Lodge of St Michael
The Lodge of
St. Michael No. 7833
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LoI Meetings resume on 3rd April: Installation rehearsal.
Next Craft meeting Thursday 27th April 2023
Business meeting and a presentation by the Charity Steward
Note 6:30 Start
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Next Chapter Meeting
20th April 2023
Exaltation Ceremony
Note 6:15 Start
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David Thomas Whittall PPGSuptWks
Read about our Lodge Almoner on the Charity page submenu
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Terry Lynn PPJGW
Read about our Lodge vocalist on the Brethren Page.
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Leslie Thornett
Read about our Junior Warden on the Brethren Page.
Read about the Chapter Installation in the Chapter Blog
John Burton, MEZ
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(This section of the website is ongoing: if any members of the Lodge of St Michael 7833 or others would like to contribute further information, old photographs etc., please inform the Webmaster by clicking "Contact Us" here. While these notes are taken from the minutes, in later years there have been Newsletters which have added greatly to the social aspects of the Lodge's proceedings, and the Webmaster has no hesitation in including this information where appropriate. Your comments are welcome.)
VOLUMES 1 & 2
Every “history” is subjective: writers have to decide what to include and what to omit. W. Bro. Branton’s account is typically modest – he neglects to mention that he was the first full term WM for the Lodge of St Michael. At his Installation in May 1963, a Candidate was proposed: the following month he Initiated Mike Osborne and Passed Bro. Janes to the 2° and in July the Lodge balloted for two more members and Initiated Mr. Atkin. The hand written minutes (in those days the minutes were read out at the following Lodge meeting, not distributed via email) named thirty-two members present and twenty-three visitors. In September a 2° and a 1° ceremony were performed; November saw a ballot for a joining member, Bro. G. N. Ing and the 3° of Brother Halliday –the first member of that Lodge to have done all three degrees under the Banner of St
Michael. There was no December meeting (the bye-laws were amended to include a December meeting (on the third Thursday) in March 1967) but January saw a double Passing and the proposal of another Candidate. The Lodge of St Michael Benevolent Fund was formed. Item sixteen on the minutes reads “The WM then rose and on behalf of all the Brethren offered sincere congratulations to W. Bro. G R Pike on having the honour of MBE bestowed upon him by HM the Queen.” The following months all featured ceremonies, including a Raising on Election Night.
It is not the intention here to outline half a century of ceremonies, however: Bill Branton’s history covers the first twenty-five years admirably, though he was speaking to fellow members, many of whom had been present at the formation of the Lodge. That the East Hull Lodge was thriving is evident – on the back of the summons for the 2nd Installation meeting, forty-six members are named – an impressive achievement for a Lodge which had been in existence less than two years.
Prices in pre-decimalisation days were as follows: in 1964 the Initiation fee was raised from £25 to £30 and the annual subscription was £5. An invitation to attend a lecture by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master at the Masonic Hall, Park Street, Hull in November that year cited refreshment at the Festive Board to be 5/- (25p in current coinage) and a reminder on the summons to attend “The Preceptor’s Festival” the following year gave the cost as 7/6 (37p). Government figures show that the average weekly wage was £16.
Reading long-past minutes can be tedious, but there are occasional gems. In April 1967 “Bro. C C Wilkinson [JW] proposed that W. Bro Pike and Bro Baxter be re-elected as Auditors. W. Bro Pike informed the Lodge that he would be absent for the greater part of the year. W. Bro W E Jacketts [DC] then proposed Bro C C Wilkinson in place of W. Bro Pike. This was received with acclamation – Masonic justice having been done.” On that same evening Bro. Wilkinson reported that the Social Committee’s Dance had realised a profit of around £33. “It was suggested this be left in the Social Committee Funds. This delicate matter was passed to the Lodge Committee for consideration and comment.”
Later that year HRH the Duke of Kent was appointed Grand Master, 
and the Earl of Scarborough as Pro Grand Master. At Sutton, the Lodge Committee recommended that the rental charges (£225 per year) be met – but “as the increase in rent will give rise to some anxiety financially for the next two years” the Committee recommended that the members be requested to accept a voluntary increase of a pound in the Lodge subscription for the next two years.” Soon after this Country Membership was introduced for “any Brother residing outside the boundary of the East Riding of Yorkshire.”
The October minutes 1967 tell us “W. Bro. D. A. R. Smith proposed and Bro. J. S. Stokes seconded a vote of thanks to all those who had made the Masonic Service held in St Michael’s Church such a success. Mention was made especially of the ladies who had prepared the refreshments after the service.”
