The Lodge News Page
This is a feature of the Minerva Website which will bring you up to date on news, events and Charity work the Lodge is supporting.
May 2010 ~ The Masonic year may be on hiatus for the Summer Break but our fund raising efforts are still in full flow. With the kind wishes of Bro Bob Farmer and his wife Carole who were celebrating their 40th wedding Anniversary we were able to do some fund raising at the event. Minerva Lodge raised a tremendous £600.00 in total on the night with a Raffle of assorted prizes and a separate raffle for a Signed Liverpool FC Football kindly donated by Sue Webster, whose Father John Cawley was a well loved member of Minerva Lodge 4002. The Money will be put toward the Lodges Centenary fund and the Masonic Charities. Well done to all who helped us on the night, Thank you to all who gave so generously and Congratulations to Bob and Carole on their 40 years of Marriage.
February 2010 ~ Minerva Lodge are very pleased to have achieved the level of Gold Patrons for the 2010 Festival, the New Masonic Samaritan Fund. For visiting Brethren the Certificate will be proudly displayed on the Secretary's desk.
February 2010 ~ 2009/2010 having been a truly momentous and unique year for Minerva with Father and two sons occupying the Principal Officer’s Chairs in the shape of W.Bro R.L. (Bob) Farmer, Bro G.R. (Gordon) Farmer and Bro M.L. (Martin) Farmer and in which we welcomed three new members. The coming year promises to be equally significant. Having eventually seen the last of the snow, ice and bad weather causing the abandonment of our Installation Meeting in January, we had a highly successful Installation meeting in February. We welcomed our W.A.Pr.G.M. Bro Michael Hedley Hill, our Group Chairman W.Bro J.F.Wreyford, Group Vice Chairman W.Bro. David Anderton and Group Secretary W.Bro Andy Whittle. to witness W.Bro. Bob installing his eldest son Gordon into the Worshipful Masters Chair, he in turn appointing his Brother Martin as Senior Warden.
We also welcomed W.Bro. Bob Taylor, a personal friend of the master elect and W.Bro Bob Prichard, who although not a member of Minerva, might be said to be a true son of the lodge. Both of whom honoured the Lodge by assisting in occupying the warden’s chairs during the Ceremony and very ably delivering the addresses on appointment of the New occupants. We thank them most sincerely. The Assistant Provincial Grand Master delivered the Congratulations and best wishes of the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master and expressed his own Congratulations and good wishes, declaring the ceremony to be one of the best he had ever witnessed. He proceeded by presenting the newly installed master with a framed certificate naming the lodge as “Gold” Patrons of the Province’s 2010 Festival in aid of the Masonic Samaritan Fund, stating that the Lodge could be very proud of this great achievement signifying the donation of £4,000 00. The Worshipful Master thanked him for his very gracious comments and to the delight of all, immediately presented him with a further donation of £1,000.00. The evening ended with a most enjoyable and convivial festive board, where we were delighted to witness some of our guests being successful in winning raffle prizes. W.Bro David Anderton good naturedly! expressing his disappointment at not being included as one of these.
February 2010 ~ We are delighted to add the website link for our Brethren in London at Mersey Lodge 5434 on our links page. Mersey Lodge in London has a special connection with Minerva being that one of our Brethren Bro. Matthew Hawksworth was a founding member of the lodge. The history of Mersey Lodge can be seen on their excellent website http://www.merseylodge5434.org .
January 2010 ~ The year started with a big freeze for our Lodge, with our January meeting being abandoned due to adverse weather conditions. We have rescheduled the Installation which was for that night for the following Month. We look forward to seeing all Brethren in warmer and safer conditions.
December 2009 ~ We are very pleased to announce the arrival of another new member to the lodge. Minerva Lodge has been very lucky to have 3 new members join our ranks over the past 18 months and we hope that this continues. Welcome to Minerva Alan, Mike and Stephen.
April 2009 ~ With our Masonic season now over we take a break for the summer and in doing so recharge our batteries for the coming Season. Minerva has a busy Schedule lined up for our 2009/10 season with 2 First Degree ceremonies to perform, a Third Degree and our January Installation to prepare for. We also have one Lodge member achieving Provincial honours this summer, to him we offer our congratulations and look forward to seeing him in "Dark blue" this October. To all our members we wish a safe and prosperous Summer recess and as always look forward to seeing you all again in October 09.
