The Temple was bursting at the seams when Bro John Baker was Installed as the new Worshipful Master of Rochester Lodge No.3494. Visitors came from many parts of the United Kingdom for a most enjoyable meeting. The bond that members of the Lodge have formed with the Abercorn Lodge No.114, Province of Down, Northern Ireland, resulted in ten visitors from Belfast being present.

Notably among them, although in an unofficial capacity, was RWBro Rodney McCurley, Inner Guard for the Grand Lodge of Ireland, Provincial Grand Secretary for the Province of Down, and Representative of the Grand Lodge of Victoria (Australia) at the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

Numbers were also boosted by the presence of 10 visitors from Glasgow's Kilwinney Lodge No.4, including the new Worshipful Masters father-in-law, WBro Thomas Findlay Jessup PJGD Grand Lodge of Scotland. Representing the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master was WBro Roger Odd PAGDC,PrGSec. All witnessed a good ceremony and the new Worshipful Master showed something of the high quality that the Lodge could expect from him during his year in office. On behalf of the Irish brethren, RWBro McCurley offered fraternal greetings and presented the Lodge with a specially made miniature maul, suitably inscribed and depicted with the Lodge’s banner emblem. The Master of Kilwinney Lodge VWBro Graeme Campbell gave fraternal greetings on behalf of the Scottish brethren. During the very convivial Festive Board, in response to members of Rochester Lodge having to eat pig’s trotters and tripe during their visit to Belfast, a bowl of jellied eels was placed before the Irish who despite a brave effort were unable to rise to the challenge and clear it all away.

From Ed44, P16