There is an interesting Appendix to a 1968 meeting, where three gentlemen were balloted for collectively. However, “It proved black” (carefully underlined by the Secretary.) This was also the case for individual ballots “–and it therefore seemed prudent to discontinue the ballot.” After a Past Masters’ meeting at the WM’s home, “it was felt that the whole wretched business was caused by errors in balloting despite the many instructions.” They decided to introduce a new ballot box and a simpler method of balloting adopted. There were further repercussions however. The Assistant Provincial Grand Master attended the following meeting and addressed the Brethren, saying “. . . I am fully aware of all details relating to the unfortunate incident of the ballot. I commend the wisdom of the measures you have taken to ensure no repetition by genuine mistake can take place . . . I have charitably assumed that genuine error was the cause . . . the Brethren are well aware that the black balls may have been introduced with malforintent; if such is the case – and no Brother has acknowledged this – it was a wicked and most un-Masonic act.” He continued, mentioning correct procedure, “the dreadful embarrassment to all concerned” and concluded that some good had come out of the incident “since difficulty and adversity forge ever more strongly the bonds of Brotherhood.” It is satisfying to note that during the ensuing year all three gentlemen became members of the Lodge.
There is a three year section in the minute book in which type-written notes have been carefully pasted,which is some relief to the reader as the Secretary at that time had much better typing than calligraphic skills, but this is a suitable juncture to express appreciation of the clear, comprehensible notes made by the various past secretaries of the Lodge before the days of the Word Processor and PC. It is noteworthy that every meeting up to December 1970 had worked a ceremony, including some doubles, and even occasional multiples. There were sixty-eight members; although some Brethren had passed to the Grand Lodge Above: the Lodge was flourishing. Perhaps because this was the December meeting the Lodge decided to break with tradition and introduce an address by the Lodge Charity Representative, entitled “Masonic Charities and Where Your Contributions Go.”
Ceremonies continued thereafter: the 100th meeting coincided with the Installation of Bro. Eric Hall as WM. Steps were taken during his year to improve the fabric of the building –the rental increased. Proposals for potential candidates were given with commendable frequency. Tom Myers Palframan was amongst those who became members in 1974. Prices continued to rise: in December 1975 the Secretary reported a communication from the Brough Lodge advising that the charges for the kitchen, due to inflation, must be increased by £3.00 per meeting.
A change of date by special dispensation was granted for June 1977 so that the WM and Brethren could attend a Quatuor Coronati meeting in York on the 23rd, the night of 7833’s regular meeting. The cover charge was 25p and the meal cost £3.50. Interestingly, the date of the June meeting has had to be changed several times when the Lodge transferred to Dagger Lane.
The minutes of January 1980 contained an entry: “The Secretary advised that the number of recent deaths of our members had meant alterations to our planned programme, in consequence W. Bro. D. D. W. Usalis, an officer of the Grande Loge Nationale Française had willingly accepted an invitation to speak to us at our next Lodge, W. Bro. Usalis has a wide experience of Lodges overseas and will widen our knowledge in this respect.” The minutes of the next meeting indicated that the speaker had been “most interesting . . . raising many laughs from experiences and generally found many points of interest to broaden our knowledge that Masonry is universal.” The March meeting had as its business “A full explanation of the First Degree Tracing Board given by Bro. J. Broughton” and “A full explanation of the Second Degree Tracing Board given by W. Bro. N. H. Thompson, including the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences.” Ceremonies were resumed in subsequent months, beginning with Bro. Peter Wright being Passed to the Second Degree. Incidentally, the two Tracing Boards were again delivered in January 1981, this time by W. Bros. P. J. Hall and D. Atkin.
In October 1981 the summons covered two months. At the meeting “The WM [John Harrison] rose to refer to the death of W. Bro. Noel Henry Thompson PPJGD, a founder member of this Lodge, who died on 30th June 1981. W. Bro. Thompson was a PM of the Lord Bolton Lodge No. 3263, he had been the Organist from the Consecration in Sept. 1962, until May 1978. The Brethren stood to order in the usual Masonic manner, in his memory.” It was at this meeting W. Bro. Borne (the instigator of the Lodge, according to W. Bro. Branton in his account of the first twenty-five years) formally moved “that in view of the increase in rent brought about by inflation, this Lodge should debate how best this can be met without recourse to an increase in fees.” The Secretary [E B Witty] said he had issued one summons for September and October, at a printing saving of £13, and postage of about £7. If this was satisfactory it could, at present costs, save approximately £75 over the year.” There was also discussion on the purchase of PM jewels, suggesting that this not be merely a decision of the Lodge Committee. In November Bros. Broughton and Atkin delivered the First and Second Tracing Board explanations.
