The Three Counties Lodge No. 9278 hosted their Installation meeting on Monday the 28th of October 2019 at Sheaf Close, Northampton.
It was a very memorable and special evening which saw WBro Bob Stokes, Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Degree in Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, installed into the Chair of King Solomon by WBro Tom Quinn, Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire in the Royal Order of Scotland.
WBro Bob Stokes, WM of Three Counties Lodge No. 9278 (left), with WBro Tom Quinn, Installing Master and IPM
WBro Bob was Initiated into Peterborough and Counties Lodge in 1990 before becoming a founder of the Richard Sandbach Lodge of Research in 1995 and a member of Palmer Lodge of Provincial Grand Stewards in 2001. He is perhaps best known in the Craft as a Assistant Director of Ceremonies in 2005/2006 and a Deputy Director of Ceremonies from 2009 until 2013
Amongst those present at the meeting were the Provincial Grand Master, RWBro Max Bayes, together with his Provincial Executive team and a large number of Grand Lodge and active Provincial Grand Officers.
Unsurprisingly, many members of the Mark Degree were present including the Past Provincial Grand Master and Deputy Provincial Grand Master of that degree, WBro George Bonham PAGDC and WBro Brian Elliott PAGDC respectively.
From left, WBro Brian Elliott, WBro Bob Stokes, WBro Tom Quinn and WBro George Bonham
After the Installation ceremony, the Provincial Grand Master gave his traditional half-yearly address during which he announced that WBro Jim Boughton, the current Grand Superintendent in the Holy Royal Arch in the Province, would be installed as the next Worshipful Master of The Three Counties Lodge in October 2020.
Registered Mason website users can view the Provincial Grand Master's address by clicking on the following link:
The address also documents the fact that WBro Mike Caseman-Jones PAGDC will be retiring from the post of Provincial Grand Secretary at Provincial Grand Lodge in May 2020, and that it's the PGM's intention to appoint the Provincial Assistant Grand Secretary, WBro William Diggins PProvJGD, in his place.