On Monday night past, the Brethren of Clough Lodge No 574 had a very special Lodge meeting when they acknowledged the long service given by two of their most distinguished Brethren, Wor Bro John Stewart and Wor Bro W. Thomas Young. There was a large attendance of Lodge members and visitors present, to mark the occasion and their guest of honour was Rt Wor Bro John S. McLernon, Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim. Both of our Clough men have given some 50 years of service each, to Freemasonry in Ireland, and later in the evening our Provincial Grand Master would present both Brethren with their fifty year certificates and jewels.
Before that and sharp on the hour of 8.00pm Wor Bro David Ewart the current Master in Clough 574, got the Lodge opened, saluted the many distinguished Brethren present and then welcomed Rt Wor Bro McLernon, back to Clough, and, as his inherent right, tendered him the maul, which was duly accepted briefly by Rt Wor Bro McLernon, to pass the Lodge minutes, and then return same to Wor Bro Ewart, to conduct the rest of the business.
For those, who do not know Wor Bro John Stewart, we learned that he had been Initiated in 574 on the 4th February 1974, received his Fellowcraft Degree on the 4th March 1974 and became a Master Mason on the 6th May 1974, at the hands of Wor Bro W.W. Preston And, as I’m sure many of you will have noted, the gap between degrees was much shorter in 1974. Indeed the Dues were also much cheaper in those days with an Initiation Fee of £ 12.0.0. yearly dues of £ 20.0.0. a presentation fund payment of £ 5.0.0. ( whatever that was for ) and a charity subscription of £ 1.0.0. John went on to serve as Wor Master in 1986 and then served as Director of Ceremonies for some years thereafter. However, it would be in the delivery of Degrees that John really made his mark, firstly in Clough and then throughout the Province of Antrim as the Brother selected by many Lodges to Initiate , Pass and Raise their Candidates, Members and Masters in the Craft, Royal Arch Chapter and the other higher degrees.
Tommy Young followed a much different course in his Masonic career. It was actually on the 3rd June 1974 when Tommy was initiated by the late Rt Wor Brother Robert L. Orr, on the Lodge Closing night that year, in the presence of Right Wor Brother Norman Robb, the then Provincial Grand Master of Antrim at the time. On the 3rd February 1975 Tommy received his Fellowcraft degree and on the 3rd March 1974 he became a Master Mason, once again at the hand of Rt Wor Bro Robert L. Orr. Tommy followed John into the WM chair in 1987 and then went on to serve as Lodge Secretary and Treasurer for two separate periods right up to 2009. He was elected to serve as a Steward in Provincial Grand Lodge in 1992 and served as Lodge Representative on The Board of General Purposes and The North Antrim Committee of Inspection. He too served in various offices in the Royal Arch and the higher degrees and is currently the Right Excellent Sir Knight Treasurer in The Grand Council of Knight Masons.
Our Right Wor Provincial Grand Master, at the invitation of Wor Bro Ewart, made the presentations and spoke warmly of the services given by both Brethren at Lodge, Provincial and Grand Lodge over the past 50 years, and hoped that he would still be around to see them receive their 60 year bars in another ten years’ time. Shortly after the Lodge was Closed and after a few photos, we all retired downstairs for an excellent buffet meal. We had a small ballot that raised some £ 550.00 which would be going to pay off the remaining balance on their recent building account. It was a very informative and enjoyable evening in good company amongst friends old and new.
Robert T. Bashford.