VOLUME 3
In March 1981, following some months of succesfully passing and raising Brethren, the Treasurer gave notice of Motion that the Annual Subscription be increased to £25, the Initiation fee be increased to £75, and the rejoining fee be increased to £25. The higher fees did not seem to discourage membership, however: when Gordon Coupland took the Chair in May he proposed three candidates and a joining member. Others were proposed during that year, including Mr. Malcolm Sydney Ladd. In April 1983 "T. M. Palframan had been unanimously elected as Master for the ensuing year . . . W. Bro. A. C. Hayes was re-elected as Treasurer." A note on the April summons reads "Provincial Grand Lodge will hold its meeting at Wallis's Cayton Bay Holiday Village on Saturday 21st May 1983 at 11.00 a.m. "
There was another proposal to increase subscriptions the following year, and the financial situation was 
manifestly unsatisfactory, for a letter was sent out with the October summons saying "ATTENTION PLEASE -an extra item has been added to the summons issues . . .vis-a-vis:- Notice of Motion to ballot on a proposal that the Lodge move to another venue for our meetings, to reduce the overheads. particularly the large increase recently levied on the rent." This caused considerable discussion at the next meeting: "After the Lodge was opened and salutations given to the Representative of the RWPGM & Officers of PGL, a eulogy to the late Bro Frederick Brighton PPGStwd was given, after which the minutes of the last regular meeting were read, confirmed and signed. The WM asked the visitors, with the exception of the Representative, to retire for a short period while the thorny issue of relocating was briefly discussed and a committee formed to seek another venue. The visitors were readmitted and a Raising ceremony took place."
In November 1984 the visitors were again requested to retire whilst the Brethren ballotted on the Notice of Motion given by W. Bro. J. A. Harrison that due to the extraordinary increase in rent the Lodge should move to another venue. "The WM gave a resume on a recent meeting with the Brough Lodge Committee, then asked the W.Bro. Secretary to give an up-date on all the correspondence rec'd & sent, and the W. Bro. Treasurer to give a further outline on the financial position of the Lodge . . . he explained the reasons why subscriptions would have to be increased by £12 to meet the proposals. The meeting was then opened for general comment. W. Bro. Birch stated the Lodge had a moral obligation to stay at Sutton, as did W. Bro. W. E. Branton. W. Bro. Stokes stated that the opportunity would be lost at Dagger Lane if we delayed our decision. W. Bro. P. J. Hall pointed out that the offer made by the Brough Lodge Committee had no guarantee that it could be met, nor could the rent be held at present levels for long." The ballot proved heavily in favour of moving. (Britain was undergoing a period of financial crisis at the time: this was the era of the miners' strikes and some unrest amongst the populace. Government figures show the average weekly wage to be around £215.)
Only then were the visitors readmitted, and the initiation of Mr. Norman George Richard Green took place. Also on this occasion, "W. Bro. N. W. Wilde presented on behalf of Mrs. Suzy Witty, widow of our past Secretary W. Bro. Ernest Witty PPGSuptW a silver candelabra and candlesticks and stated this had been the wish of Bro. Ernest. The WM, W. Bro. Christopher Choppler Barrett, graciously accepted the gift on behalf of the Lodge.
The following meeting saw a number of proposals and plans for the move made before the visitors were admitted. The proposed date for the move was Sunday 3rd March 1985 at 10.30 a.m. "Bro C. R. Brown immediately offered the services of his commercial vehicle, which was graciously accepted." The first meeting was to take place on Thursday 28th March 1985 (this date was later to change). W. Bro. Osborne PPSGD proposed and W. Bro. P. J. Hall PPSGD seconded that the Secretary should send to the Brough Lodge the list of furniture and regalia and invite a representative of the Brough Lodge to be present when these articles were removed from the Sutton premises." The seventeen visitors were admitted and W. Bro. D. D. W. Usalis, PGD of the Grande Loge Nationale of France spoke amusingly and informatively about the formation of a new Lodge in France. Brother Usalis had entertained the Brethren four years before - he was evidently a popular speaker.
Unusually, the December meeting's minutes were not signed until February -the January minutes having been recorded by W. Bro. Birch as the Lodge Secretary, W. Bro. Beal, was unable to attend due to bad weather. Perhaps the weather precluded the Candidate for Raising from attending too, but the time was put to good use by the WM "giving a resume of the meeting on Monday 21st January 1985 between representatives of the Lodge of St Michael and the committee of the Masonic Lodge Dagger Lane. WM said that they had been made most welcome and they were also informed that a cupboard was being put at the disposal of the Lodge of St Michael to house our equipment. The WM then stated that due to an Installation of one of the side degrees our March meeting would have to be moved to Thursday the 4th April. Future meetings afterwards would be on our normal 4th Thursday in the month. W. Bro. J. A. Harrison reported on behalf of the W. Bro. Preceptor that the first Lodge of Instruction meeting would be on Monday 4th March 7.30. It was also reported that the rehearsal for the Preceptor's Festival would be on Monday 1st April 7.30 p.m."
It was evident that despite minor difficulties, the move was proceeding smoothly.
