9 minute read
Royal Arch Matters
Last December, the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent Noel C Manby launched the Royal Arch Christmas Appeal in aid of the Craft 2022 Festival, raising the magnificent sum of just over £2,600 including Gift Aid. Many thanks go to all of those Companions who contributed so generously.
As Chapter meetings have not taken place since the middle of March 2020, there has been a detrimental effect on donations for charitable purposes. To restore donations for our chosen charities, an online payment facility was introduced in December last year, specifically for the Provincial Grand Chapter. This gives Chapters the ability to request Companions to make charitable donations. All Chapters have now received instructions on how Companions can donate through the GiveTap online Gift Aid payment system, which can be found at www.gtap.uk/e0131 . Companions not wishing to, or are unable to use the online payment system, can still donate via cheque by completing a Single Donation form. A number of Chapters have already adopted this new facility; donations through this online payment system can be made at any time. In addition, non-Gift Aid donations can be made to the Provincial Chapter Relief Chest from Chapter Charity Funds by completing a Miscellaneous Payment form. All donations are credited to the Leicestershire & Rutland Provincial Grand Chapter Charity Fund Relief Chest to obtain the tax refund on all Gift Aided donations. Once regular meetings resume, Chapters can use Gift Aid envelopes to donate, alongside the online payment system for those who are unable to attend. Further information regarding all types of donations to the Provincial Chapter Charity Fund can be obtained from the Provincial Grand Chapter Charity Steward, Peter Williamson at peteatashby@hotmail.co.uk Despite the significant drop in Chapter Charity collections, two significant donations to charities have taken place in the first quarter of 2021. We have donated £400 to the Parkinson’s Care & Support UK Charity, this came from the Reynard Chapter and the Province. In addition, £500 was donated to the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity from the Chapter of the Round Table and the Province.
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Peter Williamson,
Provincial Grand Chapter Charity Steward
Provincial Grand Chapter Appointments and Promotions Zoom
Our Royal Arch Provincial Grand Chapter would normally have been held on Thursday 25th March 2021. As we were unable to hold the Convocation, the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent Noel Manby decided to hold a Zoom meeting to which he invited all Active Officers, new Appointments and those being promoted to Past Rank. This gave the Most Excellent chance to address and congratulation all present and that address is printed here.
Companions, It has certainly been a long time since we were last able to enjoy each other’s company. Let us hope that the approval and rollout of the vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel and the game changer everyone hopes it will be and we can look forward to resuming our Royal Arch Masonry from September. During the last 12 months we have suffered a number of deaths and I would ask you to take few moments to reflect and remember those companions we have lost and who have passed to the Grand Lodge above. As you know we were due to hold our Provincial Grand Chapter Meeting today but unfortunately, due to the latest Government lockdown, the meeting had to be abandoned and has been re-schedule to take place on the 29th September 2021. However, I offer my sincere congratulations to all those Companions whose Appointments and Promotions are confirmed today and, although your appointment or re-appointment takes effect from today, I look forward to investing you in person in September. As a result of the pandemic and the prohibition on exaltations, the number of subscribing Royal Arch
Masons in the Province has fallen below 1,000 which has reduced the number of active appointments I am able to make. I have spoken personally to those companions who are affected and, although they will receive an appointment to past rank today, they will be treated as ACTIVE officers and be invited to attend all Provincial team visits. I and the Executive are determined to recover these losses as soon as possible and therefore, I lay down this challenge to all the newly appointed active and past Provincial Grand Officers appointed today for them to introduce at least one new Exaltee during the next year. The Provincial Executive and in particular the 3Rs committee have not been idle during the period of suspension which I hope has been apparent from the communications you have received. Work has continued developing the new Royal Arch website which has now gone live with a member’s only section and I would like to put on record my grateful thanks to both Richard Barnett and John Peberdy for the tremendous effort they have put in to creating and managing the website. On a positive note, I understand many of our Chapters have a number of candidates in the pipeline to be exalted once the current suspension of Masonic activities has been lifted. Therefore, where appropriate and necessary, Chapters should consider carrying out double ceremonies to get through any backlog. Charitable giving by the Royal Arch has increased year on year and has continued during the period of suspension and I am delighted to confirm that the Christmas Appeal alone raised over £2,600 in support of the Craft 2022 Festival Appeal in aid of the Masonic Charitable Foundation. I would like to thank the Provincial Grand Charity Steward E Comp. Peter Williamson for his continued efforts in extracting money from the Companions. At the meeting of Supreme Grand Chapter, in April, I am pleased to confirm that Stephen Finnegan, our Provincial Grand Janitor, will receive a first appointment to Grand Rank as Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies. Steve’s appointment is well deserved, and I would like to put on record my personal thanks to Steve for his unstinting support of the Royal Arch over many years. Companions, as I have said before it is a great honour to lead this Royal Arch Province and I thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. The Province is run by an extremely dedicated team of Royal Arch masons who give of their time freely to ensure the administration of the Province runs smoothly and this has never been more important than during the last 12 months. My sincere thanks go to all the Executive Team as well as those companions in the individual Chapters who work tirelessly on your behalf. My special thanks go to David Turner who retires today after 10 years of diligent and dedicated service to the Province, first as Provincial Assistant Grand Scribe Ezra and latterly as Provincial Grand Scribe Ezra and I am sure you would like to join me in wishing him a long, happy, and healthy retirement. Whilst we remain locked in this global pandemic, we must maintain our fraternal support of each other whether it be by Zoom meetings or a simple telephone call and I encourage all Chapters to engage in these activities until it is safe for us to meet again and enjoy each other’s company once more. Our new Provincial Grand Almoner Steve Johnson has been particularly busy during the last 12 months supporting our Chapter Almoners as well as individual Companions and my thanks go to him for the work has done and continues to do. If I have missed anybody out who deserves our thanks, then please accept my apologies. Finally, Companions may I wish you and your families a very happy Easter and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during the coming year. Please stay safe and may the true and living God most high be with us all.
