VMMA Installation at Phillip Island Lodge No. 512
Saturday 24th October 2009
Reported by David Hall
The Phillip Island Lodge is quite healthy and has a ceremonial team made up predominantly of Master Masons, however, due to family commitments the Senior Warden advised the Committee of General Purposes he needed another year before he could take the Masters Chair. As a result the Committee scoured the Membership list and the name of your humble scribe kept coming up as a likely candidate for the job. As this is the third time I have had the opportunity to ascend to those lofty heights a few conditions were requested, the most important being the installation team and naturally this was the world famous V.M.M.A. Installing Team.
Meeting venue is Tooradin for the ride down to Phillip Island. Social gathering at Tooradin before ride down to Phillip Island.
Due to a change of Lodge policy our Installation Night was to be held in October for the first time, this in itself caused a number of logistical problems as the Moto GP takes place in October as does the Installation of the Powlett and Woolamai Lodges in Wonthaggi. The two Wonthaggi Lodges cannot change their Installation dates due to the very strict allocation of the newly connected electricity to the Lodge room, and our request to Lindsay Fox to delay the Grand Prix for a couple of weeks was reluctantly rejected. Saturday the 24th of October was in the end chosen. Unfortunately this happened to clash with the consecration of a new Lodge in Bendigo and a motorbike/push bike ride in Warrnambool. Talk about good planning! This meant that our Bendigo brethren were unable to be present and the Baron was booked to go to Warrnambool, as was Pedro. To add to the problems Chris & Sharyn Wells were in the middle of a tree cull on their property at Moonambel. I also understand Sharyn was undergoing an ironing refresher course.
Master Elect W. Bro. David Hall at Tooradin.
Just to make things a little more difficult I requested the Installing Master to be a ‘ring in’. The Baron kindly allowed me to invite Wor. Bro. John Thompson to perform this duty (Thanks Rob). Thommo, as well as being a terrific ritualist is amongst other things the President of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society and October 2009 just happened to be the fortieth anniversary of my joining the P.B.P.S. He was also the Installing Master at my first Installation almost twenty years ago.
The traditional lunch at the Masonic centre prior to the VMMA Installation rehearsal.
The morning of the Installation dawned as a beautiful day and at the allotted time Bro. Mick Dixon on his reluctant Honda, Mort on the spotless Harley and yours truly on the trusty, but rusty Suzuki departed the BP servo in Cowes meeting up with Hans Becker on the spectacular Triumph Bonneville at Cape Woolamai, and Wor. Bro. Dave (The Duke) Kent on the flying Yamaha (minus tail lights) at Anderson and proceeded to meet with the V.M.M.A. lads & ladies at Tooradin.
Just some of Community Based Charitable acknowledgements that are displayed at Cowes Masonic Centre.
A quick cup of coffee at the Pelican Cafe’ and an even quicker chat and it was off to the Island. Awaiting our arrival in the Lodge Room was a ton of food prepared by my lovely Daughter in Law Jeanie. After partaking of lunch our non Masonic (at the moment) local motorcyclists left and the team began practising their art. With the Baron missing David (Grumpy) Wells had the baton and put the team through its paces.
Cowes Masonic Centre Lodge Room.
The Lodge was tyled at 6.00pm and the movie (Charlie & Boots) for the Ladies and non Masonic guests started at 6.30 at our local cinema. The normal Lodge business was dealt with quickly and by 7.00pm Wor. Bro. Thommo had taken the chair and invited the V.M.M.A. team to assume their working positions. Before we knew it I was back in the Chair of King Solomon and the new team was in place. It must be said that the team under the leadership of Chris’s little brother (David Wells) performed a wonderful ceremony and I was proud to be a part of it. Having my old friend and Masonic mentor Thommo as Installing Master and Graham (Grumpy) Hocking as Chaplain in the team was an added bonus. This is what Freemasonry is all about, sharing experiences with good friends.
Not much has changed with the British Motorcycles, kick, kick!!!!
By 9.30 we were with our Ladies in the Senior Citizens Hall (booked especially for the Baron, who, in the end couldn’t make it) for the ‘South’. Plenty of food and drink contributed to a terrific atmosphere. The highlight of the south was the presentation of ‘The Grand Masters Certificate of Appreciation’ and an engraved plaque from the local Lodges to Very Wor. Bro. David Cooper to mark the 50th consecutive time he had been invested as a Lodge Organist. Regretfully it may be David’s last year with Phillip Island as he is planning to move to Castlemaine in 2010. As there is no Freemasonry in the town it may be the end of a wonderful Masonic career. It may also be of interest that no less than five David’s took part in the ceremony, namely; Cooper, Cash, Kent, Well’s & Hall.
Master Elect David Hall with his Grandchildren.
Also during the south it was announced the V.M.M.A. would match the $500.00 donation the Phillip Island Lodge made to the combined nursing homes of Phillip Island and district for the purchase of items to assist in musical therapy. The total cost of the ‘dongers’ is just under $3000.00 so our combined total of $1000.00 has put a fair dint in the amount to be raised.
Graham and Uncle ready for the Installation of M.E. David Hall at Cowes Masonic Centre.
As is always the case morning follows night and the V.M.M.A. group met up at a local coffee shop for breakfast. The newly installed master admitted to feeling a little poorly while Taxi insisted his lack of good health was due to him having trouble sleeping because of the excitement of the evening. Auntie Beryl Fletcher was enjoying herself on one of her last outings before the knee replacement and was making the most of every moment. Mal Pitcher discovered some dust on the cruiser and insisted on polishing it off before heading for Stawell.
Installed Master W. Bro. David Hall with the VMMA Installation Team.
In recent times much has been said about the quality of Installation teams, including special interest groups such as ours in terms of quality of work. As a minor participant and an observer on the evening I feel we are one of the lucky ones where we have been able to achieve and maintain a high level of ceremonial and at the same time keep that personal touch, casual formality if you will. It is a night I will long remember with fondness and pride, thank you one and all.
