News & Events
The Ladies' Evening typically planned for spring will be postponed due to the concern over coronavirus. We hope this event will be held in September.
At our March 2020 meeting Portcullis Lodge gave WB Jim Dance a cheque for £5000 in support of the Berkshire 2023 Festival. This places our standing near or at Silver status. Thanks to all the Brethren for their support. We wait for the Masonic Charitable Foundation to provide our actual data. More below.
PORTCULLIS LODGE 500th MEETING AND WHITE TABLE
Our 10 December 2019 meeting was our 500th meeting, and to celebrate we held a White Table Festive Board. The Lodge was tyled at 18:15 and closed with no degree ceremony involved, to give more time for social interaction and fellowship. Brethren received an engraved firing glass in commemoration of this special event.
Our March 2020 LoI was held at the Bear at Home pub in North Moreton. We had a great turnout and two prospective members joined us. A very happy social evening. The burgers were delicious (we hear the mince was WB Gilbey's special). Excellent selection of ales and beer.
Our Summer 2019 BBQ was a great success thanks to Master Chef WB Gilbey and several others, and the £600 raised was split between the Berkshire 2023 Festival and the Blood Bikers (supported by the Berkshire Mark Master Masons). We hope to do this again next year!
SUPPORTING THE Provincial Grand Lodge 2023 FESTIVAL
At our March 2020 meeting we donated £5000 to the 2023 Berkshire Festival. This is truly an outstanding achievement and shows our care and support for charitable causes. This donation places us well above the bronze award level of £12600 and likely close to silver level of £18000. Thanks to all the brethren for their contributions.
We donated in 2019 over £11,000 to the Festival - which goes directly to the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
NOTE: The Provincial Grand Lodge has designed a new Provincial necktie and we are encouraged by our MW PGM to purchase one and wear it with pride. The tie comes in polyester and in silk. There are several other items for sale including BBQ aprons, cuff links, pens, and gloves. See https://berkshire2023festival.org.uk/shop1/ for details. All profits are for the 2023 Festival.
Recent Charitable Contributions
We donated £150 to the Royal British Legion.
Our 2017 -2018 Master, WB Nick McGregor, nominated three charities for support in his year, and the funds have been given to these worthy organizations. WB McGregor reports as follows:
“One of the founding principles of Freemasonry is ‘relief’ or charity. With this in mind, the Portcullis Lodge in Wallingford has made donations totalling £4500 to three local charities to support the work that they do in our community.
Didcot Train supports youth work in Didcot and has seen demand for its services grow as the town has expanded. Portcullis’ donation will contribute to the provision of youth outreach staff to help the charity identify and assist vulnerable young people in the town.
Music For Autism is the brainchild of John Lubbock who also founded the Orchestra of St Johns and was awarded an OBE in 2015 for his charitable work. The charity provides music therapy for autistic children and was started when a John observed the positive impact music had on his own autistic son’s levels of engagement. Portcullis’ donation will help fund sessions in a number of specialist schools in the Oxfordshire and Berkshire areas.
Rosie’s Rainbow Fund provides bereavement support, massage therapy and music therapy for families in the John Radcliffe Children’s Hospital and throughout Berks, Bucks and Oxon. Portcullis’ donation will help fund this essential work that touches the lives of so many local families.”
The charities have websites as follows:: Rosies Rainbow Fund www.rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk , Didcot Train Youth Project www.didcottrain.org.uk, and Music For Autism www.musicforautism.org.uk should you wish more information.
Thanks to all of our brethren and visitors to our Lodge for their generosity in making these goals come true.
2018
Portcullis Lodge was honoured to be one of 4 Lodges chosen by the Provincial Grand Lodge to display our banner at the 27 September 2016 AGM. We were cited on the cover of the Program, a copy of which can be found in the Gallery section of the website. The photo at the left shows our banner in the East,
BERKSHIRE 2023 FESTIVAL APPEAL
The Berkshire 2023 Festival Appeal has been launched in support of the MCF and most Brothers have seen the information packet sent to them by post. Please take a few minutes to look it over. Your contributions will help numerous charities and distressed Freemasons..
You may donate by various means, Please ensure your donation is marked for Gift Aid which brings an additional 25% to your donation. Please contact your Charity Steward should you have any questions or need forms for donations.
Festival Jewel. A member donating £600 to the Festival will be awarded a jewel. Some further information from the Festival Secretary WB Watson:
1/ Once the very first D/D payment in to the Festival Relief Chest E2023 has been taken, the MCF will, at the end of that calendar month, automatically alert the Provincial Office and David Keys will post out a Festival Jewel to the member at that point. It is also possible for the member to arrange to collect it from the office if preferred. It is taken on trust that by signing up to the D/D Regular Payment Promise that the full term will be met and therefore the Jewel is awarded once the first payment has been made. If a member were to make payments over time, but not by a D/D Regular Payment Promise, only when he has paid a total of £600 would he be entitled to wear the Jewel.
2/ The donor does get individual credit for everything he puts in to an envelope. That money is also credited to the Lodge target, including any gift aid that can be claimed.
The Lodge has goals to achieve over the 5 year period.. The PGM described this as follows: There are several lodge honorifics from Bronze through to Platinum. The Bronze level equates to £350 per member, Silver £500, Gold £750 and Platinum £1000.
In this Masonic year we have donated over £11,000 to the 2023 Festival through 12 March and are well on our way to achieving bronze status of £12600.
'Enough is Enough'. UGLE has placed full page ads in several national newspapers to counter rising negative comments about Freemasonry. You can view the ad written by Dr. Staples, CEO, in the UGLE website. http://www.ugle.org.uk/
OF SPECIAL INTEREST ? - Of possible interest to your partner, there are 2 Ladies Freemason Grand Lodges. A BBC News article can be viewed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41804543 which was part of the Victoria Derbyshire programme in November 2017. The Order of Women Freemasons website is at https://www.owf.org.uk/ . The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons website is at http://www.hfaf.org/ . Note that both support many worthy charitable ca
COMING EVENTS - let your editor know if you have ideas or news about coming events.
MASONRY LAMPOONED - Watch the 3rd episode of WHITE GOLD's second TV season and get a good chuckle. Better than Brucie even.
For an interesting news article from the UGLE see the section CHARITY.
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