Friday 2nd December played host to Shakspere 1009’s last meeting of the year, and saw the initiation of Bro Matt Holden in to the Lodge.
Attendance on the night was looking uncertain. The candidate is a serving Soldier in HM Forces and has returned from a 6-month deployment in the south Atlantic only 2 days before his Initiation, with his own attendance being at the mercy of the RAF. But more concerning was a series of unfortunate events that meant that very few members of Shakspere could actually attend on the evening.
With the candidate being a personal life-long friend of our club Secretary Bro Tom Daniel, a call-to-arms went out asking for Brethren to attend and to help make the evening special for our newly made Brother. The Brethren of the Manchester Level Club did not disappoint with 12 visitors from six Lodges attending to welcome Bro Holden in to the Craft.
Among the visitors, a special mention has to be made to Bro Hiten Patel, for his textbook delivery of the Charge, Bro Paul Mansell, who stepped in as Junior Warden with only a few minutes notice before the ceremony, and to Bro Francesco Toto, who stepped in as JD – half way in to the ceremony itself!
Twenty-three Brethren were in attendance that evening. Only two were Provincial officers, with everyone else being relatively junior Brethren, all at different stages in their Masonic journey, made for a disarming and relaxed atmosphere in the Lodge room.
Twelve visitors. All there to support and make the evening special for someone they had never even met. What an absolute credit to Freemasonry and an example of Masonic values being alive in our Province and rooted in our club.
Well done and thank you to everyone that attended and helped out