| The Provincial Grand Masters Annual Address to Provincal Grand Lodge - 25th April 2009 |
![]() It is now my great pleasure to address you. It seems hard to believe that it was 12 months ago that I was standing here addressing you last. The year has just flown by probably because it has been another very full and active one in the Province as outlined in the Provincial Secretary’s Report. I would also like to say that I have been quite overwhelmed by the support, encouragement and kindness received from you all. You will have noticed this year that there has been a change in the way in which the papers for this meeting have been disseminated in that we have incorporated all the reports and information into a special edition of the Devonshire Mason. The result of this is that every Brother in the Province of Devonshire should have received the documentation and therefore should now have a better appreciation of what is going on in the Province and hopefully feel more involved. Another equally important by-product Brethren is the fact that it may reduce the length of this Address! (I did say may). We are now just over 2 years into the 2012 Festival for the RMTGB and can I again thank Worshipful Brother Michael Codd for his Address to Provincial Grand Lodge today and I would ask him to kindly take back to London our own thanks to your President Worshipful Brother Mike Woodcock and your Chief Executive W Brother Les Hutchinson and their Team for the support and encouragement they have given us to date. Thanks for the wonderful generosity of our Brethren we have now reached the current total of £1.817 million (to include all sums pledged as well as cash donations) Brethren now lets see if we can reach £2 million by the end of this year – what a challenge! To date we have 1515 Stewards and I would like to encourage as many Brethren as possible who have still not availed themselves of the opportunity of taking out a Gift Aid to do so. Unfortunately today’s difficult times make money tighter for everybody but the sad but inevitable consequence is that it also increases the demands on the RMTGB. Would you all please make a special note of the date of Sunday 21st June for the Summer Garden Party in support of the Festival at Ugbrooke House (by kind permission of Lord and Lady Clifford). This will be a wonderful family day out with entertainment. I would again like to repeat my sincere thanks to our Festival Chairman W Bro Bill Daw our Provincial Charity Steward W Bro Conrad Donaldson and their Teams for their continued and dedicated assistance in reaching the current total raised. At the end of the day what better investment can we make for the future than in our own young people. Although we are In Festival the Province has been able to maintain its support of local non Masonic charities. Last year we held 2 meetings when a grand total of £42,000 was donated to the William Alexander Kneel Fund from 48 different local charities and good causes in the name of the Freemasons of Devonshire from The joy in the eyes of the beneficiaries was a delight to behold. After the distribution we all shared a very happy evening together. I feel this is another excellent item on display in our Masonic shop window which gives members of the public an idea of some of our works. Last year I announced the launch of the “Teddies” scheme in our Province. Since then I’m pleased to report under the excellent stewardship of W Bro John Adcock the scheme is running very successfully in the A&E Departments of the 4 main hospitals in Devonshire with 3000 teddies distributed already. Thank you so much W Bro John – I know you derive great pleasure from seeing how these teddies calm and comfort young children on their admission to hospital, Again another item on display in our Masonic shop window. I also wanted to say a few words about mentoring I am sure that you are all aware that over the years there has been a significant decline in membership throughout the Order. Grand Lodge with our support has taken steps to remedy this and the principle of mentoring has now been adopted by Grand Lodge. Every Lodge will be required to operate a mentoring scheme. I and my Executive are whole heartedly behind this and I should emphasise that this is not an optional extra but it will be a part of the structure of the Order and one to be implemented as such. I would invite you all to undertake these changes in the spirit of brotherly love with the greater good and continuation of Freemasonry as the ultimate goal. A Grand Mentor has been appointed and I have appointed a Provincial Grand Mentor Worshipful Brother Ian Kingsbury of the Unity Lodge, who is well known to most of you. A Provincial Education and Mentoring Committee is in existence consisting of two of my Assistant Provincial Grand Masters Worshipful Brother The Reverend Louis Baycock and Worshipful Brother Derek Webber together with the Provincial Mentor the Provincial Orator and a team of committed Brethren. They are working hard in setting up a communication network and training courses. These will be organised on a regional basis and I ask that each Lodge ensures that it’s Officers are made aware of and so far as practically possible attend the training when it is offered in their area. I will be writing to all Lodge Mentors shortly giving more details of the support available. I do hope that this initiative will enjoy your full