warden): V W Bro T Evans (Deputy Provincial Grand Master): R W Bro E G S Mock

(Provincial Grand Master): B C Hilling (Assistant Provincial Grand Master): R E Roberts (Junior

Warden): J K Davies (Chaplain): J Lewis (Treasurer): D E Hughes Deputy Director of Ceremonies):

Middle Row: P W Jones Assistant Director of Ceremonies): A Hallett (Senior Deacon): W Allen Junior

Deacon): P Walkden (Sword Bearer): R L Leett (Almoner): N R Leah (Mentor): I L Murphy (Charity

Steward): T S Thomas (Senior Deacon): R H Cartwright (Junior Deacon): C J Samuel (Superintendent

of Works): C R Webb (Assistant Director of Ceremonies): Back Row: P R Scoble (Assistant Secretary): A

C Barton (Steward): D E Jones (Steward): W Hale (Pursuivant): T A Evans (Standard Bearer): C D

Hann (Standard Bearer): G R Gealy (Tyler): M Manship (Steward).


First image is a presentation of a cheque for £440.00 to Withybush Hospital Cancer Day

Unit (CDU Appeal). Pictured are back row, Bernard George & W. Bro. John Prior, seated,

W. Bro Steve McGarvie Worshipful Master of Old Priory Lodge No. 4331, Trish

George and Margaret Prior.

Mrs Trish George said, "This wonderful donation will help us to make a real difference

for those who need the support of the Oncology Team" . This money was raised following

the raffle at Old Priory's Ladies Night held at Cleddau Bridge Hotel

Second image is following a donation of £520.00 to Ward 10 Withybush Hospital

Haverfordwest. Pictured are, left to right, Dr. Anne Barnes, W. Bro. Steve McGarvie,

Worshipful Master of Old Priory Lodge No. 4331, Nurse Janet Richards and SR Fiona

Lordan. This money was raised following the raffle at the Installation of W. Bro. Steve

McGarvie

[email protected]


The second and final Provincial Golf society meeting of the 2010/2011 Masonic year, was held at the

Milford Haven Golf Club on Friday 6th, May 2011 and although the projected weather forecast was

not good All players did manage to complete their golf before the expected rain arrived.

Some 21 Golfers who after their game enjoyed a first class dinner provided by the Milford haven

Golf Club Caterer had an enjoyable day.

The course was in good condition and some creditable scores were recorded.

Meeting result were as follows..

Nearest the Pin ( 6th) Paul Watson. Tenby Lodge

(16th) Chris Hine Cambrian Lodge

Guests Competition.

1. Justin Webb 33 Points Tenby

2. Simon Wilkie 32 Points Cardiff

3. Peter Harris 29 Points Pembroke Dock.

Masonic golfers.

With the results being aggregated with the September meeting, the competition was indeed very

close for both the Individual and the Champion Lodge trophies.

The individual Trophy was closely contested with a number of golfers being in contention after

the first round (September meeting).

The individual winner on the Day was: (Milford meeting) was:

Results and Scores

1. Chris Harding 36Pts (BB9) Cambrian Lodge

2. Chris Hine 36Pts Cambrian Lodge

3. Brian Williams 32Pts Castlemartin Lodge

The overall Individual Champion was ;-

1. Chris Hine, of Cambrian lodge -- 68Pts (Col. Trevor Kelway Trophy)

2. Brian Williams of Castlemartin Lodge – 67Pts (runner Up Trophy)

A number of Lodges were in contention for the Sydney Hughes Trophy after the first meeting but

because of withdrawals by some lodges, the competition was contested mainly between the

Cambrian lodge 464, The Tenby lodge 1177 and Castlemartin Lodge 1748 (With the best three cards

counting).

Champion Lodge

1. Castlemartin Lodge. ---183 points (Sydney Hughes memorial Cup)

2. Cambrian Lodge --- 182 points (runners up)

3. Tenby Lodge ---168 Pts

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 37373737The Provincial Grand Master will

formerly present the Trophies at

the Provincial meeting in

Carmarthen on July 7th. 2011

The retiring Captain and joint

secretary Mike Bradney told

members that they would try to

hold costs down to a maximum

of £30.00 for each day but this

was becoming more difficult

given the economic climate. He

emphasised that it was costly to

the society when members dropped out after making a booking as numbers affected the Group

Green-Fee rates and that Caterers expected meals booked to be paid for.

He stated that we had to pay for an additional three meals today.

He asked members if they were happy with Fridays being our competition days. The general

consensus was that we should keep to Friday for the meetings as they also suited Masonic

commitments.

It was proposed that Paul Watson (Tenby lodge) should take on the society Captaincy for the next

two years. Watson stated that he would be honoured to take on the role.

It was suggested that all Provincial Golf society-meeting details would be passed to an individual

golfing member responsible for each lodge that would be prepared to take on the role of

organising his own lodge team/ members and then liase with the Society secretary. This would

reduce postage and telephone costs considerably.

Those interested please contact Mike Bradney or Clive Pitten with your details

The Secretary then thanked his co- secretary and helpers on the day for their assistance and

announced that the next meeting would be on Friday 2nd, September 2011. He closed by thanking

all who had turned up.

The Provincial Grand Master then rose and thanked the organisers for an enjoyable day. He also

congratulated Paul Watson the new society Captain on his appointment and stated, that it was

very apt that Paul Watson, who is a Professional Golfer, should take on the role of Captain of the

society for the next two years. He concluded by thanking the retiring Captain for his efforts and

reminded members that he was anxious that members should treat these days as an opportunity

to enjoy each others company rather than raise funds.

The next meeting will be held at, Glyn Abbey golf club, Near Trimsaran, on Friday 2nd, September

2011. (First Meeting of 2011/12 year)

Cost will be £28.00 (inclusive of Prizes, Bacon Roll/Tea-coffee and a meal on completion. (Buggies

are available for those who wish to book them- recommended that you book these early).

Please book early. Tee times are booked from 11.30 noon until 1300..

Please make every effort to attend the two days to make the 2011/2012 competitions even more

competitive than this year.

