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Report on the AGM and Annual Festival, High Wycombe, 2010

Old Wycombiensian Lodge, No. 6754, hosted the 63^rd Annual Festival of the Federation of School Lodges in the Queen’s Hall of the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe on Saturday, September 4^th 2010.   Over 220 members attended the Lodge Meeting which included the Prestonian Lecture, Music in Masonry and Beyond, delivered by W.Bro. Wayne Buffet Warlow, the well known Musical Director, Composer, Conductor, Arranger, Producer and Presenter.

His lecture was the highlight of the day, many of us knew prior to the meeting that Mozart was a Freemason but Wayne Warlow informed us that Haydn and Sibelius were masons, and Irving Berlin Jerome Kern, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Sigmund Romberg, Al Jolson and Joe Loss were also freemasons.

Sir Arthur Sullivan, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, was the Grand Organist of the United Grand Lodge of England during Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year. Some 49 members did not dine but and an identical number of Ladies joined the members for the Festive Board.   While the members enjoyed the lecture the ladies made up two parties, one to visit Hughenden Manor, the home of Prime Minister Disraeli, and much later used by Bomber Command during World War II, and the other to visit the Chair Museum at High Wycombe.   The town, situated in the middle of beech woods was the centre of the chair making industry during the last century.

The meeting was honoured by the presence of W.Bro. Mike Stimson, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire, and W.Bro. Gordon Robertson, also Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire,  R.W. David Jenkins, the Provincial Grand Master of Somerset, who attended as a member of the Taunton School Lodge, R.W. Bro. Digby Woods, Past ProvGM of Berkshire,

V.W.Bro. Nelson Hall, Past Dep ProvGM of Buckinghamshire, V.W.Bro. Jeffrey Gillyon, Deputy ProvGM Yorkshire North and East Riding, and the President of the Federation.  V.W.Bro. Dr. Nigel Bramley- Howarth., Past.Dep ProvGM of East Lancashire.

W.Bro. Bramley Howarth gave an excellent speech when presenting books for the school library to Mr. Roy Page, Headmaster of the Royal Grammar School. The Chairman of the Federation, W.Bro. Norman Rowe of the Old Hamptonian Lodge, whose sons had attended the RGS High Wycombe, enjoyed with Mr. Page some entertaining banter on the successes of the two schools and their old boys.

Future Festivals

Future festivals will be hosted by the following lodges in the years shown here:

2011     Truro School Lodge No.    5630, Truro

2012     Old Strodian Lodge No. 7803, Chertsey

2013     South Shore Lodge No. 4672, Blackpool

2014     Old Verulamians Lodge No. 7988, St. Albans

2015     Shenstonian Lodge No. 5544, Knowle

2016     Old Helean Lodge No. 6797, Exeter

2017     Old Pocklingtonian Lodge No. 7867, Pocklington

2018     Taunton School Lodge No. 8215, Taunton

2019     Old Crosbeian Lodge No. 4992,Crosby

2020     Kingswood School Lodge No. 4197, London

2021     Old Cedarians Lodge No. 8078, Leighton Buzzard

2022 – 2026 To Be Allocated

2027     Richard Collier Lodge No. 4905, Horsham

2028     Old Albanian Lodge No. 4905, St. Albans

2029 – 2031 To Be Allocated

2032     Old Brentwoods Lodge No. 5342, Brentwood

Midlands Cluster 2009 – 2010

Schola Warwicensis Lodge 9321

Friday 2nd October 2009

Third Degree

Old Halesonian Lodge 7104

Wednesday 9th December 2009

First Degree – as in 1765 costume

Christmas Festive Board

including

Boar’s Head Carol

Old Veseyan 7924

Friday 22nd January 2010

Visit of Lodge of Glittering Star No 322

Irish Constitution

Who will hold a full Meeting.

Report on the 2008 festival

The Old Wellingburian Lodge No 5570 hosts the 61st Annual Festival of The Federation School Lodges

Click to view pictures.

By the kind permission of the Headmaster and Governors of Wellingborough School the OW Lodge, on Saturday 6th September, had the privilege of hosting the 61st Annual Festival of the National Federation of School Lodges. When we were honoured by the presence of the Mayor of Wellingborough Councillor Mrs E Higgins, The Headmaster. Mr Garry Bowe and the Provincial Grand Master together with over 200 distinguished Masons from Old Boys’ Lodges from across England and Wales coming from as far as Cardiff, Truro, and York, together with 60  wives and partners.

The day commenced with a rousing Service of Thanksgiving in the School Chapel, where the Headmaster and the WM, W.Bro Jerry Higgins read the lessons, symbolically showing the close association of the Lodge with the School. This was followed by a Lodge meeting in the afternoon in the School Hall where, in a glittering ceremony, the new Lodge Banner was dedicated and a past masters Board unveiled by The Provincial Grand Master. In the presence of the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro Watyne Williams, a past Provincial Grand Master of Surrey, The President of the Federation V W Bro Jeffrey Gillyon, Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Yorkshire, North and East Ridings, and over 30 Active and Past Grand Lodge Officers and some 170 Brethren. W. Bro Brian Huckle then gave an interesting and highly entertaining talk about the history of Wellingborough and some of his reminiscences of his time at the school and his early memories of journeys to Lodge in London. The Ladies in the meantime enjoyed a private tour of Boughton House followed by a cream tea.

The day ended with Dinner in the newly refurbished School Dining Hall where all enjoyed a most splendid meal and very enjoyable company. We thank members of The School Staff, Wellingborough Masonic Centre, the School CCF and the School Prefects in helping us to stage a truly magnificent Masonic occasion. (Despite the appalling weather!)

Brian Strudwicke

2007 Festival photograph

2007 Festival