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Pathway

St. Katharine’s Lodge No.5376
Another Pathway “Success”

t. Katharine’s Lodge No.5376 met for their installation meeting on Saturday 3rd October at Saxon
Hall Masonic Centre, Aviation Way, Southend due to the temporary closure of their normal home
SRochford Masonic Hall due to ongoing issues of the Covid19 pandemic. A dispensation was
applied for from the Provincial Grand Secretary.
As the current government guidance restricts meetings to 6 persons the choosing of officers was a difficult
choice but it was agreed that the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Secretary, Director of
Ceremonies and Assistant Director of Ceremonies would attend on this occasion.
However, to ensure that every member could participate
in some way, after the Lodge was closed a special Zoom
Meeting was to take place with a paper from Solomon was
to be delivered - “A walk around your Lodge Room” as well
as a Virtual Raffle and Virtual Charity Collection.
After opening the Lodge at 3.00pm and dealing with the
administrative parts of the meeting. W.Bro Richard Dyer was
proclaimed Worshipful Master for a second year becoming
the 88th WM, with all progressive officers remaining in situ.

After some considerable time as an Assistant Almoner and then as Almoner, Bro Bill Blissett wished to relinquish the
position and W.Bro Phil Jones was appointed. W.Bro Greg Barsby having served as Charity Steward for 5 years was
replaced with Bro. Neil Beckwith. The WM wished to record his thanks to both Brothers for their input over the past few
years. W.Bro John Heffernan delivered the address to the Brethren with everyone agreeing that he had surpassed his
usual first class delivery and what a shame that there was no other brethren there, to hear it.
A notice of Motion was put forward by the Secretary for Bro. Bernie Gill to be made an honorary member for his services
to the Lodge over the past decades. This will be voted on in December.

Once the Lodge was closed. A Zoom Meeting was opened and we welcomed our Assistant Provincial Grand Master,
W.Bro Lee Taylor to the meeting as well as 14 other Brethren. The Brethren stood for a minutes silence after the sad
demise of our Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro Rodney Lister Bass OBE.
A paper on “A Walk around your Lodge Room” was then delivered by the Secretary. The Solomon project really is a way
to make that daily advancement in Masonic Knowledge with several new facts being discovered about why we do the
things we do.

The Secretary updated the Brethren on the St. Katharine’s Lodge September Cycle 300 ride which was undertaken by
the DC and himself which at the time of writing this had raised £2,628.75 including Gift Aid for Cancer Research UK. He
thanked the DC for forcing him into this and that this was a precursor to undertake London to Paris between the 14th to
18th July 2021 in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital with so far 5 members of the Lodge undertaking the challenge
with 6 “potential” new recruits to Freemasonry also joining the “Are we there yet” Team.

The Virtual Lodge Raffle was then held with various bottles being won, by the following brethren W.Bro Keith Frost, Phil
Jones and appropriately the last prize of a Bottle of Gentleman Jack Whisky was won by our APGM…. Which honestly
was not a fix…. Who graciously donated it back to the Lodge. A total of £120 was raised for the Festival 2022.
W.Bro Lee Taylor then updated the Brethren on the Provincial Matters especially regarding the process of the appointment
of the new Provincial Grand Master.

From left to right- W.Bro Bob Johnson – Mentor,
W.Bro Lee Taylor – APGM, W.Bro John Heffernan
– ADC, W.Bro Keith Frost – Asst Secretary, W.Bro
Phil Jones – Almoner, Bro Joe Dobson – SW, W.Bro
Steve Durrant – DC, W.Bro Gordon Goodall –
Secretary, W.Bro Richard Dyer – WM, W.Bro Mark
Sales – Treasurer, Bro Chris Dyer – JW, Bro Neil
Beckwith – Charity Steward. Others who joined
W.Bro Greg Barsby, Bro Jamie Brigstock during the
afternoon.

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