The final ceremony at Sutton was Passing Bro Norman Green to the 2o. Afterwards, a vote of thanks was proposed "to the members of the Brough Lodge for their kindness and help over the past 22 years" which W. Bro. Clappison promised to pass on to the Brough Brethren, "adding that they were sorry to lose us, and will miss us also."
The Provincial Grand Lodge dispensation authorising the move and agreeing to the change of date is attached to the minutes of the April meetings. Appropriately, at the first Dagger Lane meeting, W. Bro. W. G. Broughton gave a "thumbnail sketch" of the history of Dagger Lane, concluding eloquently:
And finally, brethren, a brief word as one of your founders and second master of the Lodge. As we commence a new era in the life of the Lodge of St Michael, let us recollect that, say, whilst a church is a building, it is first and foremost a group of people all with the same ideals and aspirations. In like manner, a Masonic Lodge is a building, but first and foremost it is a company of men bonded together for the practice of brotherly love, relief and truth.
And whether we happen to have been initiated here, or at Sutton, or somewhere else far away from this place, let each of us remember that on that momentous occasion (and it was a momentous occasion, brethren) each and every one of us laid our foundation stone at the North East corner of the Lodge, and may we all ever recollect that it is our bounden duty to erect thereon an edifice, perfect in its parts, honourable to the builder, but above all, brethren, worthy to be part of that great spiritual temple, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The next meeting was Election night, which passed without a hitch. W. Bro. A. C. Hayes was installed in May. It is of interest that greetings were extended from the Founders - though only a few remained: W. Bro. C. C. Barrett, the IPM and W. Bro. W. E. Branton, the organist were present; while W. Bro. Leonard Willingham was still on the books, he had not attended since the previous October, and his signature on a letter at that time was very shaky. He passed to the Grand Lodge Above in September 1985.
The next three meetings were ceremonies, but in November there was a lecture by W. Bro T. K Venter PAGDC entitled "Our Debt to Royal Brethren." Perhaps it is no coincidence that at the first rising, "The W. Bro. Sec [J. L. Beal] informed the Brethren of the appointment by H. N. the Queen of the M. W. the Grand Master to be a Knight of the Garter."
In December the WM sent a letter stating he would be unable to attend. However, he had various items for discussion including the changing of the start time of the meetings to 6.00 pm commencing in March [accepted]; a desire for Officers of the Lodge to wear dinner jackets at meetings [rejected] and a number of thanks and acknowledgements which appear in the minutes [the generosity of Bro. Hargreaves for his donation towards the purchase of ceremonial cuffs for the Inner Guard, and the making of a revolving raffle drum by Bro. Peter Wright. "The Brethren showed their appreciation in the customary manner."]
January 1986 saw the ballotting for and accepting of two joining members: Bro. Terry Lynn and W. Bro. Gilbert Dick, in addition to a 2o ceremony. In March "the WM offered his gavel and chair to W. Bro. G. Dick L.G.R., in order that he may take the chair to obligate the Candidate who is his son. W. Bro. Dick gracefully accepted." James Lawrence Dick's father became his brother that evening.
There was a change in the summons design when Bro. Reginald Mason took the Chair in May 1986. The two pillars, the VSL and various objects on the checkered flooring were removed, and the image of St Michael slaying the dragon retained. (St. Michael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic teachings. He is the patron saint of chivalry and of police officers, paramedics, and the military.)
W. Bro. Mason's first working night was on the fourth Friday instead of the Thursday, by special dispensation, so that the Worshipful Master, Officers and Brethren of the Lodge of Hope No 6954 from the Province of Cheshire could enact their own Ceremony of Initiation at Dagger Lane to be enjoyed by all present. In addition to the 27 members of the Lodge of St Michael, there were 43 visitors. It is evident that this break with tradition was well appreciated: there is still an afinity between the Lodge of Hope and the Lodge of St. Michael. It was during W. Bro. Mason's mastership that the changing of the rubric in the ritual to eliminate the penalties was discussed. Unfortunately ill health precluded the WM from attending all the meetings, but others were pleased to stand in for him.
The next special dispensation from the Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings to the Lodge of St Michael was for the Silver Jubilee meeting, changed to Tuesday 29th September to be in accord with the exact date of the Founding of the Lodge. Thirty-eight St. Michael Brethren attended, as did fifty-nine visitors. The APGM, W. Bro. Kenneth Mark Brown entered with due ceremony and the WM, W. Bro. Hargreaves, yielded the Chair to him. Founder member William E. Branton PPJGW, then a resident at Connaught Court, York, attended to deliver a paper on "The First Twenty-five Years", a precis of which may be found on this website.
