The Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution, Mr William Logan, MBE, and his wife Dorothy, were among the guests at a dinner held in Brownlow House Orange Hall on Friday, to mark the 60th anniversary of the formation of a Portadown Preceptory.

Epworth Temperance RBP No 232 -known in Portadown as 'the Methodist Preceptory' - was instituted at a ceremony in Carleton Street Orange Hall on November 17,1947.

Other guests on Friday night included the County Armagh Grand Master, Mr William Scott, Portadown District Master, Mr Robert Wallace, and his predecessor, Mr Jim Hewitt Former members and several visitors from County Fermanagh were among the large attendance at the dinner at which proceedings were introduced by Mr William McClean, worshipful master of the Epworth Preceptory."

At the time Epworth was instituted, it was the 16th Royal Black Preceptory belonging to Portadown District Chapter No 5.

It was a time of huge expansion hi the Royal Black Institution, following the Second World War, and Portadown was in the vanguard of this.

The first worshipful master of RBP No 232 was Mr Joshua Bell, who held one of the senior offices in the Royal Black Institution, and like his brother, Robert Bell, was a senior lecturer in the Institution.

Among those present at Friday night's ceremony was Mr Ivan Davidson, one of the two surviving founder members of RBP No 232.

Mr Davidson was presented with his 6Q-year service jewel by Grand Master William Logan, who also presented 50-year membership jewels to Messrs. Jim McClung, Brian Courtney and Bertie Pedlow.

Responding to the toast of the Grand Black Chapter of the British Commonwealth, Mr Logan said this was a landmark for the Epworth Preceptory and in the history of the Royal Black Institution-in Portadown.

Mr Logan, who has been Sovereign Grand Master for the past five years, stressed the Christian ethos of the Black Institution and said this was of paramount
importance. Referring to the response by members throughout Ireland to the appeals for money to help various charities, he said this has been of enormous help to die charitable organisations in the excellent work they were doing to help people.

Mr Logan stressed that the Black Institution has no political links, but exists to further die Protestant, Reformed and evangelical faith.

He said great things had been achieved by the Institution in the past, but it was very important to plan for the future. To that end, he said, he was confident the ‘response from members throughout Ireland would continue to be "positive and supportive".

County Grand Master, Mr William Scott, referred to the most recent good cause helped by the Black Institution, the Open Doors ministry, which does fine work in Africa, including the Sudan. He said the response by County Armagh Preceptories and members had been excellent and he urged them to continue to support the charities nominated by the Institution.

Mr Robert Wallace, Portadown District Master, in congratulating the officers and members of RBP 232, said Epworth was held in the highest esteem in Portadown District, and was known for its dedication and leadership.

"You are very highly regarded, and your Preceptory maintains the high standards it set out to maintain from its inception," he said.

Mr James Hewitt, past District Master who held that office for 15 years, thanked Epworth for their support during his tenure and said he had always been able "to depend on RBP 232 for its support".

Mr Logan presented a Bible to RBP 232, and this was accepted on behalf of the Preceptory by the worshipful master.

Other speakers included Mr John Proctor, Mr Nigel Dawson, Mr Tom Leckey, Mr John Crozier, Lurgan District Master, and Mr Roy Kells, Fermanagh, who recalled how he was introduced to RBP 232 when working in Portadown in 1956.

Now a successful businessman, at the time Mr Kells had been working in Corbett's store, learning the drapery trade. He was a member of RBP 232 until he returned to Fermanagh five years later.