May we close the report by thanking all who supported the society, in whatever way., during the

year and we hope that the new Masonic year will produce even more competition amongst the

provinces’ golfers..

A Copy of the accounts will be forwarded to The Provincial Treasurer at the end of each Golfing

year. (May 2011)

[email protected]


The official start to the Masonic summer was on Friday 16 April when 10 caravans from

SWWMCC gathered in Dare Country Park, Aberdare for the first rally of the year.

This rally was organised by John and Carol Edmunds and Ivor and Marion Rivers. John

and Ivor are members of South Wales Province and they and their wives organised an

excellent weekend, even down to the glorious weather we enjoyed. Dare Country Park

has many excellent facilities, which included the fully equipped Caravan Site which is

alongside the central reception area. There are plenty of walks amidst the lovely scenery.

On Saturday evening, Ivor arranged for us to all meet for dinner at Aberdare Golf Club

of which he is a recent Captain. All enjoyed a lively and enjoyable evening and the

‘ralliers’ made their way home after an excellent start to the 2011 programme.

The second Rally of the year was held at the lovely town of Aberaeron on the weekend

of 13 May, which happily coincided with the Installation meeting of Loventium Mark

Lodge, which was attended by a number of brethren with a delightful and memorable

evening had by all.

The Rally, held at Aeron Coast Caravan Site, was enjoyed by all, with the excellent

clubhouse facilities enabling us all to enjoy the usual Saturday dinner in convivial

surroundings, having had a day of enjoying the local sights and each other’s company

over a cup of tea (or whatever other libation suited them). Our thanks go to Mansel and

Linda Hughes who organised the rally for us.

The June Rally saw the Club travelling to Lucksall Caravan Park, alongside the River

Wye just south of Hereford. This is a delightful area with plenty of places to visit. We

had 11 units attending and many of our members took the opportunity of extending their

stay beyond the weekend.

We had wonderful weather over the weekend and on Saturday evening we were able

to hold one of our traditional barbeques and there really is nothing better to provoke

lively and convivial conversation amongst so many good friends. Such is Freemasonry.

This Rally was organised by Mansel and Linda Hughes and our July meeting is at

Dolaucothi.

The fourth Rally saw us visiting the National Trust site at Dolaucothi. This has seen

some memorable rallies in the past, but it has been some years since the Club has visited

this beautiful and peaceful site.

The pleasures of this site have certainly not diminished over the years and despite

occasional showers, we all had a thoroughly enjoyable time and were able to have our

traditional BBQ, following which we all

gathered together in an awning to chat

and enjoy each other’s company over a

pleasurable drink or two. This rally was

organised by Tony and Evana Trumper

and we now look forward to our annual

rally at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.


TK Turks no show hands trophy to Loyal WelshWe had heard it was raining in Llanelli and that the golf course at Carmarthen bore

a strong resemblance to the Serpentine. So perhaps the Trevor Kelway boys have

been exposed as fair weather golfers (I don’t blame them, mind!) but if they had

ventured into God’s County they would have found a beautiful day awaiting them.

A different name would be on the trophy this year.

I had a wonderful picture of the legs and the golf trolleys of the great and the good

of West Wales but I managed to loose it not being a digitally educated cameraman,

which was a shame. It was the sort of picture that wins prizes and could have made

me a few bob on the side if I didn’t have it printed in this illustrious publication.

Looking at the various people that were in that shot, first prize for the celebrity look

-a -like must go to W. Bro. Tim Bourne for his wonderful impression of Don Estelle

(Lofty) in ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’. We must find him a pith helmet for next year.

As the tournament got underway it was obvious a couple of minutes on the practise

greens would have been a good idea. Much wandering around the rough looking

for a ball (any ball?) was evident from the first. The PGM said he was helping his

team find their balls and I thought better of asking where his was. Lofty skied his

tee shot, which, unfortunately for him, set the pattern for his day.

Mike Bradney’s Castlemartin team were the most confident and appeared to have

the bit between their teeth. Even the eventual winners said they would take a lot of

catching when I ran into them at the eighth. But it’s a funny old game and a good

back nine and a superb display by Danny Overend (Loyal Welsh ringer, course

specialist and probable future candidate), who managed to claim the longest drive

and the nearest the pin trophies, eventually swung the match. However, if the Turks

had been there and played anything like they did last year they would have retained

the trophy. Oh dear. How sad. Never mind. (BSM Williams - Windsor Davies - It

Ain’t Half Hot Mum.)

The Provincial Grand Master presented the trophies, which for the first time all went

to the same team, after a good meal in the club. One day he will win something and

then we’ll have the problem of finding someone to make the presentations.

Our thanks go to the South Pembrokeshire Golf Club for allowing us to use their

facilities and Janet Norrie and her staff in the restaurant for their hospitality and

making our day such an enjoyable one. Finally, of course, thanks to all who took

part in this, the seventh Atlantic Trophy tournament to be held.

[email protected]


Turned over by Edgar JonesThe Candlewick Makers Lodge: Butcher’s Lane, Bow

from

The Secretary’s Diary

1869

Well we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs in our beloved Lodge, the Candlewick

Makers, down the years – more downs than ups, to tell the truth – but tonight, diary, was

little short of a disaster.

The Candidate, a Professor Richard Dworkins, came to us pretty highly

recommended from outside, though who his proposer and seconder into the Candlewick

Makers were I haven’t been able to discover. I do recall though the glowing character

reference he presented from a Mr Darwin, who unfortunately was unable to speak for

him in person, he busily hunting turtles off the shores of somewhere called the Galapagos

Islands, their shells to be used for decorative hair-combs for Ladies of Fashion. A very

lucrative business, so I’m told.

It all started off so well too; no disaster such as has happened in the none-too-distant

past: the fellow Heep in particular. Until, that is, our Worshipful Master, W Bro

Bracegirdle Tuddenhall, bassooned out: ‘In all cases of difficulty and danger, in whom

do you put your trust?’

