Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire
Archived News from Rossendale District

Burnley & Pendle and Rossendale Districts Joint Carol Service

The joint District Annual Carol Service took place on 9th December at St Peter's Parish Church Burnley. This year the event was organised by the Rossendale District. 

On left WBro Donald Simpson Burnley/ Pendle District Chairman accompanied by WBro David Biggs, Deputy Chairman.

Once again there was a Christmas Tree Festival being held in the Church which is for local organisations and charities to show their work in the community.  This year the Freemasons of Burnley and Pendle District sponsored a ChristmasTree and together with various display boards it was nice to see the Freemasons taking part and being able to display how Freemasonry helps and supports local and national charities together with local organisations. 

 

Some of the other Christmas Trees on display sponsored by local charities and organisations

The people who attended the Carol Service were able to see the Freemason'sTree and display along with trees and displays from other organisations and the whole service and seasonal refreshments were enjoyed by all who attended.


Tottington Lodge No 7537 celebrate their Golden Jubilee

On 24 October 2007 Tottington Lodge No 7537 celebrated their Golden Jubilee with a visit from the APGM WBro James Sutcliffe together with a Provincial Deputation

Pictured is the APGM WBro James Sutcliffe together with the members of Tottington Lodge No 7537 and the Provincial Deputation

To mark the occasion WBro Ken Hilton WM was promoted to the rank of PPJGW by WBro Sutcliffe on behalf of the RW Provincial Grand Master. WBro Hilton continued in office as WM leading the Lodge into their second 50 years.

Pictured is WBro James Sutcliffe APGM congratulating WBro Ken Hilton PPJGW

Bonus at Loyal Todmorden Chapter 219 - click for info

 

The Rochdale Lord Mayor and Senior Deacon of the Royds Lodge No 816 raises over £2,100 for his chosen charity

Bro Peter Evans the Senior Deacon of Royds Lodge and the Lord Mayor of Rochdale has pleged the funds raised at his charity evening at the Rochdale Masonic Hall to the Rochdale Childrens Moorland Home.

The Assistant Provincial Grand Masters for the Rochdale and Rossendale Districts and their teams were present in support of Bro Evans as well as a number of brethren from the Royds Lodge No 816.

Pictured are the Rossendale District Team from the left WBro Nick Pearson District Mentor, WBro John Farrington District Chairman, WBro James Sutcliffe Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Bro Peter Evans the Lord Mayor, Wbro Steve Barton District Deputy Chairman and WBro Dave Law District Charity Steward

Pictured above is the Lord Mayor Bro Peter Evans with the District Chairman WBro John farrington.

Bro Chris Flynn Junior Deacon of the Royds Lodge (picture below with the Mayor) was responsible for ‘boosting' the funds when he placed bids for a hippo teddy which raised over £400 in achieving over £2,100 on the night for the Rochdale Childrens Moorland Home. Unfortunately he was out bid at the last minute. !!!!!!

Freemasons Help Rossendale Hospice at The Rossendale Carnival

On Sunday 24th June a group of Rossendale Freemasons helped Rossendale Hospice at the annual Rossendale Carnival.

The procession paraded along a mile and a half route from Newchurch to Marl Pits Sports Centre where the Carnival was held. Along the whole of the route we jangled buckets collecting for the Hospice and people were very generous despite our being located towards the rear of the procession.

For the first time we erected a covered display stand giving information on Freemasonry in general and its aims/ objectives etc, together with further information on the various local and national charities we assist. Several Masonic aprons were also displayed and the stand drew a good number of enquiries from both Masons and the general public including asking and answering a variety of questions.

The weather stayed dry until 3.30pm when the ground was literally awash with the incessant and heavy rain, and sadly the whole Carnival was severely disrupted. Regretfully, the event finished early as a large majority of the visitors had already left.

John Farrington, Peter Marsh, Dave Law, Stewart Longworth & Duncan Ferguson

[David Bannister was also present but unavailable when this shot taken]

W Bro Peter Marsh stayed at the display whilst the rest of us intrepid outdoor types walked to join the Hospice in the Carnival procession at 12.00 noon. We did stop for refreshments at a brother's house along the way though, and these were gratefully received. Sincere thanks to Mrs F and her lovely garden furniture including the ‘portable' table.

