Friday the 13th - A Lucky Day for Herts KT

In Issue 2 of Freemasonry Today, p17, we carried the wrong story for the consecration of Preceptor Jacques de Molay No. 670, Province of Hertfordshire Knights Templar. Our apologies for the error. The correct story is below.

Friday the 13th – how many masons know the origin of this foreboding date? The concensus of opinion is that it took its rise from Friday, 13th October 1307, when Philip le Bel, King of France, arrested Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the chivalric Order of the medieval Knights Templar and every Knight he could get his hands on. This resulted in the total demise of the Order, so making Jacques de Molay the 23rd and last Grand Master.
     However, a much happier event took place exactly 700 years after this terrible day, when on 13th October 2007, over one hundred modern Knights Templar gathered at the Halsey Masonic Hall, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, to witness the Consecration of a new Preceptory – Jacques de Molay No. 670, with 32 Founders.
     The Provincial Prior, Brian Blanchard, and Sub-Prior Tony King led the consecration and Provincial Prelate Andrew Davey expounded on the nature and principles of the Order.
     He took his text from the passage of Ephesians which is used in that part of the ceremony of the Installation of a Knight when he ‘assumes the garb of a Soldier of the Cross.’ The ceremony was enhanced by the loan from Hertfordshire Craft Province of a magnificent set of consecration vessels...
     The new Preceptor has 32 Founders, including a Knight Commander of the Temple, Arthur Craddock, a Very Eminent Knight, Brian Juniper, the first Preceptor, two Great Priory Officers, Leslie Butler and Peter Brill, a member of the Grand Master’s Body Guard, Eric Turver, and eight other Provincial Officers.

Visit www.ktherts.com for a full coverage of the consecration.

Mark Celebrations in Kent

The Grand Mark Lodge of Kent has celebrated its 150th anniversary at Bromley, and a month later a new Provincial Grand Master, Roger Croucher, was installed by John Hale, Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, at the Winter Gardens, Margate.
     Roger Croucher, the 12th Provincial Grand Master for Kent, succeeded Roland Wade, who had held the office for the past five years. During his time in office, he had visited every Mark Lodge or its associated Royal Ark Mariner Lodge in the Province and had also visited every Province in the Constitution in addition to a number of Districts overseas.
     The PGM installed Peter Williams as his deputy and Alan Eadie and Frank Holding as Assistants.
     All the brethren present received a Mark Token specially struck for the event, whilst the ladies received an orchid. In addition, everyone received a copy of a 56-page publication describing significant events of 150 years ago.

Surrey Royal and Select Consecration

South West Surrey Masonic Centre at Guildford was the recent setting for the consecration of the District of Surrey’s eighth Council, Weyside No.277, Order of Royal and Select Masters.
     Nineteen Companions signed the Petition for a new Council, the name of which reflects the location of the Masonic Centre on the banks of the River Wey.
     The Grand Master, J. Alan Wright, assisted by Officers of Grand Council, carried out the consecration, and the acting Grand Chaplain, the Reverend W. Desmond Payne-Jeremiah, delivered an Oration on the nature and purpose of the Institution.
     Arnold Long, District Grand Master for Surrey, installed the first Thrice Illustrious Master of the Council, Don Panton, who then appointed and invested his officers.