No answer forthcoming, though our Junior Deacon fairly shrieked into the

Candidate’s ear what he had to say, ‘Tell the damn’ feller to speak up!’ tromboned our

short-fuseed lantern-jawed Director of Ceremonies, W Bro Coffin, he who had taken

great umbrage at our last Installation when W Bro Tuddenhall had accidentally come

out with, ‘Worshipful Brother Coffin, I hereby appoint you my Director of Cemeteries.’

Still no answer from our Candidate, upon which W Bro Tuddenhall stepped in loud

enough to wake the dead with, ‘Sir, it was explained to you, when you appeared before

us, that an essential for belonging to our Brotherhood was a belief in a Supreme Being.

Now all you have to do is simply reply to the question: Do you believe in one or not?’

Well the two words Supreme Being appeared to galvanise the Candidate, who started

into frenzied life just as if the Junior Deacon beside him had wound up his clockwork.

Indeed I would swear his eyes behind their blindfold glowed like carriage-lamps on a

pitch-dark night.

‘Ah! Supreme Being!’ he sopranoed reflectively in his somewhat scrapy voice. ‘In

full agreement with you there! Yes indeed, yes indeed! A phrase though that has to be

considered in the context of two parameters. Take the first. Yes, I do indeed believe in a

Supreme Being – Myself! Highly educated, enormously intelligent. Oxford man and all

that. Professor of Biological Detergence’ (that at least is what it sounded like) ‘at this new

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 41414141place, University of London. Back at me old College of course in a year or two. Civilised

life from there on. Decent port for a change. Now as to the second parameter –’

Well on he went and on, and honestly there was no stopping him. Poor Bracegirdle

Tuddenhall was the first to nod off – he had been up half the night learning his words –

and before long his snores fairly shook the canopy above our Chair of King Solomon;

while of course they communicated themselves on the instant to all those sitting at the

east end. After half an hour not one of us was awake, and a rhythmic zzzz zzzz gently

pulsated the air.

Exactly one hour on I was awakened by a kerfuffle at the door.

By this time the wretched Dworkins was well into his stride; and itemising the

thousand and one supposed iniquities inflicted by one religion on another since Day One,

he had now got as far as the Thirty Years’ War (1618 to 1648; Catholics versus Protestants,

so I discovered later).

The noise outside rose to a crescendo, drowning even Dworkins!

It was – it could be none other than – our celebrated cook, Jiulio Cesare, the envy of

every Lodge in the Province.

Thrusting his bushy black beard and side-whiskers round the door he now

full-orchestraed out, ‘When you are-a going to come-a down to dinner, hey? I am-a

waiting! My Beef-a Wellington will-a be done to old-a ropes!’

Well at this, W Bro Bracegirdle Tuddenhall, perhaps the most devoted

trencherman of us all, awoke with a start, thundered his gavel down with such force that

splinters were sent flying everywhere, and announced the immediate end of the

proceedings. The whole Lodge woke, shook itself, and pretended to have heard every

word. The two Deacons however, who though as sound asleep as the rest of us had been

kept upright by their wands, lost balance and collapsed, bringing Candidate Dworkins

down with them.

The first to extricate himself from the threshing arms and legs on the floor, he

ripped off and cast down his blindfold and made hot-foot for the door. The last we heard

before it slammed behind him was him trilling: ‘Disrespect . . . damn cheek if you ask

me . . . most famous scientist the world has ever seen . . . Oxford man too . . . religious

maniacs the whole pack of ‘em . . . Revenge is mine! Wait a minute – I can’t say that:_

it’s in the Bible! O lor’ – oh but I can’t say that either!’

Well in five minutes, no more, we were all sitting at Jiulio Cesare’s tables and

enjoying our well-earned dinner. Yes, his Beef Wellington did turn out to be a bit fibrous;

but he’d bought in a trial dozen or so bottles of a very amiable Gigondas. Delicious!

Of course I was a trifle late home again, and as usual found myself locked out

of our bedroom. A note in ‘her majesty’s’ handwriting was pinned to the door:

If you want a respectable wife, come back at a respectable hour!

Do not disturb! I am in here with the England Cricket Team!

She was, like our beloved Queen, always one for exclamation marks!

[email protected]


Day one started bright and warm at

Sedbury Cliffs by Chepstow with my

walking companion Andy

Darlington another Milford Pilot

walking to raise money for ME, it

was a bit of a false start because you

cannot get the car to the official start

so you have to walk from the road

and then back again which adds an

extra mile to the already daunting

177 miles to go! Still all was well and

we were off to Prestatyn via ten

other places in between.

The ladies were stopping at Pandy

for the first three days and Sue would pick us up and drop us off at the start and

finish of each day. I’m afraid I like a nice shower, good food and a comfy bed when

I walk so camping was a non-starter for us. Bit of a softy!

The walking was quite reasonable but some of the construction work of the Dyke

was amazing, some was built up slopes of at least 1:3 and how they managed to

keep the soil on it when building was gravity defying to say the least and very hard

to walk up and down. A construction engineer was asked how much it would cost

to build today and he said, tell me the amount of material to be shifted in m3 and

I will give you a cost, needless to say it would be astronomical.

So the halfway was reached on target between Knighton and Montgomery and

as the sign says only 88.5 miles to

go! By now all the aches and pains

were well established and we had

become used to them, feet and

shoulders are the worst! Everything

was downhill from here

psychologically speaking.

The four days in the middle we

had decided to B&B until we met

up again with Sue just South of

Llangollen, lucky for us my sister

lives there so we had some home

comforts again.

Continued next page...

Blisters, what blisters!

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43434343 The walk takes you over the aqueduct at Froncysyllte, which is always a joy to

traverse and a little bit scary.

From Llangollen we went over the top of the mountains and had some spectacular

views but the best was on the last day when on cresting the last hill we could se

the sea and the finishing post another 2 hours and we had made it on time in 11

days not bad for 180 miles counting a few

wrong turns on the way.

All in all a very enjoyable time but I think

my last long distance walk, however fit

you are it does take it out of you and none

of us are getting any younger.

I raised just over £400 which wasn’t bad

but a bit disappointing as Andy raised

£1200 for his charity, still times are hard

and I do understand, but I will not be

doing another one.