January 2009 ~ Our new year is tinged with sadness as I have to report the death of our very much loved W.Bro Rutland Wallace Davies P.S.G.D. P.A.Pr.G.M. P.Pr.G.Sec. Worshipful Brother R Wallace Davies after being the Secretary of one of the Liverpool Groups of Lodges was in 1977 appointed, the Provincial Grand Secretary of West Lancashire, charged with the administration of the largest Province holding the office for 10 years until reaching retirement age. He was then invested with the Rank of Assistant Provincial Grand Master fully retiring 8 years later with the very high rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon after having two promotions in Grand Rank.
Minerva Lodge will miss Brother Wallace immensely, our thoughts and sympathies are with his family.
January 2009 ~ Happy New year everybody and may 2009 be a healthy and prosperous year for you all. On the 13th January 2009 we installed our new master into the chair. W.Bro Alf Lamb after a very successful tenure as the Worshipful Master of the Lodge handed over the gavel to W.Bro Robert Farmer J.P. for his third term in office. 2009 will be a very busy year for our new master with 2 new candidates joining imminently and another 2 to join later in the year. We at Minerva Lodge wish Worshipful Brother Bob all the very best for his year as our Master of the Lodge. We also wish to congratulate Bro. Gordon Farmer & Bro. Martin Farmer on attaining the Senior Wardens Chair and Junior Wardens Chair respectively. Whilst this might not be a universally unique situation, it is unique for Minerva Lodge and with the talents already evidenced by Father and two Sons we look forward to coming successful years with Father installing Son, followed by Brother installing Brother with Father as IPM. All with candidates to keep us busy. We would also like to extend our thanks to W. Bro David Hawkes PAGDC the Representative of the Provincial Grand Master for his attendance and hard work at our installation evening.
December 2008 ~ Saw Minerva Lodge hold our annual Ladies to Dine evening with entertainment by Joanne Wenton, we had a fantastic evening with a raffle of over 20 prizes and a separate prize draw for a flat screen TV, DVD player and several DVD's. The Lodge would like to thank all our guests and everyone who very kindly donated the prizes for our raffles. With Chocolates for the Ladies the usual 5 course meal and all wine included it was certainly a night to remember. We would like to offer a massive thanks to Bro. Alf Lamb and his wife Pat for their hard work in his year as Master of the Lodge, the evening was a massive success and was thoroughly enjoyed
Minerva Lodge (4002) Liverpool would like to wish our brothers in London at Minerva Lodge (3346), Mark Masons Hall all the very best for their Centenary celebrations this month and extend our warmest fraternal greeting to their Master and Brethren.
October 2008 ~ Our Lodge reformed in October 08 with great enthusiasm on the initiation of 2 new candidates whom we welcome warmly. We look forward to their progression and input in the coming years.
April 2008 ~ April see's our last regular meeting for the next four months as the Brethren of Minerva Lodge 4002 enjoy our summer break. We still have events planned for a few evenings over the summer but we won't be reforming the Lodge until October 2008. Our email system will still be open for all enquiries about the Lodge or the Masonic Hall Hope Street and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
"Happy to meet, Sorry to part, Happy to meet again."
March 2008 ~ After Minerva Lodges latest donation to The New Masonic Samaritan Fund 2010 Festival, we have now achieved Grand Patron Status for our total donated monies. This is a great achievement by the brethren of Minerva Lodge 4002 and we have been more than pleased to have been able to contribute at this level to such a worthy cause.
February 2008 ~ Minerva Lodge was happy once again to support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution with their Hoylake Boathouse fund raising event held at Volkswagen Liverpool. Minerva representatives helped to organise the event and helped on the evening by working on the tombola. The evening was enjoyed by all and a substantial amount was raised for the R.N.L.I.
January 2008 ~ Happy New year one and all, we start 2008 with a piece of news which highlights the friendship and fraternal connection we have with our fellow brethren from different countries. On 4th January 2008 we had a visit from Bro. John Mooney who came to Hope Street in Liverpool from Limerick in Ireland. John is a member of Antient Lodge 13. He made connection with our Lodge through this website and asked if he could come and see our Masonic Hall in Liverpool, we were only too happy to do this for him and after affirmation of his status as a Freemason we were honoured to have him visit us. It was an excellent day, we showed John and his friend all around the vast complex which is The Masonic Hall, Hope Street and then had a long discussion on many varied topics over tea. Whilst chatting we heard some fascinating stories about Johns Lodge and its History, we have included a link to Antient Lodge No 13 for those who are interested in learning more about it. We'd like to thank John for his visit which was as enjoyable for us as I am sure it was for him.
