William Rufus No. 6979

Yesterday evening saw the 538th meeting of William Rufus Lodge No. 6979 at the Totton Masonic Centre. The cast were understandably a little nervous. It was their first full meeting since the Installation, and someone had thoughtfully arranged a double Raising to ease them back in gently. Nevertheless, they coped admirably, with only the usual amount of nervous anticipation that everyone else knew what came next.

The Traditional History was splendidly orated by W. Bro. Nick Ireland, and Bro. Neil Truman presented the Working Tools. The MM Booklet and Royal Arch Narrative were delivered by W. Bro. Terry Raby, who battled heroically through a series of coughing fits and still managed to make himself better understood than many speakers in perfect health.

There then followed the evening’s most delicate piece of ritual: establishing the correct order of the National Anthem and the Closing Ode. Once this constitutional crisis had been resolved, both were successfully played and the brethren retired, happy and visibly relieved, to the dining room.

A full report on the food appears in ‘A Square Meal’, where the meal will be scrutinised with the close examination normally reserved for raffle winners.

I have previously mentioned the mysterious ‘Viscosity Machine’ in my culinary write-ups, prompting some brethren to suspect that it was either a myth or the result of an over-active imagination! To settle the matter, I managed to sneak into the kitchen and obtain photographic evidence. The machine does indeed exist. Apparently, the only things missing are an instruction booklet and anyone with the slightest desire to use it.