St George's Conclave No.42
   
Honours its Most Senior Member
 
The St George's Conclave No 42, put on a splendid show on at their regular meeting on the 10th February 2015, to honour their Senior Member, R. Ill. Kt John Brian Haslam, G. C. C., P. Intendant General (Cheshire and for a time North Wales).
In what must be a very unique celebration the Conclave honoured Brian by holding a 50th Celebration, for him, of his Installation into Red Cross Masonry, on the 9th January 1965.
The R. Ill. Intendant General, Michael Robert Walker, accompanied by his Deputy V. Ill. Kt. Frederick Ernest Hargreaves, P. G. H. Chancellor, and other Divisional Officers, presided over the meeting, joining the 24 Members of the Conclave and the 26 Visitors, some of which had travelled from North Wales and Cheshire.
The Intendant General outlined Brian early life his first work after leaving School and his 36 years teaching Mathematics at a number of Grammar Schools in and around North Cheshire and an 8 year stint at the much acclaimed Manchester Grammar School. He then went on to elude to his Masonic Career stating that he must already have had 50th in both Craft and Chapter to have arrived at this milestone in his Masonic career.
 
He went on to state Brian's commitment to the Red Cross of Constantine being, M. P. Sovereign of No 42 in 1974, having already been M. P. S. on the Macclesfield Conclave No 245, and went on to be M. P. S. of Constantine Conclave No 261. He was a founder member of no less than 7 Conclaves including the Grand Sovereigns Conclave No 500.
Brian was appointed Intendant General for Cheshire and North Wales in 1991, and Cheshire alone after it was split, until his retirement 2007.
 
His first appointment in Grand Imperial Conclave was as Grand Orator in 1975, was promoted to Grand High Almoner in 1980. He was appointed Knight Cross of Constantine in 1996 and further promoted to the very high rank of Knight Grand Cross of Constantine in 2002.
 
At dinner afterwards R. Ill. Kt. George Brian Fairhurst, G. C. C., Past Intendant General for West Lancashire, in proposing the toast to R. Ill. Kt. Haslam's health, related the time that they, the two Brians, had been in office together, and stating that whilst Brian had held high office in the Red Cross he also held High office in all the degrees he was a member of.
 
In His response to the toast to his health, R. Ill. Kt. Haslam, related the time he joined The St. George's Conclave No 42, being put through both ceremonies on the same afternoon, all those years ago, and his love for the Order. Telling a story of accompanying his Father who was the Deputy Intendant General for the then Northern Counties. He went on to thank the members of the Conclave for organising the Celebration and those Members of the Order who had travelled a good distance to support him on this momentous occasion.
 
After his response the M. P. S. P. Kt. David J Norris, presented R. Ill. Kt. Haslam with an engraved Decanter, and of course as it is unlucky to present an empty Decanter without something to fill it a bottle of Famous Grouse.
 
Article and Photographs Courtesy of Edwin Schofield, Recorder.