Message from the Provincial Grand Master
PROVINCIAL NEWS
The Provincial Grand Master, R.W. Bro. Peter Kinder, gives his thoughts on the year just gone and looks ahead to 2021 and what it may bring. Much has been said about 2020, and how our lives have been turned upside down as we struggle to retain some form of normality whilst abiding to regulations and keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. By the time you read this article, we would ordinarily have held our annual Provincial Grand Lodge at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester, but as you are well aware, this could not take place as planned. I would usually begin my address by saying what a pleasure it is to welcome so many Brethren and Guests to Provincial Grand Lodge, instead there will have been just six of us when we were able to hold the meeting, most of whom will have doubled up on duties that are not usually theirs. This is the plan as we go to press with this article. This plan is to have myself, the DPGM V.W.Bro. Brian Carruthers, our APGM W.Bro. Andy Green also acting as Senior Warden, and our Provincial Grand Treasurer W.Bro. Adrian Pearce also acting as Junior Warden. W.Bro. Paul Wallace our hardworking Provincial Grand Secretary will be doubling up duties as Pursuivant & Tyler, and our Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies W.Bro. Geoff Searson focussing on the difficult task of being DC with such a small team. My full address has been recorded, which I hope as many Brethren as possible have been able to listen to. As I have said many times in my messages and our bulletins to all Brethren, we will meet again in the way in which we all want our Freemasonry to resume, that is, with full ceremonies and not watered-down affairs, and fully attended Festive Boards. Again, we all hope that it will not be too long before we can achieve this. We all hope that our new Provincial Officers will be able to take up the mantle of their new offices sooner rather than later, we will see what lies before us. It was good to see most of you on our Provincial Zoom meeting we held on
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Thursday 26th November, and once again congratulations to all the new Officers and a big thank you to those who have completed their active duties. I have written to all those standing down from office, and once again would like to thank them for their dedication to the Province. I would like to especially thank our retiring Wardens, W.Bros. Alan Roberts and Mark Hancock, again they have not had a lot to do since March. However, we will arrange some Installation visits for them when we are up and running once again and some Zoom meetings in the meantime. I would like to give special thanks to W.Bro. Tony Stockton who officially retired on 27th November, as Provincial Membership Officer. Tony has pioneered this role and I thank him most sincerely for his dedication to the Office, not an easy one, especially as there was no pattern for imitation. Our most grateful thanks go to you Tony for all you have done and your 100% commitment to the Province. This applies in equal measure to our retiring Training Officer, W.Bro. Rex Hazledine. I am sure that you will all join me in wishing good luck to W.Bros. Mark Thompson-O’Connor & Richard Barnett, who respectively take over those very important roles. When this dreadful Covid19 Pandemic hit us all in March, we set up what is now very well known as the Provincial Comms Team, which consists of Paul Wallace, David Highton, Dale Page, Phil Caswell, Richard Barnett and myself. The dedication, commitment, and sheer hard work that these Brethren contributed on your behalf has been well above and beyond the normal call of duty. Those who have read our bulletins and the many messages we have sent out over the last eight months or so will be very well aware of what has been achieved by these hard working Brethren; my most grateful thanks go to all of them - they have done an incredible job.
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These thanks also apply to the all the members of the Craft Executive Committee, especially our DPGM & APGM Brian and Andy, who have also worked very hard during these most difficult times. I also sincerely thank Nicola Holyoake & her team for the exceptional work they have done in preparing Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester and getting it Covid19 approved for other than Masonic purposes, and much else besides. My full address will of course mention our charitable activities in respect of the 2022 Festival and the LRMCA. Whilst we have been away from our Lodges, Gift Aid Envelopes have remained unused and few of us have had change in our pockets due to credit card transactions, that is if we have been out to use them! Therefore, Brethren we should have saved quite a lot of money! So why not donate to the 2022 Festival via the QR code on page 25 of this publication, or by BACS or Text, the details of both of these methods have been well communicated in our bulletins and, if we are able, also support the LRMCA. Never have these donations been more important. Finally Brethren, please attend your Lodge Zoom Meetings that are taking place on your Lodge meeting dates and keep in close touch with each other. Please remember those Brethren who cannot, or will not, attend these Zoom meetings, please make sure that they are contacted to keep them interested and in touch with what the Lodge and its members are up to. They are likely to be those you are getting on in years, live alone and are therefore the most vulnerable of our members. And please, remember our Masonic widows, especially at this time of year. Take care, keep safe and may God bless and look after you all.
Peter C Kinder,
Provincial Grand Master
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