What it means to be a member of the Royal Black Institution Councillor David Taylor

I have been a member of the Royal Black Institution since I was 18. To qualify for admission you have to be a member of the Loyal Orange Order. My Preceptory, Olive Branch RBP 348, meets in Sheepbridge Orange Hall. I am also Chaplain for this Orange Lodge, but at District and County level it is regularly a common occurrence that an ordained Minister assumes this role.

The Royal Black Institution has a strong Christian ethos and members have to attend eleven lectures which are based on Scriptures from the Holy Bible. This is designed to teach members the learnings of the Bible and encourage them to live their lives according to Scripture. There is no set time in which the lectures have to be completed, but you are encouraged to undertake them in as short a period of time as work and other commitments dictate.

Membership of the Preceptory plays a considerable role in my life as it is a very active organisation and meetings take place on a monthly basis. The internal structures are usually based on an officer team of five, which include the Worshipful Master, Deputy Master, Chaplain, Treasurer and Secretary. The Olive Branch Preceptory is part of Newry Royal Black District Chapter No. 4. District meetings occur on a quarterly basis and deal with general business relating to the ten Preceptories from Newry City, Bessbrook and Warrenpoint who are members of this District. Newry No. 4 is a member of County Down Royal Black Chapter which meets on a half yearly basis in various venues across County Down and holds regular events.

My Preceptory attends three main parades each year; the Scarva Demonstration on the 13th July, the last Saturday in August and our District Church parade and service which takes place one day after the last Saturday Demonstration in August. We are accompanied by the Hunter Moore Memorial Flute Band, and have had a long association with this Band.

In 2011 the Newry Royal Black District Chapter hosted the last Saturday Demonstration. Each year the host district is given a sum of money raised on that day to donate to local charities. Newry was given £3,000, which we donated to three charities; to Newry Hospice, a local cancer charity and to the local RIR Association, as one of our members was killed whilst serving in Afghanistan. At a local level many Preceptories run functions to raise funds for charitable organisations.

Newry Soroptimist Fashion Show, Newry, 1961

Courtesy of Soroptimist International Newry and Mourne Fundraising for various charities has been an important role of the Soroptimists. In the early years of the Newry branch there were strong links with the Samaritans and fashion shows were a popular form of fundraising for this charity.