On which day and date, a regular Meeting was held within the Masonic Hall 14 Maddiston Road Brightons at 1930hrs.

Present were the Right Worshipful Master Bro Alex Muir, office bearers and Brethren as per the attendance register 56 brethren signed the tyle 44 brethren from lodge Polmont 12 visitors and apologies were received from 13 brethren and there was a total of 5 visiting lodges in attendance

Opening

The lodge was opened in the 1^st degree in due and ancient form. The RWM welcomed all into the lodge and to the brethren of lodge Polmont he offered his thanks for their continued support a warm welcome was extended to the visiting brethren from the sister lodges both within and out with the Province of Stirlingshire, the RWM then called on the brethren of lodge Polmont to afford the visitors a very warm welcome the RWM then extended an invitation to all qualified brethren to join him here in East to assist in the duties of the evening.

Correspondence

A letter was received from lodge St John Slamannan No 484 inviting the RWM and brethren to their next regular meeting to witness Bro Alexander Montgomery PM receive his 60-year diploma and in addition Bro James Mccomb PM will receive his 50-year diploma these will be presented on Wednesday the 17^th of September.

A letter was received from lodge Dolphin 911 inviting the RWM and brethren of lodge Polmont to celebrate their 125^th rededication on Saturday the 29^th of November 2025 the rededication will commence within lodge Dolphin 911 at 1pm and afterwards there will be a meal laid on at Bonnybridge Golf Club with speeches from the top table followed by entertainment back at the lodge where your wife or partner can join the celebrations.

Obituary

It was the RWM’S very sad duty and with a heavy heart to inform the brethren of the passing to the Grand lodge above of one of our highly respected and cherished Brothers, Brother James Wilson Bennie PM passed away peacefully on the morning of the 22^nd of August 2025, Jim was registered on the role of Grand lodge of Scotland on the 26^th of March 1964 role No 1422 Jim was an apprentice motor mechanic when he applied to join lodge Polmont 793 aged 20 years old and was proposed by Bro Alexander Henderson and seconded by Bro Alexander Waugh the conferring master was RWM Bro George Pringle, initiated on the 11^th of March 1964 passed on the 25^th of March 1964 raised on the 15^th of April 1964 and advanced on the 22^nd of April 1964 Jim was presented with his 50-year diploma in 2014 by the RWM Bro John Curry who was the master at the time, Jim then went on to become our RWM with his tenure running from 2018-2021 at which time he lead the lodge through the difficult time of covid.

Bro James Wilson Bennie PM was presented with his 60^th year diploma on the 27^th of March 2024 and on the same evening was presented with honorary membership of the Provincial Grand lodge of Stirlingshire as Director of ceremonies with his certificate being presented by the RWPGM Bro Gordon Sewell and I think we can all agree this was a very emotional occasion for all present, Jims funeral took place on Tuesday the 9^th of September at Falkirk crematorium the RWM then asked the brethren to be upstanding and to observe a minutes silence for the departed merit and reflection.

Ballot

The ballot was prepared for to applicants Mr Cunningham and Mr Mcnee it was proposed by the Bro secretary to take the ballot en-block. The ballot being clear the Bro secretary was instructed by the RWM to contact the applicants as to the outcome of the ballot and to arrange their initiation dates.

Visitations

The WJW Bro Alan Banks gave a report of the visitations he with various brethren he had made over the summer recess commencing with Friday the 25^th of April lodge Ancient Stirling No 30 for the reigning masters 1^st degree accompanied with our RWM and several brethren and four honorary members, Monday the 28^th of April Stirling Royal Arch No 76 where lodge Polmont were invited to confer the mark degree conferred by Bro Alex Ure PM at our RWM request the deputation was made up of 22 Polmont brethren and 10 brethren from lodge Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle 312, Wednesday the 30^th of April Stirling Royal Arch No 76 for the Provincial Grand lodge of Stirlingshire communication accompanied by the RWM, IG and five honorary members Wednesday the 7^th of May lodge St John Slamannan No 484 to witness a mark degree carried out by Caldercruix 1314 accompanied by Bro Peter Hamilton and four honorary members, Thursday the 15^th of May the lodge of Alloa 69 a 1^st degree conferred by lodge Tulliallan No 598, Monday the 26^th of May lodge Ben Cleuch No 782 to witness a 1^st  degree, Saturday the 31^st of May Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle No312 to represent our lodge by taking part in a 1^st degree worked by past and present prison officers, delivering the Secrets, accompanied by Bro Brian Palfreyman and Bro Graeme McClay, Saturday the 26^th of July Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle No 312 a 2^nd degree worked by police Scotland, Saturday the 9^th of August Bannockburn Bruce and Thistle No312 a 3^rd degree worked by the Past masters, Monday the 1^st of September Lodge Callendar No 588 a 2^nd degree accompanied by Alex Croy & HM Alec Montgomery, Wednesday the 3^rd of September Harthill No 590 to witness a 3^rd degree, Tuesday the 9^th of September Blackridge No 1145 to witness a second degree and on each and every occasion Bro Alan Banks was charge to convey warm and fraternal greetings at his earliest return to his mother lodge, Our RWM thanked all who accompanied the WJW on his extensive visits and promoting lodge Polmont over the past months the RWM then asked the brethren to give a vote of thanks for the various visits that were made.

1^st Degree

The RWM then instructed the deacons to retire, prepare and introduce Bro Mcnee in order to confer the entered apprentice degree, which was carried out with most solemn, Precise and dignified manner as practiced by the RWM and office bearers of lodge Polmont, at the conclusion of the degree the RWM descended onto the floor to be the first to congratulate Bro Mcnee on becoming lodge Polmonts newest entered apprentice and to introduce him to the brethren, addressing the brethren and distinguished East he charged the brethren ever to meet, greet and treat bro Mcnee as such but in the meantime give him a very warm welcome among us and on returning to the East the RWM then invited Bro Mcnee to retire and restore himself to his former comfort, the RWM then instructed the deacons to uplift the collection which realised the sum of £163 to which the RWM thanked the brethren. The RWM then thanked the brethren in the columns for their quiet attention during the ceremonial and that the brethren once again show their appreciation to the degree team for a To the members of Lodge Polmont he once again thanked them for their continued support and to the visitors he thanked them for their attendance and asked that they take warm and fraternal greetings from Lodge Polmont back to their mother lodges at their earliest convenience and asked the brethren of lodge Polmont give the visitors a hearty vote of thanks, the RWM then went on to thank Bro John Galloway for his musical accompaniment which greatly enhances and degree work carried out.

Invitation to speak

The RWM then invited anyone from the body of the lodge if they had anything to say for the benefit of freemasonry or this lodge in particular he would hear them now in reply Bro Barry Hamilton replied on behalf of the visiting brethren for the warmth and cordiality on entering the lodge something that has always come to be expected at lodge Polmont congratulating the RWM for an exceptional 1^st degree carried out by the RWM and his degree team and congratulating in his absence Bro Mcnee on becoming lodge Polmonts newest entered apprentice he also thanked Bro John Galloway for his musical accompaniment and finishing off by bringing warm and fraternal greetings from all the visiting sister lodges but more in particular his own affiliate lodge, lodge Pioneer No 1305 .

Intimations

The RWM gave the following intimation that the next regular meeting is on Wednesday the 24^th of September which will be a first degree conferred upon Mr Baxter the RWM then invited those who could to stay behind to do so for some lodge hospitality and to the brethren that could not that they have a safe journey home there being no further business the RWM closed the lodge in due and ancient form.