It was with great pleasure that the Conclave was able to welcome the Grand Master, Howard Doe, and his wife Lesley, to our event at Westhoughton in July.
Although it was in the middle of the holiday season, it was the only date that the Grand Master was able to be with us, and it was a great pity that only a few members were able to attend.
However, those who were there were treated to an excellent presentation by Mr Gerry Ashworth, Resuscitation Training Officer for Bolton nhs Trust, who spoke about the working of the heart, problems that can occur with it, and the methods used to treat it. After the talk, Gerry gave a demonstration of a defibrillator used to restart the heart, and all those present had the opportunity to try this out for themselves. Although we were using a training manikin for this, some still found it a little squeamish!
Following the presentation, the Grand Master presented David Haywood with his warrant as Commander of the Conclave, and promoted him to Knight Commander.
We then sat down to an excellent meal, and a rare opportunity for all to take part in conversation and make new friends. We were pleased to welcome some guests, and as a result we have now submitted membership applications from Geoffrey and Pamela Robinson, and Vincent Gillibrand, who, subject to approval by the Grand Master, will all be invested at the next Annual Investiture of the Order.
In his welcoming speech, the Commander thanked Howard and Lesley Doe for taking the time and effort to make the journey North, and also thanked Barry Uttley for his work in starting the Conclave and bringing to its present strong position. David said that he hoped to build on the good work that Barry had started, and hoped to have three events each year to represent the Healing, Teaching and Chivalric elements of our Order. One of these would be the Annual Investiture, another would be similar to this event, with a presentation and meal, and the third would be some sort of visit or retreat of religious significance. With only three events, he hoped that most members would be able to support our efforts.