The brethren of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge met at Wellington College for the annual college meeting. At the meeting Bro. Matthew Saunders and Bro. Simon Reed were raised to the sublime degree of a master mason. In the double ceremony the Worshipful Master was assisted by a Past-Master who recalled with élan the third degree tracing board attracting a deserved Masonic applause. The Working Tools were similarly explained in graphic detail by W.Bro. Rory Shackleton. W.Bro. Nigel Birch presented Bro. Matt Saunders with a Master Mason’s apron. Books of Emulation ritual were presented on behalf of their proposer by seconder Bro. Junior Warden, John Edwards.

A Grand Lodge Certificate was presented to Bro. Simon Wilson and explained in detail by W.Bro. Nigel Birch. All the other offices of the lodge did an outstanding job in assisting the Worshipful Master in the ceremony.

The lodge welcomed a number of visitors including visiting Masters from our sister public school lodges: Christ Hospital; Ardingly and Charterhouse. We also welcomed our newly elected Visiting Officer, Edward Bottomley. The lodge looks forward to welcoming him to future lodge meetings.

W.Bro John Ross-Barnard announced that he would be stepping down as secretary after ten years serving the lodge so that he can go on a world trip. The brethren thanked him for his hard work and dedication to the lodge over the years. We were reminded how much work W.Bro John Ross-Barnard has done behind the scenes to ensure all our meetings happen and that all Masonic business is conducted and communicated promptly and correctly. There was a spontaneous and enthusiastic round of applause to thank the retiring secretary from the rest of the brethren.

The brethren then dined in the Driver rooms in College. A few of the brethren met at the bar in the Waterloo Hotel for further libations!

The brethren of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge met at Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street to raise Bro. Simon Wilson to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. The Worshipful Master was assisted in the ceremony by a member of Old Reptonian Lodge 3725, who delivered the Exhoratation, a Past-Master who delivered the Traditional History and W.Bro Rory Shackleton who explained the Working Tools. All those assisting the WM delivered their parts not only with great accuracy but also communicating the true meaning of the ritual in fine style.

Due to bad weather, transport problems and illness a number of brethren were unable to make the meeting. The following brethren did an excellent job and stood in at the last minute to fill the following offices. W.Bro Hew Dunn as Director of Ceremonies, W.Bro Robin Tilbrook as Immediate Past Master, a Past-Master as Inner Guard and W.Bro Derick Barrett as Mentor. The WM was very grateful for their last minute assistance. Similar problems occur every year at the February meeting and W.Bro John Ross-Barnard raised the idea of changing the meeting to March for future years. This was generally favourably received.

The rest of the regular offices of the lodge did a fine job in assisting the WM in raising Bro. Simon Wilson.

A member of Old Westminster Lodge No. 2233 did a splendid job of playing the organ for the lodge. The organ has not been played in the OW lodge for some time. This gave an extra dimension to the raising and made it a truly memorable occasion for the candidate and the brethren of the lodge.

We welcomed five visitors to the lodge four of which were from our sister PSLC lodges (Repton no. 3725, Westminster no. 2233, Marlborough no.3533 and Dulwich no. 4165). It is always a great pleasure to welcome visitors to the OW lodge.

Congratulations to W.Bro John Ross Barnard JP on advancement to Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer (Warks) and W.Bro Nigel Birch on his advancement to Senior London Grand Rank. Congratulations to W.Bro James Milne on his recent marriage.

The brethren dined afterwards at Beoty’s.

The brethren of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge met at Great Queen Street to initiate Jonathan Rance (O 84-89) into Freemasonry. A number of guests were present including members of our sister lodges the Old Tonbridge, Taunton, Cheltenham, Uppingham and Clifton Lodges.

 

Meeting on Armistice day Bro John Ross Barnard read out a moving description of Masonic activity in the second world war (it was the second if I recall correctly) and Bro James Milne read out the names of known members of the lodge killed on active service which Bro John Ross Barnard had diligently retrieved from the lodge records. A minutes silence was held to remember them and other brethren killed on active service.

