The Period 2010 to date
The third decade of the Lodge’s life commenced in February 2010 with V.W.Bro. Stuart Peters P.G.SwdB. being inducted as 20th Master of the Lodge. W.Bro. Capt. D.E. Lilley (Para.), the W.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; W.Bro. S.M. Allum P.A.G.D.C., a P.M of Loyalty Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair; and W.Bro. Maj. E.D Marlow (R.E.M.E.), the W.M. of Mercury Lodge acted as I.G. In April the Lodge mourned the deaths of #M.W.Bro. the Rt Hon. Lord Corwallis O.B.E., D.L., P.Pro.G.M. and R.W.Bro. James Bullen P.Pr.G.M., an Honorary Member and the Lodge’s Consecrating Officer. In September the death of W.Bro. Ron Follett P.Pr.J.G.W. hm was also marked with suitable Pegasus tribute. The Lodge’s long serving Acting Organist, W.Bro. Derek (Skip) Attree P.Pr.G.SwdB., who had played since February 1999, was elected as an Honorary Member. In November the new Treasurer resigned saying he could not make sense of the accounts that had been handed over to him, but thankfully W.Bro. Charles Bailey volunteered to try and sort them out. Bro. Charles worked on them for 14 months and then passed on the responsibility to W.Bro. Col Mike Thomas, who had stood down as the Lodge’s V.G.O. so that he could become a Joining Member in order to apply his long experience of Masonic accounts to what appeared to be an insoluble problem.
In February 2011 V.W.Bro. Maj. R.H. Jago P.G.SwdB., (R.A.M.C.), a P.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; W.Bro. B. Cooper, a P.M of Loyalty Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair; and W.Bro. A. Duff P.Pr.J.G.W., a P.M. of Mercury Lodge acted as I.G. Bro. Paul Cooper was then installed as the 21st Master. The Lodge’s Tyler since its Consecration, Bro. Vic Carmichael P.Pr.A.G.St.B., P.Pr.A.G.Purs. (Surrey) stood down after 21 years loyal service. The next meeting was held by dispensation on 6th May as a result of a late Easter clashing with the usual date. W.Bro. Mike Thomas presented Bro. Noel Ross B.E.M., M.M. with a framed certificate and lapel badge in recognition of his 50 years as a Freemason. He commented that Bro. Noel’s Masonic career mirrored his many postings after the War, starting with his initiation in the Lodge of Somaliland No. 3946 (S.C.) in 1960 and thereafter joining Johore Royal Lodge No. 3946 in Malaya, Keys of Munster Lodge No. 881 (G.L.B.F.G.) in B.A.O.R., Phoenix Lodge No. 847 (G.L.B.F.G.) in Berlin, Loyal Vacation Lodge No. 6209 in Wiveliscombe (Somerset) and after 37 years’ service finally settling in Aldershot and joining Earl of Malmesbury Lodge. During the meeting it was announced that Bro. Eddie Stokes had been proposed as a Joining Member in 27th November 2009 and unfortunately due to an administrative error no ballot had ever been taken on the proposal despite him having been invested as a Steward earlier in the year! In September he, along with Mike Thomas, were duly elected as Joining Members and Bro. Paul Smith was elected as a Re-Joining Member. W.Bro. Lt Col Ian Hockney P.A.G.SwdB. (R.E.) took over as the Lodge’s V.G.O. The Members congratulated W.Bro. Harry Butler on his appointment as P.Pr.S.G.D.
#Served as a Capt. in the C.Gds.