Thanks very much to Brethren who did

sponsor me it was very much appreciated

and thanks to my wife Sue for supporting

us so well. Made it!

[email protected]


Time after time I have been asked to cover a function to provide the write up and

photographic coverage for this magazine – but rarely, if ever twice, is such an event so

enjoyable as the day I was invited to join the Narberth Lodge boys and girls for a Sunday

Lunch at the Wiseman's Bridge Hotel. That day, Sunday 13th June 2011, was and always

will be a day for me to remember.

The Sunday lunch was the brainchild of W Bro

Patrick Wadia, whose father – W Bro John – is a

resident at the Albert Edward Prince of Wales

Court at Porthcawl. Musing over the idea with

the Master, W Bro John Mycroft, Patrick was

given the go ahead to progress his plan and then,

with equal enthusiasm, John organised and

presided over an excellent meal in a most relaxed

and friendly atmosphere.

61 sat down to enjoy cuisine second to none;

melon, pate or leek & potato soup for starters; this followed by a traditional Sunday Roast

of beef, pork or turkey and ending – if you could manage to eat any more that is – with

a selection of gateaux's, trifles, ice creams and fresh fruit salads. Oh – I almost forgot –

with tea and coffee as well. The raffle, with 21 prizes no less and the tickets being sold

by W Bro Graham Thomas, raised well over £500 – with every penny being earmarked

for the Friends of the AEPOWC. That figure will surely increase even further, as with

the blessing of Patrick, John and W Bro Brian Hilling [Provincial Representative for the

Friends] every donation, by those so requiring in lieu of charging for photo sales, will be

added to the pot for the benefit of the residents.

With the almost magical words of "Narberth

Lodge" and "Wiseman's Bridge Hotel" being

uttered, there never was a shadow of a doubt

about the day being a roaring success. The

Assistant PGM's Lodge, the Tenby Lodge, was

represented by W Bro Bob and Mrs Lewis

[whose mother is another AEPOWC resident]

the Deputy PGM's Lodge, the Peterwell Lodge,

was represented by W Bro Ray and Mrs Band.

I started this piece by saying this was a day

to remember. With cuisine second to none,

calorie counting abandoned and with company one could not better, the hours sped by

and far too soon it was time to head northwards and return home. So I now conclude

this piece by saying this was a day to cherish and long may the Narberth Lodge run such

social functions.

© Tony Beckingham

© Tony Beckingham


On Saturday 20th April 2011 the wives of the officers

of Prince of Wales Lodge No 671 decided to hold a

party to celebrate the wedding of William & Kate,

the Son of the Prince of Wales.

The party took place at the Selwyn Samuel Centre

Llanelli and was billed as a night of Fun and

entertainment with a 3 course hot meal buffet – and

it certainly turned out to be a most enjoyable event

with almost 80 attending including next year’s two

initiates and their wives. The entertainment on the

evening was provided by a local fun group called “Pluck, Rattle & Squeeze” a comedy show band

that proved to be most entertaining.

The wives had decided to donate the proceeds of the night to the Lodge 2015 festival appeal and

the event, together with a raffle held at a recent social function for the ladies, raised the magnificent

sum of £811 which has been presented to the Charity Steward of the Lodge.

The Ladies have already booked the same venue for June 9th 2012 to celebrate the Queens Diamond

Jubilee and anyone wishing to join us on that occasion are asked to contact any member of Prince

of Wales Lodge. Once again the proceeds will go to the 2015 Festival

The staff, far too numerous to individually mention by name here, total 28; with every

one of them working extremely enthusiastically to ensure all the residents and every

guest [over 130] had a meal to salivate over, company to enjoy and an occasion to

remember. Look at the arithmetic and appreciate the RMBI high standards; 130 sitting

down to dine and with 28 looking after their needs – that equating roughly to 1 member

of staff being present for every 5 attendees. With the mixed aromas of lit charcoal and

cooked food wafting through the air and tantalising the taste buds, no one could fail to

have an energetic appetite. The head barbecuer, clad in Hawaiian beachwear, laid on

baps, beef burgers, sausage, chicken

drumsticks, onions, rice, pasta, roast

potato wedges and crushed potato

salad accompanied by vegetable peels

in Thousand Island Dressing. Then,

for good measure, or rather only for

those with "Desperate Dan" type

appetites, strawberry gateaux, sherry

trifle and Black Forest type chocolate

desserts; naturally with a glass or 3© Tony Beckingham

[email protected]


Almost 25 years have passed since

the day this popular event was first

planned by the members as a way to

top up the Lodge's building fund;

however, now run for charitable

purposes - this year the final figure

nudging the thousand pound mark.

Firstly located at the home of W

Bro Brian Hilling, then moving on to

W Bro Roger Sheldon's and, for the

last 20 or so years, held on the spa-

cious patio area of W Bro Don Mal-

lams' bungalow – the lower lawned area being perfect for children to play and, then later

[much later when the wine had flowed], for welly wanging.

With some 80 people attending, the cooks, or should they be

called barbecuers, were kept hard at work and being led by W

Bro Dougie Waters, who provided freshly caught mackerel,

chicken, beef burgers, sausage, king prawn, Chinese spiced

chicken, salads, rice and pasta – to be complimented later with

a mouth watering strawberry pavlova and, of course, the ever

popular chocolate cake delight. The bar, as usual, being ably

run by W Bro Ian Lucas, and the quiz organised by W Bro Simon

Toy. However, this team of regulars were outshone.

Who outshone the regulars? None other than the newcomers,

the "el supremo" raffle ticket sellers, Ella and Jay Brace [W Bro

Simon Toy's grandchildren], who accounted for over half the total money changing

hands that evening. Very well done

the two of you.

Charity Stewards of old should take

note and learn a lesson or two, or even

three, from these talented youngsters

who used every trick in the book to

extract money from the members and

guests – and the winning ticket you

sold me seen the bottle of whisky

heading to W Bro John Wadia, resident

at the Albert Edward.

