Staying Connected
15 July 2022
GRAND MASTER’S NEWSLETTER
THIS ISSUE OF THE GRAND MASTER’S NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MASONICARE – PROUDLY HELPING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Here we go Again! We are Back!
W
Brethren: Welcome to my July 2022 Newsletter
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ur Grand Master’s Disaster Relief Appeal is going well, and it will now be needed more than ever.
Due to the severe flooding that has wreaked havoc in the Sydney/North Coast areas I will now extend the Grand Master’s Disaster relief appeal until 1 December 2022. With this in mind, and in order to assist those on the Far North Coast, we will now start distributing a portion of the funds already collected to that area. We will continue to collect donations until December, which will enable us to look after other localised Sydney/Hunter Valley and surrounding area charities as soon as the Appeal closes. I thank you all for the generosity and kindness that you have shown over the past few months, both brethren and
lodges are digging deep and I am truly humbled. I hope that you can continue to assist in some way as we make a real difference to those frontline community assistance groups that have, over the past few weeks and months, directly helped those who are suffering from the recent damaging floods. I encourage your lodge to hold a fundraiser or donate some funds from your charity account so that we can make a real and positive impact throughout these devastated communities. All donations over $2 are tax deductable and no amount is too big or small.
DONATE HERE to the GM’s Disaster Relief Appeal
e have had over 70 installation and special events held since the last Newsletter. All regions and districts have been quite busy and it is great to see NSW and ACT Freemasonry getting back up to speed post pandemic. Over the past few months, the Grand Ceremonial Team and I have been privileged to attend and support some very important and enjoyable masonic events. There were installations at Lodge Kuringai, Queanbeyan and Lodge Horace Thompson Ryde; degree work up at Cessnock; District meetings at Coffs Harbour and Royal Empire; a Debutante Ball at West Wyalong. I was thrilled to present the NSW & ACT Freemasons Community Service award to Mariam Muhammed at the Channel 7 Young Achiever Awards back in May. We were also thrilled to support Most Excellent Companion Robert Drake and the Royal Arch at their recent Convocation where we witnessed the Consecration of their new Chapter Jose Rizal. I was also pleased to officially open the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Right’s Supreme Council Conference that was held here at the Sydney Masonic Centre. Brethren, we are all masons and it is important that we look after each other.
The Grand Master’s Newsletter An official publication of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT.
www.masons.org.au Freemasonsnswact
Please submit your articles and photographs to news@masons.org.au and ensure you have permission from all depicted for their image to be published in United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT publications.
279 Castlereagh Street Sydney PO Box A259 Sydney South NSW 1235 T 02 9284 2800 • F 02 9284 2828
Region 2 Conference
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W Bro Don Pandes RCG 2 recently held a very successful Conference/Training Day at the Orchard Hills Masonic Centre. The day was a great success and was attended by over 150 masons. Congratulations to all involved and I thank them for the privilege of allowing me to officially open the event. It was great to meet so many committed and eager masons and I am sure it was a day that they will remember for a long time.
United Grand Lodge of Queensland
Grand Installation
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he United Grand Lodge of Queensland recently held their Grand Installation and this was the first opportunity since 2019 for brethren from all Australian states and New Zealand to come together as friends to support our brothers from another state. It was a busy weekend culminating with the Grand Installation on Saturday 2 July. I was honoured to have the privilege of leading a very large delegation of NSW & ACT masons into the Queensland Grand Hall. We had brethren in attendance from
Live Streaming Reminder
L Sydney, the ACT, NSW South Coast, NSW Central Coast, Moree and many other areas and I thank all those who were in attendance. Brethren this was a proud day for NSW and ACT Freemasonry!
Please, stay safe and take care of yourselves, your family and your friends. Les Hicks Grand Master Humility – Kindness – Generosity
Freemason, June edition You will have received your June edition of the Freemason magazine, which can also be viewed at FreemasonNSW.com. In this issue: Flooded out; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; The Morning Star II; Jenolan Caves; Rethinking Solomon; Famous masons; Helping the VRA; plus much more. Your Freemason magazine is always looking for interesting articles, masonic news, letters to the editor as well as comments about the magazine. Have your say by emailing freemason@masons.org.au.
ive streaming of our Grand Communications and Grand Installations has now become mainstream. I want us all to be involved in our future direction and, in order for this to happen, communication must play an important role in our future activities. No doubt these newsletters and our Freemason magazine play an important and necessary role but there is so much more to us all being of one company and the live streaming of our special events will play a very important role moving forward. I encourage you all to attend these events and especially help others who may be less active to get involved. Our Grand Communications are held on the second Wednesday in March, June, September and December at 7.30pm and I encourage all members who cannot attend the Grand Communication in person to organise a night at your masonic centre with your peers to watch the event. Make a night of it, have a BBQ or a sit-down meal and just ‘be involved’. From time to time, there are important decisions made at these events, and it is important that we all have background and understanding when any decision is made. For those who cannot get to lodge due to sickness or injury, the Grand Communication can now be watched live at your home on your PC or television and, if you know someone who can’t get to lodge, please assist them in getting set up to watch the event. Brethren, we are all masons and I want you ALL involved; we have some exciting times ahead and I want YOU to be a part of it.
The Grand Master’s Newsletter An official publication of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT.
www.masons.org.au Freemasonsnswact
Please submit your articles and photographs to news@masons.org.au and please ensure you have permission from all mentioned and depicted for their image to be publicly published.
279 Castlereagh Street Sydney PO Box A259 Sydney South NSW 1235 T 02 9284 2800 • F 02 9284 2828