Yarm Lodge No 9544 supports Cardiology Unit

In February this year, Yarm Lodge, in conjunction with Vulcan Lodge, held a ladies’ Dinner Dance at the Tall Trees Hotel in Yarm. Thanks to the generosity of the guests, a total sum of £660 was raised for charity. This sum was split equally between Yarm and Vulcan Lodges for presentation to a charity of their choice. Bro John Taylor, Master of Yarm Lodge is pictured presenting a cheque for £330 to Consultant Cardiologist Dr Janet McComb at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

HOLDERNESS LODGE SUPPORTS THE LIFEBOAT

At its Meeting on Monday 18th February 2008, the Holderness Lodge hosted the crew of the Withernsea Lifeboat at its Festive Board. Afterwards, Martin Woodhouse the Operations Manager gave a very informative talk, explaining how the RNLI, and in particular the Withernsea Lifeboat Station, operates. Bro Dieter Ellwood, Master of the Lodge, then presented Martin with a cheque for £500.00. The money, which had been raised at recent meetings will be used in Withernsea to provide equipment for use at the Lifeboat Station.

Martin Woodhouse invited all members of the Lodge and their partners to visit the Lifeboat Station in the near future for a guided tour and this is something members look forward to.

The Master expressed his hope that, despite the Holderness Lodge relocating to the Masonic Hall, Beverley Road, Hull , it would maintain its links with Withernsea and continue to support not only the Lifeboat Station, but also other Withernsea good causes.

The Master, Dieter Ellwood and other members of the Holderness Lodge with Martin Woodhouse, Operations Manager of Withernsea Lifeboat Station.

‘Bear’ necessities pay off

What a difference a year has made to young patients visiting the accident and emergency department.

Hundreds of children attending casualty in The James Cook University Hospital over the last 12 months have gone home with their own teddy bear.

The bears are generously provided by Yorkshire, North and East Ridings Freemasons as part of their TLC ‘Teddies for Loving Care’ Appeal for medical staff to hand out – at their discretion – to children who are in distress.

Since the appeal was launched, more than 400,000 of the children’s favourites have been distributed to accident and emergency departments nationwide and in Middlesbrough hundreds have gone to good homes.

Accident and emergency sister Sue Murphy said: “They’ve been a great distraction for some children in helping to take away the trauma of coming into the department.

“The kids think they’re great, give them names and in some cases bring them back if they have to return to hospital to get further treatment or a plaster cast removed. Staff really like them as well as it’s great to make a child smile!”

Yorkshire, North and East Ridings organiser for the Freemasons John Hemy added: “We’re delighted the appeal has been so successful and we’re hoping to build on that success and keep it going.”

A little bit of TLC: (left to right) John Hemy and Sue Murray with department clerk Rachel Forster and new Teesside co-ordinator for the Freemasons Edmund Levie

Remembrance Day

On Sunday, 11th November 2007 wreaths were laid on behalf of the Freemasons of Middlesbrough at Remembrance Day Services held at the Cenotaph, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough and St. Cuthberts Church, Ormesby.

Each year a different Middlesbrough Lodge provides volunteers to take part in these ceremonies. Ceremonies that honour all those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Should you require any further information please contact Barry Hill on 01287 632854.

DAREDEVIL PENSIONER

Bro Bill Fothergill of the Old Guisborian Lodge No 7793 completed a death defying 10,000ft parachute jump on his 80th birthday to raise money for a Breast Cancer Charity. Bill's 'Highjump' raised £2,240 and shows you are never to old to take extraordinary steps to help those in need. Members of the local lodges in his area contributed by sponsoring Bill, being delighted, as Freemasons, to have the opportunity to promote and support him and others like him, who take the time and make the effort to raise funds for Charity.

THE EAST YORKSHIRE SHOW AT DRIFFIELD

Despite the number of shows that have been cancelled due to flooding and foot and mouth, the 132nd Driffield Show managed to go ahead. The Show which now markets itself as the East Yorkshire Show is the biggest one day show in the UK and attracts in the region of 20,000 visitors. This year for the first time, lodges from Hull and East Yorkshire funded and co-hosted a stand with the focus being on Freemasonry in the Community. Visitors were able to see what Freemasons in general and individual lodges have done across the UK as well as locally.

Visitors to the stand included the Mayor of Driffield, Councillor John Pougher and Mayoress Councillor Wendy Oliver. Bro Trevor Black was interviewed 'live' on Radio Humberside at the Show to explain the reasons behind the stand and to encourage people to visit and ask questions.

