Having come to the recess of my second year in the chair there was still one meeting left which I was looking forward to greatly. Over the last couple of years, NoXII has held a special meeting in June. It started in 2012 with a meeting to celebrate the diamond jubilee of HM The Queen, and in 2013 we held a PMs' degree with one candidate - both of these degrees had been very successful and had drawn very large attendances. This year we were in the very fortunate position, for the first time since 1983 of being able to initiate five candidates in the one evening. I had decided once again to ask the PMs of the lodge to confer the degree for a couple of reasons: firstly it's Good to see the "auld yins" dust the cobwebs off and perform the ritual and secondly ...they are the only ones who would have a clue what to do with five candidates !
I was delighted to be able to welcome a total of 142 brethren into the lodge on that evening. This included a deputation of nine reigning masters led by RWM Bro William Lawson of Lodge Doric Kilwinning No68. After RWM Bro Willie and the other masters had joined me in the East it then gave me particular pleasure to welcome the deputation of RWPGM Bro James P Livingstone who, along with several office bearers and brethren of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Renfrewshire West, was accompanied by RWPGM Bro Alasdair Henderson of the Province of Glasgow, RWPGM Bro John Millar of the Province of Renfrewshire East and the IPPGM of the Province of Ayrshire, Bro Archibald Chalmers. After the Bro James S Adams gavel had been surrendered to the PGM, Bro Livingstone warmly welcomed all the brethren from without the Province of Renfrewshire West and spoke of the upcoming events in celebration of the 275th Anniversary of the commission as the first ever PGM in the Scottish Craft of Bro Alexander Drummond PM of NoXII. The significance of this has never been lost on me during this year as I, and every other RWM of NoXII since 1739 wear his 275year old jewel at every meeting. After the return of the gavel it gave me great pleasure to in turn present it to Bro Kenneth Morrison PM who was entrusted with conferring the degree on the five candidates. It was a great delight to present the Adams gavel to Bro Kenny: he was a very great friend of the late Bro Jim Adams and also the most experienced Freemason in our lodge - the gavel couldn't have been in safer hands!
The degree was conferred expertly by the following brethren:
RWM - Bro Kenneth K. Morrison PM
WSW - Bro Murray Thomson PM
WJW - Bro Hector Macphail PM
SD - Bro Kenneth C. MacDougall PM
JD - Bro Robert J. Bain PM
IG - Bro Alistair Glenny PM
Prayer - Bro Alistair Glenny PM
Obligation - Bro Kenneth K. Morrison PM
The Secrets - Bro Robert J. Bain PM
The Apron - Bro Murray Thomson PM
The NEC - Bro Hector Macphail PM
Working Tools - Bro Ian Ross PM
The Charge - Bro Kenneth C. MacDougall PM
Special mention must go to JD Bro Bob Bain who conducted the five candidates around the floor with great aplomb - no mean feat. At the end of the degree the new brethren, Bros Snoddy, Lewis, Nelson, Frizzel and Frizzel were congratulated by the Conferring Master, the RWPGM and myself and Bro Kenny then returned the gavel. On behalf of the visitors RWM Bro Lawson congratulated Bro Kenny and his team and extended warm fraternal greetings. At the traditional harmony afterwards the usual Masonic toasts were observed and each candidate in turn spoke in gratitude of the work of the evening undertaken on his behalf. President of Stewards, Bro Tony Buckley once again laid on a fantastic spread with lasagne and chips or chicken curry with rice and at least eighty brethren stayed behind to sample the fare. The singing was also excellent with Bro Ian Macpherson PM, Lodge The Princes 607, Bro Robert Shaw PM and Bro John Henderson both Lodge Bridgeton and Glasgow Shamrock and Thistle 275 and Yours Truly all being persuaded to waggle the wallies in song. All in all a most memorable evening and a real highlight of my time in the Chair of NoXII which is rapidly drawing to its close.
Bro Alan Beck RWM