© Tony Beckingham

© Tony Beckingham

© T Beckingham


[email protected]

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Not reflections in the glazing of the window but rather reflecting on his past achieve-

ments during his school days [when woodwork was one of his best subjects]; this part

of his life continuing with his present day enjoyment of woodworking is W Bro Brian C

Hilling during one of his many visits as the Provincial Representative for the Friends of

the Albert Edward Prince of Wales Court. The Home, as the full name is often and

affectionately abbreviated to, is situated in the delightful seaside town of Porthcawl –

conveniently midway to the many between Cardiff and Swansea.

Elsewhere in the maga-

zine you will have read of

the day out enjoyed by

many of us from West

Wales when W Bro Brian,

accompanied by W Bro

Patrick Wadia, Brethren

from the Narberth and

Fishguard Lodges togeth-

er the writer, visited The Home to celebrate the 90th birthday party of one of The Home's

newest residents; that being W Bro John Wadia of the Narberth Lodge, who has very

quickly likened himself to his fellow home mates. When reminiscing with W Bro John

of their past years – both being self employed electricians [often sub contracting to each

other at times of peak business and with the two of them being in the Royal Air Force

[John in WW2 and Brian with National Service] – W Bro Brian's eyes latched on to the

model of a four-engined Lancaster Bomber sitting in front of a wooden platter. He

quickly concentrated his focus on that platter – it was the Saskatchewan Plate. A most

convivial and nostalgic conversation followed.

Just what is this Saskatchewan Plate you may well be asking yourself. In short – if

you look at the photos, you will see the plate together with its beautiful timbers, their

characteristic grain patterns and the richness of their colours. The plate is made up from

the natural timbers as found in the

Canadian Province of Saskatch-

ewan.

John has three half sisters living

in Canada but because of one reason

or another did not meet up with

them until he visited in 1973. Fur-

ther family reunions followed and

during one of these occasions John's

half sisters presented him with the

Plate. © Tony Beckingham

© Tony Beckingham


[email protected]

Saturday 20th November 2010 started off for myself and, as I suspect, likewise for the

majority of my readers as being a crisp autumnal morning, complete with the sun shining

brightly and just a tingling of frost in the air. However, for W Bro John Aston Wadia of

the Narberth Lodge it was far more exiting – it was his 90th birthday no less. The occasion

was further enhanced for John by the presence of our ever smiling, constantly happy and

very popular Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W Bro Brian C Hilling, who was there,

not only to congratulate John but, to present him with his certificate for 50 years of

continuous membership of the Holy Royal Arch. Pictured above, left to right, at the

presentation of the 50th Anniversary Certificate are W Bro Patrick Wadia, John's son, John

Wadia and Brian C Hilling.

John's Masonic career is both well documented and generally known to all; suffice it to

say here, John, having been Initiated in Narberth Lodge on the 24th April 1953, was Exalted

in Arberth Chapter on the 26th May 1954. However, not so well known or perhaps not

appreciated enough is that, as well as attaining the Chair of the Narberth Lodge in 1965

and that of Arberth Chapter in 1968, John was instrumental – if, indeed, not the prime

motivator – of the Narberth Lodge moving to its present and well known home. Before

then Narberth Lodge had met at the De-Reutzen Hotel in the town centre.

© Tony Beckingham

[email protected]

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 51515151John, an electrician by profession, was born on the 20th November 1920 in Bournemouth,

Dorset. Both for family reasons and appreciating the delightful area of Pembrokeshire

was far more homely than the South Coast, John was quickly moved to Pentlepoir; where

he spent his formative years, firstly, at Pentlepoir Junior School and then, until 1938, at

Narberth Secondary. After he finished his school days, John commenced his working

years at Trecwn – would you believe it – driving a very slow "chuff-chuff" train! Quickly

realising sparks from cables were brighter and certainly far more exciting than sooty

smuts from a coal fired locomotive, John trained, subsequently qualifying, as an

electrician.

Called to service with his country in 1943, John was a flight engineer in the Royal Air

Force; serving firstly with 77 Squadron before joining the newly formed 578 Squadron

based at RAF Burn, between Selby and York. There he soon learned and quickly

appreciated his much loved flying of four-engine Halifax bombers was far more adrenalin

inducing than driving the Trecwn train. However, we must deliberately return to John's

school days; for when he was idling his time at Narberth Secondary, he, no doubt already

futuristically utilizing the RAF's legendary 20-20 vision, had spotted the sparkling eyes

of a very pretty girl by the name of Ceinwen. It was, as they say, love at first sight and

in 1950 they were married. Patrick, usually but not always being "the apple of their eyes",

for he was rather prone to getting in mischief, arrived in 1960; later following in his

father's footsteps as an electrician. Penultimately, when John was sure that Patrick could

correctly remember the colour codes for both cable and flex and, further, could

successfully change a fuse, John – at the age of 70 – retired. Finally, after many happy

years at Laverock, John moved to the Albert Edward Home in 2010.

© Tony Beckingham


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[email protected]


The Mark Master Masons

of Dyfed have been spon-

soring their Provincial

Grand Master R W Bro

Nigel Adams in a

'Slimathon' since June last

year which culminated in

raising £6,000 for local

Children’s Charities and

the Provincial Grand Mas-

ter loosing 14lbs in

weight, a winning combi-

nation.

The first of the Children’s

Charities to profit from

the Slimathon was DASH who cater for disadvantaged and children with

special needs in Aberaeron, who were in need of a 'Ball Pool' and other safe soft

play equipment for their centre to provide leisure activities for the children.

On Monday the 18th April the Provincial Grand Master R W Bro Nigel Adams

together with the Deputy Grand Master W.Bro Ron Jones, Provincial Charity

Steward W.Bro Bob Darkins, Samuel Page from Teifi Mark Lodge and Robert

Davies from Aberystwyth Mark Lodge visited the centre and presented a

cheque for £2,000 to DASH Trustee Non Jenkins and Jo Kennaugh, to pay for

the equipment which was bought a week earlier.

