Connaught Freemasons Lodge 3573

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Connaught Freemasons Lodge 3573

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Freemasons are involved in raising funds for donation to national and local charities, and other good causes.

Visiting brethren are always welcome: as are new members.

31/10/2026

Somerset Ukraine
At the collection point at St John's Church Hall, MSN this morning I presented our cheque for £100 for the purchase of fuel for the vehicles taking emergency supplies to Ukraine.

The cheque was gratefully received on behalf of Somerset Ukraine by collection point organisers Heather Hill and Jane Price.

Images show just a proportion of the larger collection of bedding, clothing, toiletries and other essentials, and Keith with his car loaded to the gunwales to take to storage in Frome until the next relief expedition to Ukraine, hopefully before their winter sets in.

Chris J (Charity Steward)
NB: My new Lodge sweat shirt

24/10/2026

Bro. Matt Burt’s Raising on 21 October
A superb team effort gave an excellent ceremony to make Bro. Matt’s Raising a most memorable evening. WM. Chris was supported firstly by DC. W. Bro Richard Gilson who put the Questions to the Candidate and later in the ceremony the first part of the Raising.

It was a real pleasure to have W. Bro Neil Arthur with us again, but not only that he was keen to become involved and so gave The Charge. After SW. W. Bro Brian Parry had invested Bro. Matt with his Master Mason’s apron, JW. Bro Neil Sunderland followed by explaining its significance.

Bro. Matt, having returned to the Lodge after being restored to ‘his personal comforts’, W. Bro Tony Cooper gave the Traditional History in his usual exemplary manner. The ceremony concluded with JD. Bro. James Jefferies confidently presenting the Working Tools and thereby completing the PGM’s Working Tools Challenge (having presented all three). As such, later in the meeting he was presented with the Adair Club pin badge by Bro. Michael Beasley (Area Adair Club Representative) who also announced that Bro. James has been appointed as the Lodge’s Adair Club Rep. Many congratulations to him. Presenting the Working Tools to Bro. Matt was personal to Bro. James as not only are they work colleagues but Bro. James was Bro. Matt's Proposer to join the Lodge.

W. Bro Robin Browning in his capacity as Treasurer for the 2031 Provincial Festival took the opportunity to present W. Bro Alastair Slade with his Festival Steward Jewel.

Throughout the ceremony Bro. Matt had been ably conducted around the Lodge by SD. W. Bro Pete Kuzemka, assisted by JD. Bro James, as required, and IPM. W. Bro. Chris Brooke was on hand ready to prompt if necessary. Throughout the meeting, and particularly during the ceremony, W. Bro Adrian Moore provided suitable music which, as always, is much appreciated.

A jovial Festive Board rounded off the evening that was enjoyed by all, especially our eleven visitors. W. Bro Patrick Haxell gave the Response to the Visitors’ Toast and in doing so was highly complimentary about the ceremony.
Chris J. WM

03/10/2026

Connaught Dining Club
Another enjoyable evening: this time at the Fromeway. But what happened to the ladies? Hope they've not deserted us as they're always good company.
Next month (6 November) at La-Campagna Italian Restaurant, Paulton.
CJ

01/10/2026

Earlier this week I was at the Beamish Living Museum of the North in County Durham and came across this Masonic Hall in the 1900s Town. See pics attached.
Chris J

20/09/2026

Our MacMillan Coffee Morning
Absolutely superb morning yesterday. We'd laid out six tables and thirty-six chairs and by mid-morning all were full. The adverts in the Journal had obviously worked as there were many first-time visitors.
We had a huge selection of cakes and other goodies, most of which had been donated.
The camera club exhibition drew a lot of attention, and W. Bro Pete's temple tours also proved to be very popular.
Overall we made £295 that we will top-up from our Charity Account as in previous years. And we also sold £20 of raffle tickets for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance for whom I used to work many moons ago.
Many thanks to all the brethren and Anne Brooke for their invaluable assistance, (especially the kitchen squad who kept the drinks flowing), without which we could not have had such a successful event. The best ever!!
The pics below illustrate how busy we were. And Bro. Matt's young daughter Deliah-Rose aspiring to be WM.
CJ

13/09/2026

Appointed Janitor at the Consecration of the Somerset United Services Chapter No.10021, (a combination of Armed Forces and Emergency Services) at Bridgwater yesterday. Another line on by masonic CV.