In February 2012 V.W.Bro. Maj. R.H. Jago P.G.SwdB., (R.A.M.C.), a P.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; W.Bro. Lt P.K. James P.Prov.G.Reg., (R.N.), a P.M of Woolmer Forest Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair; and W.Bro. M.J. Sergeant P.Pr.J.G.W., a P.M. of Mercury Lodge acted as I.G. W.Bro. Harry Butler P.Pr.S.G.D. was duly inducted as the 22nd Master. Bro. Vic Carmichael was elected as an Honorary Member and £1,800 was donated to the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (R.M.T.G.B.) in respect of the 2016 Festival. In April the death of one of the Lodge’s Founders and a brave Arnhem veteran, Bro. Noel Ross B.E.M., M.M. was marked with the usual tribute. The Lodge received an official visit from the Prov.S.G.W., W.Bro. Maj. George Mars (R.E.), who witnessed the raising of Bro. Stephen Swallow. W.Bro. David Murphy was congratulated on his appointment as P.Pr.J.G.D. In September the death of another of the Lodge’s decorated Second World War veterans, Bro. R.A. Reiber M.M., L.d’H. was marked in the usual Pegasus manner and the Brethren also stood in silent tribute to mark the death of R.W.Bro. Allan Chun M.B.E., P.Pr.G.M., who as Dep.Prov.G.M. had opened the Lodge at the Consecration meeting. W.Bro. Brian Shaw’s appointment as P.Pr.Dep.G.Reg. in Middlesex was acknowledged with acclaim. In November Everton Roach was initiated and thus became the Lodge’s 150th Member.
The Installation meeting in February 2013 was marred by the news that Bro. Stephen (Hank) Hood, a veteran of the Falkland’s campaign had taken his own life (see Chapter 9), but morale was lifted by the news that the Lodge’s Honorary Organist W.Bro. Skip Attree had been promoted to P.Pr.S.G.W. – the third Brother associated with Pegasus to be so honoured. V.W.Bro. Maj. R.H. Jago P.G.SwdB., (R.A.M.C.), a P.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; W.Bro. K.T. Hutchins, a P.M of Loyalty Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair; and W.Bro. M.J. Sergeant P.Pr.J.G.W., a P.M. of Mercury Lodge acted as I.G. W.Bro. Brian Pugsley P.Pr.J.G.D., P.Pr.G.Reg. (Middlesex) P.M. was duly inducted as the 23rd Master – the first Brother to serve the Office twice. Following the appointment and investiture of the Officers the Lodge was called-off to hear the “Masonic Ambassador” lecture read by W.Bro. Adrian Bean Prov.A.G.D.C.
In April the death of W.Bro. Frank Maidment was marked in the usual manner and a donation of £25 was made in his memory to the R.B.L. A further donation of £25 was made to H4Hs in memory of Hank Hood. W.Bro. Charles Bailey informed the Members of a visit he had made to Sunderland to represent Pegasus at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the initiation of one of the Founders, W.Bro. Edward Hold I.S.M., P.Pr.S.G.W. (Durham). He had been accompanied by W.Bro. Roy Dachtler and Bro. James Mackenzie – a good evening had been had by all! The Lodge was called-off to witness the Power-point presentation on the R.M.T.G.B. 2016 Festival given by W.Bro. Mike Sergeant P.Pr.J.G.W. It was announced that the new Area Chairman, W.Bro. Lt Col Ian Hockney P.A.G.SwdB. had been forced to stand down as the Lodge’s V.G.O. and that W.Bro. Rod White P.Pr.A.G.SwdB. had been appointed as Visiting Officer (V.O.) to replace him. As an aside Bro. Rod is, like the Author, an Old Tauntonian!
In November, in order to finally sort out the Lodge’s finances, the Treasurer, W.Bro. Mike Thomas proposed that a levy of £35.00 be paid by all subscribing Members and that the Annual Subscription be raised to £130.00 with effect from 1st January 2014. He also proposed that any Member whose subscription remained unpaid be excluded from the Lodge in accordance with By-Law No. 6 and Rule 181 B.o.C. These propositions were seconded by W.Bro. Charles Bailey and duly approved by the Brethren. Two joining Members were recruited, a Candidate for Initiation was successfully balloted for and W.Bro. Bill King was elected as an Honorary Member. W.Bro. Rodney Johnson presented the Lodge with some Pegasus Forces plaques, which he hoped the Charity Steward would be able to sell to the Brethren for charity. He was duly thanked for his generosity by the W.M.