The Provincial Grand Master Richard Anderson and his Deputy Jeff Gillyon were also in attendance and the day was considered to be hugely successful.

Trevor Black (Sykes); David Taylor (Wyke Millenium); John Wheeldon (St Michael); Coun John Pougher (Mayor); Coun Wendy Oliver (Mayoress); Richard Anderson (PGM); Ken Eyre(Sykes); John Bridges (Wilberforce).

Not in the photograph, but also extremely active on the day were Alan Wilson(Kingston);Dave Tunstall (Ridings Tablers); Ian Garmston (Constitutional).

The centre piece of the stand was a locator board, designed by John Bridges to show the public the names of the lodges and where they meet across East Yorkshire and Hull.

TEDDIES ARRIVE IN SCARBOROUGH

On Tuesday 7th August 2007 at Scarborough A&E Department, a Scheme called 'Teddies for Loving Care' was launched by Jeff Gillyon, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master.

The Scheme has a simple objective, namely to provide teddies or soft toys to A&E units. These are supplied for the medical staff to give, at their discretion, to children who are in distress, where the staff feel that a teddy to cuddle will help alleviate that distress and assist them in their urgent work. The children take the teddies home with them.

This initiative has already been launched by the Province at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Hull Royal Infirmary and the York District Hospital is expected to follow Scarborough shortly. This is an ongoing project and the Province will continue to support the A&E Departments in these hospitals for many years to come. Should you require any further information please call 01262 678299 or 07785994931.

Nurse Flaire Tuliao in a play house with a young man who is taking care of some bears. (incidentally, the play house was also donated by local masons)

You are never too old.

Brother Maurice Smith, a member of the Dundas Lodge in Middlesbrough is 76 years of age. He is proving that you are ‘never too old’ by attempting to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End. 

The ride will be done in stages and he has just completed the first stage, which was from John O’Groats to Aberdeen, a distance of 320 miles. The remaining stages are to undertaken in subsequent years, which Maurice says will give him the will to live!

Doing the ride has been a lifetime ambition. To ensure someone else benefits from his efforts he is raising money for a fund called a ‘Time to Talk’ which is seeking to raise £14,000 to purchase a special computer for Owen McGarry, an 11 year old boy who is a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Owen is unable to communicate with others, but the computer will enable him to do so. £955 was raised from sponsorship and a further £500 was donated by members of his own Lodge, making a total of £1,455.

Maurice said of the ride: - “At times it was rather challenging, but most enjoyable. I had the opportunity to see some fantastic scenery at leisure and meet some of the most eccentric and unforgettable characters along the way.” Apparently certain compulsory stops were made at one or two famous Whisky Distilleries for interest and sustenance.

BURLINGTON CHAPTER REACTS TO HULL FLOODING

On a visit to a Hull Lodge, a member of Burlington Chapter heard an urgent appeal for assistance. Electrical white goods are desperately needed for flood victims as there is an acute shortage of kitchen equipment throughout the flooded area.

Although the Chapter is presently in its Summer recess, arrangements were nevertheless quickly made to fund the purchase of two new electric cookers and these were subsequently delivered to the Hull Council Relief Team.

THE POWER OF SPEECH

At a family lunch arranged by the Roseberry Installed Masters' Lodge, and a presentation was made by Malcolm Burton to a senior speech therapist at the NHS South Tees Trust.

The equipment which has been provided is an auditory feedback device that fits in the ear, rather like a hearing aid. It is a speech fluency device which tricks the brain into thinking that the person is talking along with someone else, thereby unblocking the impediment. The device, called 'SpeechEasy', is fairly new to the UK although several thousand have been sold in the United States and on the Continent. It is now available locally at a cost of £3,050 inclusive of consultation, fitting and insurance and the money allowing the purchase was provided by De Brus Lodge, Roseberry Chapter and the Provincial Grand Charity.

At the presentation, a further £300 was donated to the speech therapy unit by the Roseberry Lodge and the Redcar Chapter, towards the purchase of a video projector and replacement of an old overhead projector. Malcolm Burton (Lodge Information Officer), together with Richard Anderson (Provincial Grand Master) and Philip Stewart (Chairman of the Freemasons' Provincial Grand Charity) make the presentation.

HELP FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

Freemasons in the North & East Ridings of Yorkshire intend to make an immediate donation of £5,000 to the British Red Cross appeal for those affected by the floods in Hull and surrounding area.