W. Bro Hargreaves enjoyed a fulfilling year in the Chair, initiating several gentlemen into the Craft.
VOLUME 4
Parking was as much a problem at Dagger Lane as at Sutton. A regular feature on the summons read “Do not park cars outside the Lodge. The official car park is in Castle Street approximately 100-150 yards from the premises.” The Lodge progressed smoothly, though during 1988 the bye-laws were amended, the Initiation fee was raised to £120 and the annual subscription increased. There are seven handwritten pages outlining the progress of the Benevolent Fund, the importance of nominating more trustees “due to there being only two of the original trustees left . . . as only serving trustees can propose their successors and there must be two or more trustees to propose the new members of the Trust.” Also, “as most of the named Charities in the Trust Deed had either become known by another name or were defunct . . . the new titles of the Nominated Charities be incorporated into the Deed.” During the mastership of J. S. Broughton there was a letter to the Brethren from one of the senior members: “At the last Lodge Committee and Past Masters meeting it was suggested that as the Lodge had now been established over 25 years, consideration should be given to the formation of our own Chapter” –asking for the support of those 7833 members interested. In December 1989 there was an addendum to the summons: “In accordance with the resolution passed at a Lodge Committee meeting held on the 29th October 1990 that it is the intention and wish of the members of the Lodge of St Michael No 7833 to form their own Chapter after all the necessary formalities have been met and completed.”
The Secretary recorded in the minutes at the next meeting “that some of the gifts to the Lodge had been presented after the Xmas meeting he had not recorded any in the last minutes, but felt it would be more appropriate to record them all at this meeting, stating as follows: the receipt of an EA’s & FC’s apron, the gift of Bro Noel Ronald Proud, two deacons’ wands, the gifts of W. Bro Anthony Charles Hayes, and the gift of a new Lodge Banner presented by Mrs Alice Wright on behalf of the ladies of St Michael, all of which were gratefully accepted by the WM, W. Bro. Peter Wright on behalf of members of the Lodge.” The WM’s Lady, Mrs Alice Wright, had made the following speech:
“Worshipful Master, Worshipful Brethren and Brethren and Ladies, in September last year I approached Janet Black, the then Worshipful Master’s Lady, of the idea of forming a Ladies committee and calling ourselves St Michaels’ Ladies. The aim was to present our Lodge with a gift which they were desperately in need of. Our committee was formed, and subsequent conversations with Worshipful Brother John Beal over suggestions of a gift was made –this being a Lodge banner. We knew a great deal of money was required, so our first fund raising event was a Fun Quiz Evening, which proved very popular, so much so, we were inundated to run others; this we have done, and to our amazement, we now have the article we set out to buy. And now, on behalf of Janet Black, the Ladies and myself, we wish to present the Lodge of St Michael with this banner. I must finally add, the support we have had for our Quiz Evenings has been tremendous, and without this support from members and non-members alike, this gift would not have been possible.”
The WM, Peter Wright, replied:
“Back in 1969 when the new Lodge was in the process of being founded, this principally being the brain child of the then Brother J F E Borne. Then new Lodge was to be situated in the East of Hull and based at Sutton. It was felt by the Founders that the new Lodge should carry a suitable name –but what? It was decided that because of Brother Borne’s efforts and his vocation as the Vicar of St Michael and All Angels Sutton Ings, that the new Lodge should carry the Church’s name, hence the Lodge of St Michael.
However, with little or no funds available, A Lodge Banner was out of the question, so Bro Borne, whilst searching through some church archives, came across an old Mothers Union banner; this he presented to the Lodge on permanent loan until such time as the Lodge could afford its own banner. You will have noticed the combined M.U. in each corner, and also the lack of name and number and square and compass.
The design of the new banner carries the Lodge name and number,
square and compass, it also depicts the two great pillars on the top of which are the Celestial and Terrestrial globes, both pillars are set on the chequered pavement of a Masonic Lodge. The design has been derived from our Summons. As I am sure, you will realise the amount of time and effort involved by our Ladies in planning the design and colours, together with advice from W. Bro. J. L. Beal, has been well worth the effort, and it only remains for me to say a very big thank you on behalf of the Brethren of the Lodge of St Michael for this truly remarkable gift which will be dedicated in the New Year, after which the old banner, after some refurbishment, will be returned to St Michael and All Angels Church.”
The banner was dedicated on 28th March 1991. The Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Eric Aretas Waddington, PAsGStB attended, with the Provincial Grand Chaplain, VW Bro. the Rev. Neville Barker Cryer, who performed the dedication concluding his address thusly:
“Recall the words from the Book of the prophet Daniel – yet from Michael’s mouth: ‘I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the future . . . I am responsible for helping and defending you.’ (10/4 & 11/1) There he stands, Michael your Brother and Exemplar – between the two pillars that are the entrance to a life of holiness, and the assurance of an united house that will stand firm for ever. Never enter, or allow the new Brethren who are to follow you into this Lodge ever to enter, this Lodge Room without sparing a moment to glance at this feature in the east and recall its constant message –we are ever to be at one in Brotherly Love, dedicated to fight evil and bring Relief to the needy and not afraid to speak the Truth that is revealed to us. Do that and this will be a standard of which to be truly proud.”
