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Latest News and Blog Posts from Wayne “Pendragon” Owens.
The last Masonic Meeting of 2023 – Christmas Dinner Count
This evening was my last Masonic Meeting of 2023!
Tonight was the turn of Wrexhamian Lodge’s December meeting, which is usually more of a social gathering than a meeting, and a chance for us all to escape families between Christmas and New Year. Depending on how many excited kids you had to deal with over the Christmas week, this escape is necessary.
The night was cursed with multiple issues, like the Caterers had booked out the Festive Board room without asking us, so we were forced to eat upstairs in a small room. And the Lodge room and upstairs doors have been secured with keylocks, which the Lodges have not been given the codes too.
When we eventually got in and setup, we found we were short a few officers, so I stood in as JW.
The night had 3 talks/presentations.
- A daily advancement of Masonic Knowledge.
- The Royal Arch, and what’s it about.
- The MCF, where does our money go.
It ended up being an enjoyable evening, and a great way to see out 2023.
Now, I did not stop for the meal this evening, but since the year is now over I can tally up the Christmas Dinner count. I started doing this the year I was Active Steward and ended up having a Christmas Dinner count in the double figures!.
This year I was lucky because my work did not have a meal, and I skipped a Lodge’s festive board. So the count is 5 Masonic and 1 Personal Christmas Dinners, so 6 in total.
Note to Self: I think I did accidently agree to give a talk at the Next Wrexhamian Chapter meeting, I need to check that.
Merry Christmas (2023)
I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to every Group, Organisation, and Person who has supported Blood Bikes Wales over 2023.
Whether it is from Donations, booking us to come give a talk on what we at Blood Bikes Wales do, or by running a fundraiser or event. Whatever you have done over the year, has been truly appreciated by us.
I thank you for your support, and look forward to more Talks and events in the New Year.
So on behalf of Welsh Nev, Hugh Jackson, and Myself we would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New year.
BBW – Donation from Clwyd Lodge of IM
Today I, popped along to a pub with Nev and Hugh to meet up with W.Bro Paul Smith.
We were there to have a pint, and to receive a donation of £200 from the Clwyd Lodge of Installed Masters for Blood Bikes Wales. I had a great time catching up, and discussing the great work the Freemasons do for Charity, and what the Provincial Almoner does. It was very educational.
While out we also received a bonus donation from Joyce Jackson and her friends for £95.
Pictured are Hugh, Paul, and Nev. (I am as always designated photographer)
(I have not included this in the Year of a Busy Mason series since I am here as a Blood Bikes Wales person and not a Mason.)
Blood Bikes Wales
Blood Bikes Wales is a charity that transports blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines, donor breast-milk & any other urgently required medical items to hospitals at night, weekends and bank holidays. This service is provided completely free of charge, allowing the NHS to divert funds where they are needed most.
Our riders are a hardy bunch that operate in all but the very worst weather.
BBW – Donation from St Melyds Lodge
This evening I popped along to St Melyds Lodge at Meliden Masonic Hall, for their Christmas meeting.
We had been asked to attend because the Lodge had raised some money for Blood Bikes, and had been waiting for a chance to hand it over. So Nev, Hugh and Myself visited. On this occasion we took along Wrexhamian’s latest Fellowcraft and Blood Bike member with us.
It was a very enjoyable evening, especially since it was their Christmas meeting so the festive board was full of singing and Christmas cracker hats.
I believe this is my last Masonic meeting before Christmas, so the last Masonic Christmas Dinner of the season. This year was not too bad with just 5 Masonic Christmas Meals.
The members of the lodge presented Blood Bikes Wales with £1400 which they raised from a charity event.
BBW – A Talk at Kelsterton Lodge
This evening I visited Kelsterton Lodge at Farfield Masonic Hall.
Blood Bikes Wales had been invited to go along and give a Talk on what we do. So Nev, Hugh, and Myself went to do our thing. We will visit any North Wales Lodge, Chapter, etc to do our audio-visual presentation. What can I say, Nev will go anywhere if it means he can be in a Photograph.
It was a very enjoyable evening, especially since it was their Christmas meeting so the festive board was full of singing and Christmas cracker hats.
You all owe me a “Thanks“, I had considered posting a Cracker Joke on each post that included a Christmas Dinner, but I decided I could not be that evil to you all.
The Lodge also made a donation of £250 to Blood Bikes Wales, which they made up to £277.12 with money thrown into a bucket during the festive board.
Blood Bikes Wales
Blood Bikes Wales is a charity that transports blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines, donor breast-milk & any other urgently required medical items to hospitals at night, weekends and bank holidays. This service is provided completely free of charge, allowing the NHS to divert funds where they are needed most.
Our riders are a hardy bunch that operate in all but the very worst weather.
Christmas at Buckley Lodge
This evening was my first visit to Buckley Lodge, who now meet at the Masonic Hall in Mold.
I have been planning on visiting this Lodge for a very-very long time, because I always wanted to see the Masonic Hall in Buckley.
