Group News

Deputy Grand Superintendent Steven Reid and 30 other Companions from all quarters of the Province travelled to the province of Bristol in order to witness the ancient ceremony of passing the veils. This ceremony has not been practiced in any other province in the United Kingdom for nearly 200 years.

The visit started with a fascinating tour of the Bristol Masonic Hall, which had been destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War and was rebuilt by Masons after the War in 1956. The tour was given by the Provincial Senior Grand Warden of the Province of Bristol.

The Companions then watched as the Principals of Jerusalem Chapter of Royal Arch Masons No 686 exalted Edward Towl Collins in an excellent manner. All the visiting Companions were fascinated by the ritual, although the main ceremony of exaltation was broadly similar to that worked in West Lancashire, was preceded by the ceremony of the passing of the veils. It was like a flash of illumination as the natural progression from the Craft to the Royal Arch and the instinctive linkage between the two was made very clear.

There were more than 60 brethren at the social board after the meeting was closed. They listened as Peter Mason in the response to the toast to the guests, paid tribute to the excellent work done by all the chapter members who took part in exalting Edward. Peter wished Edward a long and happy Masonic career. He also remarked that it was a happy coincidence that Edward's father Chris Collins was a West Lancashire Freemason as he is a member of Jerusalem Chapter No 32 which is the oldest chapter in West Lancashire.

Peter went on to thank the three Principals for their kind invitation to visit Jerusalem Chapter. He said the ceremony in the chapter was of a very high standard and he was sure all the visitors were impressed and enlightened as the natural progression from the Craft to the Royal Arch and the instinctive linkage between the two was made very clear. Peter also thanked the three Principals for extending their invitation to include the festive board at which the food was excellent and the companionship even better.

The Third Principal Tony O’Hara then thanked all the guests from West Lancashire for their kind donation of £150 to charity and he said he hoped that they had all enjoyed their visit to Bristol.

The trip was organized by Bill Smith of the Provincial Grand Stewards Chapter, who had arranged with David Ogden to provide a luxury coach to transport the Companions to Bristol and back. The coach left Wellington Park, Leyland at 1pm and arrived back at 3am the following morning. When Companions stepped down from the coach, they were still bubbling with excitement at the thought provoking ceremony they had witnessed.

Two members of the Sandon Group attended this monumental occasion, they were Andy Whittle and David Seabrooke both members of the Provincial Stewards Chapter.