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Provincial Grand Master's Address 2010

Brethren having earlier welcomed our Distinguished Guests, I now welcome you all to this our Annual meeting. I am pleased to see so many of you present with all Lodges well represented. I am sure that the Brethren who have received appointments or promotions in Provincial Grand Lodge today are delighted to have such support from the Brethren of their respective Lodges.

In congratulating those Brethren let me remind you once again that your new ranks are not only a recognition of your past services, but carry with them the expectation that you will continue to use your knowledge and experience, in your own Lodges and in the Province. As Provincial Officers the junior members of your Lodges will look to you for advice and guidance and I trust that you will be an example to them by your regular attendance at meetings and by your enthusiasm for Craft and Royal Arch Masonry. I wish to make special mention of W.Bro. Ryland James and W.Bro. Elfan Bell, who have both received first appointments earlier than would normally be expected. These early promotions have been thoroughly earned for the excellent work they so capably carry out in the Province.

I thank all those Brethren who have relinquished office today for their support during the past year. I trust that you have enjoyed your year and that you will have many happy memories. My special thanks go to my Deputy, Assistant and the two Wardens for their almost 100% attendance at Installations and for the ready help and support they have given me throughout the year.

My grateful thanks to the Executive Officers who work so hard on our behalf, not only preparing for this meeting but all year round to ensure the smooth running of the Province – the Provincial Grand Secretary and his assistant, the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, his Deputy and Assistants and the Provincial Grand Treasurer, who I am again pleased to congratulate on his receiving an M.B.E. in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

This time last year I was thanking and congratulating W. Bro. Don Mallams who was retiring as Provincial Almoner for his hard work and dedication over ten years. I freely admit that I was somewhat concerned as to whether I could replace him with such an equally enthusiastic and dedicated Brother. My fears were totally unfounded as W.Bro. Roy Leett has taken to the task with equal commitment and sensitivity. The transfer has been totally seamless and I thank you W. Bro. Roy and your Bro. Lodge Almoners for the manner in which you have carried out your duties during the past twelve months.

On behalf of the Brethren who use the Provincial Year Book as a reference and those who enjoy reading the twice annual edition of the West Wales Mason I thank W.Bro Chris Lewis and W. Bro. Chis Samuel respectively for their continued efforts as editors.
I am sure that you all wish to join with me in congratulating my Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Brian Hilling, on his promotion in Grand Lodge to the rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon and W. Bro. Lionel Hughes on his appointment to the active rank of Assistant Director of Ceremonies as well as W. Bros. Bryn Lewis and Ion Murphy on their appointments to the rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, again all well deserved.

During the past year my Deputy, my Assistant and I, accompanied by the Wardens and many Provincial and Grand Officers have attended all the Installations and we thank you for the warmth of your welcome and your generous hospitality. We also congratulate you on the working of your Lodges which continues to be of a very high standard.

The town of Lampeter and the Peterwell Lodge have featured very highly in the activities of the Province during the last twelve months. Firstly the annual Masonic Church service was held in Lampeter in October when over three hundred Brethren and family members, together with the Chairman of the County Council and the Mayor, attended a service of Evensong conducted by our then Provincial Grand Chaplain.

This year’s service will be held on the 24th October in Tenby when our new Provincial Grand Chaplain will conduct an interdenominational service. Brethren the church in Tenby is one of the largest in the Province so please make every effort to attend.

We returned to Lampeter in February for what was undoubtedly the highlight of the year when I had the pleasure, together with a full Provincial Team and the 2nd Grand Principal, E. Companion George Pipon Francis, to dedicate the new Masonic Hall. As most of you are aware Peterwell Lodge has been in existence for 85 years and for all that time had been nomadic - never having a permanent home of its own. The members of Peterwell Lodge are to be congratulated in having the foresight and determination to raise the money, buy the land and construct the building over a period of three years. This feat being even more remarkable when we bear in mind that all this was done by a membership of just over 50 Brethren.

The dedication ceremony was followed by a most enjoyable dinner which was attended by wives and partners, the Chairman of the County Council, the Mayor and Mayoress of Lampeter, the Vice Chancellor of the University and the 2nd Grand Principal.