A Teddy Bear raffle and the colourful display drew people to the stall and we all engaged in conversation with some who were Masonic widows and others who were just intrigued.

At least two persons expressed keen interest in the organisation and promised to follow this up; [one locally and one Rossendalian who lives in London and was visiting for the weekend may join. Several ladies were surprised to learn that there are Ladies Lodges in our Province.

My thanks are extended to those named above for their support, and for the kind loan of the Gazebo and display boards. 

I even got kissed by a camel!

Dave Law

Rossendale Charity Steward

Morecambe Bay walk raises over £2,000 for local charities

Pictured in the background is Rossendale District Chairman John Farrington together with the District Team.

On Sunday 10 June 2007 over 20 walkers raised over £2,000 for local charities which will be presented at a District giving night some time in the future. The weather was perfect on the day especially for the spectators.

 
First picture: Some of the walkers before the start of the walk across Morecambe Bay  

Second picture in the forground from the left, Donald Simpson, Bly & Pendle District Chairman, Jim Sutcliffe APGM, Steve Barton,Ross Dist Deputy Chairman,
   
Greg Casson Organiser, John Farrington Ross Dist
   
Chairman and David Biggs Bly & Pendle Deputy Chairman

A Masonic Triple-Whammy plus a bit more!

A total of £20,250 from the Grand Charity, ELMC Community Fund, Rossendale District and West Lancs to the North West Air Ambulance!

The ELMC Community Fund donated a cheque for £5,000 at a special event on April 12th, where we were represented by the Deputy Grand Superintendent, Jack Price.

At the same event, our ELMC donation was matched by a further £5,000 from the Province of West Lancashire , and by a cheque for £10,000 from the Grand Charity. Every little helps, Rossendale District also gave £250 at its first Giving Night.

The North West Air Ambulance (NWAA) is a unique regional medical air emergency service, covering Greater Manchester, Cheshire , Merseyside and Cumbria . It is a registered charity, which receives no mainstream funding, yet it offers a seven days a week, 365 days a year service, covering an area of 5,500 square miles. Costing over £1.3 million a year to maintain, the NWAA covers all major motorway incidents, and areas where there is poor or restricted road access. Called out on average four times a day, it has a maximum flying time of ten minutes to the nearest appropriate hospital, after its paramedic crew members have administered initial on scene treatment, enabling most patients to arrive at the hospital within the ‘Golden Hour,' thus maximising a patient's chance of survival and speed of recovery.

Giving Night held on 11 April 2007

13? Lucky for Some

Thirteen local charities spent a profitable evening with Rossendale District Freemasons at the recent Giving Night as cheques totalling £3,950 were handed over to charities nominated by Rossendale Lodges.

Photograph above shows James Sutcliffe Assistant Provincial Grand Master Rossendale District Freemasons & Paul Windle British Polio Fellowship and John Ellis in the background. 

A welcome part of the evening was an opportunity for everyone to find out more of the work undertaken by the charities and local Freemasons. As well as some portable ‘Exhibition' stands, each charity representative also said a few words about their own particular charity.

John Farrington, Chairman of Rossendale District Freemasons, also mentioned some of the donations made by the Freemasons National Charity that had been made to the national sections of some of the charities represented. These included the £500,000 to Hospices - £1000 of which had been given to our local Rossendale Hospice, and £64,000 to the British Heart Foundation.

James Sutcliffe, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master responsible for Rossendale, mentioned that the following night £5,000 was to be donated to the Northwest Air Ambulance along with another £5,000 from East Lancashire Freemasons.

It is a little known fact that English Freemasons are the largest donors to charities after the National Lottery with £75 million having been donated to non-Masonic charities over the last 25 years by ‘Grand Charity', the charity of the Grand Lodge of England and Wales .

It is impossible to say how much in total has been given as each Province, District and Lodge do not normally provide these figures to Grand Lodge.

