Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwi · PDF file · 2015-03-06the good fortune to...
Transcript of Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwi · PDF file · 2015-03-06the good fortune to...
Tuesday 3rd June 2014 dawned somewhat dull and at first overcast. This however did not prevent some 300 Royal Arch Companions of the Province and other Provinces presenting themselves at the Edgbaston Assembly Rooms for the 150th Annual Convo-
cation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwickshire.
The proceedings opened with the customary processions into the temple under the direction of the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, E Comp David Shakeshaft. Firstly, the distinguished guests entered in procession followed by the Deputy Grand Superintendent and then the visiting Grand Superintendents followed by the Provincial Grand Sword Bearer leading the ME Grand Superintendent, together with the Provin-
cial Second and Third Grand Principals.
Provincial Grand Chapter having been opened, the Provincial Third Grand Principal. E Comp David Butterworth read the Obituary list and led the Companions in solemn prayer. The ME Grand Superintendent, E Comp John L Saint then welcomed the 70
distinguished guests who had supported the event..
The Provincial Grand Scribe E, E Comp Philip Gough and Provincial Grand Registrar, E Comp Keith Marchington presented their reports (both of which can be downloaded from the Provincial Website.) E Comp Nigel Hawkins was re-elected as Prov Grand Treasurer and E Comp John F R Handley was reappointed as Deputy Grand Superintendent. E Comp Paul J Wheeler was then appointed as Provincial Grand Haggai in succession to E Comp John Norman and was presented, obligated and
invested.
The ME Grand Superintendent then announced that he had appointed E Comp Peter G Huckle to succeed E Comp David Butterworth as Provincial Grand Joshua. E Comp Huckle was then presented, obligated and invested as Provincial Third
Grand Principal.
Having re-appointed E Comp Philip Gough as Provincial Grand Scribe E the ME Grand Superintendent then went on to reappoint and appoint the remainder of his acting Provincial Grand Officers and made 50 promotions in Past Rank, to-
gether with 22 first appointments to Past Provincial Grand Rank.
This being the 150th Annual Convocation of the Province, E Comp Paul J Wheeler then delivered a splendid oration outlin-ing the development of the Province since 1864. He gave a history of the key events and references and explained that the early minutes of Provincial Grand Chapter were lost but it is known that Lord Leigh was appointed as Grand Superin-tendent in October of 1864 or 1865 and remained in office for many years. The oration was well received by the Compan-
ions who showed their approval with enthusiastic applause. A copy of the Oration can be downloaded from the website.
To commemorate the founding of the Province the Provincial banners were then paraded around the Chapter during which the hymn “The God of Abraham Be Praised" was sung. The ME Grand Superintendent then addressed Provincial Grand
Chapter following which Provincial Grand Chapter was closed in peace and harmony according to ancient form.
Some 260 Companions later dined in continuing peace and harmony at the Festive board and went home with good
memories of a wonderful day.
The Holy Royal Arch whilst being an integral part of Freemasonry is organ-ised as a separate Order. It is vari-ously described as the “essence of Freemasonry”, the “foundation and keystone of the whole Masonic struc-ture”, and as “the root, heart and marrow of freemasonry”. Every Mas-ter Mason has, and should take, the opportunity of discovering these q u a l i t i e s f o r h i m s e l f b y joining the Holy Royal Arch.
The Holy Royal Arch is similar in some respects to Craft Masonry, it is differ-ent in a number of aspects and, in-deed, is most interesting in its differ-ences. Leaflets are displayed at most Ma-sonic rooms so do read all about it or ask a Companion from your Lodge! During the 2014-15 season there will be a number of presentations made in Lodges, by the kind permission of the Provincial Grand Master, by a team of
Companions which will explain the nature of the Order and the special links with the Craft. The talk is aimed at those Brethren who may not yet have joined the Holy Royal Arch and will enable them to enhance their understanding of this degree and consider taking this vital next step in Freemasonry. Come and join us!
