Freemasonry for Women (Coventry) supporting a high-flier of the future

When we set up our HFAF Uni Scheme it was with the intention of not only attracting younger members from Universities, it was also with the intention of providing bursaries to deserving students.

A high-flier for the future

Our project at Coventry aimed at re-opening Centrum Lodge 46 as a University Lodge recently received a request from UGLE University Lodge 9907 if we would join with them in supporting a very promising student called Farrah Barber. We were very happy to do so and agreed a sum of £250 and in conjunction with AMULL (Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges) a grant totalling £1000 was made to enable to Farrah to pursue her MSc studies at Oxford in Social Science of the Internet, having recently graduated from St Andrews with a first-class honours degree in International Relations.

Centrum Lodge was due to be re-opened in April but due to the COVID-19 epidemic this has been postponed until next year. We wish Farrah every success in her future life. She certainly is deserving of our help as she has made every effort to support herself in her studies.

Father's pride

When Sumaira joined Surrey 45 in February she was joined at the Festive Board by her extremely proud mother Shaista and father Altaf, a member of Finsbury Park Lodge 1288 who had flown in from Saudi Arabia, where he currently works to share the occasion with her. Sumaira first met members of Surrey Lodge 45 at the Surrey University Freshers’ Fair.

Spreading the word in the Midlands

On 17th February the WM of our Ambassadors project at Coventry, W Bro Patricia Garraway was invited to deliver a talk for a Friendship Evening at Solihull Lodge 8088 about Freemasonry for Women and the work of Ambassadors Lodge 13 in helping to establish new lodges. She spoke about the formation of our overseas lodge in Spain, Romania, India and America and imparted the exciting news that Ambassadors 13 will once again be travelling to India in January 2021 to consecrate three new lodges.

She also spoke about the project in Coventry which will lead to the re-dedication of Centrum Lodge No. 46 as a University Lodge meeting at Dalecote House in Coventry and working with the Province of Warwickshire. 

Despite battling ill-health Patricia’s efforts should see this project come to fruition in August of this year. To show their appreciation the lodge members had a collection for a charity nominated by Patricia which was the Derby & Burton Hospital Charity, one of whose projects is the provision of ‘nicer’ hospital gowns.

Uni Scheme Conference

 

Freemasonry for Women was invited to participate in the Uni Scheme Conference held at Chester on 16th November. Scheme Chair Maxine Priestley addressed the conference on the subject of our involvement to date with the Uni Scheme. The Province of Chester are to be congratulated on their excellent organisation of this conference which was held in the splendid surroundings of the Christleton Centre, just outside Chester. In fact there were so many interesting seminars that it was difficult to choose which to attend. We were pleased to meet representatives from the Order of Women Freemasons, who were also present at the Conference.

 

 

 

 

 

Royal Wolverhampton School

23rd November 

Lots to discuss

Lots to discuss 

 

A get to know us event was held at the Royal Wolverhampton School to raise awareness of Freemasonry for Women and their aims, ideals and values. This event was supported by the Province of Staffordshire. The speakers included Grand Master Christine Chapman; Provincial Grand Master John Lockley; Grand Secretary Maxine Priestley; Uni Scheme representative Peter Hughes;  Peter Hill School Governor and Anita Notta, parent and member of FFW. The long term aim is to set up a FFW Lodge based at the school taking its membership from staff, parents and alumni.  Thanks to Bro David Joyce for the photo. Bro Anita from our Ambassadors Coventry project helped organise the event, as the mother of two children at the school she is very keen to get this idea off the  ground.

Ambassadors making progress

WM and 2 Fellowcraft at Ambassadors 13

WM and 2 Fellowcraft at Ambassadors 13

 

Progress continues at Uxbridge Masonic Centre as two Initiates, Bro Harsheel  and Bro Amonia took their second regular step in Freemasonry and were Passed to Fellowcraft by WM  Cecilia . It is hoped that the work undertaken at Uxbridge will lead to the consecration of a new University lodge,  Bro Harsheel also hopes to establish a lodge in Kenya in the future.

Apollo Bicentenary

On 6th April the UGLE University Lodge Apollo No. 357 celebrated their bicentenary at a very special meeting held in the Sheldonian Theatre of Oxford University in the presence of the UGLE Grand Master, H.R.H. Duke of Kent.   Our Grand Master Christine Chapman and University Scheme Chair Maxine Priestley were invited to attend this very special event and the after meeting celebrations, which included a Champagne reception at the Ashmolean and a splendid banquet at Keble.

 

New HFAF Uni Scheme Lodge for Uxbridge

HFAF is pleased to announce that they have secured the use of premises in Uxbridge for a University Lodge. This will be an Ambassadors 13 project until the lodge is ready to be consecrated. We hope that this new Lodge will be associated with Brunel University. The first meeting has been scheduled for October 14th.

Patricia takes charge at Coventry

The Ambassadors project at Coventry gained a new leader on 12th August when the Grand Master Christine Chapman appointed W Bro Patricia Garraway to become the de facto WM and charged her to do her utmost to bring the Coventry project to fruition so that Centrum Lodge No. 46 can be re-opened. As part of the drive to recruit some more members a White Table event will be organised for November. When it is opened Centrum will also be a University Lodge which will be working with UGLE’s  Collegiate Lodge.

 

WM Patricia with members and visitors

WM Patricia with members and visitors

 

Ambassadors 13 is the HFAF travelling Lodge which is used to facilitate the setting up of new Lodges. The Grand Master is the permanent WM of Ambassadors but she appoints different Brethren to lead various Ambassadors projects. The current projects are Washington, Coventry and Letchworth, with a new project at Uxbridge starting in October.

Uni Scheme Updates

 

UGLE and HFAF Uni Schemes

UGLE and HFAF Uni Schemes

 

HFAF and UGLE recently had a meeting on 28th June at UGLE HQ in Great Queen Street to discuss progress on our respective Uni Schemes. Present on the HFAF side were Christine Chapman (President) and Maxine Priestley (Chairman). Present from UGLE were  Mark Greenburgh (Chairman), Julian Soper (Deputy Chairman) and Andy Green (Vice-Chairman).

 

 

As part of her ongoing work on the HFAF Uni Scheme, Chairman VW Bro Maxine met with members of Cotswold Lodge No. 51, based in Witney and representatives from the UGLE Oxford Brookes Scheme to discuss future co-operation.

Oxford Brookes Uni Scheme planning Uni Scheme Meeting

Oxford Brookes Uni Scheme planning
Uni Scheme Meeting

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