Provincial Grand Lodge sent out an email telling us of the virtues of Zoom meetings throughout the pandemic and how it is helping to keep Lodges alive. Having checked up, discovered that up until today we have had 63 Zoom meetings with an average of 8 members per meeting. I know that is not a very high number, but all the members are contacted each week with the details and that means all the members are aware and kept informed. We have 2 members that work off-shore on the rigs and they have managed to join in, which is good because both of these members are new to the Lodge and with the pandemic we could have easily lost them.

We talk about Masonic topics and anything else that there is to talk about, but generally we have some good banter and we toast all our Absent Brethren at 7.30.

The only meeting that didn't take place was on Monday 12th July last when the Lodge met for the first time since March 2020 and all the brethren that are on the Zoom meetings were there.
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The Zoom meetings will continue for as long as members wish them to and it has even been suggested that they should continue after we can get back to regular meetings.

On Monday night we finally got to have a lodge meeting. Altogether there were 13 brethren present and we managed to get through a lot of outstanding business. We are now looking forward to Monday 11th October when we will be having our Installation meeting and we can move on and hopefully we will have a Festive Board afterwards (Covid permitting!).

We are very please to announce that our next meeting is on Monday 12th July at 7.00pm. It has been a long time coming, but unfortunately we cannot admit any visitors to the proceeding due to the present Covis situation. Hopefully that will all change for our Installation on Monday 11th October 2021. 
We are having what can be termed a business meeting where all the items that should have been done over the last fifteen months will be approved and minuted.
To the brethren of Ryton Holy Cross Lodge thank you for your support over this long period and let us look forward to getting back to some kind of normal very shortly.

On Sunday 30th May 2021 Ryton Holy Cross Lodge has been awarded Platinum status, as we have raised the magnificent sum of £20,217.60 towards the 2021 Festival target. We received Gold in November 2019, so we should be proud that the Lodge has managed this final step during the pandemic.

W Bro Dr Mavin Macauley has been appointed Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon. Congratulations to him on his preferment, he has put in a lot of work behind the scenes as well as his work in the NHS as a Consultant. Well done Mavin.

Sadly, the Lodge has 2 funerals this month. The first is for W Bro Steve Ward which is at Mountsett Crematorium on Friday 12th March at 1.15pm, but if members would like to pay their respects before the funeral W Bro Steve's wife has suggested that the Brethren stand in their street at about 12.15 to see him off before they leave for Mountsett.
The next funeral is for an Honorary Member of the Lodge and that is W Bro David (Davey) Bell and his funeral is at Saltwell Crematorium on Tuesday 16th March at 10.30am. Please attend if it is at all possible.
As with all funeral services at this time we are not allowed into the service, but can stand outside.

On Monday 1st February the Lodge became the proud owner of a Founder's Jewel. W Bro Ormiston successfully bid for it on Ebay. It is going to be cleaned up and will be placed with the other 9 that are in our possession. 
A big thank you must go to W Bro Ormiston for his endeavours and to W Bro Jackson for spotting it on Ebay. Hopefully we will be able to find some more and add those to the collection.

On Monday 9th November 2020 Anthony and Jenn Davis had a baby boy. They have named him Nate. Congratulations to you both.