Report of Visit to Williamstown St. Andrew Lodge No. 470

Wednesday 13th February 2008

Reported by: David Hall                                               Return to Reports 2008 Index

The weather forecast for Wednesday 13th of February was for a little drizzle in the early morning, clearing to a beautiful day of sunshine and 23 deg. C in the afternoon/evening. Naturally this is Weather Bureau code for cloudy, cold, windy and rain. Being well versed in the code I packed an extra jumper and wets for the run from the Island to my place of employment in Rosebud, and that night on to Willy for an official visit to the newly amalgamated Williamston Lodge.

 

The purpose of the visit was to support VMMA member Gomez on the delivery on his maiden charge, the third degree working tools. For those who don't know Gomez (Paul) is now Kalgoorlie based and is a very active Freemason in the area. His great interest appears to be Scottish based Lodges of which he tells us numbers four in the town. Although not a member of Williamstown Lodge he was invited to perform the charge due to his close association with the candidate's family.

 

Four members of the VMMA were present on the evening and they were Macca, who told the best death row joke I've heard in a long time, Colin Randall who, after checking the airworthiness of his Matchless arrived on four wheels, Gomez himself who arrived by the good graces of Qantas and Budget Rent A Car, and your scribe on the trusty Suzuki.

 

The Williamstown Lodge is really going somewhere. On the night there was, in addition to the candidate Andrew, a Fellowcraft who waited patiently with the Tyler for part of the evening, two newly raised Master masons who received their certificates and a fourth schedule was also read. Talk about a great future.

 

The Lodge ceremonial team performed a wonderful ceremony, the choir was fantastic, the south was well run and the supper a delight. Thanks a heap Willy brethren. The only thing that could have improved the night for us is if a visitor had won at least one raffle prize!

 

By just after 11.00 pm it was time to once again don the woollies, leathers and wets, it is February in Melbourne remember, and head for the Island. Once the gale force winds had been conquered on top of the Westgate, and the continuous roadwork's from the mouth of the Domain tunnel to the other side of Dandenong had been negotiated the run home was an enjoyable but uneventful one, and although a fair distance it doesn't compare with the distance Gomez traveled back home to Kalgoorlie after the general meeting the following Saturday.