[email protected]


At the Masonic Hall, Llanelli, on 5th May,

2011, Worshipful Master of the Trevor

Kelway Lodge, W.Bro Ken Heath,

presented Corporal Cory Hardy (Firstaider)

of 2227 (Mid Gwendraeth) Squadron Air

Training Corps with a cheque for £640 as a

donation to help support 17 teenagers

attend an overseas diving expedition due

to take place in Gibraltar during August /

September, 2011.

In the photograph (front row) are

Worshipful Master, W.Bro Ken

Heath – Corporal Cory Hardy

(Firstaider) – Cadet Steffan

Davies (Firstaider) – Corporal

Celt Flint (RAH Marksman) –

Corporal Kieron Spain (ATC

Marksman) – Flight Lieutenant

L.D. Brace, RAF Volunteer

Reserve (Training), Officer

Commanding 2227 (Mid

Gwendraeth) Squadron Air

Training Corps, Ponthenri,

Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

Also in the photograph are

members of the Trevor Kelway Lodge.

The Squadron is working towards a ten-day

overseas adventurous training camp in

Gibraltar during August / September 2011.

It is proposed that the key activity during

this camp will be a four-day open water

Professional Association of Diving

Instructors Course (PADI), the course being

split into the three areas of theory, confined

water and open water diving.

Working through the course, the cadets will

get the opportunity to learn about various

pieces of equipment as well as a variety of

skills that will help them enjoy the scuba

diving experience. On completion of this

course, the cadets will be certified to dive

with a qualification that is globally

recognised.

Flight Lieutenant Brace said that the total

end cost of this project would be £8,456

(£604 per head), to include travel insurance,

flights, accommodation and participation

in scuba diving PADI. Unfortunately,

financial support for this venture would not

be received from either the Air Cadet

Organisation or the Royal Air Force.

In the run up to this trip, the Squadron will

be self-funding various training sessions

locally in Swansea. These sessions will

prepare participants for the task ahead,

and, at the same time, will be used to

support those cadets currently working

towards both the Silver and Gold levels of

the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and

BTEC in Public Services.


The Court of Hywel Dda, in the Province of Magonsætan and based in Aberystwyth, is

Court number 27 from 100 Courts in the Masonic Order of Athelstan. At their June

meeting they hosted an Official Visit of the Grand Master, M W Bro Michael Henry Roalfe,

accompanied by many Grand Officers from Wales and England.

The candidate on the evening was Bro Adrian Thomas, who received very special

attention and a ceremony that was second to none. Adrian will remember this special

day for a long time to come.

David Morgan, (W.M.) is flanked on his right by The Grand Master and on his left by R

W Bro Dr John Lloyd, Provincial Grand Master. Seat at their pedestals are Senior Warden,

Lt Col Stanley Simms and Junior Warden Alfred Spencer. They are ‘surrounded’ by Grand

Officers and Active Provincial Officers. A truly memorable day.

The annual Knight Templar church service was

held at the Masonic Hall, Llanelli on the 16th

April. Due to ‘health & safety’ issues it could

not be held in All Saints Church. The format

worked very well, and a lot of hard work went

into setting up the Temple.

The following is a synopsis of the address

given by Eminent Knight Rev. J. Keith

Davies, Provincial Prelate.

St Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians,

chapter 6, verses 10-17, enjoins the people

to put on the whole armour of God in their

battle against opponents of the Christian

faith. The Templars of old fought their

battles in the Crusades, in defence of the

faith and the Holy City of Jerusalem. The

battle still goes on today and we, as

followers of Christ, are called upon to play

our part and to stand tall in the Christian

battle of our age.

A traditional phrase describing the

Christian battle is ‘spiritual warfare’.

However, Christian warfare is concerned

with a battle against spirits of evil as well

as against materialism, although spiritual

wickedness is very much a fact in our world

today. If we are to defend the Christian

faith, as the early Templars did in their

crusades, St Paul tells us to put on the

whole armour of God. Paul, a prisoner at

the time, was thinking of the huge struggle

facing the people, and for him the whole

universe was a battleground. Paul, chained

to a Roman soldier, saw before him, in the

armour of the soldier, a ready-made

picture, and part by part, he translates the

armour into Christian terms.

First, we have ‘the belt of truth’. The belt

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West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 57575757around a soldier’s tunic, from which his

sword hung, gave him freedom of

movement. Other people may guess or

grope their way through life, but the

Christian moves freely and quietly because

he knows the ‘truth’ - God’s truth as

revealed in Christ.

Next, we have the ‘breastplate of

righteousness’. It has been said that when

a man is clothed with righteousness he is

impregnable. Words are no defence against

accusations, but a good life is. The only

way to meet accusations against

Christianity is to show how good a

Christian life can be.

Then come the words ‘...and your feet

shod with the preparation of the gospel of

peace’. Sandals were the normal footwear

in those days and were the sign of one

equipped and ready to move. The sign of a

Christian is that he is eager to be on the way

to share the Gospel with others who have

not heard it.

Next, we are told to put on the ‘shield

of faith’. The heavily armed warrior wore

a heavy oblong shield to protect him from

the fiery darts which were dipped in tar and

set alight.. When the darts sank into the

wood the flames were put out. The ‘shield

of faith’ can quench all the flaming darts of

evil which are thrown at us. Orthodox

Christianity is right in its assertion that the

root of evil is not weakness but unbelief.

Faith is the only cure - faith and obedience

to the Word of God. The Christian Church

could perform no greater service to the

people of our disturbed and despairing age

than to extend to them, once again, the

grace of faith.

Next we come to ‘the helmet of

salvation’. The salvation, which is in Christ,

gives us forgiveness for the sins of the past

and strength to conquer s in in the days

to come. Christian faith, if it means

anything, must mean a trust in a God of

forgiving love and the drama of forgiveness

seen in the cross of Christ is our proof.

A minister was once challenged with the

question, “Are you saved?” “Yes,” he

replied, “and I can name the day and the

hour. The day was Good Friday and the

hour three o’clock in the afternoon.”

Forgiveness through the cross of Christ is a

weapon with which to confront the power

of evil.

