Eighty brethren attended the Lodge’s Annual Installation today, Saturday 6 December. RWM Bro. Kenneth R. Shaw was placed in the chair of King Solomon in a ceremony orchestrated with aplomb, delivered expertly and a surprise that would have brought a tear to anyone with a pulse.
Bro. Shaw was initiated into freemasonry at the same time as our illustrious Secretary Bro. Thomas J Campbell PM, DSC who was one of the Installing Masters. Chief Installing Master Bro. Clint W. Swan PM, DSC and Bro. Derek Irvine PM were the others. Bro. Irvine was a recent addition as Bro. Shaw’s ex-colleague from Longannet power station, PPGM Bro. Gordon WS Sewell, sadly could not make it.
RWPGM Bro. Stuart Stirling headed a deputation from the Province of Stirlingshire that included five brethren from Staffordshire. These men had accompanied PM and Past Provincial Grand Secretary Bro. James G. White PM and now SD at St. Michael’s Lodge No 2487 (UGLE).
During the ceremony Bro. Bro. David W. Brown PM 384 and 76, HM 312, acted as Secretary and provided an emotional solo. SM Bro. Edward Bygrave Jnr of Lodge St. John Slamannan No. 484 acted as Senior Warden and Bro. James T Andrew PM 76, HM 312 supported Bro. Campbell with the Installation of Office-bearers.
The undoubted surprise and highlight for everyone, especially Bro. Shaw, was when his son Bro. Cameron R. Shaw came on to the temple floor. There he presented his dad with the Lodge Charter, the Constitution and the VSL. He delivered the ritual perfectly and with the decorum seldom seen from a brother’s first experience of ritual work.
With Bro. Shaw duly installed, Installing Master Bro. Clint W. Swan thanked the assembled brethren for their attention, his Installing colleagues for their support and Bro. Shaw for affording the Installing Masters the privilege. Bro. Shaw then invested the now IPM, Brother Richard A. Kerry with his jewel. Bro. Kerry assured the RWM of his support before wishing him good luck for the coming year.
Provincial Grand Master Bro. Stuart Stirling also praised the Installing Masters and offered several observations to the new RWM. He congratulated Bro. Shaw to what would probably be the greatest experience of his life. He encouraged him to enjoy it as the hard work has been done getting to this point. To the Master’s son Cameron he said, “Words can never express what you did for your dad today.” Spontaneous applause then erupted.
Brother Shaw thanked his Installing Masters for their outstanding job that for him, “Couldn’t have been any better.”
IM Swan, RWPGM Stirling and later Bro. Bygrave all thanked the musical performers: Bro. Barry Bryce PM No. 76 HM 312 for the organ, Bro. David W. Brown PM 384 and 76, HM 312 for the solo and Bro. Murray McLeod No. 69 for his pipping.
The appeal for the Grand Lodge benevolent fund raised an amount rounded up to £500 by the Lodge.
Fraternal greetings were given by SM Bro. Edward Bygrave Jnr of Lodge St. John Slamannan No. 484 before the new Master, Bro. Kenneth R. Shaw closed the Lodge’s 202nd Installation.
The festival of St. John followed with an excellent meal and speeches before wives and partners arrived at midnight.
It was a long day, night and early morning for many with lots of happy memories to cherish.
A massive thanks to the Shaw family for helping create such a superb event.
Front Row L to R. Jim McAulay, Irving J. Barker, Jean-Pierre Parsons, RWPGM, James G. White, John L. O’Leary
