Social
White Ensign, a Triple Celebration
Why the triple celebration you ask?
Answer, St George’s Day, the birthday of the bard William Shakespeare and the start of the Worcestershire asparagus season.
On Saturday 22nd April some 37 Brethren, partners and guests met at the Masonic Centre Easemore Road for this Triple Celebration.
The Fancy Dress part was very limited with one in Kings Robes, a colourful Union Flag Waistcoat and Bow Tie, 4 Union Flag Hats and one couple being colour coordinated in red & white.
At 19:15 the acting Director Ceremonies called the assembled company to dinner and a well presented 3 Course meal was served with Table Stewards ensuring the Wine flowed.
A number of Wine Takings took place with the usual Service ones recognised and then a mini-fines session took place where the Master at Arms and Senior Warden were both found guilty of failing to wear their White Ensign Pins and were issued with hefty fines.
At the end of the meal the informal Cabaret then took place with contributions from Henry V, the family Tonkin (not Von Trapp’s more Von Boks), a tale from the graveyard, a very discontented Richard III, the story of Shakespeare and Love and then an excellent Poem to end.
This was followed by some community singing led by the Director Ceremonies, and the finding of a new singing talent in Virdell Francis who sang a beautiful song for his dearly departed Mum.
With a superb Raffle on behalf of the Stroke Association raising £400, it was a very successful evening.
The Charity Steward and Senior Past Master are visiting the local Stroke Association Group next Wednesday to present the cheque.
CHLOE 1 Takes Flight
On the 29th May 2022, many brethren from White Ensign, family and friends visited the Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Mike Colton has since provided an update on the progress of the Falkland Islanders Resistance Memorial.
‘The Falkland Islanders Resistance Memorial takes flight today after being forged in fire by Bromley O’Hare at his smithy. CHLOE 1 weighs in at 60 lbs and was launched into the very fresh air of Herefordshire this morning as a trial flight. Thanks for all the generous donations towards this memorial and the next two CHLOE’s will commence after Christmas with a likely installation in the Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove in the Spring 2023’.
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
It was on Sunday 11th December with the snowy and Icey conditions prevailing that 82 souls descended upon the Wishaw Country Sports Club for White Ensign’s Christmas lunch. There was an air of expectation, good company, great food and much joyous singing, we were not to be disappointed. The raffle prizes grew in quantity as folk made their entrance.
Our new Worshipful Master, W.Bro. Martin Carver stood up and welcomed everyone to his first social event in his tenure of office.
The catering did not disappoint, many an observation were made of multiple visits to the servery for both the main and desert courses. The copious amount of food having to be assisted downwards by liquid refreshment in order to enable the lungs to expand for the impending singing. The carols rang out and much laughter and mirth occurred with the rendition of the ’12 days of Christmas’, each table being one of the days.
The dinners having had their fill, parted with their cash easily when it came to the raffle and neither Bro’s Virrdell and Paul had to resort to a ‘hard sell’ for the tickets. The generosity was fantastic, the raffle raising £644.10 for charity. The detectives at White Ensign are trying to find the culprit who slipped in the 10p.
Thanks go to W.Bro. Les Leek for the hard work he has put into making the Christmas lunch happen.
