Chapter of St Mary 1312

The Chapter was consecrated on April 30th 1923 with 13 Founder members present, of whom 12 were from the Colne Valley Chapter No. 2154.

A long standing relationship with the Colne Valley Chapter still exists and since 1958, bi-annual visits, with Officers from the visiting Chapter, carrying out the Exaltation Ceremonies has continued

The first MEZ was E.Comp. H.G.Cobb , E.Comp. W.B.Lake  H, and E.Comp.F.Peel-Yates J.,  with the annual subscriptions set at one and a half guineas and exaltation fee set at two guineas. Comp. F.Challis was Janitor.

Comp. F.Challis served as Janitor for 16 years, until 1939, and was replaced by his son Comp. C.J Challis, who served as Janitor for 55 years until April 1994, a record of 71 years for the father and son combination and unlikely to be ever exceeded.

At an emergency meeting on Friday 22nd June 1923 it was agreed that future Convocations of the Chapter were to be held at the Masonic Hall, New Street, Braintree, Essex, on the 4th Monday in January, March, April, September and November, the March meeting has been dropped but the others are still held on these dates.

In September 1923 it was decided that the financial position of the Chapter was not strong enough to support charitable donations from the Chapter funds and it was agreed to start circulating a charity column for this purpose. At that meeting with 18 members present the sum of 17 shillings and 3 pence was raised.

The ritual adopted in 1926 was the one styled  ”The Complete Workings of the Royal Arch Degree”  and has been used , only being  recently adapted to include the revisions directed by Supreme Grand Chapter, with the added Chapter of St. Mary variations. In  March 1934, the Chapter moved to the new Masonic Temple at the Howard Hall, Bocking End, Braintree, Essex.

The Chapter meets on the fourth Monday in January, April (Installation), September and November.