NEVER PUT THINGS OFF!
By the time I actually got around to visiting the Lodge, the Hall in Buckley had been closed down, and the Lodge had moved to the Mold Masonic Hall. So I learnt a very important lesson, I had put off something I wanted to do for so long I was then unable to ever do it.
I would probably still be planning to visit if it wasn’t for getting a phone call from Dr Robert Lomas. He called me up the week before to say he would be traveling past the area on the 1st December and was planning to visit Buckley Lodge, and did I want to go along with him.
It was an enjoyable evening, with an interesting Talk on several “Worthy Masons” followed by their Christmas Festive Board. This was filled with lots of singing and Christmas Cheer. Including the best version of the 12 Days of Christmas that I have ever seen done at a Lodge meeting.
It was also my First (but by no means last) Christmas meal of the season.
A Talk at Dinorben Lodge – Widows Sons
This evening I had a little trip out to the coast out by Colwyn Bay to visit Dinorben Lodge for the first time.
I had been booked to give a talk on behalf of the North Wales Association of Masonic Study (NWAMS). The NWAMS was formed 60 years ago for the purposes of nurturing and fostering Masonic research through the dissemina-tion of Masonic Knowledge throughout the Province particularly as regards symbolism, history and esoteric meaning. The Association achieves this through its team of approved Lecturers and by supporting re-search by individuals or groups. I have been an approved NWAMS Lecturer since 2021, although I have been giving talks to Lodges since 2017,
The talk the Lodge had selected this time was titled “Widows Sons – Outlaw Bikers or Masonic Ambassadors”, which was a bit of a coincidence since last month my book of the same name was the Number one Freemasonry book on the UK and US Amazons.
It was a very enjoyable meeting in what has to be the largest Lodge room in North Wales, followed by a lovely meal at the local cricket club.
Widows Sons
The Widows Sons are quite simply a motorcycle-riding club. We are a non-brand specific riding Association so no matter what brand of motorcycle you ride, so long as you are a Master Mason in good standing you are welcome as a member.
We also have associate membership open to non-riding Masons. We are an internationally based group of independent Masons who have joined together to simply share the thrill of riding with other members of our fraternity.
We are not a 1% club. We are just a social riding club, which happens to have set one of its membership requirements to include being a Master Mason in good standing.
Masonic Charity AGM
This morning I popped along to sunny Rhyl to attend the AGM for the North Wales Freemasons Charity.
The North Wales Freemasons Charity is the new name for The North Wales Masonic Benevolent Association (NWMBA). It was founded in 1871 and has been helping charitable causes ever since. And like all long established charitable organisations it has to have annual meetings, and appoint officers.
It was interesting to get a report on all the good done over the last 12 months, and one of the trustees of the MCF was up to give a presentation on what they do (Which is a lot, in case you were wondering.).
I went along to assist my father, who is the Charity steward of both Wrexhamian Lodge, and Wrexhamian Chapter. He decided being two people allowed him to have a PA go with him to take notes. He did pay me for my time with a pint (Yes I am easy).
A very rare photo from an event. My father did not make it into the picture, but I did.
BBW – Donation from Royal Denbigh Lodge
This evening a small group of Blood Bikers went to visit Royal Denbigh Lodge for their Installation. Royal Denbigh meet at the Denbigh Masonic Hall, so it was a nice change to go visit there.
This was my first visit of the year, and what a visit it was. The meeting was enjoyable, and it was made special because their old treasurer who had been a member for many years was finally going into the chair since he now had the free time to do it.
The food was excellent, but then Ian cooks for that hall as well. I believe he must hold the record for most Masonic Halls catered.
The members of Royal Denbigh Lodge even presented us (The visiting Blood Bikers, Welsh-Nev, Hugh, and Myself) with a donation of £250 for Blood Bikes Wales.
You will notice while it is may be my personal blog, that Welsh-Nev is in most of the photographs included. He has a thing about being in every photograph ever taken, and I tend to be the person who ends up taking the photographs.
Blood Bikes Wales
Blood Bikes Wales is a charity that transports blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines, donor breast-milk & any other urgently required medical items to hospitals at night, weekends and bank holidays. This service is provided completely free of charge, allowing the NHS to divert funds where they are needed most.
Our riders are a hardy bunch that operate in all but the very worst weather.
BBW – Donation from Group 6
This morning Nev, Hugh, and myself popped along to Farfield Hall to meet up with some representatives from North Wales Freemasons Group 6, who had raised £400 for Blood Bikes Wales from their recent very successful Bavarian Night.
Thank you to everyone in Group 6 who were involved in this event.
(I have not included this in the Year of a Busy Mason series since I am here as a Blood Bikes Wales person and not a Mason.)
Blood Bikes Wales
Blood Bikes Wales is a charity that transports blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines, donor breast-milk & any other urgently required medical items to hospitals at night, weekends and bank holidays. This service is provided completely free of charge, allowing the NHS to divert funds where they are needed most.
Our riders are a hardy bunch that operate in all but the very worst weather.