Portglenone Drumhead Service

Portlgenone Independent Orange District No. 4 will hold their annual Drumhead Service on Sunday 5th July 2015. The annual event will hold particular significance in these years as local lodges mark the Centenary of the Great War, with a range of events.

The event will pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of local men who went from the banks of the Bann to the banks of the Somme almost a hundred years ago.  It forms the start of a year of events to mark the centenary of the Somme. The local District lodge has formed a committee to coordinate the events, which will culminate in a Festival next July when the Indepentent Twelfth will be hosted by Portglenone District.

The Drumhead Service is a traditional military institution often held on the eve of battle. It provides a moment of ‘coming together’ with structure and familiarity to the fore, where God’s blessing and protection are sought. Given the close affiliation between the Orange Institution and the military it is a fitting way for us to conduct our devotions.

The Service will be held at Partglenone Marina, Gortgole Road, Portglenone at 3.30pm.  Brethren will muster at Townhill Road at 3.00pm and parade the village  to Service.

This year’s Annual Portglenone District Drumhead Service will take on added significance as we recall the service and sacrifice of the 36th Ulster Division in the Great War. Our parade and service is held on the first Sunday of July each year and marks in effect three battles.

 

The first is the Battle of the Somme 1916, as it fell on the first of July and next year will be the Centenary. Second the Battle of the Boyne, which in the old calender also fell on the first and is marked anually on both dates. Finally as part of Williamite campaign of 1688-89 the Battle of Portglenone was fought over two days on the spot where we hold our service today.

The Parade will form up on the Townhill Road and we would inbite all Orange brethern from both Institutions to join us as we parade the village to the Marina. The parade will be led by District Officers and Colour Party with Killycoogan Ind. Accordian Band followed by the lodge and visiting brethern.

We would invite the public to come and watch along the Main Street or to join us to watch the laying of the Drum Head and our sevice, and act of remembrance. This will follow the military form as our District Master Bro Uel Boal, will lay the Drum Head with Colours presented to Wor. Bro Phil Moffatt Deputy Imperial Grand Chaplain who will place them on the Drum Head, before conducting an act of Remembrance, followed by a service.  Upon conclusion the parade will reform and return to the Townhill Road.

Snapshot from History

At this time the men of the 36th Ulster Division  moved to Seaford on the Sussex coast of England. Lord Kitchener inspected the Division there on 27 July 1915, and later remarked to Carson “your Division of Ulstermen is the finest I have yet seen”.  Another inspection took place, by King George V, on 30 September.
3-6 October: the Division moved to France, although the artillery remained in England until November.

The Ulster Division initially concentrated in the area around Flesselles, some ten miles north of Arras. Gradually, men were sent in groups for familiarisation with trench warfare conditions, and were attached to the regular army 4th Division for the purpose in the (at this time) quiet are north of the River Ancre near Albert.

On 21 October the Division was moved away from the fighting area towards Abbeville, where it spent most of the winter of 1915-16 continuing training. One of the Brigades was attached to 4th Division for several weeks at this time and the artillery finally rejoined.

Come and Join us as we mark this historic event.

Ballymoney Twelfth Festival

We are looking forward to the Twelfth Festival in Ballymoney in the run up to the twelfth of July, so come join us for a range of events. From history to culture, parades to parties the week has it all. beginning on Monday with a historical bus tour and ending with the big day itself!

Faith will be at the heart of all we do and this year to mark the Institutions association with St Jame’s Presbyterian church we will be having a Twelfth morning service there.

We will keep you posted on the events as they happen.

Imperial Grand Lodge Church Service

To mark this connection on Monday 13^th July there will be an Imperial Grand Lodge Church Service  in Boyle’s old church – St James’s Presbyterian Church at 11.00am followed by annual  Demonstration in Megaw Park, parade to leave Park at 1.00pm for parade of Town followed by platform proceedings, Chair to be taken at 2.30pm. Return Parade will leave Park at approximately 4.15pm for parade Coleraine Road, High St and Main St terminating at Seymour Street.

National Trust; (c) Chirk Castle; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

Twelfth 2015

As the Twelfth approaches we are preparing for our Big day, as we mark the annual Boyne celebrations in style.

