A unique and special meeting at Illawarra Daylight Chapter of 10th of June 2022.
Not only was there a special celebration for Sister Homer celebrating her 100th Birthday, but members of the Chapter in attendance were holding office in the three governing levels of our Order ie Most Worthy Grand Patron Brother Paul Smith, Worthy Grand Matron Sister Marilyn Auld, Worthy District Grand Matron Sister Lorna Dunkley and Worthy District Grand Patron Brother Ian Dunkley. It was also the last Chapter visit of the MWGM Sister Blanche Watt and MWGP Brother Paul Smith prior to the 2022 United Grand Chapter Session.
Sister Homer will be celebrating 70 years in the Order soon and still does her all ritual as Adah word perfect as well as sign of the degree.
Golden Wattle Chapter No 4, Order of the Eastern Star was instituted 18 March 1922
The Members of Golden Wattle Chapter welcomed visiting Members from all over Queensland as well as several distinguished Members from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales for their Centennial Celebration held on Saturday 26 March 2022. Several Members of the Masonic Fraternity, distinguished Members of the Grand Court of Amaranth and White Shrine of Jerusalem as well as family and friends also attended, just over one hundred people in the Ipswich Masonic Lodge Room. The morning began with the Grand Entrance of the Most Worthy Grand Matron, Sister Blanche Watt, Most Worthy Grand Patron, Brother Paul Smith, Past Most Worthy Grand Matrons, Past Most Worthy Grand Patron and Worthy Grand Office-bearers of the United Grand Chapter of Australia. The Worthy Matron of Golden Wattle Chapter No 4, Sister Barbara Hartman, offered the Golden Wattle gavel to Sister Blanche Watt. Sister Watt returned the gavel, with thanks and offered Sister Hartman the use of the United Grand Chapter Travelling Gavel for the Celebration.
Sister Barbara Hartman Worthy Matron, introduced the visiting Distinguished Members of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Order of Amaranth and the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. Brother Timothy Powys Worthy Patron, Introduced the Members of the visiting Masonic Orders.
Sister Barbara Hartman Worthy Matron gave a brief address on the Order of the Eastern Star and this was further explained by the modified Chapter Opening Ceremony delivered by the Chapter Office-bearers.
Each Member of Golden Wattle Chapter No 4 was presented with a commemorative certificate and this was followed by a special Centennial Service delivered by the Office-bearers of the Chapter and lead by the Chapter Historian, Sister Heather Noble. The service concluded with a special song sung by all present. Golden Wattle Chapter does not have our own Organist so we were treated to music from Sister Gillian Mason, Worthy Grand Organist and Grand Organist of the Grand Chapter of Queensland. That final song to finish the celebration sounded so good – and of course, was not recorded.
The Celebration concluded with a modified Closing Ceremony, followed by the drawing of the raffle and the Grand Retiral of the United Grand Chapter. Everyone then made their way to the supper room for the buffet lunch provided by the Members of Golden Wattle Chapter No 4.
Hartford Chapter No 3 was the first Chapter to reach 100 years but then went into dormancy within a few days of the anniversary. Golden Wattle Chapter No 4 is the second Chapter to reach 100 years and is looking forward to our 101st Installation of Officer-bearers in July with plans in place for a term that is not overshadowed with centennial planning!
The Grand Chapter held our Annual Meeting on Friday 1 April at the Arana Leagues Club followed by the Installation on Saturday afternoon. We welcomed Eastern Star visitors from other states on Friday evening. The visiting delegations included: the Most Worthy Grand Matron Sister Blanche Watt (SA), Most Worthy Grand Patron Brother Paul Smith (NSW), Worthy Grand Associate Matron Sister Robyn Reily (NSW), Worthy Grand Associate Patron Brother Jonathan Nantes (QLD), Worthy Grand Secretary Sister Elizabeth Taylor (TAS), Worthy Grand Treasurer Sister Margaret Down (NSW), Worthy Grand Adah Sister Beryl Ross (QLD), Worthy Grand Electa Sister Gail Reed (SA), Past Most Worthy Grand Matrons Sisters Evelyn Hood (VIC), Elizabeth Watt (SA) and Lois Allen (NSW), Past Most Worthy Grand Patron Brother Sydney Down (NSW) and Assistant to the Worthy Grand Treasurer Sister Jennifer Fawns (NSW); from the Grand Chapter of NSW and ACT, the Worthy Grand Matron Sister Marliyn Auld, Brother Ken Auld PWGP representing the Worthy Grand Patron and Sister Kathy Mitchell Grand Marshal; from the Grand Chapter of Victoria the Worthy Grand Matron Sister Maureen King, Worthy Grand Patron Brother David Carlin, Grand Secretary Sister Iris Carlin and Grand Marshal Sister Kerryn Dixon-Ward; from the Illawarra District Grand Committee Worthy District Grand Matron Sister Lorna Dunkley and Worthy District Grand Patron Brother Ian Dunkley.
The business of the Annual Meeting was well managed by our Worthy Grand Matron Sister Leigh Kennedy and Worthy Grand Patron Brother Norman Butler and culminated in the election and appointment of the Grand Office-bearers for 2022-2023.
The afternoon session on Saturday opened with entry and introductions of our invited guests which included family and friends of our Worthy Grand Matron Elect and Worthy Grand Patron Elect, distinguished Office-bearers of several Orders within the Masonic Family as well as board members and recipients of the 2022 grants of the Eastern Star Foundation.
We were pleased and honoured to welcome the following: from the United Grand Lodge of Queensland, VW Jeffrey Harper, Most Worshipful Grand Master Elect accompanied by Mrs Dorothy Harper and Wayne Warry. From the SGRACQ, RE Ian Hodgson, Deputy First Grand Principal accompanied by Mervyn Gray, John Ellsworth, William Tupou, Greg Broad, Vaughan McInnes, John Edwards and Timothy Powys. From the GLMMMQ, RW Paul Southon Deputy Grand Master accompanied by Ms Narelle Zielke and Reg Langusch. From AASRA the Most Illustrious Regional Commander M.Ill. Bro Greg Goding accompanied by John Ross and Brian Stanley King. From GICQ the Most Illustrious Grand Sovereign David Lauder accompanied by Mrs Roslyn Lauder, Edward O’Neil and Cyril Leitch. From the District Grand Priory of Queensland and PNG the Most Eminent & Reverend Grand Master of the Temple, the Right Eminent Fra. Duncan McGregor accompanied by Murray Diaz, Stephen Olsson and Jock Lowson. From the Royal Order of Scotland the Provincial Grand Master Alan Godsmark. From the Grand Council of Knight Masons, the R.E. Sir Knight Alan Coleman accompanied by Leanne MacDonald. From the Grand Court of Amaranth, the Grand Royal Matron HL Jennifer Nielsen and from the Grand White Shrine of Jerusalem Past Grand Worthy High Priestess Joan Roberts and Grand Watchman of Shepherds Ross Barlow.
Following the presentation of the Eastern Star Grants, the Shield was presented to the two Chapters who initiated more Members that any other Chapter in Queensland during 2021: Bundaberg Chapter No 131 and Electa Chapter No 160 each initiated three Members. The Installation of Sister Elaine Gray Worthy Grand Matron and Brother Spencer Swann Worthy Grand Patron and Grand Office-bearers for 2022-2023 was the main event of the afternoon followed by remarks from selected dignitaries, a closing ceremony photographs and a banquet.