This will be matched by a further £5,000 donated by the Freemasons’ Grand Charity based in London which has set aside an initial £35,000 for allocation to different affected areas.

The British Red Cross are reported to be at the forefront of relief efforts and it is hoped that these donations will help to maintain their refuge services and the start of the clean-up process.

YORK MINSTER AND THE ST WILLIAM WINDOW

In 1996 the Province started a Millennium project to raise a substantial contribution towards the refurbishment of the St William Window in York Minster. Freemasonry has many connections with the Minster, beginning with the stone masons who built it and over the years major contributions have been made to maintain the Minster in good condition.

Under the patronage of the late RW Bro Gerald Coles, then the Provincial Grand Master, a sum which ultimately totalled £440,000 was raised towards the substantial cost of repairing the lead and damaged glass. Lodges were able to subscribe for one or more panes and those who did, have a “quarry” placed in the refurbished window to mark their contribution.

On 8th June 2007 the Minster opened its doors to a special Evensong when several hundred Freemasons and their families joined the congregation to give thanks for the project and for the Dean of York Minster to dedicate the window afresh. The Provincial Grand Master read a lesson and he and his fellow Rulers were very pleased to see a large contingent of Brethren supporting them.

After the service some 230 gathered at York Race Course to enjoy a buffet supper. The Dean and Precentor of the Minster were invited as our guests at what turned out to be a very happy and special occasion in the life of the Province.

NORTH YORKSHIRE SCOUTING ON THE MOVE!

At a ceremony at Ripon Trailers, Ripon, on 1st June, North Yorkshire Scouts took possession of a mobile display unit which will be used to promote scouting at a range of venues throughout the county.

The unit has been largely funded by a grant of £3500 from the Freemasons of the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire and sponsored by the Lodge of St Hilda which meets at the Masonic Hall, Roman Road, Middlesbrough. Display panels inside the trailer have been produced by John Davey Ltd. (John Davey is a member of the Lodge of St.Hilda). Other donations from Skipton Building Society, Shepherds Building Group, McCains Foods, William Birch & Sons, Selby Rotary and NYCC – Selby Area Committee have also helped with the purchase and fitting out of the unit. The North Yorkshire Scouts’ Events Team are putting the finishing touches to the unit, which will be used extensively throughout North Yorkshire.

At the hand over ceremony, Deputy County Commissioner David Southall and representatives of North Yorkshire Scouting’s Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Young Leaders and Leaders received the trailer on behalf of North Yorkshire Scouts. The Freemasons were represented by Phil Stewart (Chairman of the Provincial Charity), Roy Terry (Lodge of St Hilda) and David Lawrance (Vulcan Lodge). Colin Sigsworth represented John Davey Ltd.

David Southall thanked all the organisations, particularly the Freemasons, for contributing towards the funding of the trailer and said that it would be a major asset in the promotion of scouting in North Yorkshire, particularly in 2007, the centenary of the founding of the scouting movement.

MIDDLESBROUGH FREEMASONS IN THE COMMUNITY

On Thursday 17th May 2007, at the Masonic Hall, Middlesbrough, local Freemasons presented cheques totaling in excess of £17,500 to various local charities. This was the sixth such evening and the total amount donated has now exceeded £67,000.

The £17,500 that had been raised locally during the last twelve months is in addition to other money donated by the Freemasons for distribution both nationally and internationally. It was raised by Freemasons, their wives/partners, families and friends at events such as social evenings, sponsored walks etc. and of course from donations.

The presentations were made at the Annual Charity Presentation Evening when representatives from 27 Charities together with their partners and colleagues had been invited to join members of the eleven Middlesbrough Masonic Lodges, the Zetland Ladies Club (a club for the wives/partners or widows of Middlesbrough Freemasons) and the Deputy the Provincial Grand Master of the Masonic Province of Yorkshire North & East Ridings, Jeffrey Gillyon.

The Charities which received cheques were the Cardio Thoracic Trust (JCUH), Teesside Hospice, Cleveland Army Cadet Band, Zoe’s Place, Meningitis Research Foundation, MANDET (Diabetes and Midwifery,) Stroke Unit (Ward 28), Yatton House, the Provincial Grand Charity, South Cleveland Prostate Cancer, Daisy Chain Respite, Marie Curie Cancer, South Cleveland Heart Fun, North East Air Ambulance, Holistic Cancer Care Unit, Children and Families learning Department, Cardiac Risk in Young, English Federation of Disability Sports, Cleveland Unit fund, Look Ahead Cancer, Upper G.I. Support, Larchfield Community Centre, Diabetes UK, Beverley School, Macmillan Nurses, Action Aid, and Severn Area Rescue.