Like all lodges across the country these weeks are a busy time for us. The Twelfth and all that people see that day does not simply happen, it takes time and money and dedication to bring it all together. As a drumming lodge we have to spend time preparing or ‘pulling’ the drums to ensure there are tight and just right for the big day. Even after weeks of preparation if the rain comes it will all be for nothing, but at least we know they would have sounded well !

The hall itself gets a facelift in time for the big day and the hedges cut and yard tidied, its times like this we envy our brethren in the towns! For smaller lodges the same work has to be done only with less hands and we would appeal for volunteers and helpers to come join us as this is a time for community and cooperation.

This year we will have our Twelfth in Ballymoney and if you would like to join us either visiting brethren from the mainland to walk or families and friends to spectate then drop us a message on here and we will provide details.  It promises to be a great day for all and a warm welcome awaits in Ballymoney the home of the Independents.

The week running up to the Twelfth promises to be a fun time for all the family with the Twelfth Festival planned by Ballymoney District. There will be a full programme from historical bus tours to an Ulster Scots Ceidilh featuring local artists, poets and much more, in the ILOL Hall Edward St.  Ballymoney.

As a lodge we will be meeting at the Hall then proceeding to Ballymoney for a church service before the main Twelfth Parade.

The Demonstration and Platform Party will be in Megaw Park followed by a return Parade of the town.

So why not plan to join us bring your family and friends and make this your big day too!

BBC News – Orange Order: Educational visits prove a hit with Catholic schools

 

Orange Order: Educational visits prove a hit with Catholic schools

5 November 2014

On the trail of King William – the Orange Order has launched a new educational poster for schoolchildren.

Educational visits by the Orange Order have proved more popular in Catholic schools than in those mainly attended by Protestants, the order has said.

The aim of the outreach programme is to explain both the history and current role of the organisation.

So far, 58% of the visits have been to Catholic schools, 33% to schools mainly attended by Protestants and 8% to integrated schools.

A spokesman for the order said the figures were “surprising”.

To support their outreach programme, the Orange Order has launched a new educational poster, designed as an alphabetical guide to the people, places and events that shaped the organisation’s history.

The ABC poster follows William of Orange, a Dutch Protestant, on his way to victory over his uncle, the Catholic James II, at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.

In the poster A is for Aughrim, site of a key battle in the war, while B is for the Boyne, where the battle commemorated by the Orange Order every year on 12 July was fought in 1690.

The order aims to continue its school visits programme, by invitation, to expand on the history featured on the poster.

‘Committed to diversity’

David Scott, the order’s community education officer said the enthusiasm of Catholic schools, and the fact that Protestant schools were not quite so keen, was surprising.

One of the Catholic schools visited was St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook, County Armagh, whose principal is former Gaelic Athletic Association star Jarlath Burns.

Pupils also travelled to the site of the Battle of the Boyne when the order launched a new schools workbook in May.

“These are little steps but we are up for it. We are not in any way scared. It is all to do with understanding that everybody who puts on an Orange sash is not bitter or bigoted and the same for anyone who pulls on a GAA jersey”

Jarlath Burns   St Paul’s High School

“We are committed to the community relations diversity agenda and we celebrate the diversity that exists within our world and community,” Mr Burns said.

“We welcome any opportunity for people to explain their culture and we’re all about creating discerning individuals – educating the whole child.”

To that end, the police and the Orange Order have been invited to the school.

St Paul’s also took its pupils in uniform to watch the Gay Pride parade in nearby Newry – a point that Mr Burns admitted raised a few hackles, but made an important point about diversity and understanding.

Talking about the links with the Orange Order, he said: “In the last year, David Scott has come into the school and spoken and we’ve been to the Boyne.

“We are actually having a panel discussion in the school next week.

“These are little steps, but we are up for it. We are not in any way scared.

“It is all to do with understanding that everybody who puts on an Orange sash is not bitter or bigoted and the same goes for anyone who pulls on a GAA jersey.”

‘Amazing uptake’

The poster and the talk offers young people studying history at Key Stage Three, a window into the Orange Order.

Mr Scott said: “We aim to try and put history into its proper context and to support the teacher, educationalist and student in the classroom environment.

“We want to give young people a better understanding so that they can explore and discover history, not based on the knowledge they may think they have, on hearsay or on other people’s opinions.

“The uptake has been amazing from the maintained school sector that is traditionally viewed as the Catholic sector,” he said.

