Masonic Lodge No. 669 Freemasons' Hall Arthur Square, Belfast N. Ireland
On Saturday 18th April, members of 669, 651, 51, 133 and 1012 had the pleasure of visiting The Celtic Lodge 291
Special thanks to Bro David Hull PM for making all the arrangements for our visit, and thanks to the RWM Robert McClean and his Warden and Brethren for their outstanding hospitality:
Everyone enjoyed a great “Rabbie Burns” Evening
We hope you have seen our very own W. Bro David Beggs and W. Bro Willie Cardwell playing with Major Sinclair Memorial Pipe Band through Belfast City
Another great event and fantastic day enjoyed by everyone. Please see pictures below.
HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY
Pictures below
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| The Great Wall of China and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland® Paris |
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The Treasury in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, Egypt
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Chicago’s Wacker and Willis Towers
Christ the Redeemer statue, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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| Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa; Whistler ski resort in British Columbia; the Tower of Hope, atop the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg; Cabot Tower on Signal Hill in St John’s; City Hall, Toronto; and City Hall, Montreal. |
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|In Austria, ‘greenings’ included the Skiwelt Söll (ski resort); Kaprun Castle, in the
Zell-am-See region; the Burgtheater (City Hall), and the Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel
in Vienna.
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| TV tower in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz; the Town Hall, in Hannover; the Town Hall and Neumünster Church (built over the tomb of St Kilian) in Würzburg; as well as (below) in Munich, the Allianz Arena, the Amerikahaus, the Olympic Tower and the BMW Welt. While in Theilheim, the Baroc church went green. |
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Ljubljana’s Castle and the city’s Triple Bridge went green in Slovenia; while in Switzerland, the Rhine Falls, in Neuhausen (one of Europe’s highest waterfalls)
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In the Czech Republic, Petřín Lookout Tower, Prague, and the City Hall Viewing Tower, Ostrava, went green.
In Brussels, the Grand Place was lit up in green, and the Manneken Pis statue was “dressed” in Irish costume for the day!
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In Shanghai, China, the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower and the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel (old and new towers)
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Guangzhou, in southern China, the Canton Tower, Guangzhou while in Qingdao, the Derry~Londonderry~Doire Clipper Race yacht
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The Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava, went green, along with the ICEconcert Hall in Luleå, Swedish Lapland.
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| The Holmenkollen ski jump, Oslo, Norway and The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark, |
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In the Netherlands, Evoluon Eindhoven and Splendor music centre in Amsterdam
went green.
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| Italy: Città Alta – Porta San Giacomo, Bergamo, along with the Leaning Tower of Pisa; the Fountain of Piazza dei Martiri in Reggio Emilia and even the Virgin Active fitness centres in Milan greened their spinning classes! |
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Malta’s Porte des Bombes, Floriana went ‘green’.
And, the Prince’s Palace in Monaco, was also ‘greened’ again. |
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| Going green in Spain were the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Tower of Hercules, in La Coruña; Salamanca town square; and the Cibeles Palace and fountain in Madrid. |
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| Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães, Caiscais, Portugal, and the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) in Luxembourg city. |
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Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Kingdom Tower, Saudi Arabia, went green.
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In France, the famous Moulin Rouge became the “Moulin Vert”; while the Embassy of Ireland in Paris,
the Euronext Paris (the historical stock exchange) and the Hôtel de Ville in Lorient, all went green. |
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Pictures (above) show the State Bank of Countryside; the Chicago River; Chicago Board of Trade and Navy Pier; the Jay Pritzker Pavilion; Trump International Hotel & Tower; the Cadillac Palace Theatre; and the Soldier Field stadium – home to the famous Chicago Bears team – which all went green as part of the celebrations in Chicago.
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Also in Chicago, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower, the Wrigley Building, the United Center and Old St Patrick’s Church all went ‘green’.
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Also ‘greened’ in Chicago were the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower, the Wrigley Building and the United Center.
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Iconic skyscrapers go green in Philadelphia – the Cira Center, One and Two Liberty Place and BNY Mellon Center went green, along with the famous Boathouse Row.