Noel C. Manby,
Most Excellent Grand Superintendent
Grand Rank Appointment
On Thursday 29th April 2021, Stephen Finnigan was appointed to the Royal Arch Grand Rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies.
His appointment would have been confirmed at Supreme Grand Chapter in London, however due to the current suspension of Royal Arch Masonry, that convocation could not take place. This appointment is thoroughly deserved for all of Steve’s dedication and work in the Royal Arch over the years since his exaltation in 1999. As the ceremony of receiving Grand Rank is such a special one, it is hoped that Steve will be able to visit London and be re-appointed at a future convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter.
Thursday 25th March 2021, the day on which Provincial Grand Chapter would have been held, marked the last day of David Turner’s tenure as Provincial Grand Scribe Ezra in the Royal Arch.
David first joined the Chapter team at Freemasons’ Hall Leicester shortly after he retired. He made the mistake of telling the then Grand Superintendent, Peter Kinder, that he had some spare time on his hands. No sooner did he have that conversation than a telephone call came asking if he would like to help Paul Wallace, as Assistant Provincial Scribe E in the Chapter office. This was in 2014, he then served his “apprenticeship” under Paul’s guidance until being appointed Provincial Grand Scribe Ezra in 2016. David is a dedicated Royal Arch Mason and during his time amassed considerable knowledge of all the workings of the order. This knowledge enabled him to help many Chapter Scribe’s E with their enquiries and ways around sometimes difficult situations. Never has his ability to find his way round the Royal Arch regulations in the Book of Constitutions been more appropriate than during the Covid19 pandemic and all that it has brought to our convocations.
David will be missed by a great many Companions. Thankfully, he managed to pass on some of his knowledge to his successor Ian Johnson, who was appointed on 25th March 2021.
I am sure you all join with me in wishing David many more enjoyable years in Freemasonry.
John Peberdy
Master Masons Evening
The Royal Arch hosts what has been known as the ‘Master Masons Evening’ once a year. Not to be perturbed by the current restrictions on gatherings, the 3R’s team put their heads together to deliver an engaging and informative meeting for Master Masons by video conferencing.
The meeting was arranged for the 11th March 2021, with a team of presenters lined up to deliver the talks. One of the benefits to come from video conferencing, is the time saved from the usual required commute into Leicester, this allowed for greater numbers than usual to attend. In total, there were thirty-three Master Masons with an interest in joining the Royal Arch, and also in attendance were their respective Royal Arch Representatives from their Craft lodges. The topics covered were enough to give the audience a fantastic insight into the origins of the Royal Arch, and what it means to be a Companion of the order. There were also personal observations from Jim Williamson who has been a Royal Arch Mason for some time, and also as a relatively new member, Richard Barnett. The Deputy Grand Superintendent, Paul Wallace, gave a fascinating insight into the origins of Royal Arch Masonry, and its significance to the third degree in Craft Freemasonry, which was supplemented by information from Dale Page, and the Provincial Grand Master of the Craft, Peter Kinder. The head of Royal Arch Masonry in the Province, also known as the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent ,Noel Manby, who summarised the evening and thanked everyone for attending.
Royal Arch Diary Dates Royal Arch Church Service, Sunday 17th October 2021. Royal Arch Dinner Dance, Saturday 29th January 2022. Provincial Grand Chapter 2022, Thursday 24th March 2022. Inaugural Provincial Grand Officer’s Mess, Thursday 5th May 2022.
Noel Manby, MEGS, said,