December 2007 ~ We had our Annual Ladies to Dine evening at Hope Street, which this year was extra special as we had fantastic support from our Mother Lodge Neptune No 1264. The evening was superb with a lot of money being raised for charity, and all present having a great time, we had Live music and a 5 course meal, as always it was a delight for us to support our much cherished guests gratis, the widows of our dearly departed brethren. With Roses and Chocolates for the Ladies and a massive thanks to W.Bro. Ted Bickley and his wife Vera for their hard work in his year as Master of the Lodge, the evening was a massive success and enjoyed by all.
November 2007 ~ It is sad to report the death of one of Minerva Lodge's former members, Brother Ronald Smith Lancaster O.B.E. who died in August 2007. He was initiated into the Lodge when he was a senior Police Officer in the Liverpool City Police and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable but unfortunately his police duties reduced his opportunity to attend the Lodge or take any office. However on his rare appearances he would volunteer to act as a steward and enjoyed the banter when he served the wine to the many Liverpool Police members of much lower rank than he. He retired in 1976 moved away and resigned from the Lodge.
Bro. Ronald Smith Lancaster O.B.E.
October 2007 ~ On our last regular meeting for the month of October we had the extreme pleasure of welcoming back a member of a family that is synonymous with Minerva Lodge, that Family is the Prichard Family and if you will take a moment to look at the role of Past Masters on this website you will see that this family name appears twice back in 1940 and 1941, the two brothers were the Lodges Worshipful Masters for that period of time. There was however a third brother who never took the office of Worshipful Master and he was killed during World War II at Tobruk. He was indeed one of Four Brothers who were all members of Minerva Lodge. He was survived by a Son, namely Robert Prichard (Bob) who after his fathers death was put forward by Minerva Lodge to be accepted and sponsored entry to the Royal Masonic School for boys. In 1948 he was admitted to the School at the tender age of 6 years old and was one of only 30 young boys accepted into the school at such an age, the normal age being 7 or 8.
Bob was at the Junior school until he was 12 and then he went on to the Senior School until he was 18 years old. After his time at the Royal Masonic School for Boys he worked for I.C.I. as an industrial chemist working on experimental products until he retired. He joined the Old Masonians West Lancashire Lodge in 1963 when he was 22. This Lodge was founded by old boys from the Masonic School in 1960. He became Worshipful Master in 1972. His Craft Rank is Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden. At present he is Worshipful Master of a Cheshire Lodge he has helped to revive from turning in their Warrant and effectively ceasing to exist.
Bobs life story is one of Masonic and personal success, his father and Uncles all being Freemasons, he was educated by Masonic means, then when he was 22 he joined a Lodge and continues to make a positive contribution to Freemasonry to the present day.
Bobs visit to Minerva Lodge was an exceptional evening for all our Brethren and was indeed very emotional for Bob himself, it has been talked about with great affection from everyone in the Lodge who attended that evening. We hope that Bob will return to visit us again soon and wish him well in all his endeavours.
October 2007 ~ The latest figures for the Freemasons Grand Charities have been published you can see them here: Oct 07 - Information Release 08.10.07.pdf
July 2007 ~ W.Bro Edward K. Bickley, M.B.E. P.Pr.J.G.W. of Minerva Lodge 4002 was present at the presentation of provincial funds to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, W.Bro Ted explains:
"Having had the honour of preparing the application form; I was privileged to be invited to attend the headquarters of "The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation" on Tuesday the 3rd of July 2007 when Sandon Group Chairman WBro. John Wreyford accompanied by WBro. David Anderton presented a cheque for £1000.00 on behalf of "The Community Fund of West Lancashire Freemasons". This was the amount requested to enable the purchase of a "Spirometer"; a device to measure lung capacity.
A further cheque for £500.00 was presented on behalf of Mersey Lodge by WM. bro George Hewitt and WBro. Alan Jones.
Please click the picture below to see a full sized version.
April 2007 ~ Minerva Lodge supported the charity of choice of one of our brethren who had sadly passed this year, W.Bro John Cawley P.Pr.A.G.D.C. The charity was the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. Several brethren attended the charity evening and helped with the proceedings by running the Tombola, the live auction and by making a donation from the brethren of Minerva Lodge 4002 to the RNLI. The evening was organised by W.Bro John Cawley's family and was hugely successful raising thousands of pounds for the charity.
Please click the picture below to see a full sized version.