 

We were delighted that the WM of Clifton accepted our invitation to pass Bro Jonathan Rance of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge in January. The Old Wellingtonian Lodge are glad to be able to share work with its sister public school lodges.

 

Brethren dinned after at Beotys.

W. Bro Chris Collins (Hopetoun 53-57) installed the new Worshipful Master of the Lodge with great skill and dedication. W. Bro Chris Collins was assisted by brethren from Whitehill Lodge No. 8425, Old Rugbeian Lodge No. 3551 and the Old Etonian Lodge No. 4550.We were also honoured with a visit by a brother from the Philippines. Freemasonry being a global organisation enables men of similar principles to share those with fellow brethren in other lodges in the UK and abroad (subject to recognition by Grand Lodge).

Eton informed our lodge of their plans to hold the annual Public Schools Festival at Eton this year and in particular the quality of wine that had been purchased in 2000 for the festival! The public Schools Festival being an annual meeting of public schools lodges hosted in rotation by the different public schools on the Public Schools Council. Wellington will be hosting the festival in 2015.

Unfortunately W. Bro Sir Kenneth Newton Bt.OBE TD PSGW passed away on 12th August 2008. W. Bro Jervis Kay QC recorded a personal tribute to his distinguished career and his contribution to Freemasonry and the Old Wellingtonian Lodge.

During the afternoon we were privileged to visit the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst at the invitation of the Chief of Staff, Col. Tim Checketts OBE., an OW of course, a visit that prompted us to make an immediate donation to the charity Help for Heroes, a new organisation formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain’s current conflicts.

It is a proud tradition that Wellington College continues to provide high calibre men and women to be commissioned into the army. Additionally funds were raised for the Wellington College Bevir fund, the Haemotology unit at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital and the Royal Masonic Benevolent fund.

As usual there was a warm welcome from the staff who provided a splendid dinner in the Wellesley Suite where we were also joined by our guests who wished to find out a little more and consider becoming freemasons. This is an opportunity open to others and the secretary would be pleased to receive enquiries either from OWs who are already members of the craft or OWs who wish to find out a little more.

A small gathering as many were on St. Valentine’s Day duty.

The ceremony went well, the candidate in the capable hands of our Deacons had learned his part well. A Past-Master delivered the Traditional History in record time and Charles Goblet d’Alviella the Working Tools; he did well, I believe it was his first time.

Two EA’s and an FC were dispatched early for a libation or two and recalled by mobile phone by James Milne when the main ceremony was over; modern technology!

As usual the proceedings were planned and orchestrated by Stephen Dudley & James Milne, to whom my grateful thanks.

We dined at Beotys and as we were only 12 we joined with Trinity Lodge (Cambridge) in the downstairs room. Their Junior Warden is an OW, this made for a very enjoyable evening.

I look forward to seeing as many as possible and with wives., partners and if possible new potential members at College in May.

WBro Christopher Collins

A unique ceremony in which three brethren were initiated ‘in trandem’ applying the principles of order and command no doubt learned by the brethren during their formative years at Wellington College and possibly reinforced in their subsequent professional lives in military service.

It was attended by the Provincial Grand Master for Surrey, RW Bro. Eric Stuart Bamford, who proudly witnessed the initiation of Matthew Saunders, Simon Reed and his son Alexander. A splendid occasion and ceremony not only for Bro. Matthew & Bro. Simon but also for the lewis present, Bro. Alex.

The lodge paid tribute to the late VW. Bro. Robin Atkins, sometime Dep. Gnd. Master of Hampshire & Isle of Wight, a regular visitor to and supporter of the OW Lodge over many years.

W. Bro. Christopher Collins (PPGndSwdB Shropshire) [Hopetoun 53-57] was installed into the chair of King Solomon in fine style by the installing master W. Bro. Rory Shackleton. The evening was however marked by the very sad event of just five days previously with the passing to the Grand Lodge Above of W. Bro. Alastair Shackleton, secretary of the lodge. Bro. Rory gave a moving tribute to his elder brother and the lodge stood to order to record departed merit; also for a previous tyler of many years standing, W. Bro. Arthur Crosswell SLGR. (Eulogies see elsewhere on this website)

It is with sadness that I report that my brother Alastair Shackleton was called to the Grand Lodge Above last Friday morning 28th September 2007.

