Ytene Court No. 209 is born at Botley

This has been a long time coming! A large crowd assembled yesterday at the Botley Masonic Centre for the Consecration of Ytene Court No. 209, the latest Court to join the Masonic Order of Athelstan. At last, the waiting was over - and the opportunity to find out what we’d signed up for had arrived and we were enabled to take possession of yet another tie.

A brief history lesson: The Order is based on the ancient records of the life and legend of King Athelstan. It tells the story of a Master Mason being called to York in AD 926 to receive the Ancient Charges from the King. Throughout the ceremony, there is plenty of symbolism still familiar in some Lodges today, along with a great deal that might not be. In England and Wales, the Order’s Provinces reflect, wherever possible, the original Kingdoms and Gilds (Guilds) established by King Athelstan, rather than modern county boundaries. That explains why we are in the Athelstan Province of Sussex. Confusing, perhaps, but no passport is required and you can’t blame the satnav.
The aim is to encourage brethren to undertake further study and research. Meetings are therefore held in a Court, and candidates are said to be ‘Instructed’ into the Order. A reassuring choice of word: it sounds like something for which you might need a notebook. We began in the morning, when 29 of us were duly ‘Instructed’. It didn’t hurt, and we emerged unscathed and ready for the next important stage of our development.

In the afternoon, the Temple at Botley was brimming with red and gold regalia as the good and the great gathered to watch the PGM, RW Mark Donovan, carry out the Consecration Ceremony. Part of this involved scattering corn, oil and wine - the last of which struck me as a bit of a waste - and adorning some of us with salt. With a huge hourglass also forming part of the Lodge furniture, there was quite a lot to take in. Had I spotted a large cooking pot in the corner, I might have started looking for the exit. Being Instructed is one thing; being lightly seasoned is another. It was a completely different ceremony, carried out with expertise, great warmth and decorum. My culinary concerns aside, it was a splendid occasion.

After the Consecration, the hierarchy retired to the bar, and Ytene Court went into session under the watchful eye of the Grand Master of the Order, MW Bro. Charles Jonathan Aspinal. Nothing like a quiet, low-pressure first meeting. Undeterred, our new WM, W. Bro. Mark Gannaway, expertly conducted the remaining Court business, and we were done. Instructed, consecrated and, in some cases, lightly salted - all in a day’s work.

Then came the milling about and a few photographs before we went in to dine. Dinner is reviewed separately under ‘A Square Meal’, where food can receive the attention it deserves without anyone throwing the condiments around.