The evening followed its usual format, with drinks on arrival before a meal was served. There was then a short talk about the South Cleveland Heart Fund and Teddies for Loving Care, which is an initiative funded by Freemasons and recently introduced at the James Cook University Hospital enabling distressed children to be given their very own teddy upon arrival at the A& E Department. Cheques were then presented and the evening was brought to a close by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master.

At the end of the formal part of the evening, guests were invited to tour the building to see where Freemasons meet and members were available to answer questions.

Teddies attend Middlesbrough Freemasons 'Picnic'

DE BRUS LODGE HELPS THE COMMUNITY

Members of the De Brus Lodge held a presentation evening in the Redcar Masonic Hall on Tuesday 24th April 2007 and donated £500 to each of a number of local charities nominated by Lodge members. The money had been bequeathed to the Lodge for this purpose.

Charities benefitting were:-

• Miss Durning's Breast Care Fund

• The Mission to Seafarers (South Tees Welfare Fund)

• The Air Ambulance donation

• Daisy Chain Project

• Take Heart Group

• Zoe's Place

• TeesValley Youth Choir

• MEL Foundation

• Langbaugh Talking Newspaper

• Guisboroough & District Cancer Research Fund.

Redcar Scouts saw Alan Blunt receive a cheque towards the rebuilding of their scout hut and Stefan Griffiths was supported in his educational studies at the Eisenhower Trust in the United States.

After the presentations, all the recipients posed for a group photograph with Lodge members.

KIDz YORKSHIRE

During the year in which Bro Mike Graham was Master, members of the Humber Installed Masters' Lodge raised more than £1,000 in only four Lodge Meetings. Mike, who can be seen in the photograph with ladies from KIDz and some of the children attending an outreach session, donated the money raised to Janice Hopkins, a co-ordinator for the charity.

Well done Bro Jeff Dales, the Lodge Charity Steward for all his hard work throughout the year.

KINGSTON LODGE SUPPORTS RNLI

Past Deputy Grand Master, Iain Ross Bryce, is presented with a cheque for £250 which resulted from the sale of a painting by Bro Trevor Clarke who is a talented marine artist and member of the Lodge.

Bro Bryce is a former national Treasurer of the RNLI.

TEDDIES ARRIVE AT HULL ROYAL INFIRMARY

Following the successful launch at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, a large team of Teddies duly arrived in the A&E Department of HRI accompanied by Assistant Provincial Grand Master John Trout and a small team of Freemasons.

This is a continuation of the project throughout the Province, whereby Freemasons will provide A&E Departments at the major hospitals with a supply of teddies for distribution to children in a distressed condition having been admitted for treatment.

ACKLAM LODGE C2C CHALLENGE (COAST TO COAST)

This challenge was accepted by twenty-four people to raise money for MANDET [ Midwifery & Diabetes Educational Trust ], ZOE'S PLACE & MENINGITIS RESEARCH

In preparation for the event a number of training sessions were arranged in order to assess the fitness of the group, which would enable the organisers to sort the men from the boys!.

Grateful thanks go to Mark Roberts (the Master of Acklam Lodge), Steve and John (the very capable driver) for the amount of time and effort, which was required before the big weekend. Trying to organise twenty-four riders, bikes and support personnel is no mean feat. The much-appreciated patience of Mark's wife, Vanessa is not forgotten.

The Thursday afternoon start on the West Coast saw horrendous weather, with thunder and lightning, mist and flooded roads. Almost every element was encountered over the next three days and nights, including even some sunshine. Some relatively flat roads, but also inclines which had to be seen to be believed.

And so to Consett where we opened the champagne which had been supplied by big Darren....what a kind thought and greatly appreciated.

Cyclists and supporters worked well as a team. Not once was a moan heard or did anyone refuse to do anything. After much hugging, photographing and congratulating, all the participants went home. Having set off as strangers they finished as friends, in the knowledge they had raised considerable funds for some exceptionally worthy causes.

Mark Roberts is coming to the end of his year as Master of the Lodge, a year in which he has raised £9,500 for charitable causes. This particular venture raised no less than £2,500. Well done Mark.