RA Banquet 11 June 2010

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The Royal Arch Charity Banquet 11 June 2010

"End of term party"

The 19th Annual Royal Arch Banquet held at Freemasons' Hall, Manchester on 11 June 2010 was yet another unequivocally succesful evening for the East Lancashire Royal Arch Province. Ladies and Companions met for a champagne reception in the Memorial Hall before being called through for a fabulous meal in the adjacent Derby suite.

Memorial Hall

Banquet in the Derby

The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent and Dorothy were in excellent spirit as they greeted guests from across the Royal Arch Province. Jack described the evening as, "The most eagerly awaited event of the calendar year", and, later, he thanked the organising committee, David Thompson, Hans Reidlsperger and Arthur Axford, for what had proved to be a tremendous evening, before wishing everybody a lovely summer with the hope that they returned refreshed in the autumn.

Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, EComp Jack Price, with Dorothy

The host for the evening was EComp Allan Bennion, Deputy Grand Superintendent, who had the ever-impeccable Wes Marchant as his Director of Ceremonies. Allan gave full details of the agenda for the evening and gave an eloquent and interesting description of each of the wines which were to accompany the various courses on the menu - like a true sommelier. The Royal Arch Executive were present in full with support given by the Second and Third Provincial Grand Principals and the five Assistants to the Provincial Grand Principals.


EComp Allan Bennion, DepGSupt with EComp Wes Marchant, ProvGDC

EComp Bill Porter, Second Provincial Grand Principal	EComp Donald Pryce, Third Provincial Grand Principal

Assistants to the Provincial Grand Principals
David Thornton, Michael Landriau, Ed Cheadle, Norman Clarke and Stuart Hughes

Also present was the Deputy Provincial Grand Master in the Craft, VWBro Harold Woodward with the lovely Phyllis (below) and the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, Derek Thornhill and Alexander McLaren.

Harold and Phyllis Woodward

In charge of arrangements for the evening was EComp David Thompson, Past Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals and currently Chairman of the RMBI 2015 Festival Committee. David has been in charge of this banquet each year since the first such event styled as the Royal Arch Banquet in 1991. Since then the evening has become ensconced in Provincial tradition and has been succesful every year. The main aim of setting up the Banquet was to promote the Royal Arch to the members of the Province and provide it with a higher profile, especially within the Craft, and to encourage non-Royal Arch masons to become members of it. One of the other aims is to raise money for charity and this year alone the evening's raffle raised £1370. Recent donations have been to the Rainbow Trust and the Duchess of York Hospital. This year a donation of £5000 was made to the Province's RMBI 2015 Festival.

EComp David Thompson

EComp Arthur Axford, Past Deputy Grand Superintendent, was the instigator of these functions when back in 1991 he ran a banquet in aid of SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help), The following year he was appointed Deputy Grand Superintendent and this event then became the Royal Arch Charity Banquet. The rest is history as they say, but we are all still pleased to have a healthy and vibrant Arthur enjoying 'his' evening as well as serving still on the organising committee.

EComp Arthur Axford with Ladies