Well, it's hard to believe that the summer recess is over and that it's four months since our last meeting in April!!

Our Right Worshipful Master, Bro. Les Duff, trusts that everyone enjoyed their summer break and are looking forward to once again supporting their Lodge as the Autumn season gets underway.

As usual, our 1st meeting tomorrow - Wednesday 3rd September - will be our AGM during which the Bro. Treasurer presents our Annual accounts. In addition, however, there are other very important matters to discuss and our R.W.M. would like to see as many members as possible come along to voice their thoughts.

Being our AGM, this meeting is of course for 482 members only.

Looking forward, our meeting on the Wednesday 17th September will be an Entered Apprentice Degree and it will be the same again for our meeting on Wednesday 1st October, which will also be our Annual PGLM visit.

For both these meetings - and for all our other meetings throughout the year, we look forward to again extending a warm Kirkliston Maitland welcome to all our visitors.

Another great day was had by all when Lodge Kirkliston Maitland met Kirkliston Bowling Club in the 2014 Bob Duff Trophy Competition. Rain did threaten at the very start of the match but the sun soon shone through.

It didn't shine for the 482 bowlers though as KBC again came out as worthy winners. However, fun and friendly competition were the orders of the day and the match was enjoyed by players and spectators alike.

The trophy is named in memory of our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff's Dad, who passed to the Grand Lodge Above in March 2012 and Mrs Helen Duff, who threw the 1st jack, also presented the trophy to Bowling Club President Ross Kelt, in the company of our R.W.M.

Both Ross Kelt and Bro. Les thanked everyone who took part and for continuing the great relationship between Lodge Kirkliston Maitland and Kirkliston Bowling Club.

Bro. Les said: "Another great afternoon with our friends from Kirkliston Bowling Club and thanks again to everyone who made it possible especially the members, Honorary Members and friends of the Lodge who made up the 482 team. A big thanks also to the Club for their generous post-match hospitality."

After our inaugural competition in 2013, this years match between Kirkliston Bowling Club and Lodge Kirkliston Maitland 482 will take place on Sunday 27th July at 2pm.

The tournament will again be made up of five rinks of triples and players are asked to be at the club no later than 1.30pm.

The trophy is named in memory of our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff's Dad, who passed to the Grand Lodge Above in 2012.  Bro. Bob Duff was a member of Lodge Buchan St. John 636 and an affiliate member of 482.

Our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff is now looking for players and if you'd like to take part, please contact Bro. Les via his Facebook page.

Of course, if you can't play please come along on the day and lend your support.

We'll be posting more information nearer the time so please visit us again soon.

It was a masonic meeting - but not as you know it!! This might be an appropriate description of our Special Meeting on January 29th.

We took advantage of the 'five Wednesday month' to invite deputations from the two Lodges that meet the same night as 482; Lodge St. John Fisherrow 112 and the Thistle Lodge 270.

However, our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff also invited deputations from Lodge Kirknewton & Ratho No. 85, Lodge St. John Corstorphine 788 and Lodge Newbattle St. Mary 1063.

And what superb deputations they all were!!! All told, 103 brethren signed the attendance book, a fantastic result and an equally fantastic night!!!

And it certainly was a meeting with a difference. Instead of a degree, we had the presentation of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Mark Degree Tracing Boards and well done to the four presenters who were respectively: Bro. Bob Potter I.P.M. No. 85, Bro. Murrie Thomson I.P.M. 482, Bro. Ned Kelly I.P.M. 788 and Bro. Brian Clements S.M. 1063.

The meeting finished just after 9pm and afterwards we all enjoyed some harmony together. Think we'll need to order more pies and make more soup next time though!!!

Continuing what is a bit of a busy time, we have our Annual Installation on Saturday, a committee meeting on Monday and a regular meeting on Wednesday 5th. It's all go.

Well, 2012 is almost over and, looking back to the past few months, one of the biggest events in the 482 calendar was the Consecration of our premises in Kirkliston carried out by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Midlothian.

The Provincial Office Bearers who carried out the ceremony were headed by our Provincial Grand Master Bro. Brian Kerley  and the very dignified ceremony was enjoyed and appreciated by all the brethren, most of whom had never previously seen this kind of event before.

In his address that followed, this particular point was emphasised by Bro. Kerley who said the ceremony of consecration was one that some masons would perhaps see only once in a lifetime.

He made special mention of the three main participants, Brother Colin Thomson, PG Chaplain, Brother Drew Laven PG DOC for the tremendous amount of preparation they put in to ensuring everything went smoothly and also Brother Bobby Hooker, PG Organist, whose musical ability had enhanced the occasion.

He added that it was also pleasing to have one of the Provincial representatives of this Lodge, Brother William Reddington P.M., take on the duties of Worshipful Provincial Grand Senior Warden and thanked him for his assistance during the Ceremony.

Bro. Kerley congratulated the brethren of 482 for their ingenuity in creating a Temple that was not a ‘one size fits all’ solution, with ‘walls’ that could be expanded or contracted as the need arose.

