Moyarget Lodge No 280 Closing meeting

Last night it was our turn in Moyarget Lodge No 280 to hold our Closing meeting in the company of a goodly number of our members and guests. Our Worshipful Master Stanley Stewart, was just home from a successful visit to The Isle of Man TT week, where his motorcycle team Stanley Stewart Racing had a good week.  Our Guest of Honour was R.W. Brother John S. McLernon, Provincial Grand Master of Antrim.

John, of course, is no stranger in Moyarget, as his Mother Lodge, Chatham Hall Lodge No.152 is just up the road, on the outskirts of the village of Armoy.

One of the first things that caught the Provincial Grand Master’s attention was the magnificent sword now up on display in our Hall that had been presented to one of our deceased members W. Brother James Huey, who lived in Pennsylvania and had been an active member in all the branches of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania.  He had been presented with the sword by The Shriners to mark his very generous support for their Shriners Eye Hospital over many years. His wife presented the sword, various medallions, and details to the Lodge, who have now put it up in his memory.

Our main business last night was the Presentation of a 50 year jewel and certificate to R. W. Brother Gordon Chestnutt marking his 50 year service to the Lodge.  Interestingly, it was our Provincial Grand Master’s late father R.W. Brother Alec McLernon, who gave Gordon his Entered Apprentice degree in April 1974 and his Fellowcraft degree on the 1st October 1974. In December 1974 Gordon got his Master Mason’s degree.  He went on to serve as Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1983 and again in 2009. Gordon has been a busy member serving as the Director of Ceremonies between 1988 and 1998, and then became Lodge Almoner from 1998. He was active in the Cary & Dunluce Masonic Charity Committee and served as their chairman for a number of years. He became a Provincial Grand Steward in 2014 and was appointed Representative of The Grand Lodge of Connecticut (Prince Hall) at the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 2017, a Grand Lodge that he still represents today.

R.W. Brother McLernon, made the presentation, along with our Worshipful Master to Gordon, and spoke warmly of his memories of Gordon in his shop in Dervock in his old brown shop coat. It turns out that Gordon’s father had been a member in Chatham for many years, but Gordon ended up as a member of Moyarget.  Gordon spoke for a few moments thanking the Provincial Grand Master for his presentation and recalled some of his memories over the past 50 years.

At the close of the meeting we all enjoyed an excellent buffet prepared and presented by Mrs Charlotte Christie, wife of our current Director of Ceremonies and herself, a hard working supporter of our activities here in Moyarget. A great time was had by all, and some of our previous activities as a lodge were recalled by those present.  

Article provided by R.W. Brother Robert T Bashford.