Strawberry Hill Lodge No.946

Our gathering on 1st July was our 650th Regular Meeting. 

It was attended by most of our members, their Ladies and our very welcome Masonic friends and too a rather different format than usual. 

We opened at 6.00pm: W.Bro. Gerald Butterworth – the IPM – took the Chair. By 6.20pm all the usual matters had been dealt with and the Lodge was Closed. While all this had been going on, our Ladies had been mustering around some bottles of “Fizz” in the Bar; our members and their guests promptly joined them for a suitable period of ‘refreshment’ themselves while the Temple was re-configured to a theatre layout. 

Everyone them returned and settled down for an excellent Talk by W.Bro. Robin Tarvin entitled “A Fallen Brother” – the story of Frederick Seddon, a Freemason, who murdered his lodger by extracting arsenic from ‘Fly-papers’ in 1912. The case became famous when the accused sought mercy from the sentencing Judge on the grounds that they were both “On the Square, as Brothers”. Bro. Robin enlarged on the basic tale to include references to all the other Masons involved in the case, both on the prosecution’s and the defendant’s sides and even the hangman! An engaging tale, very well told and much enjoyed. 

Everyone the moved on to the Festive Board where a superb Cold Buffet had been prepared by Vitalij and his team. 

All in all, an excellent way to mark the 649 previous Regular Meetings.

After a further year as our Ruling Master, W.Bro. Gerald Butterworth duly installed his successor, Bro. Pat Nelson.

Having been comrades-in-arms in their earlier years, it had been a long-held intention that the late W.Bro. Tom would Install Bro. Pat as his successor, but this was not to be. To keep Tom’s memory alive in the Lodge, it had been decided that his apron would be presented to every succeeding Master Mason for his first year in the Chair, through the years
to come. The apron having had a suitably inscribed ‘plate’ added to it’s reverse, it was appropriate and poignant that Bro. Pat should be its first recipient.

The highlight of this Meeting was the Initiation of Mr. Jonathan James Hook, an event even more outstanding than usual as Bro. Jonathan Hook, his father had proposed him and was Junior Deacon for the ceremony.

We’re looking forward to many years of “Bro. Jon ……….no not you, the other one” and “Bro. Son…….Yes, Bro. Dad” etc etc

Happy days of confusion !

After the Lodge had been Opened the Worshipful Master,

W.Bro. Gerald Butterworth, rose to deliver a Eulogy for the late W.Bro. Tom Jones who had eventually succumbed to the injuries he received when on his second Tour of Duty with the Welsh Guards in Afghanistan.

This being our Remembrance Meeting the Brethren rose and stood in silence remembering Bro. Tom and all those who had made the ultimate sacrifice, following which W.Bro. Chalky White gave the exhortation engraved on the Memorial at Kohima.

Mr. Jonathan James Hook was announced as an applicant for Initiation – proposed by his father also Bro. Jonathan Hook. Some future fun with two members of the same name was anticipated !

W.Bro. Chris Webster – a guest from the Lodge of Good Fellowship No. 8388 (Wilts) – then gave a history of mankind’s “communal dining” and “Toasting” practices and related them to our Festive Boards. Very interesting and expertly presented.

There sure is never a dull moment in Strawberry Hill!

Strawberry Hill’s July Meeting took on a slightly different format………..   opening at 6.30pm, the Lodge’s ‘administrative’ business had been completed was Closed by 6.45.  

Our wives, partners and other no-masonic guests then entered and the Worshipful Master, W.Bro. Gerald Butterworth PPrSGD, gave an explanation of the various Officers’ duties and illustrations of the different aprons that Masons wear. There then followed a superb Address by W.Bro. Keith Waters PSGD, PAPGM which covered the history and essentials of the Craft and some of his own, extensive, experiences therein.

Everyone then adjourned to the Bar before enjoying a superb Cold Buffet brilliantly put together by Cole Court’s excellent Chef, Vitalij Pavolovski.

All in all, a great success that may well generate one, if not two, Initiates.

A moment to reflect, remember and celebrate. Our installation meeting saw WBro Gerald Butterworth inducted as the Master and also a surprise presentation from the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, WBro Robert Rough, of a 50 year certificate to our long serving secretary WBro Ron Sharpe. We also received a eulogy from WBro Ron for our sadly departed brother, WBro Tom Jones, who unexpectedly passed to the Grand Lodge Above last month.

Rest in Peace Tom 💂🏻‍♀️

As our Installation Meeting was s bit shorter than usual – the
Worshipful Master, Tom Jones, and his Officers “going round again”
– we were able to welcome a new member, Mr Anders Willett.
This was an opportunity to use our newly acquired ‘Nautical’ Cable Tow.

It also completed Our ‘Three Musketeers’ as there are now three members of Strawberry Hill living in Brentford.

January’s gathering was another ‘first’ for the Lodge – we seem to be breaking new ground quite a lot these days…….

This time both our two members intended for Raising became unavailable a few days ahead of the ceremony. That led to the attendance by our long-distance members becoming an unreasonable ask, so they stayed away. Very fortunately, our friends in Justicia Lodge, No.2563, stepped up and filled the gaps.

With “necessity being the mother of invention”, after the Lodge had been Opened and the usual ‘admin’ items taken place, the DC and the Secretary read some of the ”Nuggets” from the Solomon website – the history and details of a Festive Board and Good Fire, among others – to fill the time available.

All-in-all it was a rather jolly time and was enjoyed by everyone – as was the usually excellent Festive Board after.

February ‘24

Our July Meeting was a bit different this year …………….

For very good individual reasons several of our senior officers could not attend and we were unable to carry out any ceremony. 

Instead we had a Q&A session between the Worshipful Master and the Acting Wardens extracted from the book by W.Bro.Harry Mendoza and covering a wide range of topics related to Freemasonry in its widest sense.

This was followed by a Presentation on “Your Lodge” from W.Bro. Lewis Read, the DC and “Getting your bearings” from the Secretary, W.Bro. Ron Sharpe. A different type of Meeting but one enjoyed and appreciated by our newer members.

As usual, an excellent Festive Board followed the Meeting.

Installing Master, John Moriarty, on the left and his successor, Tom Jones, at the 158^th Installation Meeting on Wednesday, 5^th April.