support – inevitably it will bring some change but if we do not change some of our ways we will not catch and retain the interest of good men of honesty and integrity whose time in the modern age is precious and who expect Lodge proceedings and behaviour to be carried out properly and with a minimum of wasted time. Brethren we face a challenge and I ask that you accept it and support these new changes so that we can enjoy our masonry even more through increased knowledge and understanding and hopefully ensure a steady stream of new members to our ancient and honourable institution which stands for the values so much needed in today’s world. Brethren can I invite you all to visit our Provincial Website which has recently been “rehauled” and upgraded by our Webmaster W Bro Martin Heskins whom I have had the pleasure of appointing as PSGD this afternoon. It is a very useful resource to all members and an excellent “shop window” for the public. Next Wednesday I will be attending the Annual Investiture at Grand Lodge when a number of Brethren from this Province will be honoured by the Most Worshipful Grand Master with promotion and appointment to Grand Rank. Those who are to be promoted are Worshipful Brother David Bennett of Phillamon Lodge and Secretary of Devon Masonic Education Fund and Worshipful Brother John Winston of The Scout Lodge who is also the Provincial Grand Almoner for the Province of Somerset who are being promoted to the Rank of Past Junior Grand Deacon. The Brethren who are to be appointed to Grand Rank for the first time are Worshipful Brother Frank Handscombe of the Loyal Lodge of Industry and the Secretary of the Provincial Benevolent Fund, Worshipful Brother Peter Keaty of the Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, Worshipful Brother John Shepherd of the Quest Lodge the Treasurer of the Benevolent Fund and Worshipful Brother Gordon Smith of All Souls Lodge who are all being appointed to the Rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies and Worshipful Brother Colin Gale of Dundas Lodge the Provincial Assistant Grand Registrar who is being appointed to the Rank of Past Grand Standard Bearer. Brethren we offer them our warmest congratulations and wish them every happiness and great fulfilment in their new roles. Similarly this afternoon I have had the very great pleasure of appointing new Provincial Grand Officers as well as those being promoted to or receiving a Past Rank for the first time. I also offer them my warmest congratulations and I would remind them that receiving an honour is an acknowledgment and recognition of what you have already achieved but it is equally an encouragement to continue your good work and support of Freemasonry generally and within this Province. At this stage I must thank all my retiring active Provincial Officers many of whom have supported me and my Executive so energetically and enthusiastically throughout the Province and I must thank them all. I must particularly express my appreciation to the retiring Provincial Wardens Worshipful Brother David Purdie and Worshipful Brother John Sevieri. They have both undertaken their duties in an exemplary manner and the Executive have much enjoyed their company throughout the last year. I must also extend a very large vote of thanks to my Deputy Provincial Grand Master W Bro Peter Galt and my Assistants for their dedicated and continued support, encouragement, friendship and wise counsel over the last year. In closing I thank Worshipful Brother David Purnell our retiring Provincial Grand Secretary for his work and support over the last 5 years in that Office who has sadly resigned due to his increased business commitments and I know we all wish him well. Similarly we wish our new Provincial Grand Secretary Worshipful Brother David Lyne every happiness and success in his new post. Finally I would also like to thank Mrs Angela Pullman for her invaluable and cheery assistance in the Provincial Office. I cannot conclude today’s proceedings without saying a special thank you to our Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Worshipful Brother Peter Keaty for the excellent manner in which he has organised the ceremonial aspect of the day along with his Team. Finally can I thank all the other Brethren too numerous to mention by name for their help in setting up and organising today’s proceedings and the lunch to make it such a happy and I hope successful day. Brethren I think you know I see team work is a fundamental of Freemasonry and the Provincial Team are looking forward to working with you all again during the ensuing year. I hope that you will all continue to find your Freemasonry happy and fulfilling and thereby enabling you to communicate and radiate happiness to others. May the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe be with you all. Thank you Brethren. M T Penny Provincial Grand Master |
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Report of the Provincial Grand
Secretary to Provincial Grand Lodge 25th April 2009
Once again, it gives me great pleasure to
submit my report for the past Masonic year. The first full-year
under the guidance and stewardship of R.W. Bro. Michael T.
Penny, Provincial Grand Master, and one that was every bit as
exciting and busy as the previous ones that I have had the
privilege to serve as Provincial Grand Secretary.
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