Stonecutters Update - 1 June 2023
To support Wiltshire Provincial Grand Lodge and Wiltshire 2028 Festival, the Stonecutters have produced a limited edition and serial numbered Challenge Coin to raise money for such a worthwhile cause. The coins have sold rapidly across the Chapter and to non-biker brethren alike. We hope to present a cheque to the Provincial Grand Master in the coming months.
Our monthly Natter Nights and Quiz Nights are well attended and are a fantastic source of good food and company where we raise money for charities. In March, the Stonecutters visited Stonehenge Lodge No 6114 to watch the Ceremony of Raising for Bro Robin Taylor who was our first non-Masonic Cornerstone to be initiated into Freemasonry and our Assistant Secretary when the Chapter first formed. Time was of the essence because Robin was due to move from Wiltshire within the week. He was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason, became a Widows Son and was presented his Founder Member's patch all on the same night!
At Easter we visited Spurgeons Children's Charity and Julia's House Children's Hospice to donate Easter Eggs. Both of these charities are based in Devizes but support families from across Wiltshire. Our partners from Juno Company, Wiltshire Army Cadet Force helped us to deliver the eggs before we rode around Salisbury Plain and then found a suitable venue for a meal. A good day was had by all.
About twenty bikers including members from visiting Chapters including Southern, The Quarrymen, Wyvern and Brycgstow (Bristol and Gloucester) Chapters of the WSMBA attended our Annual Cider Rally at Bredy Farm near Bridport. The ride, food, company and entertainment were excellent. Our visitors really contributed to the success of the weekend and we are as ever, really grateful that they took the time to visit and support our Chapter. Likewise, some of our available members visited the Pilgrims WSMBA for their Annual Bash. Our Natter Nights and monthly quiz nights continue to be well attended and very popular. The Stonecutters AGM will be held in July at Trowbridge Masonic Hall where we will be electing our next Chapter President and his team of officers. Longer term, our thoughts are turning towards the National Rally at the end of July which by current numbers we will have about 15 members riding from Wiltshire to Hull for the weekend. We continue to hold our regular ride outs too.
Behind the scenes, there is a lot of planning going on; hopefully we will be making a presentation to our Provincial Grand Master, we are planning our Christmas Toy Run and Dinner Night, our Annual New Years Eve ride out and we have already set the provisional dates for our 2024 Ye Olde Annual Cider Rally.