VOLUME 5
Volume five of the minutes, covering from February 1992 to December 2005, is so crammed with pasted in sheets, summonses, letters, etc. that the pages have parted company with the spine, the volume of paper too much to be contained. When this researcher discovered it, it was carefully bound up with string. Much of the content is unremarkable: the Lodge of St Michael progressed apace, Master succeeding Master and new Masons being made. 1992, however, was the year of the consecration of the Chapter of St Michael,
In 1993 Jesse Stokes, the first Preceptor of the Lodge, passed to the Grand Lodge Above. This was a year when the June meeting of the Lodge of St Michael fell on the 24th, St John’s day, a date traditionally reserved for the Minerva Lodge, also meeting in Dagger Lane, and a dispensation was granted from the RWProvGM for the Lodge of St Michael to convene a week earlier. The WM, W. Bro. Malcolm Sydney Ladd, presided over an Initiation Ceremony. Indeed, a string of Initiations followed, and ceremonies were performed until Christmas 1995, when the First Degree Tracing Board was explained by Bro. J. C. Stead. The next “non-working” night was in April 1997, when the Daggards performed a costumed eighteenth century working of an Initiation degree. At this meeting, it was recommended by the Lodge Committee that the annual subscription be raised to £64.00.
Discussion took place within the Lodge in April 1998 on the raising of money for the Millennium Appeal,
the restoration of the St William Window in York Minster, one of the most important pieces of stained glass in the world. Eventually it was decided that “the Lodge Social Committee should be empowered to organise functions and events over the next two years to raise monies to go towards the Lodge’s commitment to the Millennium Fund.” In December that year, the WM, W. Bro. Andy Lowthorpe, “said that £1,876.00 had been added to the fund during his year. Congratulations were expressed to those concerned in this magnificent effort.”
At the Installation meeting in May 1999, the new WM, W. Bro. Clive Learmonth MBE, was pleased to present a cheque to the Representative of Provincial Grand Lodge, W. Bro. Nicholas Calvert Varey, for the sum of £3,731.00 towards the Millennium Fund, together with a photograph of .jpg)
the Lodge emblem. The Lodge was nearing its target of £4000 for a named panel in the window. Dr Nick Varey, who at the time was Provincial Grand Secretary, sent a letter to the Lodge Secretary after the meeting, granting dispensation for the changing of date of the regular June meeting as it again clashed with the Minerva Installation, and thanking the Lodge for its hospitality. His sentiments are frequently reiterated by other visitors: “Dear John, Herewith the required Dispensation. Will you please convey my heartfelt thanks to the Master and Brethren of the Lodge of St Michael for a superb evening of Masonic ritual and friendship. I was received with great warmth and it is obvious that the Lodge is in excellent heart. I have forwarded your most generous donation to the St William Window Fund to Mike Roberts, the Treasurer, and have informed the Assistant PGM of your huge generosity . . . Thank you all once again for a splendid evening, Kind regards, Yours sincerely and Fraternally, Nick Varey.”
The Christmas meeting broke new ground: the Lodge called off, and the Ladies of the Brethren and visiting Brethren, accompanied by the Lodge widows and two gentlemen were invited into the Lodge Room to hear a lecture by W. Bro. Clifford Jones on “Christmas” which was well received. The summons asked the Brethren to wear evening dress and black tie for that evening.
September 2001 saw a temporary change of venue: a dispensation was granted to hold the regular meeting at the Masonic Hall, Little Park Street, Hull as the Dagger Lane building was undergoing refurbishment. At this meeting, Mr. Colin Broughton was made a member of the Lodge. The WM, W. Bro. I. J. Chapman, relinquished the Chair “to W. Bro. Lowthorpe so that the latter could initiate his brother-in-law.” W. Bro. G. S. Bowers, the last remaining Founder of the Lodge, was in attendance and he gave greetings recognising “the progress of this very fine Lodge”. The following month saw a double second degree, and at the December meeting (another Passing) “the Secretary reported that a news release had been received (via Grand Lodge) from the Grand Master of Masons in the state of New York about their contribution to a fund which would provide assistance to families of victims of the 11 September disaster and included an address where any personal donations should be sent to. Whilst English Constitution Brethren are not permitted to communicate directly with other Grand Lodges, because of the unprecedented circumstances of this event, there would be no objections to any donations being sent directly to the address stated in the news release.”
