Almost six months to the day since the last meeting in the Province before lockdown and the general suspension of all Masonic activity, Rochester’s Pentangle Mark Lodge No. 682 held a Regular Meeting at the Howard Hall in Wigmore on Friday 18th September.
On Monday 16th March, less than 24 hours before the suspension was announced, St George’s Mark Lodge No. 1061 held a meeting at Franklin Rd in Gillingham which was attended by just three Past Masters and two other Brethren. The meeting was opened by W. Bro. Ivor Hawkins IPM, as the Worshipful Master W. Bro. Roy Croucher could not safely attend due to the virus. The Lodge was opened at 18.40, the minutes of the November meeting were read confirmed and signed; as there was no Advancement of a candidate and there being no further business the Lodge was closed at 18.55. The Secretary, John Harding commented “Afterwards we all enjoyed a drink and a chat in the bar about what might be to come and when we might be able to meet again”.
Five days after the Pentangle meeting, the Malling Abbey Mark Lodge No. 1425 also held a meeting at the Howard Hall, Wigmore on Wednesday 23rd September. Lodge Secretary Alvin Fenner told us “With the lockdown being imposed from March until July we missed our June meeting. However, being determined to try to resume normal working as soon as possible and hearing that the Howard Hall at Wigmore were opening for Masonic meetings we managed to secure our regular meeting date of 23rd September. A Dispensation was obtained and armed with our Warrant we moved the meeting to Wigmore. In the meantime, new Covid-19 restrictions were imposed limiting meetings to six people, but we decided that the meeting should still proceed”.
The meeting was primarily to elect a new Master for our Installation meeting in November as W. Bro. Simon Clare, the current Master had already served two years as Master and a Dispensation would be required to allow him to serve for a further year. In the event W. Bro. Trevor Sharpe was elected to serve as our Worshipful Master from the date of our next Installation meeting and W. Bro. Norman Sams was re-elected as Treasurer.