Another success for the Province was the Medieval Fayre held just over a week ago here in Carmarthen. This was the brain child of W. Bro. Bob Darkins to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. Of course he had the help of the Festival Committee and many others, in particular the members of the Knights Templar, who acted as stewards on the day. As a result of the efforts made the appeal for our 2015 Festival benefited to the sum of over £15,000, but possibly more importantly it was good to see Brethren and their families giving to Charity with a smile obviously enjoying the occasion. If there was a downside to the day it was that only six Lodges and no Chapters took the opportunity to have their own fund raising stand on the field. However, the day was a great success, not only for the sum of money raised but for showing the public that we are ordinary guys with families who know how to enjoy ourselves – my grateful thanks to all who participated.

Within the last month I have received the results of the Historical Records Survey. As you will be aware the survey asked English and Welsh Lodges and Chapters to complete a questionnaire on the records they hold and on their storage arrangements and physical condition. In each Province the project was supported by a co-ordinator, in our case he was W.Bro. Elfan Bell, who as I mentioned earlier, has received an early first appointment today in recognition of his sterling efforts in this and other areas.
The Province submitted 28 returns; 72% of our possible total; 81% of Lodges but only 50% of Chapters. The survey as a whole achieved in England and Wales; 57% of Lodges and 79% of Chapters. This places our Province in the middle half by percentage of returns made.

The report is long and extremely informative and will be made available to all Lodges and Chapters in due course. However, this is not the end of the exercise. The Projects Manager continues to welcome late returns which will be added to the survey on an annual basis. He is also very anxious to receive any information on erased lodges of which we have three in this Province. Unfortunately the whereabouts of the records of these Lodges have not been identified.

As I have said each Lodge and Chapter will in due course receive a copy of the report and W. Bro Elfan Bell still remains the first point of contact on matters relating to this survey.

My final remarks this afternoon are concerned with Charity. We have now completed the first year of Fund Raising for the Grand Charity. This appeal will close in March 2015. Whilst we have made a good start there is, naturally, always room for improvement. I thank all of you who have already signed up to regular payment promises and urge those of you who have not yet done so to seek out your Lodge Charity Steward as soon as possible. A number of Lodges are accumulating within their own Lodge Relief Chests what I trust is going to be at least a part of their Contribution to the Festival. At the present time over £220,000 is being kept in Lodge Relief Chests within this Province. Brethren the Grand Charity will credit interest at the rate of 1.75% on top of the Base Rate on all monies received in the name of our appeal from the day it is received until March 2015. This is a special rate of interest and is better than that given to Lodge Relief Chests. It is hoped that by offering this increased rate of interest to Lodges within Provinces which are in Festival mode all monies donated will be forwarded to the Grand Charity sooner rather than later. The interest will be credited to the donor whether it be a Lodge, an event or an individual.

So Brethren if we assume that £200,000 of the £220,000 plus being held in Lodges at present has been earmarked for the Festival and, if that sum was sent to the Grand Charity tomorrow, it would attract interest of £5000 per annum, which, without compounding it, would add an extra £25,000 to the overall total over the next 5 years.

Perhaps equally important, or indeed possibly more so, it will enable the Grand Charity to use the money for the relief of distress as soon as it is received. As I have said the Grand Charity will credit all monies received early to the final total in 2015 plus interest but they will use the money immediately to help those in need.. Brethren I put it to you that it must be better to use any money donated as soon as is practically possible to relieve suffering rather then leaving it languishing in a Bank Account earning very little.

Brethren I conclude with the thoughts of my predecessor which are well worth repeating. “Let us continue to enjoy our Freemasonry, rejoicing in the bonds of fellowship, happy in our associating together in our Lodges and at our Festive Boards, joining together in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness and always remembering our commitment to assist those less fortunate than ourselves”.

I thank you for the honour and privilege of serving you as your Provincial Grand Master and Grand Superintendent and I look forward to continuing so to do in the future.

I wish you a safe journey home, a happy and relaxing summer break and may we meet up again determined to live by and carry out the fundamental principles of our Order – Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

Once again I thank you for listening to me.