Over the weekend of 4th – 6th April, The Widows Sons Scotland hosted their annual Branding Ceremony at Duncarron, in Falkirk, where 5 Derbyshire Freemasons, members of the Merlin Chapter WSMBA took part and were “Branded a Widows Son”, accompanied by an additional 5 members of the Derbyshire Chapter of Masonic Bikers. The Branding marks the final step in the journey of becoming a member of the Widows Sons, and is a truly special event.
Along with the contingent from Derbyshire, members of other Chapters from all over the UK, Europe, USA came together for an unforgettable experience.
The “branding ceremony” concept comes from the Widows Sons chapters in the USA, where branding is a particularly significant event. The Widows Sons in Scotland adopted the Branding and put their own unique ‘Scottish’ twist into the ceremony.
The Branding Ceremony is hosted annually by Widows Sons Scotland in late March / early April, just as the cold harsh Scottish Winter is breaking for Spring.
The first Branding took place in 2014 with approximately 12 members in attendance and has grown rapidly ever since. The largest Branding ceremony to date was held in 2019, with around 192 members present, during which over 100 Widows Sons were branded that evening.
The Branding Ceremony is held in a very special location, Duncarron Fort, in Falkirk.
