From The Brighthelmstone Deacon 1993 no : 40
There is an hour that we hold dear
In our fraternity
When Absent Brethren far and near,
Draw close to you and me.
When seated at our Festive Board,
Where we are met to dine,
A time arrives when we are called
To rise-for it is Nine.
And we all hope-and this is true-
That brothers far away
Will,hopefully think of us,too,
At this time of day.
Wheater they merely be elsewhere,
Or ill-perheps in pain-
We hope the knowledge that we care
Will warm their hearts again.
And so, my brothers, you can see
This is a Toast with a power,
But it can only work if we
Keep to the very hour-
Not "quarter past" or "half past nine"
For then you are aware
The clocks two hans would not combine
To form that perfect square.
If you would simply try the most
-As brotherhood is reckoned-
To honour absent brethren's toast
Precisely to the second 1
Then rise to meet the clarion call
Prized above the others:
The words ring clearly, "Brethren All"
The Toast is - Absent brothers
W.Bro Ken Brown PPrGReg
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