A particular joy of being in a service lodge is the fraternal 
bond between military masons that is promoted through the Circuit of Service Lodges of which Innsworth Lodge is a member. With that in mind the WM, WBro David Wood together with the IPM WBro Fred Wood, took the road to Derby on a very busy and accident riddled Friday for a meeting of the United Services Lodge of Derbyshire No3993 – a sister lodge within the circuit. The Innsworth Brethren were personal guests of WBro John Wood MBE. At the Innsworth September Installation John as Deputy Chairman of the Circuit of Service Lodges had presented our WM with a badge bearing the new circuit emblem to wear on the Masters’ collar.
All military Lodges enjoy certain traditions drawn from their service roots and the United Services Lodge is no exception. The 4th of November meeting, being close to Remembrance Sunday, provided a suitable occasion where entitled military masons swapped their Masonic jewels for service decorations and medals to wear in Lodge. This gave our WM and IPM a perfect opportunity to polish their ‘gongs’ for the evening. Several masons also chose to wear military mess dress and all three armed services were represented in this colourfully stylish manner. As always with Circuit of Service Lodges there was a great opportunity to spot the service, corps or regiment from the myriad of 
ties being worn in the Lodge room and exchange good military banter often at the expense of a rival Corps, Regiment or service. The work was a well executed initiation ceremony conducted in a lodge room decorated with the flags of all three armed services; thereby further reinforcing the link between the lodge and military service.
The festive board was announced by a bugle sounding the dinner call and a hearty dinner was then served. The 9 o’clock toast made way for an Act of Remembrance for the fallen. Speeches were efficiently short and concluded with Innsworth’s WM WBro David Wood thanking the Lodge for an excellent evening on behalf of all the visitors.