Wyggeston Lodge were one again proud to attend the University of Leicester Freshers Fair on the 26th September 2019.
As part of the Universities Scheme, the Wyggeston Lodge were delighted to be able to attend and spread the message of Freemasonry to students and staff of the University of Leicester.
Though we were sadly not joined this year by the Order of Women Freemasons, we still received plenty of interest in their organisation!
As usual, there was plenty interest from students wishing to find out more about Freemasonry.
Members from Wyggeston Lodge have arranged for a pub trip to meet all those interested. There will also be a tour around Freemasons Hall and a talk by Dr. Andy Green about Freemasonry!
Once again, members of three Universities Scheme Lodges in the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland – Wyggeston Lodge No.3448, of the University of Leicester, Castle of Leicester No,7767 (De Montfort University) and the Lodge of Science and Art No,8429 (Loughborough University) – met once again for a joint meeting to celebrate the continuing success of the Universities Scheme in the province. Nearly two years since the last one on 25th February 2017, this meeting took place at Loughborough Masonic Hall on Saturday 18th May and attended by over 90 brethren who were witness to 3 wonderful ceremonies (an initiation, a Passing, and a Raising) with a solid number of hardworking and determined candidates conducted by each of the lodges. The Lodges and the province were also extremely honoured to welcome the Assistant Grand Master, R.W.Bro Sir David Wooton, along with the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro David Hagger, brethren representing other scheme lodges and other visitor were also present. The meeting was opened by the Master of Castle Lodge at 2:30pm, the Master of the Castle of Leicester Lodge, alongside other members of the lodge then proceeded to conduct a double Raising. Following a short tea break, it was the turn of the brethren of Wyggeston Lodge who then proceeded to conduct a quadruple passing. Finally, after a further tea break, the Lodge of Science of Art conducted an Initiation ceremony of an extra two new candidates who were both warmly welcomed by the brethren, The meeting wad followed, as ever, by a wonderful Festive Board where the lodges enjoyed a hearty three course dinner with the company of guests and visitors. A bag of local Leicestershire delicacies, including some cheese and local beer was also presented to Sir David Wooton. A raffle held in honour of the Masonic Charitable Foundation 2022 was also held which, as always, shows the huge charitable works of the province. W Bro, Dr Andy Green, organiser of the event commented on the flowing success of the three lodge meeting and how it is a testament to the growing success of the Universities Scheme, with more and more young people becoming interested in Freemasonry everyday.
At the November meeting of the Wyggeston Lodge 3448at Freemason’s Hall, Leicester, the members of the lodge witnessed the installation of the 108th Master of the lodge, Bro. John Harvey.
Having been initiated into Wyggeston Lodge 2011, Bro John Harvey quickly rose through the various offices of the lodge and made many friends along the way; it is of no surprise that he was elected by the Brethren to become the Master for the coming year.
Bro John Harvey was also happy to invest Bro. Alex Pohl as his Senior Warden, along with Bro. Dr Christopher Kent as his Junior Warden. Other members of the lodge were also invested as Deacons, Inner Guard, Assistant Secretary, and Stewards for the ensuing year.
The lodge was also honoured to play host the Provincial Grand Master, R. W. Bro. David Hagger who very kindly presented the warrant of the lodge the newly installed Master of Wyggeston Lodge.
Brethren who attended the Festive Board were also treated to a wonderful evening which consisted a delicious three – course meal, a fantastic performance of the Master’s Song by the wonderful Bro. Peter Clarke, and of course a lovely jeroboam of vintage port.
After a great year with Bro. Paul Harvey as the Master of Wyggeston Lodge which saw so many new initiates welcomed into the lodge, it is sure to be another such wonderful year for the lodge.
Around 100 people attended, including the Master of the Lodge, W.Bro. Paul Marvin and his family. Despite the rain, everyone enjoyed a superb day of fraternity, festivity and fun.
