At the meeting of Samuel Pepys Lodge No. 8330 held on Thursday the 23rd of January 2020, the Worshipful Master, WBro David Senior, and the rest of the Lodge brethren were pleased to welcome twelve visitors from seven different lodges.
Amongst the four brethren visiting from Grey Friars Lodge No. 4990 in Northampton was Bro Clark Gilkes, the Lodge's Senior Deacon.
Bro Clark often buys items of regalia and other Masonic artefacts advertised for sale on the Internet before trying to return them to the lodges from which they originate.
On this occasion, Bro Clark was pleased to present the Lodge with a Grand Lodge certificate and other Masonic documents previously owned by WBro WB Hamilton, a Past Master of the Lodge.
Rather than just post the documents to the Samuel Pepys Lodge secretary, Bro Clark decided that he would take a delegation from Grey Friars Lodge and hand them over personally. The documents will be retained as part of the Lodge's archives.
From left, Bro Clark Gilkes (Grey Friars Lodge SD), WBro David Senior (Samuel Pepys Lodge WM), and WBro Rob Taylor (Samuel Pepys ADC)
Amongst the other brethren from Grey Friars Lodge was Bro Dave Crossley (now Master of Grey Friars Lodge - click here for details), who along with two other Grey Friars brethren - Bro Mark Hunt and Bro Matt Ellmer - are undertaking an 'N2HQ' fundraising walk from the Provincial HQ in Sheaf Close, Northampton to Freemasons' Hall in Great Queen Street, London in support of the 2024 MCF Festival. The walk commences on Sunday the 29th of March 2020.
Bro Dave explained this to the brethren of Samuel Pepys Lodge, who very generously decided to donate the £140 raised by the evening’s raffle to the N2HQ cause.
All in all it was a splendid meeting that saw the openings, closings and Working Tools from all three degrees plus the Second Degree Tracing Board.
The exemplary labour performed in the lodge was topped-off by a splendid festive board.