At the February meeting in 2014 Bro. David Morgan was installed as the 24th Master. V.W.Bro. Maj. R.H. Jago P.G.SwdB., (R.A.M.C.), a P.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; W.Bro. K.T. Hutchins, a P.M. of Loyalty Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair; and W.Bro. E.P. Robinson P.Pr.G.SuptWks., a P.M. of Mercury Lodge acted as I.G. The Brethren were relieved to be able to pass a set of Accounts that showed a positive balance in all three funds and Bro. Mick Channon presented the Lodge with a magnificent, if rather large, brass Pegasus, which was placed in front of the Master’s place setting at the Festive Board. In April the death of Bro. Donald Hayward, one of the Lodge’s first pair of Initiates was marked with suitable solemnity and V.W.Bro. Stuart Peters was elected as an Honorary Member. In November the initiation of Timothy Dineen and Michael Bateman brought back memories of the Lodge’s early days when double ceremonies were the norm.
At the February meeting in 2015 The Lodge received an official visit from the A.Prov.G.M. for the North-East Corner, W.Bro. Lt Col W.G. Withers P.S.G.D., (R.L.C.). After the visitors had been welcomed and the A.Prov.G.M. saluted with five, Bro. Robin Horsfall was installed as the 25th Master. V.W.Bro. Maj. R.H. Jago P.G.SwdB., (R.A.M.C.), a P.M. of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge occupied the S.W. Chair; and W.Bro. D.D. Jones, a P.M. of Loyalty Lodge occupied the J.W. Chair. The representative of Mercury Lodge failed to appear so W.Bro. Andy Bryce, one of the Lodge’s Stewards, who was already acting as I.G. continued in that Office. After the installation ceremony W.Bro. Rod White, the Lodge’s V.O. called the Installed Masters to form a circle around the new Master on the floor of the Lodge and expertly delivered a Charge on “The point within a circle” – a first for the Lodge. Following the admission of the Fellow Craft, the Lodge enjoyed another first when W.Bro. Andy Bryce gave the long explanation of the Second Degree Working Tools. The members were delighted to see W. Bro. Allan Lee back in the Lodge after a long absence. He is now an In-Pensioner at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
At the 100th regular meeting of the Lodge in April 2015 the Brethren stood to order in memory of V.W.Bro Stuart Peters, a Founder and Past Master of the Lodge, who had passed to the Grand Lodge Above on 3rd April. Charles Bailey delivered a moving oration and Skip Attree played the “Ride of the Valkyries. The mood was raised by the election of a Joining Member, the passing of Bro. Michael Bateman and the announcement that W.Bros Taff Gould and Brian Pugsley were both going to be promoted to the rank of P.Pr.Dep.G.Reg. and W.Bro. Bertie Fordham to the rank of P.Pr.A.G.Reg. It was also acknowledged that Brian had been promoted to P.Pr.J.G,W. in Middlesex and W.Bro. Edgar Stokes had been appointed as a Prov.G.Stwd in Surrey. A donation of £2,000 was voted to the R.M.T.G.B. in respect of the 2016 Festival.
In September another Joining Member was recruited, Denzil Connick was initiated and the Author had the honour of being elected as an Honorary Member. A donation of £500 was made to Julia House, a children’s hospice in Dorset. In November a ballot for Candidates for Freemasonry was held for twin brothers – Gary and Leigh Tiplady – a very special way to end the Lodge’s first twenty-five years. The Master then initiated Bro. Gary, who thus became the Lodge’s 159th Member. Unfortunately, his twin was unable to attend as he was undertaking security duties in Basra. W.Bro. Henry Peters, the Master of Royal Union Lodge No. 246 and youngest son of the late V.W.Bro. Stuart Peters had found his father’s Past Master’s Jewel among his effects and presented it back to the Lodge. W.Bro. Charles Bailey gave Notice of Motion that at the next Regular meeting he would propose that the Lodge donates £115.00 to W.Bro. Skip Attree, for the purchase of an electric organ to be used in Farnborough. Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge and Loyalty Lodge had agreed to donate similar amounts. Finally, to add to the joy of the evening it was announced that the #Pegasus shoulder flash had been re-instated for all Airborne soldiers with effect from 25th November 2015.
#Command of 16 Air Assualt Bde had returned to the Commander Field Army, thus enabling the Pegasus to be restored.
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