On Tuesday 23rd February the twinning took place between our Provinceâs Florence Nightingale Lodge of Mark Master Masons No. 44 and John Dee Lodge No. 1915 from the Mark District of Italy. This rare event was held at Mark Masonsâ Hall in St Jamesâs Street, London and, as you would expect for such a unique occasion, it was attended by our R.W. Provincial Grand Master, our Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Fred Brown one of our Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, along with the Past Provincial Grand Master R.W. Bro. Roger Henry Harley Croucher. The PGM was escorted into the Grand Temple by 18 active Provincial officers, all under the watchful eye of the Past Deputy Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Michael Edward Herbert.
Also in attendance was the Past PGM of Worcestershire, R.W.Bro. Francis Michael Spencer, who had been the Consecrating Officer when John Dee Lodge was formed in Rome in 2010 and also R.W.Bro. Anthony Morris, Past PGM of Leicestershire and Rutland, where many of the members of Florence Nightingale Lodge come from.
The R.W. Provincial Grand Master was welcomed to the lodge by W. Bro. Michael Pierpoint, Worshipful Master of Florence Nightingale Lodge and the PGM responded in both English and Italian, much to the delight of the brethren who had travelled from Rome.
The purpose of the two Lodges twinning is to bring them closer together in several ways. They âsolemnly pledge themselves to visit each otherâs Lodges, whenever practicable, for fellowship and the maintenance of the bond of friendship exemplified in this ceremony and to assist each other on such other Masonic and social endeavours as will further enhance the bond of friendship between the Lodgesâ.
Before the twinning ceremony, and in keeping with the cosmopolitan theme of the day, W. Bro. Pierpiont advanced Bro. Alp Omar Dogu who originally hails from Turkey.
The Worshipful Master of Florence Nightingale Lodge gave a brief history of the lodge and W.Bro. Massimo Antoci, Worshipful Master of John Dee Lodge, also gave a brief history of their lodge. The twining certificates were then presented; the English version being read by W. Bro. Ryan Williams Deputy Grand Secretary and the Italian version by Bro. Pierluigi Winkler. The Certificates were then signed by both Worshipful Masters, the R.W. Provincial Grand Master and W.Bro. P. Nicholas Emerton-Court, representative of the District Grand Master of Italy. Once signed the certificates were paraded around the lodge and returned to the secretaries of the respective lodges for safe keeping. To cement the bond between the two Lodges the Worshipful Masters exchanged gifts.
W.Bro. Martyn Summers PPrReg, Acting Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies | Photos by Bob Tuthill and Ian Gallehawk