Visit from Lodge 19 Minneapolis USA

  Recollections of a weekend to remember : by Kev Thompson

One of the advantages of a website is that it is easy to contact people far away! The success of this was shown in detail last Saturday when eleven members of Lodge 19: Minneapolis, Minnesota came to visit. First contact was made by two of our brethren - Douglas and Kevin - looking for other Lodge 19s across the world and finding their website in the USA. Guest books were signed and contact was made!

The idea of a visit quickly followed and to our delight eleven members of the USA Lodge, including their Master - Roger Wainwright arranged to come and visit us. Other brethren included Reed Endersbe, their Marshal (our inner guard), TJ Zawacki, their Jnr Deacon and Chris Hanson, their Lodge Education Officer (an idea we might want to develop). This all came together in a truly memorable evening last saturday, when, after receiving special permission from Grand Lodge, we arranged a second degree for their visit. The degree was run by PM Dougie Wilson with a team of PMs he assembled from Lodges all over Fife.

(by Dave Scott, Links Media ) Visitors from the USA, in the white aprons, plus the degree team:
D Wilson - Coupar o’ Fife 19
D Cuthbert - King Robert de Bruce 304
J Russell - Lodge Lindores 106
W Rocks - Lodge Randolph 776
W Archibald - St Regulus 77
E Harley - Lodge Earlshall 1292
R Hall - Glenrothes 1549
G Manson - Coupar o’ Fife 19
J Rankin- Coupar o’ Fife 19

The day started with Bros Kevin and Dougie travelling over to Edinburgh to direct our visitors to Cupar. We stopped off at Elmwood Golf Course for a superb meal (huge thanks to them) and then travelled on to the Lodge. Due to the unique occasion - two Lodge 19s coming together - we tyled at 19:19, and had one of the best turnouts ever seen at Cupar with over 80 brethren looking for seats in a packed Lodge room!

The USA contingent was piped in and then the Lodge opened with the normal 19 officers. The degree team was then piped, in quickly followed by a deputation from Provincial Fife and Kinross headed by Tom Donaldson SPGM . Gavels and officers were exchanged and then one of the visitors - TJ Zawacki - was introduced to the mysteries of a Fellow Craft Mason - Scottish style.

(by Dave Scott, Links Media ) USA visitors with the office bearers of Lodge 19

After the degree finished gifts were exchanged with the visitors receiving a framed poem (click for photo)- written by our own bard Bro Craig Roger PM - a club, tie, an inscribed glass and a USA/Scotland pin. In return we were given a superb plaque (click for photo).

We then retired to the bar for food and an excellent harmony - click for detailed report -with contributions from many in the form of songs, poems and stories. The evening finished off around 12:45am with The Tyler's Toast delivered by our own RWM Tom Marshall. Many stayed to the end and the feedback was very favourable. A huge thanks to all who made the evening possible from the catering, to the programmes, to the degree team, and to all who performed at the harmony, as well as the many visitors from all over Fife. Mostly, many thanks to our friends from over the water who came to visit. All in all an excellent night for Lodge 19 Coupar o' Fife, The Province of Fife and Kinross, and Scottish Masonry in general. One which we will hopefully repeat in the years to come.