A great day at the Provincial AGM yesterday which was very well attended and congratulations to Wbro Alan Bell on being reappointed to the rank of ProvDepGDC and Wbro Stuart McBean to the rank of ProvAGDC.
The Provincial Grand Secretary reported that 5 lodges will have closed by the end of the year and that despite 103 initiates there had been a reduction in membership of around 2.4%. The annual dues to Province will remain at £14 for 2017.
A special field promotion of PProvSGW was given to WBro Bill Doherty of Holy Stone Lodge No.6171. Bill is 94 and received the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur – the highest decoration in France – from the French Government this year and was proudly wearing his campaign medals along with The Legion D’ Honneur. This is France’s highest distinction and on average 10 British nationals per year receive The Legion D’ Honneur. WBro Doherty is a D-Day veteran and the French Government since 2014 have been honouring & thanking those who fought & risked their lives to secure France’s liberation during WW2.
After over 70 first appointments and 88 promotions, VW Bro James Newman of the Masonic Charity Foundation talked about the MCF and was given £250,000 by the RWPGM.
In his address, the RWPGM talked about the Tercentenary celebrations in the Province. He also admonished some unnamed lodges for not raising enough for charity and urged their charity stewards to do more.
A special mention to our Senior Warden Bro Dr. Chris on his outstanding effort selling Tercentenary celebration lapel pins before the AGM.
Next years meeting will be held at the same place on Wednesday 29th November 2017.
Keep checking back for the latest for Lodge Temperance 2557.
