The weather Gods favoured the gathering at Freemasons’ Hall of Provincial Grand Chapter and on a warm sunny day the Convocation took place in Temple 10 also known as the Egyptian Temple. This proved a more than adequate venue and served the purposes of the proceedings very satisfactorily.
The normal procession of dignitaries was a prelude to the entrance of the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, E. Comp David Allan who opened Provincial Grand Chapter. It was with sadness that he then reported the deaths of many Companions who had gone to higher service in the Grand Lodge above.
The visitors from various adjacent Royal Arch Provinces were welcomed before the regular proceedings of Provincial Grand Chapter took place. There followed approval of the Minutes of the Annual Convocation which had taken place in 2023 as well as the adoption of the Provincial Accounts. The Provincial Grand Treasurer, E. Comp Kantai Mistry PGStdB was then reappointed and invested for the forthcoming year.
Other reappointments followed and E. Comp John Eynon PGSwdB was reappointed Deputy Provincial Grand Superintendent, E. Comp Peter de Wolfe PGStdB as Second Provincial Grand Principal and E. Comp Howard Hughes PGStdB as Third Provincial Grand Principal. E. Comp Geoffrey Stuttaford PAGDC was reappointed as Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals (APGP) and both E. Comp Alan Russell PPrGReg and E. Comp Don Campbell PProv1st AGSoj were appointed as APGPs.
Then came that part of the proceedings which many had been waiting for. This included those who were to receive first appointments, those who would be promoted and others who were to be invested as Active Provincial Grand Officers for the forthcoming year.
The Address
The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent then proceeded to give his address to the Companions. These were some of the salient points and a link is provided below to a full transcript:
E. Comp David Allan remarked on this first Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter of Middlesex in Temple 10 which happened to be his favourite Temple in Grand Lodge. All those who had received, first appointments, promotions and Active Office were congratulated and thanked for their past service and in anticipation of greater service within individual chapters and within the Province.
He remarked that membership of the Royal Arch currently remained static but with Craft Provincial membership growing this augured well for the Royal Arch. The Discovering Freemasonry initiative had shown some encouraging results in attracting potential candidates to freemasonry. With a heathy Craft Province, he said, it should follow that the Royal Arch should also benefit. E. Comp David Allan then spoke about the combining of the Royal Arch and Craft Executives as both Orders faced similar challenges.
Other changes related to the relaunch of the Provincial website and a rebranding under one image using the traditional Provincial badge of Middlesex with the byline Middlesex Freemasonry. He also highlighted the synergies of combining the way that Craft Visiting Officers interacted with the Royal Arch Reps in Lodges and that there should be more interaction between Craft and the Royal Arch. This would extend, in some cases, with VOs being responsible for both Royal Arch and Craft units to assist in facilitating these affiliations.
He also spoke about the initiatives undertaken by Supreme Grand Chapter which included the development and launch of ARCHWAY – (See https://b.ugle.org.uk/membership/archway) a new resource for Royal Arch Masons available on the web designed to help develop and grow Chapter membership.
The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent introduced the 1870 Club, which is named after the year the Craft Province was established. Under the Chairmanship of E. Comp Nigel Codron, the aim of the Club was to organise social events in and around the Province for members, families and friends. Two events had already been planned which would take place in July the first being a Family Day at the Great Cockrow Railway on Saturday July 6th (https://pglm.org.uk/funday/0) and then on Sunday July 21st at the Brooklands Museum where a lunch and talk from Captain John Tye, a former Concorde pilot, would be given about his “supersonic “life in the air – (https://middlesexfreemasons.org.uk/events/brooklands-museum-21st-july-2024/).
Another important initiative announced was “Middlesex Cares” which was aimed at making events in the Province more accessible with the Centres being asked to make available bus services to members to attend Craft AGMs and Royal Arch Annual Convocations. This would also extend to a new “buddy” system where Chapter VOs would encourage members to pick up and take home those less able to attend.
Finally, E. Comp David Allan thanked the Provincial Team who had made the day’s event possible and gave special mention to E. Comps Andy Wright in the Provincial Office and also to E. Comp Mark Millard, the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team of Deputies and Provincial Grand Stewards for the time preparing and rehearsing for the meeting. He also thanked his Royal Arch Executive Team for their support, guidance and assistance in what had been a busy year so far. Last but not least he thanked all those who had attended the Annual Convocation for their support and looked forward to the many events and meetings during the course of the next year – The Address
R.A. AGM Early & Rehearsals
R.A. AGM
Drinks
Festive Board
