Portglenone District Meeting – December 2014

The Portglenone District Lodge No 4 end of year meeting was hosted by our lodge, and was a well attended popular event. it is always a great privilege for a private lodge to host the District and special efforts  are made to ensure its a success. 

Members travelled from as far away as Larne to represent a number of private lodges. They were greeted and a warm welcome awaited them around the big open fire which was once a feature of many lodges but has become a rare thing now.  However the McNeillstown men keep the tradition of a literal warm welcome alive. 

Like many rural lodges it is an informal friendly occasion when old friends meet once more and the talk is as much of families and farming as it is of the business that lies ahead. The evening is as much as social occasion as it is a business meeting with the craic and chat starting long before the meeting and carrying long after it is over. As long as there are peats for the big open fire and enough stories to share men have been know to sit into the wee hours of the morning.

Visiting brethren have a chance to survey the ongoing building work at McNeillstown and offer advice and help on how to take the work forward. Then when the members and all assembled, the meeting was called to order around the big oak and leather board room table which was donated by the late Worshipable Master of McNeillstown Bro Jim Wilkinson. Having been the board room table of one of the oldest banking institutions in Belfast where it survived a PIRA terrorist bomb it was saved and given a new lease of life in the hall. While the business conducted around it now many not be concerned with multi-million pound deals it is every bit as important to the men around it. If table could talk the old bank table would have a few tales to tell.

Remembering the Past – Looking to the Future

The District decided that it would be fitting to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme in 2016 in a special way especially as the village hopes to host the Twelfth that year. Members expressed great enthusiasm in organising a range of special events with a range of expertise from  local historians and ex servicemen being used to plan our response. The events ranging from parades and exhibitions to school presentations with local men as well as those from north and south who fought and died commemorated.

Brethren who had served with the Irish Guards gave a report on what plans are in place for the official British Army commemoration of the battle, and it is hoped that we can work with them and other organisation committees members are part of to ensure we have the best event possible. Members also spoke of their participation in a range of community based activities to promote our history and culture.

The meeting was closed in due and ancient form with prayer and scripture reading. Afterwards a supper was laid on for the members and visitors with the women of McNeillstown once more outdoing themselves with a range of tasty treats.