Macnab Lodge enjoy another successful meeting of ‘Madness and Fun’

The Essex and Shooting Lodge ‘Macnab’ succeed again in uniting masons and non-masons to an evening of games and charity

Anticipation palpable, excitement tangible, and the Macnab Lodge No. 10017 ‘Madness’ that injected the air of Hutton Masonic Centre with an almost cordite waft as the sellout event comprising of 130 masons including their non-masonic guests enjoyed the buzz of a fabulously fun evening infused with great music, energy, competition aplenty leading to a resoundingly boisterous and successful event with £1200 given to great charitable causes.

The afternoon started with an expertly performed ‘Passing’ ceremony eruditely undertaken by the Worshipful Master, Dave Purches and his team who performed exceptionally well under the gaze of a packed temple. In the meantime, non-masons were treated to a drinks reception in a convenient room adjoining the lodge hosted by Neil Beverley who entertained the non-masonic chaps whilst the meeting next door was brought to a close.

CHARITABLE FOCUS

Macnab Lodge was honoured to host representatives of the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and the Southend & Essex Masonic Welfare Trust in the persons of Roger Smith and Graham Halsey respectively, both giving an explanation of their respective charity’s great work.

Once the temple business and talks had been completed the evening moved on to the unique festivities people have come to expect from Macnab. This included the legendary Fish Race, Virtual Reality Shooting and the Pound Against the Bottle all occurring within the just over one and a half hours before the Festive Board.

COMPETITIVE SPIRIT

Competition is fierce amongst the sporting lodges in Essex which were well represented in the forms of, Lodge of XV No 9944 (Rugby), the Cricket Lodge of Essex No. 10009 and the Essex County Golf Lodge No. 10045 each of whom lent a valiant representative to compete in the 2024 fish race! With wrists winding and attendees shouting at these gladiators of fish racing in the two heats and final, it was the Golf Lodge’s victor Steve Durrant that claimed the crown this year as champions!

Macnab likes to push the technological boundaries and with the weather outside being cold and frosty the Oculus Virtual Reality headsets allowed a swathe of brethren to try their hands at shooting Macnab’s very own custom sport shoot course – best out of 10 clays, John Singh reining supreme!

MACNAB MADNESS

Festive Boards at Macnab are just something else completely, and the 130 attendees were in fine voice whilst singing a number of songs to many cheers and elation, from ‘Food Glorious Food’ to a specially written ‘Song to the Master’ and even ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ to accompany the bubbles on the tables which were seen flying so high much to the jovial chuckles of everyone. 

The raffle raised a substantial sum on the night and was expertly conducted by Oliver Bullman and his team with some great shooting and fishing prizes won.

There was an added extra bonus prize draw undertaken by Stuart Hill of a game shoot which went to a randomly chosen winner.

Macnab Lodge was proud to donate £400 to The Poppy Foundation alongside its two other equal donations to the Essex Air Ambulance and Southend and Essex Masonic Welfare Trust.

Penultimately Bernie Smith enacted a riotous recital of the ‘Ode to the Salmon’ with his usual fishy flamboyance so much loved at Macnab.  

Finally, Graeme Matthews, a comedian who’s featured on Britain’s Got Talent, treated the festive board to rib tickling jokes and some outstanding magic that not even physics could explain, he closed his set having been a great cap to the night.

Macnab is only two years old, but it pulled out all the stops of for a very memorable evening that left every attendee with a warm feeling of friendship and brotherhood.

Thank you to all the Macnab members and contributors that made the evening such a success, and to all those who attended and made it extra special.

January brings the lodge’s Installation where a new Worshipful Master will take the reins for another action-packed year 2025.

Photos

Top: A full house for this very successful event

Bottom: An evening of spectacular fun and good friendship