04/09/2026

Connaught Dining Club
This evening we were at Simply Thai in Midsomer Norton. Twelve of us including four ladies, which was rather nice.
The food was good when we eventually got it as the service was very slow. Concentrating too much on take-away orders rather than the in-house diners.
Venues for October, November and December will be announced shortly: so watch this space
Chris J

22/08/2026

Yesterday evening at the Lodge, Connaught brethren and their guests enjoyed a wide range of cheeses and wines courtesy of WM Chris, who had decided it was time for us to get together socially.

As previously announced the event would start at 6.30pm and finish when we had drunk the place dry. Everyone readily rose to the challenge and by the end of the evening fourteen bottles had been killed off and only a few scraps of cheese left over. Mission accomplished!!

25/07/2026

Dorothy House Hospice
In the morning of Saturday 25 July, accompanied by W. Bros. Rich Gilson, Pete Kuzemka and Dave Sherborne along with Bro. Matt Burt and his young daughter Delilah-Rose, I visited the Dorothy House Hospice at Winsley to present our cheque for £500, that was complimented by a further £250 from the Province of Somerset’s Masonic Charity Relief Chest, in support of their 50th Anniversary Appeal. And in that fifty years they have cared for more than 75,000 people, both young and old.

Prior to the cheque presentation we were given a very comprehensive tour of the hospice by Community Fundraiser, Katherine Bowhay. I’m sure we all know what a hospice does but never having visited one before I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I have to say I was blown away. Not only by the exceptionally high standard of the décor considering the age of most of the buildings, but also the extensive range of facilities available for patients and their families, and daft though it may seem, the place felt quite cheerful. And I know from comments made, the rest of us felt the same. The immaculate extensive gardens with features such a fireflies that automatically light up at dusk and the tulip garden that hardly ever sees a tulip because as soon as they bloom the local deer feast on them, and the interactive nature trail, are just as impressive as the interior of the buildings. Everything is a testament to their army of volunteers.

One interesting point though is that now 94% of their work is carried out in the community with only a small number of beds actually in the hospice itself, and our £750 funds four home shifts delivered by skilled hospice staff. It doesn’t sound a lot in itself but as Katherine said, it costs £19 million per year to run all the services of which £15 million is raised by the support of the local community, so every donation whatever the size is always gratefully received. As part of their fundraising ventures there is a calendar of events running throughout the year, including their Autumn Lightshow that we were told should be well worth seeing. If interested to know more about the hospice, or wanting to assist in any way, go to their website: dorothyhouse.org.uk.

Overall, a most enlightening morning for us all.
Chris James, Charity Steward

Images
Katherine in the multi-faith quiet room
Tulip garden
You know who we are
At one of the Nature Trail Information Boards
With Delilah-Rose peeping over the huge cheque

04/07/2026

The Connaught Dining Club is going from strength to strength. At our third meeting yesterday at the Old Down Inn, Emborough, eight brethren from Connaught and Kenneth Kinnersley Lodges and a guest who is lined up to join KK (unfortunately), thoroughly enjoyed an evening of conviviality and fellowship, over a few beers and an excellent meal.

As previously mentioned, the Dining Club, as can be seen above, is not exclusive solely to Connaught Lodge members, but is also open to Connaught Chapter, plus any masonic guests, and is an ideal way of 'breaking the ice' for potential new members, who, at the end of the evening stated that he had felt very welcome.

Our next monthly gathering will hopefully be at the King William Inn in Tunley, at 7 pm on Friday 7 August, and on this occasion with our Ladies. Keep the date in your diaries with further details to follow.
Chris J

Address

Redfield Road
Midsomer Norton
BA32JN

Telephone

+441761415155

Website

http://www.connaughtlodge.org/

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