Finally we come to the ‘sword’ which is

the word of God and it is both our weapon

of defence and our weapon of attack against

the evil of the world.. Oliver Cromwell’s

Ironsides fought with a sword in one hand

and a Bible in the other. We can never win

God’s battle without God’s book.

Trust in God is never easy. The act of

faith must be endlessly repeated. There is

no demobilization in the Christian life. The

words ‘watch’ and ‘beware’ were often on

the lips of Christ which emphasises that the

Christian life is one of disciplined and

continual remembrance.

Paul spent his life battling against

opponents of the Good News in Christ.

What Christians of today can do, and must

do, is to witness to their faith and to the

drama of salvation on which that faith rests.

Let us therefore take these words of Paul to

heart; let us put on the whole armour of

God. Let us, like Paul, be ambassadors in

chains - chained to the love of god as shown

in his Son Jesus Christ, Our Lord and

Saviour.

The picture; E. Kt. Bob Darkins, E. Kt. Gareth

Gait (Provincial Sub-Prior), R. E. Kt. Gordon

France (Provincial Prior), R. E. Kt. Paul

Clement (Grand Marshal), E. Kt. Keith Davies,

E. Kt. Colin Fielder (Prov. Marshal), E. Kt.

Harry Randell (Prov. Deputy Marshal).

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At the Installation of Wy Bro Iwan Jenkins in

Rheidol Conclave on the 14th April in an address to

the P.G.S.R., the Dep P.G.S.R. V. Wy Bro Lyndon

Hughson noted that it was the last installation that

R. Wy Bro Nigel would attend in his present

capacity.

R. Wy Bro Nigel had been P.G.S.R. for the Province

of West Wales since its consecration in 2006 and

under his leadership the Province has gone from

strength to strength, increasing in size from 4 to 6

Conclaves. R. Wy Bro Nigel has also been a 1st class

ambassador for the order, attending meetings from as far afield as Northumberland and

the Channel Islands.

Following his address V. Wy Bro Lyndon presented a photo album to R. Wy Bro Nigel

charting the previous 5 years including official and informal photographs of the many

weekends attending Provincial meetings throughout the country in the hope that it would

provide R. Wy Bro Nigel and Nesta with a record of some very happy memories.

An impressive ceremony to

Install R Wy Bro Lyndon

Hughson as the new

Provincial Grand Supreme

Ruler in the Order of the

Secret Monitor was held at

Carmarthen Masonic Hall

on 13th July 2011.

The ceremony was

conducted by the Grand

Supreme Ruler, M Wy Bro

Michael Guest and a team

of Grand Officers chosen by

him. All ran well under the

direction of the Grand D.C., R Wy Bro Paul Clement.

After being Installed the new P.G.S.R. Installed V Wy Bro James Doyle as his Deputy.

The meeting was well represented by the six Conclaves in the Province, Dyfed, Rheidol,

Gwili,Bwa Dur Tirion, Cynghordy and Stongbow.

The Grand Supreme Ruler wished Lyndon and the Province well for the future.


Born in 1941 W Bro Syd Smith hails from Hereford,

educated at St Pauls Church School Tupsley and White

Cross Secondary, he did his City and Guilds in TV

servicing at Gloucester Technical College, married to Joan

Syd has three children and three grandchildren.

Syd and Joan moved to Aberystwyth in 1964 to be-

come manager of a TV and electrical shop at the tender

age of 23. When the company sold out to a national

multiple Syd bought his own business in 1973, which

he ran for 35 years until he sold up and retired in 2008.

A regular churchgoer Syd is Vicars Warden at his local

church and amongst his many interests Syd lists

Caravanning fishing DIY Charity work and is a classic

car buff, on retirement set about the rebuild of his beloved

Daimler SP250 sports car and the pictures say it all.

W Bro Syd was initiated into the Aberystwyth Lodge

No 1072 in February 1977 and installed as Worshipful

Master of the Lodge in 1988.

In Craft Masonry W Bro Donald was initiated into the Liddell Lodge

No 3616 in the Province of Durham by his father W. Bro. Richard

Mallams (PAGDC) in June 1968.

In 1973 he joined the Sabrina Lodge No 4158 in the Province of

Shropshire and became their Master in Nov.1984. In 1985 he joined

the Tenby Lodge No 1177 and became their Master in 1991. In the

Tenby Lodge, he held the office of Lodge Almoner from 1993 to 2001.

The then Pr Gr Master was pleased to invest W Bro Donald with the

rank of Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer in 1997; later, in 2001,

promoting him to Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden. W Bro

Donald held the office of Provincial Grand Almoner from January

2001 until July 2009 and was appointed Past Assistant Grand Director

of Ceremonies in The United Grand Lodge of England in 2002. He

is also an active member of the Kensington Lodge of Installed Masters.

W. Bro. Donald was exalted into Pengwerne Royal Arch Chapter

No 3229 (Province of Shropshire) in 1974 and became a joining

member of Dinbych Chapter in 1985. After serving as MEZ in 1990,

he was appointed Provincial Grand Sword Bearer in 1991and

promoted to Past Grand Scribe Nehemiah in 2002.

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Having been initiated into Freemasonry in February 1971, he had

the good fortune to be initially tutored, in the Craft, by such

knowledgeable Masonic Elders as W Bro Wynford Mabe and W

Bro Jack Webb. The lessons learnt in such an apprenticeship were

demonstrated as with his characteristic thoroughness, he

progressed through the various offices of the lodge, before being

Installed as Worshipful Master in January 1981.

W Bro Davies is a member of a long established Tenby family

and actually lives in the family home, which has been occupied

by his family since 1742.

Educated, firstly, in Tenby and, later, aboard the Training Ship

Arethusa in Rochester, Kent, W Bro Davies joined the Royal

Navy, in which he served for thirteen years and attained the rank

of Petty Officer. During this time, he served in the Far East, the

Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and Home Fleets. After completion

of his naval service, he successfully ran his own business in the

Tenby area for six years and then, on selling the business, joined

the Prudential Assurance Company in which he served for

twenty years, before eventually retiring in 1991.

