Over the past years, we have enjoyed the ladies night, which I hope will continue in the future.
The Ladies Night was a great success raising £600 for Diabetes NI.
– W.M. Romeo Godines
Masonic Lodge No. 669 Freemasons' Hall Arthur Square, Belfast N. Ireland
By Jorge Garcia Leave a Comment
By Jorge Garcia Leave a Comment
Lodge 669 finished their year 2017 Charity fundraising drive with a grand total of £2,682 donated to a range of charities and to our Lodge widows.
Diabetes UK NI, Autism NI, Belfast Masonic Charity Fund included.
The W. Master in 2017 W. Bro. Luis Fred Presbitero thanked everyone for their immense support and generosity.
He asked the Brethren the give the same support to W. Bro. Romeo Godines, our Worshipful Master for 2018, and already that is happening!
Donations have been made so far in 2018 to Belfast Masonic Charity Fund and Action Cancer totaling almost £1,000.
Diabetes UK will be the next charity recipient after our summer Filipino Festive event 23rd June in 45 Club, Park Avenue, Belfast, and our Ladies Night formal dinner dance on 20th October at the Park Avenue Hotel, Holywood Road, Belfast.
Full details of these events available from [email protected]
Members with guests traveled by train from Belfast to Grand Lodge of Ireland, in Molesworth Street Dublin.
It had been arranged by Grand Lodge for Lodge 669 to use the Grand Lodge room for our May meeting.
We were joined in Dublin by local Freemasons, also a Brother from Iceland, and another from England.
The hall porter Barry Fawcett gave us an excellent, and informative guided tour of the building and all its magnificent rooms.
W. Bro. Romeo Godines was installed as Worshipful Master of Sir George Clark Memorial Masonic Lodge No. 669 on Saturday 27th, 2018 in the presence of the Deputy Grand Master of Ireland R. W. Bro. Rodney McCurley, and a packed Lodge room of Freemasons from Lodges in a variety of Masonic Provinces and Constitutions.
At the Festive Board, in response to a Toast made to him by the Immediate Past Master W. Bro. Fred Presbitero, the W. Master said:
“Thank you, W. Bro. Fred Presbitero for those kind words and encouragement, and thank you Brethren for all your support. Many thanks also to our trio of singers from the Belfast Lodge 651 W. Bros Rennie and Gardiner McGrath, and Mark Bowman for the Worshipful Master’s song.
A beautiful song, very emotional, and indeed a great memory of this day.
I should, first, express my heartfelt gratitude to W Bro. Ferdinand Gallo for his presentation of the W. Master’s degree today, certainly the best I have ever seen!
Thanks also to our Director of Ceremonies W. Bro. George Megaw for this evenings meeting and his years of excellent service to L669.
Thanks are due to all the Officers and Brethren of Sir George Clark Memorial Lodge No. 669 who have guided me in every way, in this same hall where they initiated, passed, and raised me, to the sublime degree of Masonry, and who trusted, believed and supported me on my journey to the Master’s chair.
Brethren on this the 80th Anniversary of Lodge 669, we remember that unbroken line of Masons who have been installed into the Lodge 669 Master’s chair and led our Lodge forward.
I assure you, that I, in turn, will try with my utmost ability to administer the affairs of our lodge, as well as to promote the interest of our craft and to work for its enlargement and advancement”
The W. Master’s confirmed his chosen charities for support in 2018 are The Belfast Masonic Charity Fund and Diabetes N.I.
Our singers W. Bros. rennie McGrath, Mark Bowman, and Gardiner McGrath from Belfast Lodge 651
By Jorge Garcia Leave a Comment
January 1, 2018
Dear Brethren,
Happy New Year!
Today we observe the end of one year and mark the beginning of another.
It is natural at this time we reflect on our past accomplishments and to look ahead to our future.
Thinking about where I was in January 2017, newly installed as your Worshipful Master, I was excited for the opportunities that would present themselves to us, wary of the challenges we would face, and optimistic about our future.
Looking back on last year, I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. Our candidates have received excellent degrees from our degree team led by our Director of Ceremonies W. Bro. George Megaw and Bro. Paul Francey. The wonderful support and assistance from our Lodge Brethren in making charity fundraising social events so successful, enabling us to strongly support the Belfast Masonic Charity Fund, Autism N. Ireland, Diabetes N.I. and our Lodge widows. Our Lodge Almoner W. Bro. David Beggs also deserves a special mention for his care and attention in looking after and visiting Lodge widows and Brethren or members of their family who were unwell.
These are the things that humble me as a Freemason and make me proud to call you my Brother.
As thrilled as I am of what took place in 2017, I am looking forward to what is in store for 2018, with our new W. Master W. Bro. Romeo Godines:
27th January, 4:30 pm Installation Communication with the Deputy Grand Master R. W. Bro. Rodney McCurley attending.
24th February, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
24th March, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
31st March, Charity Clay Pidgeon shoot
28th April, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
26th May, 2:30 pm Stated communication to be held in the Grand Lodge Room, Molesworth Street, Dublin
23rd June, Filipino Fiesta (food & music)
22nd September, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
20th October, Dinner and Dance Charity fundraiser, in the Park Avenue Hotel, Belfast
27th October, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
24th November, 6:30 pm Stated Communication
8th December, 3:00 pm Stated Communication followed by a Christmas family Festive Board
We always welcome non-Masons to share our Festive Boards as a way to introduce them to Freemasonry and get to make lifelong friends.
Please support our Lodge by attending as many meetings as possible, and bring a potential candidate in for a visit.
Brethren, I hope that you and your family had a Happy Christmas season and I wish you a joyous New Year.
May the blessings of the Great Architect of the Universe rest upon you, and our fraternity.
Sincerely & fraternally,
W. Bro. Fred Presbitero
By Jorge Garcia Leave a Comment
At the Christmas festive board after our last meeting of the year, we were entertained by four young members of the Ulster Scots Pipe band.
The W Master wished the Brethren and their families a Very Happy Christmas, and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year.
Gillian Cordner and W.Bro. Gary Connolly, two newlyweds from County Antrim, knew they had to do something special on their wedding day.
So after their marriage on Friday morning in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, they decided to the bypass the usual hotel reception, dinner and dancing.
They had a better idea – a full marathon.