Ladys of Sion Lodge 2017
A sneak preview
For the past few years, members of Sion Lodge No 7562 have produced a Calendar which has been sold in aid of the Masters charity.
This all started from a practical joke when one of the W. Bro’s of the Lodge, moved to a New Town House and went off on holiday without fulfilling his obligation to a housewarming party to Lodge members.
Unfortunately, he left his house keys with his son, who is also a member of the Lodge and a number of the brethren of Sion went to the house and posed for various photographs around the house which were then shown at the Sion Christmas show night as a “Through the Keyhole ” type presentation to the unsuspecting W. Bro and his wife!
The photographs were too good to waste and were then photo-shopped and turned into a calendar which sold in great numbers.
Realising there were too many stairs in the town house, the same W. Bro again moved to another new house the following year and left the keys with his son. This time however, suspecting that a similar prank might be afoot, the W. Bro left copies of photos of himself to be used in a potential calendar! The calendar was produced in greater numbers and £400 was made and donated to the Help For Hero’s Charity.
Wanting a new theme for the 2017 Calendar, W. Bro Phil Mantey challenged the “Ladies of Sion” to make a calendar, which to all of the brethren’s surprise, they eagerly accepted.
The ladies organised themselves, co-opted some Lodge Visitors wives and duly ‘got out their buns’ , tea pots , parasols, tinsel and everything else to ‘cover their modesty’ and produced a “Calendar Girls” type calendar .
This was kept a total secret until being ‘revealed’ at the Annual Sion Christmas show night where first production run of calendars sold out. The calendars made over £320 which was donated in the name of Sion Lodge No 7562 to the Northumberland Masonic Charities Association Festival Fund.
With such support from their family orientated Lodge, it is no wonder that Sion Lodge have already been awarded their NMCA 2021 Festival Patron Collaret .
To see how the Ladies appeared, you will have to buy a calendar!