It has been an action-packed year at Heritage Lodge and in this, the Craft’s Tercentenary year, it only seems like yesterday when I sat writing this same article for the website last year!
We have been very active in the year raising monies for Charity under both Ozan and Andrew’s Mastership’s and our total contributions to Charity for last year will most likely exceed £3500.00, which, for a small Lodge is a great achievement – well done to all who helped make this possible.
We have now posted two more articles on the website to accompany this one and hope that you are all now reading on a regular basis not only our own postings but accessing the various links to see what other Lodges are doing via the UGLE and other linked sites.
We have a Candidate for next year, so we look forward to introducing ‘new blood’ into the Lodge and continuing ‘on target’ with our planned progression plan for the future.
We have sent our usual cards and gifts to our Lodge Widows just recently and to the best of our knowledge they are all as well as can be expected and will hopefully make contact over the Christmas and New Year in response, as many of them have done in previous years.
For those of you who may have watched Piers Morgan interviewing our very own W.Bro. Max Vernon on Breakfast TV last month on the newly released film ‘6 Days’ which re-enacted his and the SAS’s involvement in the Iranian Embassy siege back in the eighties, I am sure you were left in awe of their bravery. If you haven’t watched it yet, I urge you to go on to NETFLIX and do so – I was left in tears at the end knowing Max as we do!!
Major world events in 2017 still leave us all in an uncertain and turbulent environment and Christmas should remind us that ‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All Men’ should be at the forefront of our thoughts at this festive time.
Take time to look around you and see if you can spread a little happiness, not only to those close to you, but the wider world in general.
I am reminded here of the story of ‘The Good Samaritan’ and an act that our WM Andrew witnessed at first hand earlier in the Summer.
A very good friend and P.I.G. of the Lodge, W.Bro. Austin Newman held a barbeque at his house in Caterham which Andrew and his Wife Barbarah attended and whilst in the High St. prior, purchasing some last minute stores, Bro. Austin spoke with a young man who appeared to be living on the street.
Later that afternoon when the party was in full swing the door bell rang and Andrew answered the door to be greeted by the same young man who announced that he had been invited to come along by Bro. Austin.
Andrew shouted out to Bro. Austin who responded back ‘yes its ok let him in’.
The young man in question was then treated not only to a beer and food but a shower which he duly took!!
It turned out that in the discussion that Bro. Austin had with the young man he was trying to get back home to Holland and had no money to return, had somehow then obtained a ticket home but not for a few days, hence sleeping rough in the town.
If we all took some time to ask such questions maybe we could all help someone in genuine distress who otherwise, on face value, we too quickly categorise by in-correct assumption?
I thought this was a good story to relay at this festive time and fortifies what Freemasonry stands for ‘Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth’!
If therefore you do nothing else this Christmas, then put a coin or two in to those worthy cause collection boxes and help those who help others.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year which I look forward to sharing once again with you all!
Seasons Kind & Fraternal Greetings
Tony Saunders