Dear Michael,

Pleased allow me to introduce myself, I am the Secretary of Stowe Lodge No. 9002, and we have the honour of hosting the Public School Lodges’ Council (PSLC) festival at Stowe next year on Saturday 3rd June. This is particularly poignant for the Lodge as it is in the centenary year of the School.

I have been in contact with Julian, Simon and Mark, and I am aware that the PSLC and the Federation of School Lodges, which I believe you chair, would like to develop further their relationship with each other and with this in mind, I thought I would send you our programme for the PSLC festival next year.

Our aim for the festival is for this to be a fun, family day out and this is open to Masons and non-Masons alike. We have a large number of activities which are summarised below and outlined in more detail in the attached programme. We have also set the ticket prices to hopefully offer great value for money and encourage Masons, and their friends and families to attend.

As we would like to foster a stronger relationship between the two organisations I would very much appreciate it if you could send this email and attachment onto your members and also make them aware of our website, where they can buy tickets:

https://stowelodge9002.co.uk/pslc-tickets/

I hope you like our programme for the day and that you think our ticket prices will encourage people to attend. If you have any comments or feedback I would very much hearing these. In the meantime, I very much appreciate any assistance you can give and I hope you and your family have a great Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Yours sincerely and fraternally,

Ian Bendell,

Secretary,

Stowe Lodge

Summary

  • The day will start at 10.00am and closes at 6.30pm and is open to Masons and non-Masons alike.

  • The Masonic part of the day – The Festival Forum - will be held from 11.30-12.15pm, at which we will process in our guests of honour; the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master, Jonathan Spence, and the Headmaster, Dr. Anthony Wallersteiner. This part of the day is open to Masons and non-Masons and for those non-Masons who choose not to attend all of the other activities will also be available so they can take part in these if they prefer.

  • Your food and beverages throughout the day are included in the price of your ticket:

      • Teas, coffees and soft drinks.

      • The Headmaster’s drinks reception prior to lunch.

      • A 3-course buffet lunch accompanied by wines and soft drinks.

      • Pimm’s and afternoon teas in the afternoon.

      • An ice cream van will also be available throughout the day, and this will operate on a self-funded cash basis.

  • A large number of activities are also included in your ticket:

      • Traditional fun fair rides and stalls.

      • Rides in a tethered hot air balloon.

      • A display of classic cars and motorbikes.

      • Tours of the house and gardens led by guides from the Stowe House Preservation Society and the National Trust.

      • A very special personal tour of the house and gardens led by the Headmaster, who will share with you his highlights of the estate.

      • Arts and craft stalls so you can stock up on the locally made products and produce. Please note, these will operate on a self-funded cash basis.

      • Music throughout the day will be provided by Stoic and Old Stoic musicians and in the afternoon there will be a recital by the PSLC Festival Choir in the beautiful and intimate Stowe Church.

      • In the afternoon, we will also hold cricket and tennis matches between teams from Stowe Lodge and PSLC Lodges.

      • In addition to the above, there will also be a number of activities specifically for your children; 1) A treasure hunt in the morning, 2) Tennis on the School shop courts, 3) A face painter, 4) A parade of huntsmen and their beagle pack, and 5) A children’s play area on the South Front lawns.

  • The number of tickets for the festival is limited and we have set their prices to encourage you and your friends and families to attend. Given this, and to avoid disappointment, we suggest that you buy your tickets as soon as possible:

      • An adult ticket is £75

      • A ticket for under 16s is £35

      • A ticket for under 12s is free