Clay Pigeon Shooting Club MGLCSA L
Brian Saidman, Honorary Secretary & Shooting Captain writes...
ast November, marching at the head of the contingent of 80
Metropolitan Freemasons at the Lord Mayor’s Parade, proudly bearing aloft the banner proclaiming “the Metropolitan Grand Lodge Clay Shooting Association”,
W.Bro. Brian Saidman found it difficult to believe that the germ of an idea he had formulated for the formation of a Masonic Shooting Association, founded on the cusp of the consecration of Metropolitan Grand Lodge in 2003, was now going to be sharing the celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of Metropolitan Grand Lodge. The origins of the MGLCSA were
simple. Following the Consecration of Metropolitan Grand Lodge, and under the inspired leadership of VWBro Charles Grace, the then Chairman of the Ripon Group, London Masons were encouraged to think "London". Charles welcomed all ideas that could provide opportunities to involve non-Masons in Group activities and the promotion of activities between the London lodges that the Group visited. Oh yes, and to have fun. As a clay target enthusiast, Brian
was convinced that his favourite sport could tick all the boxes and fortunately so did Charles Grace. Thus was born the Ripon Group Clay Shooting Association with Charles Grace as first Patron and Brian as
Hon.Sec. They were greatly assisted by W. Bro Svend Jenson coming on board as the first membership secretary with W. Bro Keith Goodman who became the long- serving (and long-suffering) Association Treasurer. The transformation into the
Metropolitan Grand Lodge Clay Shooting Association occurred in 2006. The MetGM, Lord Millett, having graciously accepted the invitation to attend as Guest of Honour at the 3rd InterProvincial Masonic Clay Shooting
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Championships, hosted by the Province of West Lancashire at Leighton Hall, Lancs, enquired if there was a London team who might accompany him. The short answer was "no", but overnight the RGCSA became the MGLCSA and off they went to support the Met GM. Amazingly with just three members in the team (West Lancs had 23) and against 20-odd competing Provinces they managed to finish in a most respectable 5th place. They were greatly honoured by Lord Millett joining Charles Grace as a Patron of the Association, a tradition which has been continued to this day by our Met GM, RW Bro. Russell Race. Membership of the MGLCSA is
open to all Members of Lodges and Chapters within the Metropolitan area with an interest in Clay Pigeon Shooting in all its disciplines. The aim of the MetGLCSA is to encourage the participation of Masonic and non-Masonic shooters together in the sport to promote an awareness of Freemasonry, its charitable aspirations, encourage potential membership, and to promote and maintain an esprit de corps within London Masons. The rest, as they say, is history.
With over one hundred subscribing members, the association has contested every annual InterProvincial Championship since 2006, with ever larger London teams visiting Provincial colleagues, from Cornwall in the south-west, to Lancashire in the north. London was greatly honoured by being selected to host the InterProvincial Championships in 2010. Furthermore, London supported the inauguration of the now highly successful, Home Counties Championships and the inauguration of the equally successful MGLCSA Xmas Shoots. A recently introduced highlight is the “Peter Reynolds Challenge Cup”, the hard-fought annual contest between London and
the Province of Essex. The Association supports dozens of individual charity shoots as well as its own inter-MGLCSA events. Over £11,600 has been raised for
charity and the Association is delighted to have been awarded Grand Patron status by the RMBI and Patron status by the Metropolitan Masonic Charity. The members have made a great many friends, introduced a great many non-Masons to our fine Institution and, oh yes, had a great deal of fun. At the annual contest with the
Province of Essex, the Association has won the “Peter Reynolds Challenge Cup” for the second year running. On to the InterProvincial Masonic Clay Shooting Championships at Canterbury on June 22nd!
ISSUE 13
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