2014 Liverpool Mark Festival. |
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27th February 2014 |
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| A very successful Liverpool Mark Festival was held at Liverpool Masonic Hall on 27th February 2014. The festival was hosted by Corinthian Mark Lodge No1052. The reason for 'The Festival' was to encourage craft masons to join Mark Masonry, but equally as PGM explained, to enable members of the 7 Liverpool Mark lodges to get to know each other better and form a fellowship of Mark lodges (as has occured in other regions). The theme of the evening was ‘The Building of the Second Tracing Board’ and it was presented by Semper Fidelis Lodge No880 form St Annes. |
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End of the afternoon rehearsal. |
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| Worshipful Master W.Bro Stewart Hyde opened his lodge and transacted the first part of business before admitting the PGM RW Bro Peter Connolly and his Provincial Team. After the salutes had been given the lodge was called off and Master Masons were admitted. The WM then invited Mike Casey of Semper Fidelis Lodge to take the chair, who then asked his officers of the presentation team to take their chairs and Bill Swindlehurst became to DC. | |
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The arch during the building at rehearsal. |
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| With the presentation team in place assisted by volunteers, from both the Liverpool Group and Garston Group of Mark Master Masons in place, the scene was set. The Lodge room floor was empty and there was air of expectation from the assembled audience. | |
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The seven steps |
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| David Kenworthy began the explanation of the Second Tracing Board and when he reached the part concerning the pillars at the entrance to the Holy Temple, they appeared. At this point Tony Farrer, (who was the narrator) gave a more detailed explanation of the first part of the story. | |
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Entered Apprentices wages |
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| This included the length of a ‘Cubit’ and the engineering difficulties of producing pillars of that size at that time. Slowly but surely the porch way entrance to the Holy Temple was built there in the lodge room. With an in depth explanation given when needed. The workmen even had to find the missing stone to complete the arch. | |
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Ear of corn by a fall of water. (The water was running.) |
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| This was found by entered apprentice David McGee. Pip Wayman then took up the explanation and the seven steps now appeared in the Lodge so that the wages could be paid. An ear of corn near a fall of water also appeared. Banners were used to depict the five noble orders of architecture and the seven liberal arts and sciences. Payment of wages was made to the entered apprentices in Corn; Oil and Wine. But the entered apprentices were stopped from going up the steps with the Fellow Crafts by the JW Alan Davies. | |
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Giles, 'A man on a mission'. |
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| Ken Turner led the Fellow Crafts up the steps to be met by the SW Geoff Crosland and on giving the right sign and password they were allowed in. Upon entering the middle chamber they had their wages paid by John Ogden and Stu Ovenson. The PGM and members of the Provincial team also received wages. The presentation came to an end in the dark when Paul Friberg turned out the Lights to illuminate the letter ‘G’. | |
| The lodge room floor was now fully dressed with an arch, fall of water, ear of corn, banners and seven steps. The PGM then thanked all concerned for what had been a very interesting presentation and added that he had got his daily advancement in Masonic Knowledge. |
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| The Lodge was now called back on and the PGM and his team and the visitors left before the WM closed the Lodge and everyone went off for an enjoyable festive board. | |
| Article and Photograph's Courtest of Derek Gaskell |
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