The 10th of September 2022 marked a very special day for Five Points Lodge No. 8197 and in particular for the incoming Master, Sean Bolton. Sean has, and lives with Cerebral Palsy.
This dedicated and very deserving member has quite rightly been installed as Master of the Lodge, achieving the highest honour the Lodge has in its power to confer on any of its members.
The Lodge adapted the ceremony to make sure Sean was comfortable during the ceremony right up to the moment he was placed into the Master's Chair, with the ceremony being conducted by the Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire. With Five Points being the PGM’s Mother Lodge, it made the installation extra special for Sean.Sean started his Masonry in Bristol, but through family circumstances had to move and leave Masonry for a while. He then joined a few other Lodges on his Masonic journey before settling at Five Points Lodge in 2020.
It is a measure of the high esteem that Sean is held in, that all the installing officers were members of his previous Lodges and they were joined by many of their other members. In addition, the Lodge was honoured by a team visit from the whole Buckinghamshire Provincial Executive to witness this historic event.
After the main event there was a lively dinner, full of the usual Five Points good humour and banter with both dining rooms at the Beaconsfield Centre having to be used due to the high number in attendance. The food was up to their usual high standard by Chef Gary Weston.
The first toast of the evening was to the King, not heard in over 70 years, giving everyone a chance to reflect on the reign of our respected Queen. The highlight of the evening was an excellent rendition of The Master's Song, performed by Martin Wing, who had been the Lodge's Visiting Officer for many years.
The versatility of Lodges such as Five Points and the willingness of the Province of Buckinghamshire to embrace new initiatives and adapt to the needs of its members are what keeps Freemasonry up to date but at the same time keeping the traditions that we all enjoy.
Sean's brother John said of the evening;
With a busy job in the NHS and three teenage children, he had drifted away from Masonry in the last decade. He has moved around the country and always joined a local Lodge but not really attended.
The adaptations made to ensure Sean could achieve the chair and excel in his new role reminded him of what is amazing about Freemasonry - the compassionate brotherly love and goodwill, which he met again, like an old friend he'd not seen in years.
He never actually anticipated his brother becoming his Worshipful Brother as he couldn't see how it would work but Five Points Lodge and the Provincial Team made the impossible not only possible, but "amazing".
The final thoughts are with our newest Master:
In terms of his abilities during the ceremony due to his disability, he found that he was relaxed and put at ease throughout and did not feel that any of the stages were too difficult for him. At the end of his year in the chair, he hopes to share with us a reflection on what challenges he faced being a master with a disability and how we overcame them together.
"I had a very enjoyable day and I am looking forward to my year in the chair. I will try to do the best I can do and I thank the Brethren at Five Points Lodge for asking me to be their Worshipful Master."