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Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons East Lancashire The News |
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| WBro George M Cattanach celebrates 65 years a Mark Mason |
| The Deputy Provincial Grand Master VW Bro David Anderson PGJO, visited Blair Lodge of Mark Master Masons No: 113 on the 13th April 2011 to celebrate W Bro George M Cattanach PProv GSW 65 years of Mark Masonry. |
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| On leaving school aged 14 he started work with the BBC, on what was going to be a long and distinguished career working in television. George met his wife Glenys on a cycling holiday in Denmark and Sweden in 1951 and they got married in March 1953, shortly after George was transferred from the televisions outside broadcast to the BBC’s design unit in London. At the end of 1954 he was transferred to Manchester to be part of the team that opened the North West into the Television world and in 1955 he moved to Granada TV where he assisted opening the headquarters in Quay Street. |
 George and the DPGM and members of Blair Lodge |
His Masonic career started when he was initiated into the Kilmolymock Lodge No 45, meeting in the Scout Hall in Elgin, under the Scottish Constitution and became a Mark Master Mason on 1st April 1946. He Joined Slade Lodge No 5883 and was its Worshipful Master in 1978, 1993 and 1994. He also joined the Lodge of St Thomas No 5497 in 1972 and Hazeldene No 4681 in 1998 and Hyndburn Lodge of Installed Masters in 1999. In 1981 he was appointed PProv Dep G Supt of Works and promoted PProv GJW in 1994. In Royal Arch he was exalted in Moray Chapter No 263 in 1948 later joining Fellowship Chapter in 1973 and Wisdom chapter in October 1985, gaining Provincial ranks of Prov G Std B in 1986, PProv G Swd B in 1991 and PProv GSN in 1995. |
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| The Mark Degree George joined Cornwall-Legh Mark Lodge No 839 in Feb 1973 and Cornwall –Legh Royal Ark Mariner No 839 in 1976, Blair Lodge of Mark Masters No 113 in 1984 and Hargreaves Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners No 113 in 1986. He served in Cornwall-Legh Mark Lodge No 839 as Worshipful Mark Master in 1980. In Blair Mark Lodge No 113 he was Secretary from 1985 to 1999 and once again he is back in the Masters Chair of Blair Lodge. In 1996 he was Worshipful Commander of Hargreaves Lodge of Royal Ark Mariner and was its Scribe for over 15 years. He was appointed Prov SGD in 1988 and promoted to PProv GSW in 1998. In the Royal Ark Mariner degree he was appointed Prov RAMGR in 2001 and RAMGR in 2006. |
 George was presented with a Certificate of Congratulations from The Provincial Grand lodge of East Lancashire |
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 Members of Provincial Team who attended with the DPGM |
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Grand Lodge of Mark Master Mason does not recognise 65 years as a milestone however our Provincial Grand Master RWBro Keith Partington Schofield considers that we in the Province should mark it and so, the DPGM passed on the good wishes not only from all the Brethren present but also from the entire Province.George also received a personal letter of congratulations from The Provincial Grand Master. |
| Joe Smith, 17th time as Master of a Lodge |
| W Bro Joe Smith who will be 92 this year is no stranger to the Masters Chair. On Tues 8th Feb he was Installed into the chair of Quatuor Legati Lodge of MMM No 1165, the 17th time he has been Installed as Master of a lodge. |
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He is also at the IPM of Quatuor Legati Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners. |
| Christmas at Cannons Court |
| We celebrated the 100th birthday of Phyllis Bell who lives at Cannons Close with a party for 80 family and friends at Farnworth Masonic Hall on the 6th November. But it looks like Phyllis has found a new friend who visited the residents of Cannons Close during their Christmas Party on the 14th December. She proudly showed him a card from another VIP when he dropped in to see her. |
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| Phyllis Bell Celebrates her 100th Birthday |
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Phyllis Bell who lives at Cannons Close, celebrated her 100th Birthday with a party for 80 family and friends at Farnworth Masonic Hall on the 6th November. Phyllis is the Widow of the late Mark Mason Bro Fred Bell and four generations of her family came along to the celebration. Special guests were The Provincial Grand Master Keith Schofield and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Councillors John and Linda Byrne who dropped in to give their best wishes. The Party was organised by Bro John Tiler and the Canons Close Committee, John has overseen the celebration of several 90th Birthdays at Canons Close in recent years and many of Phyllis’s younger neighbours were there for this special celebration. Phyllis asked that donations be made to the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund in lieu of presents, but she still received an impressive amount of floral bouquets. |
The Provincial Grand Master welcomed everyone and offered congratulations to Phyllis on behalf of the Province and then presented flowers to the Mayoress Linda Byrne |
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The Mayor then offered congratulations on behalf of the people of Bolton. |
 Phyllis got lots of cards , including this special one from the Queen. |
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Phyllis chatting to The Provincial Grand Master Keith Schofield and the Mayor and Mayoress  |
