A safe place

W.Bro John Leyland’s address to the brethren after Installing his successor:-

Worshipful Master may I address the brethren?

Good evening again brethren, I will keep this short and sweet, and I’d like to begin, as I look around this Lodge tonight, with the most important people: the Entered Apprentices, the Fellow Crafts and the pale blue Master Masons.

To those Brethren that I inherited when I started my Mastership, and to those Brethren that I have assisted in their Masonic journey through being Entered Apprentices to Fellow Craft and onwards to Master Mason, I’d like to say thank you. This Lodge is my safe place, it’s a safe place because we as Brethren treat each other equally and enjoy each other’s company with a common goal, which is to enjoy our ceremonies, whilst maintaining the solemnity, of what we do.

During my Mastership, I have not been a prolific visitor to other lodges unfortunately. But I’ve hardly missed a practice, maybe having missed one or two in three years. As I look around the lodge this evening, I see many familiar faces, friendly faces, as we prepared for tonight‘s Installation and we needed to ask assistance from senior brethren, those senior brethren all made it easy to be approached, and to be asked if they could assist with our ceremony.

That’s a safe place when you can speak to everybody you know, and the answer is likely to be yes.

As I look to the East, again I see familiar faces, all of those faces, friends, we all had a job to do, and a position to hold and represent, but once completed, we all equally enjoy each other’s company at the festive board. I’m happy to report that I have been involved in Installations with a lot of the lodges from other Constitutions which have been a highlight of my Mastership. And I would like to thank those brethren from the other Constitutions for again, making their lodges a safe and happy place to be and visit.

A safe place, is where you can be yourself, enjoy the differences that we in personality, ethnicity, and backgrounds, and then, unite in our ceremonies and procedures with distinction.

As I looked through the Brethren of Lodge of Harmony, it’s wrong to select anyone over above anyone else, but I cannot walk past W.Bro John Robinson and W.Bro Craig Harris without being speechless with regards to how much I think of them for the work that they’ve done for me. Earlier my Mastership I was also First Principle of Chapter of Harmony, and they realised that my plate was well and truly full, and they very subtly, assisted in making changes to allow me to ease my start up in the blue lodge so that I could flourish in the Chapter.

During my Mastership, they have understood my strengths and weaknesses and have supported me so thoughtfully and kindly, to the point where “thank you” is all I can say because there are no words that I can find to fully express my gratitude for what they’ve done for me. To have one guardian angel in your life looking over your shoulder, is remarkable place to be. I have two guardian angels, W.Bro John Robinson and W.Bro Craig Harris. Thank you to those Brethren from the bottom of my heart, I’m lost for words with regards to ever been able to repay you for the kindness and thoughtfulness that you show me.

This Lodge remains a safe place for me, and the fraternity is a safe place for me to be, with regards to visiting and being amongst Brethren from all walks of life.

Thank you, Brethren - thank you all

Periodical of the District Grand Lodge of North Island, New Zealand Page 18