Grantham Masons celebrate 50 years of Granta Chapter

Exaltee Samuel Rowsell became a Companion of the Royal Arch a month after his raising as a member of Sir Isaac Newton Lodge on a landmark evening, because it marked the fiftieth anniversary of Granta Chapter in Grantham.

Along with sixty other members he was able to watch the Grand Superintendent Dave Wheeler present three engraved solid silver goblets, bought by Granta Chapter members, for use by the Principals at Festive Boards.

Martin Howitt presented and explained a folio of documents for each attendee, including the Granta Lodge 4950 Summons from 1974, in which item 5 was a Notion of Motion to form a Chapter, the necessary Petition and Statement of Support, a List of Members from the 1975 Year Book, the summons for the first Granta Chapter Convocation, the Names and occupations of the Petitioners, and a copy from an article on the Masonic Record magazine December 1974 with a picture of the first  Principals.

Afterwards Colin Henson, the Chapter’s longest-serving member with 40 years’ service to his credit, shared a humorous recollection of his early years of membership.

At the end of the meeting, the Principals of sister Chapter Doric were invited to take the Principals’ chairs to close the Chapter. In the main picture (above) they are seated on the step in front of each Granta Chapter Principal. Granta Chapter Principals are Alan Curtis Z, Maurice Newham H, and Jarred Wright J. The Doric Principals are Walter Cook Z, Peter Brooks H, and David Roper J.