Early in September 2002, the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, Judge Gerald Coles, died. At the September meeting, the Brethren paid tribute by standing in the manner customary among Masons. A letter from the Provincial Grand Standard Bearer, W. Bro. W. John Goodwill dated 30th September 2002 expresses thanks for the welcome and hospitality of the Brethren, his admiration for the Lodge Room and his compliments on the ceremony. “I am certain that Bros. Broughton and Wedgner [passed to the 2°] will remember the occasion for many years to come. It was also very encouraging to see Bros. Burton, Wheeldon and McAllister undertaking work, and an excellent way to celebrate your 40th Anniversary, and it is good to see recently joined Masons being involved. They are to be congratulated.”
In November, the Representative of the Deputy Provincial Master in Charge visited the Lodge of St Michael, and after the ceremony, the Secretary read a letter informing the Brethren that the next Provincial Grand Master would be W. Bro. Richard John Anderson –the Representative that evening. “At the conclusion of this announcement,” the minutes read, “the Brethren stood and acclamation followed. On behalf of all those present, the WM congratulated W. Bro. Anderson and wished him well and every success in his new role. W. Bro. Anderson thanked the WM and all the Brethren for their good wishes and added greetings from Provincial Grand Lodge.”
Brother Norman Scott was presented with a certificate for 60 years service by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master at the February meeting in 2003. “Having presented the certificate, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master told those present he had another pleasant duty to perform because he had been empowered by the RW Provincial Grand Master to promote Bro. Scott to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden, a rare achievement for one who had not taken the Chair of a Lodge but nevertheless an honour which was fully deserved. W. Bro. Wood then invested Bro. Norman with the collar and jewel of the office and this was followed by further acclamation.”
At the December meeting in 2003 the Ladies were again invited into the Lodge to see a Daggards presentation of “The Medieval Engineers”. Many Lodges at this time were experiencing a decline in the number of candidates applying to join the Brotherhood. The Lodge of St Michael was no exception. Consequently, there were more lectures, enactments and presentations appearing on the summons. It is interesting to note that in March 2005, Bro. John Wheeldon (initiated in June 2001) became a Grand Patron of Festival 2006. The WM, W. Bro. Allan Hemmings, TD, said “this was a thoroughly deserved achievement which reflected the effort JR has devoted to Lodge activities and he was to be congratulated.” Bro Wheeldon, on receiving his certificate, thanked all the Brethren for their support, without which, he said, this honour could not have been bestowed.
At the Installation Meeting in May 2005, there were sixty-two members on the Lodge Roll. During the December meeting senior member W. Bro. Peter Hall addressed the Brethren, saying that “since the Lodge was consecrated some 43 years ago (41 of which he had been a member) we had received some good Provincial Honours though never to senior active positions. With that in mind, it gives me very great pleasure to inform the Brethren that at the next Annual Convocation of Provincial Grand Lodge, W. Bro. David Andrew Lowthorpe is to be appointed Provincial Junior Grand Warden. This, he felt, was thoroughly deserved by the individual and hopefully, a reflection of the progress which this Lodge has made in recent years.” Acclamation followed.
There were two second degree ceremonies for St Michael Brethren in January 2007. The first was at Northallerton, where Bro. Philip Clark was Passed, the ceremony conducted by members of the Anchor Lodge 1337. W. Bro. Andy Lowthorpe represented the RWPGM on that occasion. After the Dagger Lane second degree ceremony in January 2007, “W. Bro. Wright (on behalf of W. Bro. Hartley) produced a Photograph Album/scrap book which had come from Mrs. Leonora Jacketts at Connaught Court and was a record of her late husband’s year in the Chair of the Brough Lodge following his Installation in 1956. Thereafter, Bill Jacketts, of course, became a founder member of our Lodge and it was for that reason Mrs. Jacketts wanted to present it to us.” Further ceremonies followed, including three Initiations. It is the tradition in the Lodge of St Michael to refer to the Candidate during his initiation, passing and raising, by his full name. Antonio Jose Ramirez Jiminez posed an articulation problem for some at first, but it was a delight to hear the obligation repeated with a Spanish accent.
The Lodge Information Officer, Bro. Wheeldon, had begun to produce Newsletters, and the October issue 2006 contains an account and photograph of nineteen members of the Lodge of St Michael visiting the Lion Lodge 312 in Whitby, the Lodge Garden Party at the home of Sue and Ling Yu in Wyton, and a wealth of other information.
December 2006 saw a short meeting, after which the DC escorted Ladies and friends into the Lodge Room to witness a Xmas presentation produced by the Lodge Preceptor, W. Bro. I. J. Chapman, performed by Officers of the Lodge.
In 2007 W. Bro John Alexander Harrison PPJGW celebrated his fiftieth year as a Freemason, having been initiated into the Scottish constitution in 1957, and joining the Lodge of St Michael in 1970, and a jewel and certificate were presented to him by W. Bro. Clifford L. Jones PAGDC, representing the RW Provincial Grand Master. (Shortly after this W. Bro. Harrison completed fifty years in the Chapter.) Ceremonies were worked through this year, and in May Bro. Ling Faang Yu was installed as WM. On 1st July 2007 smoking was forbidden in public buildings in England, and a few Brethren suffered nicotine deprivation for a while. The festive boards, however, were no longer overhung with palls of smoke at the conclusion of the evening.