It was only at our last meeting in June that I reported that he had be taken ill after suffering a series of strokes but at that time it was felt that with care and time he would recover. I regret to say that was not to be and last week he went down-hill very quickly suffering a series of stokes dying suddenly on Friday morning. He died a dignified death in the arms of his wife Victoria.

My “Big Brother” was well known to many in the Craft. He was born in 1951 brought up in the family home in Moone Co Kildare in Ireland, the eldest son. He started his education at Aravon coming to Wellington College, in the summer of 1965, he was followed 2 years later by his brother Ian both joining the Lyndoch.

He enjoyed his sports, however he was a late developer on the academic side completing his MSc in 1987. He took his GAP year in Mexico where our father was Defence Attaché in 1970 working on a ranch in Monterrey. This Alastair thoroughly enjoyed and became an accomplished cowboy. I recall he at one time got lost and after many futile hours of trying to find his way home threw down the reins and let the horse take him home. After spending hours in the saddle he had a very interesting gait to his walk.

This lifestyle quickly came to an end as Alastair followed in our father’s footsteps going to Sandhurst and joining the Royal Tank Regiment in 1971. He didn’t particularly get on with his tanks and for the most part found his vehicles were constantly off the road so he soon transferred to the RAOC.

My father died in 1977 and Alastair had the responsibility of being head of the family thrust upon him and for me he became very much a father figure. In the early 80’s he met and married Victoria but came out of the Army in 1991 to set up a computer consultancy company before joining EDS where he remained until his death on Friday 28 th September 2007.

He greatly enjoyed his Masonic life. According to the declarations book he was initiated into the lodge on 8 th Feb 1996, proposed by Nigel Birch and seconded by Alan Mulliner, witnessed by Arthur Crosswell. He was initiated, passed and raised all in the same year and as Junior Deacon initiated me into the lodge. He was Worshipful Master between 2002 and 2003 and represented the lodge well, visiting many other lodges during his year in the chair where he was well known by their officers. He was also a member of Rose Croix and Public Schools Chapter. I know he greatly enjoyed his time the chair and always took a very active part in the lodge becoming Secretary last year when I went into the chair.

Good humoured, easy going and conscientious. He was always willing to help even if it was inconvenient. He always enjoyed the company of his brethren and particularly was proud to be a member of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge. He took an active part in his local parish church in Semington, Wiltshire where he was Church Warden and as such he was well known in the village.

He leaves his wife Victoria and children Henrietta, Tom and Emily. Victoria, I know was greatly appreciative of all the kind letters and calls of support over the last few months. We will miss Alastair, and he won’t be forgotten.

W.Bro. Rory Shackleton

3rd October 2007

W. Bro. Arthur Crosswell, senior London grand rank, was called to the Grand Lodge above shortly after our summer meeting.

Arthur tyled for us for almost two decades and many brethren will recall his professional approach to ensuring that “his” candidates were always properly prepared. He ensured that an initiate knew just enough to make the OW officers perform well but not enough to spoil the pleasure of the ceremony for the candidate. It was not without reason that he was appointed SLGR.

Arthur was an intensely private individual with both fine war and post war records in the Royal Air Force. On leaving the service he transferred his engineering skills to the Rank Film Studios at Denham where his expertise made life easier both for film directors and performers. He was at Denham during the heyday of the Doctor films that included such stars as Dirk Bogarde & Brigitte Bardot where Arthur and his crews made them look even better actors than perhaps they were.

And did he ever talk about it to any of us? No he did not.

He was a remarkable man who was part of the tyler team for Grand Lodge and tyled for several PSLC lodges but when forced to give up his other PSLC commitments through illness chose to be tyler for us, the Old Wellingtonian Lodge, until the very last day of his active Masonic career. He had, he said a soft spot for Wellingtonians. We had a great respect for him and we missed him both then and now.

JRB