Ill Comp Michael Squires, Past Grand Conductor of the Council, a member of the Order since 2005, and a Founder member of Edgbaston Council, and a member of Warwickshire Council, had the very special degree of Excellent Master conferred upon him in February.  The ceremony was presided over by the Deputy Grand Master, R Ill Comp Paul Norman, as shown below.  Michael was accompanied by the District Grand Master, R Ill Comp Peter Wellings, and Ill Comp Peter Stokes, Deputy District Grand Master.

The Excellent Master’s Degree is an invitational degree, more commonly known as Passing the Veils, and is one of the degrees in Freemasonry that can be placed at a specific time in history.  The Ceremony of Passing the Veils may be considered as emblematical of the wanderings of the Israelites in the Wilderness, and of their return from Babylon to Jerusalem.  The  DecreeofCyrus  for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their Temple was given in 538 B.C., the year after he had taken Babylon and is the setting for the Excellent Master Degree.

The ceremony was held at Mark Masons Hall, 86 St James Street, within Grafton Council of Anointed Kings, No 16, which is the only Council in which the degree of Excellent Master can be conferred.