A Busy Weekend Ahead at RTTV 9697 – Who Said Freemasonry Was Boring?

If you think Freemasonry is all about ancient traditions, serious faces and secret handshakes, you might want to take a look at what we've got planned this weekend at RTTV Lodge 9697 in Henley-on-Thames!

We've got quite the weekend ahead of us, with a bit of everything thrown in: friendship, food, a masked ball, some early mornings and a little community spirit. And that's all in just three days!

Friday – A Little Lodge Visiting!

We're kicking things off on Friday evening, when several of our members will be heading over to Thame to visit another Masonic lodge.

Visiting other lodges is one of the real pleasures of being a Freemason. It's a chance to meet new people, catch up with old friends, experience how other lodges do things and, of course, enjoy a good festive board afterwards.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a festive board is simply the meal and social gathering that follows a lodge meeting. Good food, good company and usually plenty of laughter!

Saturday Morning – Breakfast at The Cherry Tree!

Saturday starts at a rather civilised 9am with the first of our new RTTV breakfast get-togethers, this time at The Cherry Tree in Stoke Row.

These informal gatherings are open to our members, their families, friends and non-Masons alike. No ceremonies, no formalities and certainly no need to know any secret handshakes!

Just a couple of hours enjoying a lovely breakfast, catching up and putting the world to rights.

And the beauty of a breakfast gathering? You've still got the rest of Saturday to yourself!

Well, some of us have...

Saturday Evening – Masks, Music and Merriment!

Because Saturday evening sees several of our members swapping their breakfast attire for something a little more glamorous as we head to a masked ball in Didcot.

An evening of entertainment, lovely food, a few drinks and, no doubt, some questionable dance moves!

With carriages at 11.30pm, it promises to be a fantastic evening.

Although, looking at what's planned for Sunday morning, we might need to be rather sensible with those drinks!

Sunday – Giving Something Back to Henley

And finally, Sunday morning.

While much of Henley will hopefully still be enjoying a well-earned lie-in, several RTTV members will be meeting in town at 7am to help steward the Henley Half Marathon and Fun Run.

Supporting our local community is an important part of what Freemasonry is about. We don't just talk about friendship, service and helping others; we get out there and do it.

Even if that does mean setting the alarm for an hour that really shouldn't exist on a Sunday!

We'll be helping to make sure the event runs smoothly, supporting the organisers and cheering on those taking part.

Coffee, I suspect, will be essential.

So, Who Said Freemasonry Was Old-Fashioned and Boring?

Three days, a lodge visit, a breakfast gathering, a masked ball and a Sunday morning helping our local community.

And probably quite a few cups of coffee along the way!

This is the side of Freemasonry that people don't always get to see. Yes, we value our traditions and ceremonies, but we're also a group of ordinary people who enjoy spending time together, making new friends, having a laugh and doing something worthwhile.

At RTTV 9697, we take our Freemasonry seriously, but we certainly don't take ourselves too seriously!

f you've ever wondered what being a Freemason in Henley-on-Thames is really like, why not get in touch?

You might be surprised by just how much fun we have.

Friendship. Tradition. Community. And plenty of laughter.

That's RTTV!