E. Comp Tom Evans was exalted into Aberystwyth

Chapter No.1072 in January 1999, and in the July of that

year was one of the founder members of the Aeron and

Peterwell Chapter No.7208, being installed as its MEZ

in October 2006. In the Annual Convocation of

Provincial Grand Chapter of July 2008, the Grand

Superintendent, Most Excellent Companion Eric G.S.

Mock, appointed him Past Provincial Grand Sojourner.

At the Annual Investiture of the Supreme Grand

Chapter of England held on the 28th of April 2011 he

was honoured to be appointed as Past Assistant Grand

Sojourner by the Most Excellent Pro Grand Master,

Peter Geoffrey Lowndes.

In Mark Masonry he was advanced in Loventium

Lodge in 2000 and was Installed as Worshipful Master

in 2010. A Past Master of Peterwell Lodge and the

Kensington Lodge of Past Masters his curriculum vitae

in Craft Masonry has already been well documented.


E Comp Stephen was exalted into Hwlffordd Chapter No

464 on 5th April 1993, and was installed as First Principal

of that Chapter in 2005. He is well known throughout the

Province as our Provincial Grand Scribe E, and of course

as our Provincial Grand Secretary in Craft Masonry. In

the Craft he is a Past Master of Cleddau Lodge, and a

member of the Kensington Lodge of Installed Masters, the

Richard Warburton Lodge and the Peter Drewett Day-

light Lodge of Progress. He also holds the rank of Past

Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in the United

Grand Lodge of England.

In the Other Orders, he is a Past Preceptor of the St

David’s Preceptory (Order of the Temple), a Past

Sovereign of the St Brides Chapter (Rose Croix), and a

member of the Dewi Sant Tabernacle (Knight Templar

Priests).

His appointment was well received by the members of

his Chapter, and by Companions throughout the Province.

We wish him many years of good health to continue to

enjoy his high office and to be of service to the Province.

E Companion Teifion Evans is a native of North Pembrokeshire,

and has spent most of his life in the Llan-y-chaer area; he still lives

in the same house that he was born in with his wife Hannah. They

have two grown up children, and two grandchildren Rhys and

Cerys.

Apart from his Masonic interest, his other passions are Fishing,

Collecting old Agricultural memorabilia which is displayed on

land in front of the house, The gardens around the house is looked

after by himself, and his wife and they are both very proud of the

garden railway which runs around and through it In summer

they are very happy to let people enjoy it with them. Visitors come

from far and near even from overseas to look around and to watch

as many as five trains chasing each other. They also have a river

Bank and a large are of grass to look after

EX Companion Teifion has been a member of the Abergwaun

Chapter for over 40 years.

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For all your Legal Needs

Martin Davies, Jonathan Powell

operate with an excellent team of staff from offices in

Aberystwyth & Machynlleth

and offer a wide range of Legal Services.

“The sun is always shining when you deal with Powell Davies Solicitors”

Market Chambers, 27 Eastgate, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2AR.

Telephone: 01970 636 599 Fax: 01970 630 033

E-mail: [email protected]

West Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales MasonWest Wales Mason 63636363W. Bro. George Eric Meredith Evans

W. Bro. George Eric Meredith Evans was born on the 11th January 1931 in the Cottage

Hospital in Tenby.

Bro. Eric, as he is usually known, spent his formative years attending school at the local

primary school in Newchapel followed by a period in Cardigan Grammar School.

On leaving school at the age of 15 he undertook an apprenticeship in carpentry and

joinery with W.J. Lewis in Cardigan. It is interesting to note that he was paid the princely

sum of 2s 6d (12 1/2p) per week which was all spent on his bus fare to and from home.

Having completed his 5-year apprenticeship he joined the Royal Navy in December

1950 with the sole ambition of seeing the world at somebody else’s expense. He became

an aircraft engineer in the Fleet Air Arm’s 800 squadron but, unfortunately, spent most

of his time based in Northern Ireland and at the naval base at Brawdy in Pembrokeshire

so his hopes of seeing the world were thwarted.

In 1954 he met Miss Dilys Rees and they were married in 1959. Having been married

for only six months Eric decided to go to Nigeria to work with Costain’s the construction

company who were building a large dam outside Lagos.

Returning to Wales in 1961 he worked for various construction companies eventually

settling in Saundersfoot where he and his wife purchased a dilapidated house. Eric, being

Eric, virtually pulled it to pieces before restoring into quality bed and breakfast

accommodation.

In 1976 Eric was initiated into the Narberth Lodge No. 2001 and became Master in 1989.

Eric joined the Arberth Chapter in 1979, becoming 1st Principal in 1996.

At the time when Eric was Master the Lodge meetings were held in an old Methodist

Chapel, which had been purchased in the sixties, and which had an old tower that leaked

like a sieve. During his year in the Chair he decided that the tower had to be removed

and a roof constructed in its place. A quotation from a building firm stated that this would

cost £25,000. Eric working in his spare time, sometimes until 4.00 in the morning, did the

work for £10,000.

In 1986 his carpentry skills had been brought to the attention of the Province. At that

time we had to construct our own staging for these two meetings and take it down

afterwards. Two days of hard intensive work. Over the years Eric has used his skills to

simplify the work. And whilst we no longer have to construct the stage, Eric was here

yesterday and this morning making sure that the Brethren of the host Lodge and Chapter

carried out all necessary work to his high standards. After 25 years of overseeing the

layout of this building for these Provincial meetings Eric has decided that he has, at last

found, a suitable replacement and can now hand over the responsibilities to someone

younger.

In the words of his very dear friend W. Bro. Cyril Bowen, Eric is a true stalwart with

great enthusiasm for Freemasonry, totally determined and committed to any project he

takes on. Cyril goes on to suggest that Eric was cut from the same mould as the steeplejack

Fred Dibnah.

We count ourselves very fortunate in having had W Bro Eric as a true and loyal member

of this Province, and we wish him many more years of good health so that he may continue

to enjoy his Freemasonry, and that we may continue to enjoy his company.

DH DH

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West Wales Mason Magazine Autumn 2011

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Transcript of West Wales Mason Magazine Autumn 2011