The Festival started with an interfaith service at Leicester Cathedral, the resting place of King Richard III, and was conducted by the V.W.Bro. Rev Canon Michael Wilson, Grand Chaplain, whose excellent proceedings and highly topical address were rounded off with a rousing rendition of “Jerusalem” which the assembled congregation sang with gusto. Past Master, W.Bro. Dr. Andy Green also gave a reading during the service: St. Luke 10. 25–37, The Parable of the Good Samaritan.
After the service, the Leicester Guildhall, one of the best preserved timber-framed halls in the country and with a history dating back 600 years, hosted a brilliantly entertaining and interesting talk by Professor Turi King from the University of Leicester on the excavation in Leicester that led to the discovery of King Richard III. Her talk, which entirely captivated the audience, was rapturously received and universally declared to be “brilliant”.
The Guildhall, Leicester hosts a talk by Prof. Turi King
A champagne reception followed and the festival was concluded by a delicious lunch in St. Martin’s House, culminating in a toast to AMULL given by W.Bro. Paul Marvin with the response given by the AMULL President, R.W.Bro. David Williamson, Past Assistant Grand Master and Past President of the Universities Scheme.
Paul Marvin proposes a toast to AMULL
AMULL was delighted to make hardship grants totalling £5,000 to three excellent students including Bro. Andrew Slater, a member of Wyggeston Lodge who received £1,500 to assist him in studying medicine.
Andrew Slater received Hardship Grant from AMULL President, David Williamson
On receiving the award, Bro. Andrew said: “The kind and humbling words from all at the presentation has given me new perspective into the struggles I’ve faced so far since coming to study medicine. The insight has really brought new life and fire into my dedication to persevering along this path. It’s not too far now that I will be on the other side of my University education and fighting the good fight.”
AMULL was also delighted to make an award of £1,000 to Leicester University Scholarship Fund, which was accepted by W.Bro. Michael Turnbull on behalf of the University. This donation was generously matched from the Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Charitable Association presented by the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland, R.W.Bro. David Hagger.
AMULL President and Honorary Member of the Wyggeston Lodge, R.W.Bro. David Williamson said after the Festival: “All-in-all a truly memorable Festival from every aspect!”
Congratulations to the two latest Fellowcrafts, Bros. Jeremy and Tom, who were Passed to the Second Degree at the first Wyggeston Lodge meeting after the summer break on Friday 19th October 2018.
Bros. Jeremy and Tom with the Master of the Lodge
The candidates were treated to a wonderful ceremony where everybody worked hard as a team to perform it to a very high standard. It was also the last ceremony to be conducted by the Master, W.Bro. Paul Marvin, who will install his successor, Bro. John Harvey, at the next meeting in November.
The Festive Board was very enjoyable too especially allowing everyone to catch up after the long summer. A raffle held raised a princely sum of £110 for the 2022 Masonic Charitable Foundation Festival.
Once again, the Wyggeston Lodge, which is the Universities Scheme Lodge for the University of Leicester attended Fresh Fair on the 27th September 2018.
This year, the lodge was delighted to welcome for the first time members of Lodge Crusader No.108 from the Order of Women Freemasons alongside them at the stall.
As usual, there was a stream of students wishing to find out more about what the Freemasons are all about.
Members from the Lodge ended up handing out 500 specially made beermats along with information booklets.
Those who showed an interest were invited to a talk by Dr Andy Green about Freemasonry and a tour around Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester.
The Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. David Hagger, has announced that he will be appointing Wyggeston Lodge Past Master, W.Bro. Dr. Andrew R. Green, as Assistant Provincial Grand Master at the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in November 2018.
W.Bro. Dr. Andrew R. Green
Andy was initiated into Freemasonry in the Wyggeston Lodge No.3448 in December 1998 after making an enquiry via the internet through a university friend.
He was Installed as Master in 2006 and subsequently held offices of Charity Steward, Assistant Secretary, Secretary within the lodge and is currently Mentor. In 2011, he was instrumental in the lodge joining the Universities Scheme and continues to spearhead this within the lodge.
In 2013, he was invited to join the UGLE Universities Scheme Committee and was subsequently appointed Vice-Chairman in 2015 and continues in this role. He was appointed Past Assistant Grand Standard Bearer in 2016.
