Saturday 30th November 2013
Three intrepid brethren travelled over the sea to Bute on St Andrew’s Day to attend the installation of lodge Rothesay St John No 292 RWM Bro Alan Beck, WJW Bro Allan Glen and PM Bro Iain White. Arriving in plenty of time, we had a wee donner along Montague Street and discovering the West End chippy was yet to open, we headed round to the front and had a nice lunch in Ghillies in the Victoria Hotel. Thus fortified, we took the short walk to the Temple and were surprised when the meeting started almost on time and almost at 1 o’clock.
It was a great Installation in 292’s magnificent, atmospheric lodge room. We renewed old acquaintances, made some new ones, had a dram or two and ate a delicious St Andrew’s Day meal of soup, haggis, neeps and tatties and cheese and biscuits. Bro Craig Baxter PM was installed into the Chair of King Solomon. The Installing Masters, Ellis Rutherford and James McMillan, both Past Masters of 292 did a fantastic job. It was particularly pleasing for me to be there as RWM was Craig was a pupil in Rothesay Academy when I worked there between 1987 and 1992 and PM Bo Ian Ross and I installed his Dad, Frank, a few years ago.
Our ferry companions were Bros Alasdair Beaton RWM of Lodge The Gael No 609, and Gary Gilchrist RWM and Robin Shields PM of Lodge St Vincent Sandyford No 553, all of whom are well known to us and good pals of No XII. We had a couple of refreshments to sustain us on the way back and Alasdair gave us a wee tune on the pipes (see below)