Turkeys Trot at St George’s 4 Installation
 
One of the oldest Allied Council’s in West Lancashire is St George’s No 4, which was consecrated in February 1881, some 144 years ago, with just 6 years to go to its 150th anniversary (if I have done my sums correctly). The Council meets at Bryn Masonic Hall in the Ancient & Loyal Borough of Wigan, a fine Masonic Hall with an enviable reputation for good food and service. The village of Bryn was originally a small mining community, including miners from the valleys amongst its early number. It is famous, or infamous, as a place where the locals were berated by the Methodist Preacher John Wesley, on his visit, in 1759, to the nearby community at Downall Green, and who described the local  populace as ‘Wicked to a Proverb’!!!
 
Returning to the history of St George’s Council, the question is, how many venues have hosted the Council over these 140 years of Allied Freemasonry? It must have met somewhere before Bryn, I think, and I’ll try to find out in due course.
Master Elect Alan Flack, WM John Barnes, DepDGP and Principal Guest Mark Barton
However, the main purpose of this article is that on Thursday, 17th April, the Installation meeting of St George’s Council was held in the presence of the principal guest, W. Bro. Mark Andrew Barton, PGStdB, Deputy District Grand Prefect of West Lancashire, and also RW Bro. Graham Paul Snape, District Grand Prefect for West Lancashire, in total around 20 Brethren were present. The W.M., W. Bro John Barnes, needed to do a bit of juggling with the gavel as he welcomed firstly our Principal Guest, and then the DGP, with a plethora of Salutations fitted in between. Our WM was slightly disappointed that neither of them kept the gavel, so it was on his broad shoulders that the ceremony of Installation rested.
 
The Master Elect, Bro Alan Flack, was presented to the WM as a Brother suitably qualified to be Installed as Master of the Council, and was subsequently Installed into the Chair in a delightful way by W. Bro. Barnes.
Terry Dickinson JW, Newly Installed Master Alan Flack, Martin Stokes SW
The new WM was then pleased to Invest his officers for the ensuing year, and on conclusion was congratulated by W. Bro. Barton on his Installation, with further thanks to W. Bro. Barnes for his work as Installing Master. The business of the evening being ended, the WM closed the Council and, accompanying the DGP and his Deputy, processed out of the Lodge Room with the acclamation from Brethren present.
Some of the members of St George’s Council No 4
As always at Bryn, a well-presented dinner, consisting of vegetable soup, a choice of salmon or beef together with the usual trimmings and a fruit salad to finish, was well received by the Brethren.
Of course, no Allied Installation evening is complete without a few wine takings and the DGP invited his Deputy, and the WM to take wine with all of the Brethren.
 
Following the wine takings, the chattering classes were silenced as the Deputy District Grand Director of Ceremonies demanded attention for the formal toasts.
John Bicknell pointing the way to Fire
Many of you will know that St George’s is one of the few Lancashire Council’s to ‘render fire’ after the majority of toasts, the Loyal Toast being the exception, and to save any embarrassment of visitors, VW Bro. John Bicknell expertly explained the procedure in advance, and lo and behold the fire was subsequently rendered perfectly.
The Deputy DGP responded to the toast to Grand Officers, and brought his own congratulations to the WM, Installing Master, and all the Brethren who had taken part in the ceremonial. He encouraged Brethren to support the District of West Lancashire by attending its annual meeting on Saturday 26 May 2025 at Preston MH.
The DGP briefly responds to the toast to his health
Soon it was time for W. Bro. John Barnes to propose a toast to the Health of the District’s newest WM, W. Bro. Alan Flack who then thanked the Brethren for the trust reposed in him.
 
Now you may wonder why I included in the title of this article ‘Turkeys Trot.’ Well, during the WM’s response, he revealed that one of our distinguished visitors supplied him with a turkey with a broken leg (allegedly) at Christmas. The question I ask, William, is this – was this turkey one of our DGP’s many road kill retrievals during his cross-country meanderings? In the interests of Elf and Safety, we demand the truth!
 
A great evening in great company and an early completion to the proceedings, what more can we ask for?
Article and  photos by the Turkey Drumstick (plus photo contributions from he who must be obeyed.)