The Derbyshire Classic Car Lodge No 9983 was off the line on Saturday 21st December at Freemason’s Hall Derby.
The Lodge had been the brainchild of W Bro Chris Parnham along with a number of classic car enthusiasts in the Province and Rutland Lodge No 1179 sponsored the petition to the United Grand Lodge of England.
This was a “sell out“ event and there was a waiting list for places. No less than four Provincial Grand Masters attended as well as a good number of distinguished brethren from Derbyshire and other Provinces to witness our own Provincial Grand Master Arthur Steven Varley carry out the duties of Consecrating Officer assisted by the Consecrating Officers:
- W Bro Stephen Jones, APGM Senior Warden
- W Bro Ian Robert Copestake, APGM Junior Warden
- W Bro John Howarth, ProvGChap Chaplain
- W Bro Martyn Bailey, ProvGSec Secretary
- W Bro Ravi Kumar Sahnan, ProvGDC Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Gregory Dexter, ProvDGDC Dep Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Anthony McVeigh, ProvDGDC Dep Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Trevor Brearley, ProvSGD Senior Deacon
- W Bro John Hunter, ProvJGD Junior Deacon
- W Bro Robert Smallwood ProvGOrg Organist
- W Bro Stephen Parker, ProvGPurs Inner Guard
- W Bro Mark Brearley, ProvGTyler Tyler
The hard work of the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies W Bro Ravi Kumar Sahnan and the Founder members of the new Lodge was evident as the ceremony proceeded like clockwork.
Following an excellent ceremony, the Installing Master VW Bro Brian Evangelista ( Deputy Provincial Grand Master ) took the chair assisted by the Installing Officers:
- W Bro Stuart Riley, ProvSGW Senior Warden
- W Bro Paul Foster, ProvJGW Junior Warden
- W Bro John Howarth, ProvGChap Chaplain
- W Bro Martyn Bailey, ProvGSec Secretary
- W Bro Ravi Kumar Sahnan, ProvGDC Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Trevor Brearley, ProvSGD Senior Deacon
- W Bro John Hunter, ProvJGD Junior Deacon
- W Bro Nicholas Daines, ProvAGDC Asst Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Ranjit Singh Dol, ProvAGDC Asst Director of Ceremonies
- W Bro Robert Smallwood, ProvGOrg Organist
- W Bro Stephen Parker, ProvGPurs Inner Guard
- W Bro Mark Brearley, ProvGTyler Tyler
Master designate:
W Bro Christopher Parnham, PProvJGD
Senior Warden designate:
W Bro Robert Oxley PProvSGD
Junior Warden designate:
W Bro Jonathan Powis JGD
There were no less than forty founder members – a testimony to the popularity of the Lodge and the enthusiasm surrounding this event:
Founders
Dennis Ashmore
James Munden
Jesse Barker
Richard Munyard
Andrew Cash
Charles Roger Oxley
John Clague
Robert Oxley
David Corless
Christopher Parnham
Andrew Cox
Robert Pearce
Michael Crawford
James Pike
Stephan Dean
Jonathan Powis
Timothy Draper
Richard Ray
Garry Edwards
James Reid
Andrew Williams
Michael Fisher
Eric Rigby
Andrew Fletcher
Lindsay Robotham
Peter Given
Michael Roe
Robert Gregory
Michael Shaw
Sean Hardingham
Philip Shepherd
Richard Hayden
Peter Slade
Ronald Hind
Richard Smith
Ian Hodgkinson
Brian Smith
Stephen Jones
Stephen Wainwright
David Joyce
Iain Wakefield
David Merriman
Andrew Westerman
Brian Moult
An excellent lunch followed during which the final tickets were sold for a raffle to win an MG sportscar kindly donated by W Bro Barry Kesler. The raffle had raised £4000 for charitable causes and the winning ticket was drawn on the day. It was win by a friend of one of the members who was not present but no doubt will have received the good news within the day!
Photos are courtesy of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire, Julie Foster and David Joyce
