Annual Meeting of the Severn District Council
 
We left Lancashire early in the morning to be in South Wales for the Annual Meeting of the Allied Masonic District of Severn. The meeting was to be held at the Masonic Hall in the quaint little Welsh town of Pontyclun. For those of you who have never visited Pontyclun it is a pretty little town set in the Welsh Valleys not too far from Cardiff. On Saturday 4th. November  some eleven Allied Masons met up in the hall to attend the District Meeting. We were welcomed into the hall with tea/coffee and welcome it was for the journey from Lancashire was awful. The weather was appalling and the miles and miles and miles of road works  did not make it a good journey, but our spirits soon lifted talking to old friends and meeting new ones.
Masonic Hall Pontyclun
We were seated in the Lodge Room at 11.15 am and called to order to receive the first procession, Distinguish Guests from other Districts. The second procession was the District Grand Prefect for Severn District Right Worshipful Brother Ronald Slater accompanied by the District Grand Officers. At 11.30 am the District Grand Prefect opened District Grand Council. The District Grand Prefect was saluted to which he suitably responded, the Deputy District Grand Prefect was saluted he to suitably responded and the Right Worshipful Brethren were also saluted to which Right Worshipful Brother Keith Philip Roberts District Grand Prefect for Cheshire and North Wales responded on behalf of all the Right Worshipful Brethren.
DGP& Dep.DGP
A moment of reflection was observed for the recently departed Brethren.
West Lancashire Delegation
The District Grand Prefect then introduced the visiting distinguished guests which included the delegation from West Lancashire, the District Grand Prefect Right Worshipful Brother Graham Paul Snape, his Deputy District Grand Prefect Worshipful Brother  William Lawrence Richmond Past Grand Junior Deacon, The District Grand Director of Ceremony Worshipful Brother Raymond Pye Grand Steward, Very Worshipful Brother Stuart Leach Past Grand Registrar, Worshipful Brother Frank William Clarke Past District Grand Senior Warden, Brothers Andrew Bartlett and Robert Whittingham and Worshipful Brother Ernie Gavan Past District Junior Grand Warden / District Grand Sword Bearer.
 
There were two other West Lancashire Allied Masons who were introduced in their own right as Right Worshipful Brother Peter Brockbank District Grand Prefect for Kent and Right Worshipful Brother Mervyn Frank Wilson District Grand Prefect for our neighbouring district  East Lancashire.
Masters Chair
The next item on the agenda was a roll call of the District Grand Officers and Councils in the District. After some domestic business of the District the District Grand Prefect appointed and invested the District Officers for the ensuing year. The District Grand Officers were saluted and the District Grand Senior Warden responded on all their behalves.
The District Grand Prefect addressed the District Grand Council. There being no further business District Grand Council was closed.
Severn DGP with DGP's East Lancs,West Lancs,Kent and East and West Lancs Dep's
Before the District Grand Prefect retired the District Grand Council sang the Welsh National Anthem and then the National Anthem, considering where we were it was quite moving, they definitely know how to sing.
 
After a few pictures were taken we retired to the dining room for a pre-lunch drink before sitting down to a sumptuous five (yes five) course lunch and coffee and mints, including wine and port, they definitely know how to treat their guests.
We said our Good-byes and made our way home. the weather was greatly improved a splendid afternoon and evening autumn sunshine, alas the road works had not.


Article and Photographs by Ernie Gavan