The Travelling Loving Cup has travelled well this month – from Temperance Chapter 739 on 2nd October to Vesey Chapter and again from Vesey Chapter 794 to Fortitude Chapter 43 on 14th October. Both meetings were a great success – the first move coincided with the Installation of E Comp Roger Cook as MEZ of Vesey Chapter, whilst the second from Vesey to Fortitude where a double exaltation was witnessed, with an additional member.
Shown below are E Comp Roger Cook receiving the Cup from E Comp Martin Levermore accompanied by E Comp Jeff Scotford and other members of Temperance Chapter.
The move on 14th October saw E Comp Philip Gough, Fortitude MEZ, presiding over the exaltations of Comp Urban Thompson and Comp James Gullick, as well as joining members Bob Tipping. The Chapter members were delighted to have E Comp David Graham present to welcome them all into the Province.
The Cup was presented by E Comp James Freakley and other Vesey members to the MEZ to E Comp Philip Gough.
With both James Freakley and Nigel Hawkins present, as you might imagine, it was a fun night from start to finish as you will see below.
The Travelling Loving Cup – Rules of Movement
To follow the rules governing the Cup’s travels, the holding Chapter must select another Chapter, at another Warwickshire centre, with at least three members taking the cup to its destination. The holding Chapter must not keep it for long, so that it continues its journey throughout the Province, and encourages visiting between Chapters. The handover can be either within the meeting or at the festive board, and should include an obligation on the receiving Chapter to maintain the tradition to encourage visiting throughout the Province.
The Travelling Loving Cup has been generously released from the Warwickshire Masonic museum where it was donated by the former Chapter of Charity, the previous members of which having given their blessing to its use.
Please keep the Travelling Loving Cup in its holder and update the list of Chapters it has visited as it travels throughout the Province. Please advise the undersigned of the whereabouts of the TLC so that it does not become ‘Lost in Transit’. It is hoped to mark the progress of the TLC at each stage of its journey with an article on the Royal Arch website.
I do have a short list of Chapters awaiting the Cup, but please let me know, via the Provincial Office, if your Chapter is keen on holding the Cup and I will ensure it is delivered to you in due course.
John Hayward Past Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals
Past Cup Holders:-
Shakespeare Chapter No 284 – 6 July 2019 to 25 July 2019
Leigh Chapter N. 887 – 25 July 2019 to September 2019
Athol Chapter No 74 – 6 September 2019 to 16 September 2019
Leigh Chapter No 887 – 16 September 2019 to 19th January 2022
(Pandemic Restrictions period and rule change in July 2020)
Bedeword Chapter No 7274 – 19th January 2022 to 16th May 2022
Athelstan Chapter No 1333 – 16th May 2022 to 17th October 2022
Chapter of Faith and Hope No 4772 – 17th October 2022 to 7th February 2023
Forest of Arden Chapter No 3826 – 7th February 2023 to 16th May 2023
Fletcher Chapter 1031- 16th May 2023 to 12th June 2023
Guy’s Cliffe Chapter 8874 – 12th June 2023 to 21st June 2023
Apollo Chapter 301 – 21st June 2023 – 17th July 2023
Grosvenor Chapter 938 – 17th July 2023 (Briefly!)
Athelstan Chapter 1333 – 17th July 2023 – 9th October 2023
Abbey Chapter 432 – 9th October 2023 – 19th December 2023
Trinity Chapter 254 – 19th December 2023 – 18th April 2024
Chapter of Rectitude 502– 18th April 2024 – 15th October 2024
Stoneleigh Chapter 725 – 15th October 2024 – 28th February 2025
St Barbara Chapter 4930 – 28th February 2025 – 30th April 2025
St Augustine’s 3713 – 30th April 2025 – 14th January 2026
St Martin’s 4011 – 27th January 2026 – 16th February 2026
Athol 74 – 16th February 2026 – 9th April 2026
Temperance 739 – 9th April 2026 – 2nd October 2026
Vesey 794 – 2nd October 2026 – 14th October 2026
Fortitude 43 – 14th October 2026 – ?
Suggested wording for the Handover to the next Chapter:
Most Excellent Zerubbabel & Companions
As First Principal (or as appropriate if not MEZ) of the XXXXXXX Chapter No XXXX, accompanied by my Companions (name them), I take great pleasure in presenting the Travelling Loving Cup to you. I charge you to take it, with a minimum of three Companions, to another Chapter of your choice, at another centre, and preferably who have not held it before. You should not keep it indefinitely, but rather move it on to promote the reason for the Cup, which is to encourage visiting throughout the Province. The Travelling Loving Cup has been travelling around the Province for over seven years now, and has been held at some time by at least twenty Chapters. A record of its travels has been drawn up, and is updated on the Warwickshire website each time the Cup moves, with the name of the current Chapter holding the Cup. Enjoy your time with the Cup, and enjoy and encourage visiting other Chapters in the Province.