He also mentioned the dedication of the Brethren who set up and put back the Lodge every second Wednesday and why it was more important than ever that fresh members are attracted to the Lodge in order to share this heavy load in the future.

But there was another highlight to come. Bro. Les Duff R.W.M., in the company of our R.W.P.G.M. then presented Bro. George Arbuckle M.M. with his jubilee diploma, marking 50 years as a member of the craft. The R.W.M. and the R.W.P.G.M. congratulated Bro. George on reaching such an important milestone in his Masonic Career.

Lodge Kirkliston Mailand may still be in recess for the summer, but 15 members and friends of the Lodge will head for their 'home' in Kirkliston on Sunday 21st July when 482 take on their counterparts at Kirkliston Bowling Club to compete for the Bob Duff Trophy.

The trophy is named in memory of our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff's Dad, who passed to the Grand Lodge Above in March last year and the event has been organised by Bro. Alan Faichney, Bro. Bob's Son-in-Law.

Bro. Bob Duff was a member of Lodge Buchan St. John 636 and an affiliate member of 482.

And with two reigning Provincial Grand Masters as part of their squad, Lodge Kirkliston Maitland can surely boast a degree of 'celebrity' status!!

For joining Bro. Brian Kerley, R.W.P.G.M. of Midlothian is Bro. Bob Scott, his counterpart from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Linlithgowshire, with both brethren being Honorary Members of 482.

The other 13 Brethren making up the 482 team are: Alan Faichney, Gordon Yeoman, David Swan, David Brown, Tam Perry, Bob Potter, Rod Hill, Alan Banks, Glen Brown, Greig Robinson, Andy Gray, Jim McDonald and Les Duff.

Bro. Les's sister Linda will be providing a buffet on the day and the trophy will be presented by Bro. Bob's wife, Mrs Helen Duff.

There will be five rinks of triples and the players will be at the club at 1.30 for a 2pm start - and supporters to cheers the teams on will be made very welcome. And, no doubt, our I.P.M. will be on hand to record the event for posterity!!

It will be a '482 family affair' of sorts when Bro. Gordon Yeoman P.M. is installed as R.W.M. of The Celtic Lodge of Edinburgh & Leith No. 291, as Bro. Gordon has named Bro. David Swan P.M. as his Principal Installing Master.

In addition, our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff will take the post of Installing Inner Guard and Bro. Murrie Thomson I.P.M. will be Installing Senior Warden.

It's obviously an event to look forward to and best wishes to all concerned.

Bro. Gordon's election comes as his dad, Bro. Sid Yeoman P.M. of The Celtic Lodge, celebrates his 60 years as a member of the craft and this surely is a fitting tribute to Bro. Sid's achievement.

Bro. Gordon will be Installed into the Chair of King Solomon on Saturday 28th September. The start time for the Installation is set at present for 5pm and this will be confirmed nearer the time.

Bro. Sid is also an Honorary Member of Lodge Kirkliston Maitland.

Still on the subject of Installations, our congratulations go to Bro. Sean Cairns on being installed as R.W.M. of Lodge St John Corstorphine 788.

With over 100 brethren in the Temple, it was almost a case of 'bring your own chair' and this special day will certainly be etched on Bro. Sean's mind for a long time to come!!

Bro. Sean and his Office Bearers were installed by 788 Past Masters Bro. Fraser Gaunt and Bro. Calum Stewart who did a superb job, applauded by all who attended.

And there was a 'family affair' of a different kind here as well when Bro. Sean invited his daughter Rebecca to say Grace before the Festival of St. John - and the meal, prepared by President of Stewards Bro. Rab McKenzie, was served by Bro. Sean's wife Lee, together with friends of the family.

All the best to Bro. Sean R.W.M. and his Office Bearers during their terms of office.

We've just published photographs taken at our bi-annual 'Ostrea Lodge' visit when, one again, everyone concerned had a really great night!!

It's always good to meet up with our friends from South of the Border and this year was no exception, with 22 brethren making the trip this year.

And we're already taking about a date for trip to Colchester in 2014!!

You can see the photographs by clicking here.

Our candidate on the night was Mr. Andrew Hogg, son-in-law of our R.W.M. Bro. Les Duff. And at our meeting the Wednesday before, we initiated Mr. Peter Cox, the first of our three new candidates.

This coming Wednesday, 3rd April,we'll be working another Entered Apprentice Degree when our third candidate will be initiated.

This will be our second-last meeting of the first part of the season and we'll finish off with a Mark Degree worked by Bro. Alastair Smith P.M.

Between these two meeting is The PGLM Quarterly Communication, being held this time in West Calder at The Thistle Lodge 270.

Later in the month, on April 22nd, we'll be taking a deputation to Lodge Royal Thistle 1338 The Royal Scots and of course there are three installations in the diary: Lodge Liberton 1201 on Saturday 27th April, Lodge St. John Corstorphine 788 on Saturday 11th May and Dalkeith Kilwinning No. 10 on Friday 17th May.