150th Annual Convocation A Great Success
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
150th Annual Convo-
cation Report
1
Demonstration of
Ritual by PGC of
Bristol at Rugby
2
Exaltees’ Meeting
held at Coventry
2
GCOI Festival at
Atherstone -Report
2
Great Day at SGC
Annual Investiture
3
Certificate of Merit
for Comp Peter Cox
3
Splendid Church
Service at
Coughton
4
Come and Join Us In The Holy Royal Arch
Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwickshire
NEWSLETTER A U G U S T 2 0 1 4
S P E C I A L
P O I N T S
O F
I N T E R E S T
Great Day at 150th An-
nual Convocation
Magnificent total sum
raised for RCS Appeal
Exaltees’ Meeting Held at
Coventry
Veils Ceremony Demon-
stration at First Principals
Chapter No 4538
Coughton Church Service
Report
Talking Heads Presenta-
tion to Lodges Available
P R O V I N C I A L G R A N D C H A P T E R O F W A R W I C K S H I R E
E Comp John L Saint
P A G E 2
“ A really
interesting
meeting – I
enjoyed learning
more about the
Royal Arch and
receiving the
Exaltees’ Guide”
Rugby Chapter
Room set up for
Demonstration
Successful Exaltees Meeting at Coventry
Atherstone Hosts General Chapter of Instruction Festival
Demonstration of Bristol Workings at First Principals’ Chapter Over 140 Companions
crammed into the Chapter
Room at Rugby on 12th May
2014 for the meeting of the
First Principals Chapter No
4538 when the Chapter had
the good fortune to secure a
presentation by Companions
of the Sportsman’s’ Chapter
No 9841 in the Province of
Bristol. Their Companions,
including their MEGS, E
Comp Alan Vaughan who
took an active part, demon-
strated their Exaltation Cere-
mony which included the
Ceremony of Passing of the
Veils which was a most inter-
esting and impressive piece of
ritual.
The full ceremony is rarely
conducted outside the Prov-
ince of Bristol so Warwick-
shire were indeed honoured to
receive this visit and gave a
wonderful, dramatic cere-
mony which all who attended
found to be very interesting.
After the Chapter was opened
by the Warwickshire Princi-
pals, the MEZ, E Comp
Stephen Fowler welcomed the
visitors and after a short his-
toric introduction by their
Grand Superintendent the
Bristol Demonstration Team
took over the Chapter and
gave an excellent demonstra-
tion presented in a wonder-
fully dramatic manner by the
Bristol team. The Convocation was fol-
lowed by a splendid dinner
and great companionship
which, everyone agreed, made
the whole event a very special
meeting.
Well done to all concerned in
4538!
perintendent’s invitation to
preside at the 2014 Festival.
Nearly 80 Companions in-
cluding no less than seven
past GCOI Presidents as well
as Grand Officers and Chapter
Principals supported the event
and many Chapters in the
Province were represented. After a superb presentation of
the Opening Address the Fes-
tival as usual demonstrated
the Warwickshire working of
The General Chapter of In-
struction Festival has had
many distinguished Presidents
over the years and that tradi-
tion has been maintained at
the General Chapter of In-
struction Festival held on 16th
April 2014 with the ME
Grand Superintendent in and
over the Royal Arch Province
of Staffordshire, E Comp
John A E Winter (left).
accepting the ME Grand Su-
the ceremony of Exaltation by
Companions from the Prov-
ince who were all below the
rank of MEZ and who were
all drawn from several differ-
ent Chapters. It was a superb
performance of the ritual!
Sincere congratulations were
extended to the participants
by the President who was very
impressed with the high stan-
dard of the demonstration.!
and history of the Order. Through informal, but compre-hensive presentations, designed to ensure a greater awareness, it is hoped that new Companions will be encouraged to retain their interest in the Order and pro-gress well in their own Chapters. After a welcome and introduction by the ME Grand Superintendent there were presentations by the Executive and the Provincial Principals outlining the history of the Royal Arch, the layout of the Chapter room, the offices of the Chapter together with the mean-ing and historical significances of the ceremony. The new Exal-tees’ Guide was also issued”
An informal buffet afterwards enabled the Exaltees to meet with the Senior Officers of the Province and chat informally and ask any questions about the Royal Arch with them. The change of venue to Coventry brought about by the uncertainty regarding Stirling Road did result in a good attendance from the local Chapters so next year’s meeting will possibly move to another venue in the Province. A splendid meeting which was very informative and enjoyed by those attending, especially the Companions who had been Ex-alted as recently as April!
The annual Exaltees’ Meeting, which has now become a well established and popular event, was held at the Coventry Ma-sonic Hall on 22nd May 2014 and saw 24 recent Exaltees sup-ported by 21 Principals and members from their own Chap-ters attending. The content and format of the presentations are aimed at new members but any-one was welcome to attend and support this meeting and enjoy meeting with other Companions as well as learning something new as well! A key part of retaining new mem-bers is to ensure they develop an understanding of the ceremony Caption describing picture
or graphic.
P R O V I N C I A L G R A N D C H A P T E R O F W A R W I C K S H I R E
Two Grand Superintendents
enjoyed the occasion
Supreme Grand Chapter Annual Meeting P A G E 3
The Annual Investiture meeting
at Supreme Grand Chapter was
this year scheduled for 1st May
and a good contingent of War-
wickshire Companions attended
to enjoy this premier event in the
SGC year.
After arriving at Marylebone Sta-
tion some had difficulties in get-
ting to Great Queen Street due to
problems with taxis as well as the
weather and a march by some
protestors which caused gridlock
for a spell!
