Friday 3rd March saw Tynemouth Golf Club host a very special dinner, attended by notable masons from the Mark, Royal and Select Masters and Allied Masonic Degrees, including the Grand Master of the Allied Masonic Degrees, Thomas Firth Jackson; the Provincial Grand Master of Northumberland for the Mark Master Masons, Raymond Walton; the District Grand Master of Royal and Select Masters in Northumberland, John Harvey; and the District Grand Prefect of the District of Northumberland and Durham in the Allied Masonic Degrees, Danny Guy.
Travelling the long distance from Surrey was Michael Whelan, a Trustee of the Mark Benevolent Fund, who was also joined on the evening by representatives from the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade and Northumberland Mountain Rescue.
Following a conversation between John and some of the volunteers of these organisations, he took it upon himself, along with Raymond, to secure funding to enable them to continue their vital life saving services, approaching Thomas for assistance, and so the ball was set rolling and the Mark Benevolent Fund agreed to provide grants.
After a very enjoyable dinner, the main focus of the evening took place with Michael presenting cheques, on behalf of the Mark Benevolent Fund, for £55,750 to the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, and £37,500 to the Northumberland Mountain Rescue Team. Both organisation’s representatives were very grateful for the funding, which they informed all those present would be used to purchase new vehicles and equipment that would be put to use saving lives along the coast and in the hills and mountains of Northumberland and Tyneside.
Enjoying the evening were other notable masons from the orders, including the Richard Northey and Paul Hilditch, the Deputy and Assistant Provincial Grand Masters in the Mark, John Tomlin, John Bruce and Andrew Jennings, the Deputy District Grand Master, District Grand Principal Conductor of Work, and the Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies, and District Grand Director of Ceremonies of the Royal and Select Masters, and the Deputy District Grand Prefect in the Allied Masonic Degrees, Tony Davies; along with several others representing the Northumberland Mark Benevolent Fund and the Mark, Royal and Select and Allied degrees.
It goes to show that when worthy organisations are in need of support, and with determination to assist those organisations by a Mason, in this case John and Raymond, the Masonic family will step up and give it. The thanks of everyone associated with Northumberland masons and those of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, and Northumberland Mountain Rescue, go to Michael Whelan and the Mark Benevolent Fund for their support of these worthy lifesaving teams.
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