The evening's donations from Rossendale Freemasons were as follows: -

£800 to Medequip4kids,£500 British Heart Foundation,

£400 Edgeside and District Family Theatre Workshop,

£300 Make a Wish,

£250 each to Northwest Air Ambulance, St. Johns Ambulance, Rossendale First Responders, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team,

£200 each to Rossendale Hospice, British Polio Fellowship, Neurofibromatosis, and

£100 to SSAFA Forces Help ( Lancashire ).

District Charity Steward David Law was thanked both for the hard work in organising the evening and the £540 sponsorship he raised for Medequip4kids by losing two stones in weight.

Following the formal part of the evening the Freemasons and charity representatives chatted over coffee and biscuits thus raising awareness of the charities and how to apply for support from the various Masonic charities.

If anyone is has a further interest in Rossendale and East Lancahire Freemasons please contact our newly appointed membership officer John Ellis by email john.s.ellis@talktalk.net

Andrew Greenhalgh

Communications Officer

Rossendale District

Rossendale Hospice receives a Grand Charity Cheque for £1,000

Diane Phelan (Fund Raiser) from the Rossendale Hospice pictured receiving a cheque from Grand Charity with Dave Law District Charity Steward on the left with John Farrington District Chairman on the right at the Rossendale District Officers meeting held on the 6 February 2007.

Dogs for the Deaf at Grants Lodge No 8825

Pictured in the foreground is John Broster's dog Coppers who is funded by the freemasons and behind the centre of attraction is Kip who had joined Norman McLaren at his raising ceremony at Grants Lodge No 8825 on 19 February 2007. Both dogs are "Dogs for the Deaf" who help John & Norman through their daily lives.

The supporting act is from the left is Grants Lodge Worship Master No 8825 Bro John Jackson, Bro Norman McLaren, WBro John Broster of the Lodge of Unanimity  No113 (West Lancashire) and WBro James Sutcliffe Assistant Provincial Grand Master

Open wide!

Pictured from left to right WBro Bernard Grubberman, Bro Josef Rich OBE and WBro Dr Nigel Graham Bramley-Haworth

 

On 15 January 2007 Grants Lodge No 8825 celebrated the election and impending installation as President of the British Dental Association of Bro Josef Rich OBE. This was attended by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master WBro Dr Nigel Bramley-Haworth in a private capacity with many other visiting brethren, including several dentists. 

Bro. Rich was addressed by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master in the Lodge and presented with a framed specially commissioned cartoon at the Social Board. He was also presented in Lodge with the Working Tools of a Dentist which were received with great hilarity by all present.

Edward Hartley celebrates 50 years as a Freemason on 19 September 2006

Over 50 members of Samaritan Lodge and the District Team met at Holmroyd, Bacup to celebrate the 50 years service Edward Hartley has given to Freemasonry. He is currently Master of Samaritan Lodge No 286 assisted by his brother Bryan as Director of Ceremonies. In the Lodge room APGM Jim Sutcliffe presented an illuminated scroll signed by the RW PGM which had been framed by the Lodge. At the Social Board Edward was also presented with an engraved crystal bowl to commemorate the occasion.

 

Pictured are from left to right: Bryan Hartley, John Farrington District Chairman, Jim Sutcliffe, Edward Hartley and Steve Barton District Deputy Chairman

District Team in action at the Rossendale Carnival on Sunday 25 June 2006

Pictured are the team of helpers from the Rossendale District working with the Rossendale Hospice to collect monies for the Hospice during the Rossendale Carnival at Marls Pits Rawtenstall on Sunday 25 June 2006 - another example of Freemasonry in the Community

Rossendale District working in the Community at Rawtenstall Asda
on Saturday 8 April 2006

Pictured at Asda Rawtenstall on Saturday 8 April 2006 from the left WBro James Sutcliffe APGM, E Comp R Neil Pickup APGPs, WBro John Farrington District Chairman, WBro Greg Casson District Co-ordinator Haslingden and WBro Dave Law District Charity Steward.

They were wearing their "Freemasonry in the Community" tee shirts as they collected monies for Rossendale Hospice.  They had volunteered for the first shift 8-00 until 10-00 am and collected over £100 for the Hospice.

Freemasonry in the Community in action!