Planning your Ladies’ Festival can be one of the most exciting events of the year, however when planning your Masonic Ladies’ Festival sometimes the arrangements can seem quite intense. Here at Perfect Weekend, we take on all the hard preperation work so you can simply relax and look forward to your evening.
Here are a few tips which may help things run smoothly for you and your guests!
Most Masonic Lodges have certain traditions for their Ladies’ Festival Weekends, these traditions vary from Lodge to Lodge. Please find below a very rough guide to the running of the evening, and remember it is your evening you can do anything you like!
Running Order for the Gala dinner evening:
Drinks Reception – This usually starts from 5.30 to 6.30 and lasts for around an hour. People can chat before dinner and allows time for the photographer to take the more formal group shots, it also ensures that everyone goes into dinner at the same time.
Receiving Line – Here the Toastmaster will present all of the guests to the President and his Lady. Depending on the size of the Lodge this is not always included.
Grace – A member of the Lodge or Toastmaster says Grace before dinner.
Dinner – Everyone enjoys each others company, the amount of courses and guests will determine how long this takes but a 4 course meal for around 80 guests should take 2 1/2 – 3 hours. In between courses “taking wine” usually occurs.
Taking Wine – Once again this is based heavily on Lodge traditions. Our Toastmasters will chat with the President and Festival Secretary to make sure that you have exactly what you want.
Coffee – This is served and followed by the Masonic Grace From the “Laudi Spirituali” A.D. 1545. Some Lodges have one member sing or speak this while others have everyone sing or speak. We print the words inside the menu for guests to follow.
Toasts and Speeches – Once again this is varies from Lodge to Lodge but we have included the standard speeches and toasts below:
The Queen – After the first verse of the National Anthem is sung, the President (usually) presents The Loyal Toast to the Queen
The Ladies – The speech to the Ladies is given by any Lodge member who volunteers (or is volunteered). Some speeches are funny, some are serious but all give thanks to the ladies who tirelessly give their support and love.
Presentation of the Ladies’ Gifts – The Festival Secretary usually appoints a Table Steward for each table to come and collect the Ladies’ Gifts and give them out to the Ladies’, however this can be decided on the night by asking the youngest/closest birthday/shortest man on each table to come and collect the gifts.
The Response on Behalf of the Ladies – This speech is usually given by the President’s Lady, this could be his partner, wife, sister, daughter, mother or friend. Any lady can give this speech and usually follows the following format Thank you for your kind words….thank you for the help arranging the night…. thank you all for coming….have a jolly evening…..don’t steal the cutlery, etc.
Presentation of the Bouquets – The President and Festival Secretary’s Ladies are presented with flowers as a thank you for their support.
The President – A Brother from the Lodge or a friend usually presents this speech however some Lodges have a tradition of last year’s President or next year’s President giving this speech.
Response by the President – Given by the President this speech thanks everyone for attending.
Raffle – During the coffee and after the speeches and toasts the Festival Committee (or the Festival Secretary with the help of some pretty ladies) sells the raffle tickets.
Dancing – The President and his Lady lead the dancing.
Band Break – During this break the raffle is normally drawn
End of evening – The evening is usually rounded up with everyone forming a circle and singing Aulde Langs Syne
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