On a Saturday night back in February we saw 200 Freemasons together with their wives and partners and friends gather at the Langstone Cliff Hotel in Dawlish Warren for their annual Ladies Night. What made this year different again was that Benevolent Lodge 303 residing in Teignmouth, had for the second year joined forces with their daughter Lodge St. Michaels 8186 who meet in Dawlish.
The evening began as is tradition with Grace said by the Chaplin and was followed by a superb four-course meal provided by the team at the Langstone Cliff Hotel. This was followed by a short speech to the ladies thanking them for the support they have given their husbands and partners over the many years they had been together.
The proceeds of the evening are going to be donated to Rowcroft Hospice in Torbay. One of the many highlights was an auction taken By Craig Greenwood who took bids on several superb items including, a box at Anfield Football Stadium to watch Liverpool playing a home match, a box at Sandy Park for two at a Chief’s Rugby Match, a signed Chiefs Rugby Shirt, two four-ball golf games one at The Exeter Golf and Country Club and the other at Teignmouth Golf Course all of which combined with a raffle of equally (or nearly) superb prizes raise a superb £2893.50.
Then the real entertainment started, at the end of the auction when all those present were entertained by “The Jersey Boys” tribute band “The Other Guys” the members of which were all members of the cast of the hit show still showing in London’s West End, and what a show they gave us, everybody (of a certain age) sang along to the well-known numbers originally sung by Franki Vallie and the four seasons and danced the night away. what a superb and happy occasion it was.
The Freemasons of Devonshire have been long-term supporters of Rowcroft Hospice and including individual donations made by many of the 124 Lodges that meet throughout the county and in conjunction with the Masonic Charitable Foundation have donated over £120,000 since 2000.
On receiving the donation Debbi Shotton, Community Fundraising Officer for the Hospice said “We are so grateful for the continued support of the Freemasons. We care for over 2000 patients and their loved ones every year across the 300 sq. miles of South Devon. In addition to our Inpatient Unit, our specialist palliative care nurses and Community Teams visit patients in their own homes, providing care and compassion where it is needed the most. It currently costs over £8 million to run Rowcroft’s extensive services and we must raise over 70% ourselves. We rely heavily on the incredible generosity of the local community and organisations such as the Freemasons “.
Rowcroft Hospice have been serving the people of South Devon since 1982, helping to make every day the best day possible for patients with life-limiting illness, demonstrating real humanity in the delivery of end of life care to patients and equally importantly their families, enhancing lives to the end for thousands of people both at home and in the care of the hospice. Ft was initially called Pilmuir. It was owned by the Wills
