First East Lancashire

Order of the Secret Monitor

 

Provincial Gala Dinner

 

 

On Saturday 21^st June 2008 at Bury Masonic Hall the First Provincial Gala Dinner was held.

 

A total of seventy-four Brethren, wives, partners & friends gathered for this social event.

 

With a menu of liver pate, soup & chicken chasseur followed with fruit salad, a cheese board & coffee the night was set for banter & friendly discussion.

 

The minimum of toasts & speeches added to the informal atmosphere.

 

In responding to the toast to his health & of course that of his wife Carol the Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler, Howard referred to the “Family” in the Order of the Secret Monitor.

 

He thanked all the Provincial Team who were “his family” for working behind the scenes to ensure that East Lancashire moves from strength to strength.

 

But he selected one particular member of the Provincial Team for special praise. Wy.Bro. William L. Fishwick, Provincial Grand Guide who had single-handed organised the evening. 

 

The Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler thanked Bill most sincerely for all his hard work & said that he must be gratified with the result. All who attended gave Bill a huge round of applause & his wife Jean was presented with a bouquet of flowers in recognition of all that Bill’s had done.

 

Finally, Wy.Bro. Eric Bullock was thanked for producing the menu cards, the catering & bar staff at Bury Masonic Hall & everyone, including the Conclaves who had donated a raffle prize.

 

Flowers were then presented to Mrs Carol Nuttall & to the Deputy Provincial grand Supreme Ruler’s wife Mrs. Margaret Jackson.

 

The raffle raise an amount of £400.00 which will be contributed to the Provincial Charity fund, this year it will be donated to the battle to find a cure for Prostate cancer, which, when our final total is known, will be doubled by the OSM Benevolent Fund at Grand Conclave.

 

This first Provincial Gala Dinner was such a success, in its simple format, that it has already been decided to hold the second on the same Saturday in June 2009, with the same format.

 

A big thank you to all who made the night so special.