Ceremonies were worked in January, February and March 2008, the social functions included the Valentine’s Night and St George’s Night. Election night saw an unprecedented event as the ballot for the Master Elect proved unfavourable, a disturbing occasion as there was evidently discord in the Lodge. There were over seventy members on the roll, though age and distance precluded regular attendance from some. 
This regrettable incident provoked a few resignations.
It was in August 2008 that Bro. A. M. McAllister Passed to the 2o. The Lodge of St Michael does not meet in August, but the Lion Lodge 312 in Whitby did, and as we had plenty of Candidates and they had none, it was decided that a posse of St Michael would take a trip to the seaside and support Bro McAllister in the Second Degree ceremony, which would be conducted by members of the Lion Lodge.
The building at Dagger Lane was refurbished –an ongoing process. The September minutes mention the repainting work by W. Bros. Haigh and Lowthorpe, using scaffolding supplied by Bro. David Johnstone, the central heating pipes repaired by Ken Graham with Bro. David Proudley doing the excavations, the fitting of a new fire alarm throughout the building, and the upgrading of the toilet facilities, including a WC for the disabled. On a sad note, the death of W. Bro. Tom Palframan in July was reported, a much loved and respected Brother who would be sadly missed.
The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro. Richard John Anderson, attended the October meeting accompanied by a team of Active Provincial Officers. He “reminded the Brethren of his visit in 2002 in his capacity of ProvGDC the Representative of the late W. Bro G Coles and that he had received a letter of his appointment as the Provincial Grand Master prior to our meeting, but had decided to let the evening carry on in its present format, having informed the Brethren he was highly delighted with the response he received on that night which set the tone for the duration of his tenure as the new Provincial Grand Master and he thanked each and every one of the members of the Lodge.”
At the Installation meeting in May 2009, “Brethren processed into the Lodge after which the DC, upon an
instruction from the WM, escorted W. Bro. A. C. Hayes, Assistant Grand Standard Bearer, to the centre of the Lodge. The WM congratulated him on becoming a Grand Officer, a first for the Lodge of St Michael. This was followed by acclamation after which W. Bro. Hayes thanked the WM for his comments before being seated.”
A number of ceremonies followed during subsequent months and the smooth running of the Lodge gradually resumed. The ceremony of the Initiation of a Lewis was performed – the second in the Lodge of St Michael. (The previous one was in January 1986.) Following the Christmas meeting in 2009, the Brethren entertained the Ladies and guests at the Festive Board. Particularly memorable was Brother Antonio Jose Ramirez Jiminez teaching everybody the carol “Vamos Pastorcitos” (Go, Shepherds) assisted by some Spanish guests that evening. At least everybody managed to sing the last line of the chorus: “Pom, pom, pom, pom!” correctly.
The Haiti Earthquake of January 2010 inspired donations from Freemasons. Grand Lodge informed Brethren that emergency grants totalling £30,000 had been sent to the Red Cross, a reminder to all in the Brotherhood that a percentage of their dues are held in escrow for such disasters.
The 477th Meeting (25th April 2010) was Election night; the customary votes were taken, and the usual reports (from the Almoner, Charity Steward, First Principal of the Chapter) delivered. Following comments made by the PGM in 2008, and after discussion by the Lodge Committee in 2009, W. Bro. Barnes raised the question of charging of glasses between each toast at the Festive Board, commonly practised in the Lodge of St Michael. After recommendations from the Lodge’s Grand Lodge Officer, W. Bro. A. C. Hayes AGStB and the DC, W. Bro. Andy Lowthorpe, the WM proposed that in future, the charging of glasses be on the first and fifth toasts. This was carried. At this meeting, W. Bro. Wildman PPGSuptWks (guest Organist) explained that the organ in the Lodge Room had seen better days and needed refurbishing. After consultation with various organ builders, he had found an expert organ builder and international performer, Mr Paul Derrett, who had examined the instrument and could put it to rights for a reasonable sum. While the Daggards (a group of acting/singing freemasons belonging to Dagger Lane) were prepared to contribute to the cause, W. Bro. Wildman was asking the five Lodges meeting in the building to contribute. It was proposed and seconded by W. Bros. Broughton and Grant, and carried by the members.
The Christmas after-proceedings in 2010 were enhanced by the WM and his Lady in Edwardian dress, performing “I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts” with members of his team as “targets.”
The celebration of the refurbishment of the Organ was announced at the October meeting 2011. It took place on 30th November and members of the Lodge of St Michael with their wives/partners made up a considerable part of the appreciative audience. Paul Derrett’s recital was first class, and all enjoyed the meal afterwards.
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