We all congratulate Andy on his appointment and wish him well in his new role.
Now that the summer is here, the members of the Wyggeston Lodge went over the border to the Northamptonshire based Warner Edwards Distillery for a tour and tasting session.
The Master, Paul Marvin, along with members of the lodge, and their families gathered in glorious sunshine at Falls Farm in Harrington and were immediately greeted with a refreshing G&T.
The tour started with soaking up the beautiful countryside atmosphere of farm and learning that the gin was made with water from the natural springs on the farm. The tour continued with meeting ‘Curiosity’, the bespoke Arnold Holstein copper-pot still and learning about the distilling process and some of the botanicals used to flavour each of their six global award-winning gins.
The Warner Edwards Curiosity Still
The taste testing of their gins (dry gin, elderflower gin, sloe gin, rhubarb gin, melissa gin and honeybee gin) followed in a group session with a description of each from the host, Helen Mackenzie. The best mixers to use and appropriate garnishes for each gin were also described by Marketing Executive Zoe Whittle.
After stocking up on gin to take away from their on-site ‘Tack Room’ Shop it was a short trip to the Tollymache Arms for lunch and a few more gins which completed a wonderful social event.
W.Bro. Douglas Ball, an Honorary Member of the Wyggeston Lodge, has sadly passed away at his home on 25th May 2018 aged 94.
W.Bro. Douglas A. Ball
W.Bro. Doug, a Life Assurance Inspector in Leicester, was initiated into Freemasonry in the Wyggeston Lodge on the 18th May 1962 and was installed as Master of the Lodge in 1977. He spent several years afterwards as Director of Ceremonies.
In 1990, he was promoted to Provincial Junior Grand Warden and subsequently achieved Grand Rank of a Past Grand Standard Bearer in 1993.
After over 50 years of service to the Wyggeston Lodge, he was elected an honorary member in 2017 and continued to actively participate in delivering ritual during ceremonies.
We’re pleased to announce that the Association for Medical, University & Legal Lodges (AMULL) Festival 2018 will be held in Leicester and hosted by Wyggeston Lodge No.3448.
In August 1485 King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, and buried by the Grey Friars in Leicester. In August 2012, Leicester City Council, the University of Leicester, and the Richard III Society began a search underneath a car park in Leicester, to find King Richard III’s remains. In the days that followed the archaeologists uncovered a skeleton with battle wounds and a curved spine. The skeleton was exhumed and the process of formal identification began. Experts from the University of Leicester used DNA sampling to link the skeleton to Richard III’s descendants. After further careful scientific examination, the University announced in February 2013 that the skeleton found was indeed Richard III. King Richard III was reinterred in Leicester Cathedral in March 2015.
Prof Turi King
The AMULL Festival this year will be held within Leicester’s Historic Quarter celebrating this incredible archaeological finding starting with an Ecumenical Service in the Cathedral where Richard III is buried and located just 100 steps away from where he was discovered.
Following the Service, guests will gather in the adjoining 600 year old Guildhall, which is one of the best preserved Grade I timber framed halls in the country, to listen to our Speaker Prof. Turi King from the University of Leicester. Prof King will take them through the journey of the discovery of Richard III, from the early stages of planning the dig, through to the excavation and the results of the various strands of analysis carried out on the remains.
This will be followed by a champagne reception in the majestic Lord Mayor’s Parlour with its oak panelled elegance and the lovely cobbled courtyard (if dry). Guests will then have a sumptuous lunch in the delightful ambience of St Martin’s House, the stunning Grade II listed former Wyggeston Grammar School. St Martin’s House has recently hosted the Queen on her last two visits and they will have a replica of the meal she chose last year for the community Maundy Thursday lunch.
The Mayor’s Parlour at Guildhall, Leicester
Once again a truly interesting day out in an ambient setting is offered that the public would not normally see. Members, wives, partners and friends are cordially invited to join us at AMULL 2018 and an early booking is advisable.
The Wyggeston Lodge, No.3448 Leicester 