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| Phyllis with the Mayor and Mayoress and members of her family. Phyllis was born in Knutsford and moved to Bolton when she was 12. She worked at the Co-op where she met her first husband Joe Higginson, they had 3 children, Joan, Christine and Philip, she was an active member of St Augustine's Church where she was a Sunday school teacher. In 1981 she married Fred Bell and added his sons Duncan and Roger to the family. Phyllis has 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. |
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The PGM proposed a toast to Phyllis who then replied, saying she appreciated the effort that had gone into the event and thanked everyone for coming, her daughter Joan said a few words about her mothers eventful 100 years and thanked everyone on behalf of the family before bringing out the birthday cake for Phyllis to cut. |
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Bro John Tiler presenting Phyllis with flowers on behalf of the Cannons Close Committee  |
 Bro Gordon Rosbotham a member of St Georges Lodge, one of Fred's Lodges, presented Phyllis with a bouquet on behalf of the members of the Lodge |
| WBro Robert Kay Golden Jubilee in Royal Ark Mariners |
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The address was given by WBro David Anderson, RAMGR, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, at Mount Horeb Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners TI on Saturday 30th October 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary in the Royal Ark Mariners of WBro Robert Kay, RAMGR which he achieved on the 15th October 2010. Bob was born in Darwen on the 2nd January 1921, a year when the Monarch was King George V and the Prime Minister - David Lloyd George, heading a coalition. Bob first went to Howick Church of England School then St Stephens Preston and finally Leigh Church of England Parish Church High School. |
| On leaving school he started work as an office boy at J Boardman furniture retailer of Leigh. From there he was employed by Ratcliffs Hardware (Leigh) Ltd., and then on to W Boardman Gents Outfitters. In May 1942 he followed his father as a sub postmaster. In August 1942 he joined the RAF and served his country until 1st February 1946 when upon leaving the RAF he once again joined the Post Office and remained there as sub postmaster for over 50 years until his retirement. He has been an active member of the RAF association for over 50 years as well as the National Federation of Sub Postmasters. |
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| Bob married his wife Joan on 15th Oct 1947 they had no children but had a long and happy marriage. Sadly she died just short of their 60th wedding anniversary. Joan was a lovely lady, always happy and caring and full of concern for other people. In the Mark Degree, Bob was advanced into F.W.Broadbent Lodge No 1132 on 16th April 1958 by the then IPM W Bro Alan King. He was proposed into the Lodge by Bro Cyril Lawton & Seconded by Bro William Yates. He was also a Founder of Leigh Mark Lodge No1322 on 16th April 1960. He was made a Provincial Grand Steward in 1973 he joined 1272 (the Stewards Lodge) and became Master in 1988, the year after Bobby Bell and the year before Alan Garvey. |
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On 15th October 1960 he was elevated into Mount Horeb Royal Ark Mariner Lodge T.I. Bob was also a Founder of Leigh Royal Ark Mariner Lodge No 1322 on 7th November 1968. After having taken all the roles in the Mount Horeb Lodge, in 1967 he became Worshipful Commander. Bob was honoured with Grand Rank in 1989 He Joined the Allied Masonic Degree and was admitted into Goulburn Council No 36 on 15th October 1960, the same day as Mount Horeb Royal Ark Mariners and hence he celebrated 50 years in the Allied Degree the same day. |
| 50th Anniversary of WBro David Dugmore Banks in Mark Masonry |
| The address was given by VWBro. David Anderson PGJO Deputy Provincial Grand Master, at Perseverance Lodge of Mark Masters No: 403 on Monday 13th September 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary in Mark Masonry of WBro David Dugmore Banks which he achieved on the 9th May 2010. | |
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He was advanced into Perseverance Lodge of Mark Masters on the 9th May 1960 and became Worshipful Master in January 1977. David was appointed to Mark Provincial rank in 1980 with his first rank of PProvGSD, again after undertaking most offices in the Lodge he was promoted to PProvGSO during 1989 and to PProvGSW in 2005. David started his career at Whitebirk Power Station as an Engineer in the Design Office. He then moved to Hindle and Son and Witton which later became Scapa Dryers Ltd and where he later became a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. David was very upset when the Company he had known for so long was sold to Voith Fabrics Limited and he duly retired. |
| He is the Author of a textbook on Industrial Hydraulics and also compiled a booklet on Scapa Dryers – The Early years which are both brilliantly written and very interesting. A great part of his life has been involved in motorcycling which began in 1947 with a 100cc Autocycle, soon progressing to a ‘250’ then a 350cc David still attends some of the NWC and ACU meetings and never misses going to the Manx Grand Prix where he has made many friends. He spent 23 years as a Justice of the Peace in Blackburn – a position he enjoyed and took very seriously and was sorry to leave when he had to retire in 2001 at the age of 70. |
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He attends Immanuel Church, Feniscowles and has been a Churchwarden there for the past 12 years. He is married to Margaret and has two children, Graham and Nick and two grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family and, although they live away from Blackburn, are always interested and keen to know what they are all doing and he spends considerable time going down to see them for short breaks |