After all the necessary briefings
by the Grand DC’s team it was
time to start the meeting. The
processions in to the Temple of
the senior officers and distin-
guished visitors began and even-
tually the Grand Chapter was
opened by the ME Pro First
Grand Principal, E Comp Peter
Lowndes.
The day’s early proceedings
were quickly attended to and
soon the Investitures of the
appointed officers commenced
where E Comp Phil Hall was
re-appointed as DepGDC, fol-
lowed by the Past Ranks where
E Comps Peter Huckle and
David Satchwell received their
first appointments to PGStB
and E Comp John Handley his
promotion to PGSwdB. .
Once all the appointments had
been completed the ME Pro
First Grand Principal addressed
the Companions. (His address
can be viewed on the SGC
Website)
After luncheon at The Con-
naught Rooms where twelve
Warwickshire Companions
dined everybody departed
with very happy memories of
a wonderful meeting.
Some made their way back to
Freemason’s Hall and at-
tended the Installation meet-
ing of London Warwickshire
Chapter No 3846 which saw
their current MEZ, E Comp
Peter James induct E Comp
Brian Kimberley into the Z
Chair!
A long but very happy day!
At the Installation Convocation of Doric Chapter No 4167 on 3rd March 2014, the Deputy Grand Superintendent, E.Comp John
F R Handley, who was presiding, introduced an additional surprise item to the ‘Agenda’ at the end of the meeting. During the
Second Rising, E Comp John had risen as usual to bring greetings from the Province, but to everyone’s surprise he also asked
the Provincial Director of Ceremonies, E.Comp David Shakeshaft to escort E Comp. Peter R Cox to him.
The Deputy Grand Superintendent then went on to give a brief history of E Comp Peter’s personal life as well as his significant
Masonic career including his distinguished service to the Holy Royal Arch both in his Chapters and in the Province. He then
went on to present him with the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent’s Certificate of Merit in recognition of distinguished ser-
vice to the Royal Arch in general and his devoted service over many years.
Peter was suitably shocked by the presentation but gave a splendid response expressing his thanks and saying how much he had
enjoyed his years in Masonry and particularly the Holy Royal Arch.
This was greeted with sincere and warm acclaim from the Companions of the Chapter who showed their approval with sustained
and loud applause.
Following the closure of the Royal Arch Bicen-tenary Fund the Second Grand Principal ME Comp George Pipon Francis has written to the Grand Superintendent expressing his grateful thanks for all the hard work and efforts by the Warwickshire Companions in support of the
Appeal.
Although the target was originally set at £1 million the total raised by the Appeal is now £2.5 million and with some pledges yet to be realised it is anticipated that the total will possibly be event higher – a staggering result! Combined with the existing Craft Fund of £3.5million this makes the total endowment from Freemasonry
for the Royal College a magnificent £6 million!
Warwickshire Companions can feel proud of their contributions with a total amount sent to
the Appeal of £70,682.53 which, based upon 63 Chap-ters, is an average per Chapter of £1,121.94 or £52.55
per Companion.
This is well above the national average raised and is recognised by the Second Grand Principal in his thanks
for the magnificent support.
The ME Grand Superintendent, E Comp John Saint has
stated that
“I am immensely proud of the contributions made by all Companions and the positive manner in which they responded to the various fundraising initia-tives, notably the Provincial Garden Party in June which raised £12,600 on its own. I send my own congratulations and sincere thanks to everybody in the Province who contributed. This was a splendid
result”
Magnificent Final Result for RCS Appeal
Certificate of Merit Presented to E Comp Peter Cox
“Deserved First
Appointments for
E Comps Peter
Huckle and David
Satchwell”
ME Comp George P Francis, Second Grand Principal
Did You Know. . . . . . .
First Principals’ Chapter Sunday Lunch
The Chapter MEZ, E.Comp. Stephen Fowler and his wife Patricia, has invited all of the Companions in the Province to join him at the Chapter Sunday Lunch on 7th September 2014. The cost is £22.00 per head.
The venue this year is again Henley Golf and Country Club at Henley-in-Arden which has looked after us in a splendid manner for the past few years and has a good reputation for excellent food and pleasant surroundings. The Reception will commence at 12.00noon with Lunch served at 1.00pm. A range of menu options is available to suit all tastes and full details and a booking form can be downloaded from Website.
Lodge Royal Arch Representatives
Lodge RA Representatives continue to do a sterling job in promoting membership of the Royal Arch.
The next meeting of the Lodge Reps will be held on Saturday 8th November 2014, again at Stirling Road, and a presentation will be made by the Chairman, E Comp John Nor-man.
Quarterly updates will shortly be sent to Reps by the Chairman which are intended to help keep the RA reports to Lodges fresh.
