Recent visit of Via Regis Lodge No.360 of Bucharest to witness Brother Dario Venovski being raised at Dalhousie And Call Sign Lodge No.865, Cole Court, Twickenham. Article translated from Romanian to English below.
Romanian Masonic Magazine – See translation below
Visit of the Brethren from Via Regis Lodge No.360 of Bucharest to
Dalhousie and Call Sign Lodge No.865 of the Province of Middlesex.
On September 14th 6019, a team of delegates formed of 10 Master Masons
from Via Regis Lodge No.360 from Bucharest, Romania, participated in a Ritual
Meeting in Twickenham, London. The Lodge visited was Dalhousie and Call Sign
Lodge No.865 under the jurisdiction of the UGLE and the province of Middlesex.
The reason for the visit was the Raising of a Brother from Dalhousie and
Call Sign Lodge No.865 to the Master Mason degree.
The Meeting was honoured by the presence of a team of delegates from the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex headed by the Assistant Provincial Grand
Master John M. Taylor.
On behalf of the National Grand Lodge of Romania The Pro Grand Master
Radu Balanescu represented the Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge of
Romania and the Brethren of Via Regis Lodge No.360 from Bucharest, gifts and
memorabilia were presented to the Worshipful Master of Dalhousie and Call Sign
Lodge No.865 by the Pro Grand Master as well as the Worshipful Master of Via
Regis Lodge No.360.
It is expected that in the near future brethren from Dalhousie and Call Sign Lodge No.865 make a visit to Via Regis Lodge No.360.
Published from Romanian Masonic Magazine (Word for Word)
Romanian Masonic MagazinePhoto courtesy of Dario Venovski
Dalhousie and Call Sign Lodge No.865 played host to visitors from the National Grand Lodge Of Romania (NGLOR) with who the UGLE is in amity. Although it was essentially a private visit, the invitation having been extended by a Lodge member, Brother Dario Venovski, relevant visiting protocols from UGLE and the NGLOR were observed and the regular Lodge meeting for Saturday 14th September was organised but with just a little more “pomp” than normal as Dalhousie and Call Sign Lodge were to receive in the delegation the MW Pro Grand Master Ion Badea with Officers and members of Via Regis Lodge No.360 of Romania including the current WM W. Bro Dragos Iorga and other Past Masters and 3 Master Masons of the Lodge; this showing the egalitarian nature of the visit. The particular reason for the visit was to see Brother Dario being Raised to the Third Degree. He invited his friend in Romania if he might come to the UK and invite some other Lodge members as well. Certainly, it was an occasion to be savoured and who could have imagined that that the MW Pro Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge Of Romania would come to Cole Court to see Bro Dario Raised.
W. Bro John Taylor PSGD Assistant Provincial Grand Master alongside MW Ion Badea Past Worshipful Master and Pro Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge Of RomaniaOfficers and members of Via Regis Lodge No.360
Those Middlesex Masons who attend Quarterly Communications of Grand Lodge will be aware that delegates from the Romania have been received by the Pro Grand Master. Given the difficulties over time in eastern European countries it is refreshing to know that Freemasonry exists and in Romania in particular it has existed since the early to mid-eighteenth century and has been present in a number of guises. However, the current manifestation of freemasonry in Romania in the form of the NGLOR has been in existence since 1993 with its headquarters in Bucharest.
The visiting party took their seats in the Lodge and were welcomed by the Worshipful Master. The MW Pro Grand Master of the NGLOR was given the appropriate salutations by the members of the Lodge,
Guidance Notes had been issued to the Lodge Officers to
ensure that the members of the Lodge put on a good show in welcoming the
visitors and to observe the highest standard of ritual. W. Bro John Miller PSGD
APGM was admitted to the Lodge accompanied by the ProvDepGDC W. Bro Nishal Amin
and escorting team and members of the Lodge. Before the APGM took his seat he
welcomed the visiting party shaking hands with the Romanian Grand Master and
gave greetings from the Province of Middlesex and stated what a great day it
was for all those attending.
The Raising of Brother
Dario.
The focus of the meeting was the Raising. The WM undertook
the questions and was then ably assisted by W. Bro Geoff Hawkins PProvJGW who
conducted the Raising which include the Grave Side Address. No doubt the
Romanian delegation would have been suitably impressed by the ritual performed
by a 93 year old in the dark with appropriate melancholy music from the Lodge
Organist. The Charge after Raising and the Traditional History was given by
W. Bro Clive Jarvis PProvGSwdB PPJGW and
the Walking Charge by W. Bro Chas Foulsham PPGSuptWks.
W.Bro Jerry Raehse-Felstead welcomes Bro. Dario Venovski to Dalhousie And Call Sign Lodge No.865
Roast Beef and
Yorkshire Pud
Because it was not certain what any dietary requirements might be the visitors were asked beforehand if they had any particular preferences and retorted that, “was it not a tradition in Middlesex Lodges to serve Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud?” And so it was. Cole Court, as ever, presented an excellent lunch and during the course of the festive board an appropriately engraved silver platter was presented to Via Regis Lodge No. 360 by the Dalhousie and Call Sign Lodge to commemorate the circumstances and proceedings of the day. Middlesex fire was received with looks of amazement from the visitors and surely would have been a topic of conversation on the return home.
No doubt a future reciprocal meeting might be undertaken in
Bucharest thus cementing the bonds which unite us internationally as
freemasons.
For a photo review of the day follow the link below
