On Thursday 27th June the East Lancashire Royal Arch Presentation Team (ELRADT) forayed outside of our own Province to visit the Derbyshire Principals Chapter No 8509 at their installation meeting in Chesterfield Masonic Hall where we were very warmly welcomed.  It is fair to say that a packed temple seemed to thoroughly enjoy our presentation of twelve sections of “The Rise and Fall of the Twelve Tribes of Israel”.

The photograph above shows the Team who visited Chesterfield.
On the Front Row, L-R: EComps Bill Cavanagh, Mike Williams, John Cavanagh, David Thornton and Keith Swettenham.
Back Row L-R: EComps Fraser McCord, Dennis Heskett,  Tony Freemont, Russell Pike, Chris Cunliffe, Graham Rawlinson, Terry Bailey, Alan Baxendale and Kevin Hall.

After conducting a full programme of normal business, which included the Installation of the Principals and the election of a rejoining member, the First Principal, EComp D.M.Bevan PProvGSN, introduced our Vice President. On this occasion we were very pleased to be accompanied by EComp David Thornton PGStB who is our Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals for the Western Area of our Province, and thus one of the Vice Presidents of ELRADT. He introduced the team by saying how pleased he was to be able to accompany them and how he was certain that all of those present would have the opportunity to learn something new in an enjoyable and light hearted way.

The three new Principals of the Derbyshire Installed Principals Chapter,
L – R:   EComp S. Bamber PProvGSN – Second Principal:  EComp D. M. Bevan PProvGSN – First Principal and EComp C. Cantrell PProvGSN – Third Principal

After the completion of the performance which was met by acclamation,  the team were first congratulated by the First Principal of the Chapter who said that he was sure that everyone who had witnessed the performance would have gained something significant from it. The team were also praised by the Second Provincial Grand Principal for Derbyshire, EComp Simon Peter Gaskin PGStB, who was in attendance, accompanied by the Third Provincial Grand Principal for Derbyshire, EComp Keith Allen Overton PGStB.   In congratulating the team on the quality and light hearted presentation of their work, the 2nd Provincial Grand Principal further commented that  this was the right way to get over the message of our Order.  He also added that he was sure that the Grand Superintendent for Derbyshire, EComp Thomas Briggs, would have thoroughly enjoyed the evening and had only been prevented from attending because he was representing his Province at Northampton’s Provincial Grand Chapter Meeting.

Then, after enjoying the pleasures of the Social Board and the continued hospitality, we set off on the long journey back to the civilisation of East Lancashire, happy in the knowledge that we had done our best.