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And, elsewhere across the United States, the ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas; the Empire State Building, New York; City Hall, San Francisco
and the Massachusetts State House, Boston, all joined the Global Greening. |
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| Once again, the iconic Niagara Falls was lit up for the St Patrick’s celebrations; while Savannah’s City Hall went green
City Hall in Houston also lit up in green again this year.
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And, at Downtown Disney®, Orlando – including the DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park, a ‘Mighty St Patrick’s Festival at Downtown Disney®’, took place with a special ‘Glow with the Show’ where visitors lit up with their ‘greened’ Disney ears!
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| Meanwhile, down under – the Old Parliament House in Canberra; Hyde Street Barracks in Sydney; the Council House in Perth; and The State Library of New South Wales in Sydney – all went green. |
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| And, the Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand, were among the very first icons to go green again this year, in honour of the island of Ireland and St Patrick’s Day. |
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| Table Mountain, South Africa, and Scott Base, Antartica both went green as part of the global greening celebrations. |
We are very pleased to have received the “Tweedie’s Friendship Maul” Certificate, for W. Bro Keith Johnston’s nominated Charity 2014, Teddies for Loving Care
Thanks to the good work by our “raiding” team Lodge 669 held the TLC Maul from April 2014 to September 2014
The Committee of Teddies for Loving Care would like to thank the Lodge on behalf of the ill/injured children who will benefit from this Charity.
I’M A MASONIC TRAVELER
By Bro Paul Francey
Since I became a master mason it has given me such joy visiting other lodges. In 2014 I set myself a little challenge to visit six lodges in six nights. I was of on annual leave for a week, so i had a choice to stay in the house and get bored watching the depressing soaps on TV. So I put a call out on the Irish Masonic Network to find out what lodges were meeting from Belfast and Holywood to Lisburn the Maze I went a travelling.
Having my hair shaved off for Teddies For Loving Care
I’ve met many brothers and have made a lot of new friends going around different lodges has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of freemasonry. I would encourage all master masons if you have any free time or at a loose end find out where a lodge is sitting and just go along don’t be shy. I would encourage especially newer members to take the plunge and visit a lodge that’s not your own.
If you get an invite to a lodge that is having an installation evening then jump at the chance to go to another and join in the celebration. Over the past couple of years I’ve visited a quite a few installations at every lodge I went to I was welcomed with the open hand of friendship as if I was returning home.
Members of Belfast lodge that joined us on our trip to Dublin
One thing I have learnt is that my appearance not only fills me with joy meeting with my fellow brothers, it also fills them with joy knowing I’ve come to support them. There are many lodges that are to put it one way thin on the ground with lowering memberships so when a traveling brother attends and supports their lodge the welcome and you receive is beyond compare.
So if your a brother that is at a loose end don’t be afraid or worried just go along to any lodge and you will be heartily welcomed and do stay for the festive board after because you will enjoy the experience of meeting your fraternal brothers even more. And you never know you might get a job to do.
So here are some pictures of lodges I’ve visited brothers I’ve met and friendships I’ve made.
Brothers Ian Gregory Ian McMaster and Alan Earl
So as you can see lots of smiles and laughs. So go on take the plunge and go visit another lodge support each other and reap the benefits of meeting together with your fraternal brothers.
I am a Masonic traveler and I look forward to traveling to your lodge some day wherever you are so to all that read this and wish to do some travelling of their own you will always find a warm welcome at lodge 669 just ask for me and I’ll be happy to look out for you and welcome you home.
Installation 2015, Saturday 24th January W. Bro Tom Lamont has been installed as WM of Sir George Clark Masonic Memorial 669.
WM Tom Lamont would like to thank everyone for their support. It was a great night and enjoyed by 60 people in attendance at Festive Board.
It was very good to have the Provincial Assistant Grand Master W. Bro. Ken Porter visiting 669 again, he gave an excellent speech on standards.
We would like to thank W. Bro Willie Cardwell and W. Bro David Beggs have played the pipes again, and welcome the new addition to the team with Bro Gary Connolly on the drums.
Special thanks to W. Bro Rennie McGrath for singing the Masters Song.
Please see photographs below and let me know if you want any high quality photos that have been taken on the night. More photographs will be added in the next few days.
Please feel free to leave any comments in the section below.