Principals’ and Past Principals’ Dinner
This most important event in the Provincial calendar will be held on 27th November 2014 and will follow a similar pattern to previous years, with an informal dinner after which the
Grand Superintendent will announce the principal appointments and promotions to be made at next year’s Annual Convocation.
The Dinner will be followed by the traditional question and answer session, which the ME Grand Superintendent and the rest of the panel will be delighted to respond to. Applica-tion forms will be issued soon.
Provincial Yearbook 2014-15
The Yearbook will again be produced by the Provincial Office in an electronic format which will be issued to Chapter Scribe Es in Sep-tember. Significant effort has been put into preparation of the Chapter information by E Comp Allan Nelmes and E Comp Ron Foster which is appreciated by the Province.
Honour for E Comp Richard V Wallis
Past Grand Superintendent E Comp Richard V Wallis JP has been further honoured by
his investiture as M.W. Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons at the at the June investiture meeting of Mark Master Masons held in Great Queen Street, London.
Many congratulations go to E Comp Richard, who has served the Province and Masonry in general for many years, on his well deserved preferment.
Website www.royal-arch.org.uk
The Provincial website has been updated and is re-launched in a new format. It will now be updated regularly and includes more informa-tion for interest to Companions.
We are looking for interesting articles so do please contact the Provincial Scribe E if you
are able to assist in preparing material for inclusion.
The Provincial Newsletter is edited and produced by the Provincial Dep Grand Supt, E Comp John Handley, to whom all news should be sent:
67 Tilehouse Green Lane, Knowle, Solihull, B93 9EU or by email to [email protected]
P A G E 4
Coughton Church Again Hosts the Annual Church Service
provided an uplifting occasion, which was greatly enjoyed by all who attended. Afternoon tea was taken at The Kings Court Hotel as usual and rounded off a lovely day. The ME Grand Superintendent thanks those Companions who attended, especially the current Principals of Chapters, for sup-porting this important event.
Sunday 23rd March 2014, once again saw the annual Royal Arch Church service held at the lovely Coughton Parish Church of St Peter’s. The service, which had a theme of “Acceptance” was again led by E.Comp. Rev. J. Stephen Cooke, Prov. Grand Chaplin for Staffs, who last year gave an enjoyable and thought provoking sermon. With readings by the Grand Superintendent and Deputy Grand Superintendent the service
As part of the celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the Province the Grand Superintendent is keen to ensure that a number of special events are held during the year. Consideration is therefore being given to holding a Sunday Lunch for Companions and their Partners at a very special and historic venue probably in March or April 2015. The intention is to hold a good quality event with excellent food in unique surroundings which are different and interesting. Discussions are being held with potential venues and further details will be advised as soon as arrangements are confirmed. It is hoped that this Lunch will appeal to all Companions and their partners and receive their support.
Special Sunday Lunch Being Planned as Part of 150th Celebrations
P R O V I N C I A L G R A N D C H A P T E R O F W A R W I C K S H I R E
New Provincial Principals Invested at Annual Convocation by MEGS
St Peter’s Church, Coughton
At the recent Annual Convocation in June the ME Grand Superintendent appointed, invested and installed as Provincial Grand Haggai E Comp Paul J Wheeler, PGStB of Prudence Chapter No 3659, who is well known from his work as Third Provincial Grand Principal and Provincial
Grand Almoner.
As Third Provincial Grand Principal the ME Grand Superintendent was pleased to appoint E.Comp. Peter G Huckle, PGStB, a member of Guys Chapter No 395. E. Comp. Peter is well known to the Companions within the Province having
served as Provincial Grand Registrar in 2012/3.
Many congratulations go to both these Companions for a happy and successful period of office.
A Demonstration Team from the Provincial Grand Chapter Officers can now provide a Lodge with a presenta-tion entitled ‘Talking Heads – The Next Step In Freemasonry’. The objective of the presentation is to raise awareness of the Holy Royal Arch amongst Master Masons, particularly those who have recently completed
their Third Degree and who have not yet joined the Royal Arch.
The presentation takes the form of a playlet, lasting about 30 minutes, between an experienced Past Master and a relatively new Master Mason and covers both factual and historical content. It explains the important link between the Craft and the Holy Royal Arch and how this has evolved. It also emphasises that joining the Holy Royal Arch provides the completion of pure Antient Masonry and the journey from Initiation to Exaltation.
It concludes with a Q&A session and provides an enjoyable recruitment presentation.
If you are interested in hosting an event at your Masonic Centre for your own and perhaps the other Lodges based at your Masonic Centre do please contact the Deputy Grand Superintendent, E Comp John Handley,
on 07946 637773 or by email, [email protected].
PRESENTATION AVAILABLE TO LODGES ‘TALKING HEADS – THE NEXT STEP IN FREEMASONRY’