Council on the Fylde
 
On Monday 4th. December some thirty five Allied Masons descended on the normally quiet town of Poulton le Fylde in the Allied Masonic District of West Lancashire to attend the December meeting of Council on the Fylde  Council. The Masonic Hall in Poulton  is situated on the Market Square and at 10:15am we were welcomed into the Hall with a warming cup of coffee. The meeting was called to order at 11:00am  by the Acting Council Director of Ceremony Worshipful Brother Ernie Gavan Past District Grand Junior Warden / District Grand Sword Bearer.
The Council was opened by the Worshipful Master Brother Bryan Peter Snaith. The Worshipful Master welcomed into the Council Right Worshipful Brother Graham Paul Snape District Grand Prefect for West Lancashire. The District Grand Prefect was saluted to which he suitably responded and took a seat in the Council. The other Right Worshipful Brethren, William Richard Seddon Past District Grand Prefect and Douglas John Forster Past Grand Junior Warden were saluted and Right Worshipful Brother Seddon responded on both their behalves.
After the domestic items on the agenda a ballot took place for two joining members and a candidate for admission, the ballot proved in favour. Worshipful Brother Geoffrey Catterall Past Grand Junior Deacon / District Grand Secretary and Worshipful Brother Michael Hatton District Grand Organist were welcomed to the Council by the Worshipful Master.
On an alarm Worshipful Brother Rodney Greenall was Introduced, Received and Admitted as a Brother of St. Lawrence by the Worshipful Master in a delightful ceremony, he was invested with the jewel of this degree by the Senior Warden Rt. W. Bro. Forster and the lecture was delivered by the Junior Warden Bro. O'Brien. Bro. Greenall was invited to take a seat in the Council. 
At the December meeting it is becoming a tradition for Council on the Fylde to conduct a Red Cross of Babylon Ceremony. The Council invites all those eligible to be created Knight of the Red Cross of Babylon to the Council. A total of seven candidates were in attendance to receive the degree. The candidates were requested to retire and a Council of the Red Cross of Babylon was opened.
In the Council on the Fylde, we have a narrator R. W. Bro. Forster who explains to the candidates and indeed all the brethren the ceremony as it progresses. The ceremony is rather a lengthy affair with some fifteen officers taking part. Due to  unforeseen  circumstances some of the regular officers were missing and the more junior brethren took on the roles, and what a good job they did. The lecture was given by the Acting Director Of Ceremony. The ceremony over the candidates were invited to take a seat in the council. The Council of the Red Cross of Babylon was closed.
After some further items of a domestic nature The Right Worshipful District Grand Prefect was invited to present a Grand Council Certificate to Brother David Thomas Platt which he did in the manner to which we expect from our leader. The District Grand Prefect gave greetings on behalf of the Grand and District Grand Officers.
The worshipful Master then closed the council and was escorted from the council accompanying The Right Worshipful District Grand Prefect.
 
The Luncheon on this occasion was a buffet and once everyone had partaken the toasts were short and the few responses given.  It seems there were other meeting to which a number of the brethren were attending later in the day, the usual chat after the meeting was kept short, car parking to attend to and trains to catch. Even so the opinion was it was another splendid meeting in the Allied Masonic Degrees at Poulton le Fylde
Story courtesy of Ernie Gavan