Abbey Chapter was formed some time after the Lodge that bears the same name and number. It meets on the third Thursday of February and April.
The last meeting of the year is on the first Thursday in November.
The meeting in December 2014 celebrated the Chapter’s Centenary. Have a look at the images that were captured on this happy occasion.
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The First Principal, Excellent Companion Russell Harwood stands in the centre with the Second Principal, Excellent Companion Eric Bond on his right and the Third Principal, Excellent Companion Ray Evan’s on his left.
Also in the photograph is Excellent Companion David Thornton (second from left) the Representative of the Most Excellent Provincial Grand Superintendent. He is accompanied by Excellent Companion David Lightbown.
The First Principal, Excellent Companion Russell Harwood stands with Excellent Companion David Thornton the Representative of the Most Excellent Provincial Grand Superintendent.
All the Companions present at the Installation Meeting gathered together to be captured by the kind caterer who came out of the kitchen to assist us. (Her meal was excellent too.)
The third Thursday in April is a special day in this Chapter’s diary being the Installation Meeting. This means that the Officers in progressive offices move up closer to the pinnacle of First Principal.
For several reasons this year has seen the First Principal remain in situ but those for those following there was movement in a positive direction. Of note was the Installation of the Northern Area Deputy Chairman, Companion Ray Evans into the Third Principal’s Chair.
The First Principal gave an envelope containing a note to Excellent Companion David Thornton stating that the Chapter had(via bank transfer) donated £50 to the North West Air Ambulance and £500 to the Province of East Lancashire 2026 Festival.
At the Festive Board afterwards the magnificent sum of £150 was raised for future charitable donation.
The Companions parted looking forward to their first-ever midsummer meeting on the 11th July as always at Whalley Masonic Hall.
This is an order in Freemasonry, closely associated with Craft Freemasonry.
The first documented evidence of a ‘Royal Arch’ comes from Ireland in 1743; it seems likely that this was an ‘added extra’ worked within craft lodges in England , Ireland and Scotland for many years. Thus it came to be regarded, by the Antients in England , as a fourth degree in Freemasonry.
The Moderns, on the other hand, do not appear to have officially recognised the degree at all (with a few exceptions), leading in due course, to completely separate Royal Arch Chapters.
These differences were partially resolved at the Union of the Grand Lodges in 1813, by a compromise: the new United Grand Lodge of England declared the Royal Arch to be an official and accepted part of ‘Pure and Antient Freemasonry’.
In December 2003 the United Grand Lodge of England acknowledged and pronounced the status of the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch to be
an extension to, but neither a superior nor a subordinate part of, the degrees which precede it.
Whilst the Royal Arch is, therefore, an integral part of Freemasonry and interwoven with the Craft, it is organised as a separate Order, distinct from the Craft degrees, the teachings of which it completes.
Our next Chapter meetings are shown here. They usually start at 7pm prompt followed by a Festive Board held at the Hall. The exception to this rule is our Installation Meeting in April which starts earlier at a time decided upon in January.
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