MIKE HAILWOOD NEWSLETTER - AUTUMN 2018

Regular Meetings

June 2nd

A talk on The Warwickshire Festival by newly appointed APGM David Greenwood. Also, a very amusing motorcycling story by Ian Tatton. Martin Humphrey was proposed as Master Elect at a Past Masters meeting shortly afterwards. There were plenty of bikes in attendance.

September 22nd

A special meeting where we held a demonstration 3rd degree ceremony with Bros Ian Hart and David Greenwood (APGM) giving a very interesting commentary explaining the ceremony. At the meeting Bro Martin Humphrey was confirmed as master elect for 2019.

Visiting lodges

With our master being very busy at work and his constant travelling for his job we have had few occasions for a “posse” of members to visit other lodges. However, on Saturday 21st July several of us went to the “Brothers on Bikes,” The Lodge of Progress, a travelling (peripatetic) lodge themselves, and this meeting was held at the Anchor Inn at Fladbury, located just south of Stratford. This is a good location for Midlands based MHL members to get to easily. As usual the lodge was very informal with boisterous jollity always part of the ritual!. The short meeting was followed by an excellent Festive Board, a Ploughman’s Lunch downstairs in the pub, all helped by the landlord being a lodge member!. The weather was mild and dry so we all enjoyed a good ride back home.

Derbyshire Motorcycle Lodge

Only consecrated last December, Bro Richard Bache visited the Lodge on 1st September, where I am Inner Guard, a 2nd degree ceremony for Bro Chris Pidcock (of Pidcock’s Motorcycles Ltd). It would be good to see more MHL members visiting to support this fledgling Lodge. There are several ways to get to the lodge including some nice rural roads, so it’s a good ride-out. Recently Bro. Phillip Meynell was installed as the second Worshipful Master of the lodge.

Dates for your diary

Fri to Sun 9th,10th 11th November

Classic Car and Bike Show at the NEC Birmingham

As before W Bro Andy Hare has organised a stand at the show to promote MHL and Masonry in general. This year will be very special as Andy has arranged for a bigger and more elaborate stand, with vintage motorcycles commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War. In particular there will be many Warwickshire Masons about and a very moving two minutes silence at 11am. Please contact Andy as he has some spare tickets and vehicle passes.

Sat January 12th 2019

Installation of Bro Martin Humphrey as Worshipful Master. It is rumoured that we may have more than one PGM attending, so let’s make this special with maximum attendance please brethren. Martin is our first initiate who has progressed through all offices to the chair. Another milestone in both Martins and the lodges Masonic history.

Summer/Autumn 2019

MHL visit to the Isle of Man, including a Ladies Night. The event is currently already being organised by Festival Secretary Andy Hare. Can all brethren please contact him via the secretary to indicate their interest. We may also be holding a ceremony as well. Several options are available, and all brethren will be notified as soon as a proposal is firmed up.

Visiting Lodges 2019

As Martin lives in Hampshire, it has been decided to try and organise some Lodge visits for 2019 down south so we can support Martin in his year as master. We will send out details via email as they emerge.

As ever, other lodge visits will be notified via email or the 2019 newsletters. But for sure we will be visiting our regular lodges and hope to make new visits too. Please let Bro secretary or myself know if there are any lodge meetings you feel may be of interest to the brethren.

Visiting lodges in Europe

As in 2017, earlier this year I had the chance to attend a masonic lodge meeting abroad. This time (May 2018) it was in Holland. The event is organised by the International Masonic

Motorcyclists Club. This weekend was entitled “Grootlicht” (or headlamp), held in a very rural hotel in Lunteren not far from Arnhem. The location changes each year. We took the Harwich Ferry to Rotterdam on Thursday, (overnight) and rode to Lunteren as the event started at 4pm Friday. A very easy relaxed ride. That evening was purely social, plenty of beer and wine to accompany a superb BBQ. The next day was a ride-out with 64 bikes! A bit of a crazy proposition, but with incredible skill and plenty of police outriders it went off very smoothly. A very warm day too, with a lovely lunch overlooking what else, canals!

In the evening they held an outdoor Lodge meeting which was very unusual. It was in English so us Brits knew what was going on. Followed by a multi course festive board which once again was superb. The company was great, plenty of fun, and plenty of heavily subsidised booze!

Coming away from the event on Sunday I had already decided to extend my trip with a 4-day run to the Black Forest and back to Calais. This is what is so great about going to Europe ……… endless possibilities!

To conclude I would thoroughly recommend such events to any of the lodge members, and these events can be attended by car, though the ride-outs might be difficult to keep up with. The weekend cost £200 including all food (2 breakfasts, 2 dinners,1lunch). Very reasonable. I have yet to hear what is planned for 2019, but I shall send out details as and when. Bookings are taken in December/January.

Le Mans Classic Bike Race

Bro Andy Hare attended in May, and I feel it’s best to let him let you all know how it went with his motorcycling story at the January Installation!

At this point may I take the opportunity to wish all our members and their families a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year.

Yours sincerely and fraternally

Jon Pitt