“It has been a wee bit more challenging in the controlled school sector which would be deemed to be Protestant. We are not sure why. Perhaps there is more willingness from the maintained school sector – they seem more curious, more inquisitive and more keen to learn.

“It is just a theory, but perhaps in the controlled sector, they think they know enough about the tradition because the majority of pupils come from the Protestant tradition. We are not really sure what the nuts and bolts of it are.”

‘Shared future’

The trail is very much about history.

Debate about the more modern conflict surrounding loyal orders parades in Northern Ireland comes up very rarely said Mr Scott.

“We are only in the early stages of the idea and the concept of a shared future,” he said.

via BBC News – Orange Order: Educational visits prove a hit with Catholic schools.

Sectarian attacks continue – Cookstown: Orange Order hall attacked in ‘hate crime’

16 November 2014

 

Cookstown: Orange Order hall attacked in ‘hate crime’

An Orange hall in County Tyrone has been damaged in an attack that police are treating as a hate crime.

Two windows of the building on Fairhill Road, Cookstown, were smashed overnight.

A year ago, the Orange Order said a boulder was thrown through a window of the hall.

Ulster Unionist Party councillor Trevor Wilson said the latest attack was “an act of wanton vandalism”.

“It’s a shame that a hall could elicit such hatred in the minds of people who have nothing positive to offer the community,” he said.

via BBC News – Cookstown: Orange Order hall attacked in ‘hate crime’.

Following Family Footsteps at Killycoogan

It was a proud and unique night in the history of Killycoogan as two brothers joined meaning that  litersally three generations had followed in the footsteps of others in the lodge.  Members of our lodge attended and assisted in the initiation of two new members at Killycoogan ILOL No 48 our neighbouring lodge tonight Tuesday 2 December 2014.

Two Gordon brothers received their degrees tonight making it three generations in the same lodge. It was a proud day for William Gordon Snr and their father William Gordon Jnr. These two new members were Thomas and Ben Gordon sons of WM Bro William Gordon and Grandsons of Bro William Gordon  both lifelong members of the Lodge.

Following the initiation normal business was conducted  and all present  enjoyed an excellent supper provided by the ladies who were suitably thanked for this gesture.

 

The Protestant Reformation

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His actions sparked the Protestant Reformation and his teachings emphasized mans sinfulness, God’s grace and salvation through faith alone. Martin Luther wasn’t the only man to protest what was going on in the Catholic churches though. Men like Huldreich Zwingli (Switzerland), John Calvin (a French theologian), and John Knox (Scotland) were also influential in the Reformation.

From these reformers comes the Five Solas:

• Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone
• Sola Fide: faith alone
• Sola Gratia: grace alone
• Solus Christus: Christ alone
• Soli Deo Gloria: to the glory of God alone

Orange Banner commemorating Luther’s Stand against the Church of Rome

 

Luther’s Stand Against Rome

It was Luther’s defiance of Papal Authority which challenged the largest and richest organisation in the world at that time. He denounced its errors and ignored the orders of the Pope known as ‘Papal Bulls’, burning them publicly.

 

 

 

He famously nailed his 95 Theses or Points exposing the error of Rome to a church door. This sparked the debate and action which led to the Protestant Reformation. As a Lodge we feel that this great event has been erased from our history, it is neither taught in school or sadly in church, and we trust through our work that it may once more inform and inspire Protestant action in successive generations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Protestant Reformation.

The First Orange Association

 

After receiving an invitation to come to England to save it from the tyrannical rule of James II and his extreme Catholicism W

When William Prince of Orange arrived in England, he was met by the Orange Association who read out their declaration of intent which follows;

“We do herby associate ourselves, to the utmost of our power, to support and defend our great deliver. His Highness the Prince of Orange, in his present enterprise for the delivery of the English Church and nation from Popery, and arbitrary power, for the maintenance of the Protestant religion and the establishment of a Free Parliament, for the protection of His Highness’ person and the settlement of Law and Order on a lasting foundation in these Kingdoms. We further declare, that we are exclusively a Protestant Association, yet detesting as we do any intolerant spirit, we solemnly pledge ourselves to each other, that we will not persecute any person on account of his religious opinions, provided the same be not hostile to the State; but that we will on the contrary, by aiding and assisting to every Loyal subject, of every description, in protecting him from violence and oppression”.

The above statement is as relevant today as it was when it was first read to King William in Exeter Cathedral in 1688.