Installation of New Most Excellent Grand Superintendent The New Provincial Grand Superintendent of the Royal Arch Masons of Worcestershire is Excellent Companion Colin Peter Thomas Brown One of the best-known freemaso ns in the Province of Worcestershire, Excellent Companion Brown was formerly an Ass istant Provincial Grand Master for a number of years, and is the present Worshi pful Master of the Worcestershire Insta lled Masters Lodge No. 6889 .
He succeeded Excellent Companion Richard Brian Ward Price as Provincial Grand Superintendent at an Installation Meeting held during the morning of Saturday, 10th. April at Birmingham University. The meeting was presided over by Past Second Grand Principal Jonatha n Spence, the present Right Worshi pful Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. Following his Installation, the Provincial Grand Superintendent appointed E. Comp. Michael George Taylor, PGStB, as Second Provincial Grand Principal, then E. Comp. Michael Dexter Cox, PAGDC, as Third Provincial Grand Principal. Excellent Compa nion Geoffrey Reginald Weston, PGStB, was then appointed Provincial Deputy Gra nd Superintende nt, succeeding E. Comp. Michael Joseph Broome, PGSwdB. The Installation Meeting was followed by luncheon and a well-attended regular meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter.
Excellent Compan ion Geoffrey R. Weston
(L to R) E. Comp. Michael Taylor,E. Comp. Colin Brown, E. Comp. Michael Cox
New Provincial Grand Wardens
Heritage Open Days 2010
The Provincial Grand Master has been pleased to a nnounce
Following
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successes, Freemasons throughout the Province will be enthusiastically tak ing part in this project over the weekend of 9th. - 12th. Septembe r, which is co-ord inated by English Heritage. We are jo ining w ith thousands of other organisations whose premises are of cultural or architectural interest and are and not normally open to the public, by opening our meeting places and welcomi ng non-Masonic visitors.
the appointment of his Provincial Grand Warde ns for the yea r 2010-2011. We extend our warmest congratulations to W.Bro. Keith Evans,who will become Provincial Senior Grand Warden, and W. Bro.Joseph Fahmy Khalil-Marzouk, who will become Provincial Junior Grand Warden. W. Bro. Keith and his w ife, Chris, who celebrate their 42nd. anniversary this year, live in Droitwich and have three children, Martin, Claudette and Richard, a nd seven grandc hildren. Educated at the Bristol Cathedral School,W. Bro. Keith,a Chartered Secreta ry and Chartered Insurance Broker,is a Director of a firm of Insurance Brokers and moved to Droitw ich from the West Count ry 22 yea rs ago. His mother Lodge is Plymouth Hoe No. 4235, and he jo ined Wyche Lodge No. 3638 twenty years ago, becoming WM in 2001. W. Bro. Keith is well known to us in his current office of Provincial Deputy Gra nd Director of Ceremonies, an office he has held since 2008. He is also Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Royal Arch, and an active member of other degrees and orders.
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heritage open days
Visitors wi ll be able to take the opportunity of meeting local Freemasons and members of their families to see for themselves that, Freemasonry is an open, dynamic organisation with members from every walk of life. Last year,9 of our 14 meeting places took part in the Open Days project by holding an open day - it's hoped that more meeting places will participate this year. It's an excellent opportunity to promote a positive profile for Freemasonry among members of the general public, and,each year we gain new members from those who have been enthused by their vis it to our meeting places. VW Bro. Robert Vaughan, our DepPG M and Provincial Information Officer,w ill promulgate details regarding planning meetings shortly. In the meantime, preliminary details may be obta ined from him.
W. Bro. Joseph, who is Lead Thorac ic Surgeon at the University Hospital, Coventry, lives in Solihull, and has been married to Marguerite, who is a Dermatologist, for 28 years. They have two children - Joy Hannah,an accomplished pianist and music teacher,and Philip Emmanuel,a Psychology student and found- er member of the band "Sly Paws". W. Bro. Joseph was born in Cairo and gained a degree in Medicine at the age of 22 from the Ain Shams University,Cairo. Arr iving in the UK in 1982, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons the following year. His spec ial interest is surgery of the airways,and he ha s a surgica l procedure named after him - the "Marzouk Procedure". "GO AND DO THOU LIKEWISE" A PM of Kings Norton Lodge No. 4001,W. Bro. Joseph is a mem ber of a number of other degrees and orders, and is presently ENGLISH MASONIC PROCESSIONS FROM THE 18th TO THE 20th W M of the George Taylor Lodge No. 9819. CENTURIES
Prestonian Lecture
Some Dates for Your Diary
RMTGB Annual General Meeting
Wednesday,2nd. June. Venue: Moseley Masonic Hall
WMCO Annual General Meeting
By W. Bro. Dr.JOHN WADE, PProvJGW (Yorks.WR & Derbys) Sponsored by the Old Bromsgrovian Lodge No. 5743 Dr. Wade will present his lecture at Bromsgrove School on Fri- day 30th. J uly. There will be no
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Thursday,10th. June. Venue: Moseley Masonic Hall
charge for the Lecture but a Festive Board of good quality will be Training in all areas of logistics & transport availab le at a cost LOY/PCY CPC Int/Nat of £20 per head MiDAS & PATs FLT NVQs in the adjacent School Dining Hall after the meeting.
Provincial Grand Lodge Saturday,26th. June. Venue: University of Birmingham
Provincial Cathedral Service Sunday, 11th.July. Venue: Worcester Cathedral
Prestonian Lecture 2009 Bromsgrove School 30th JULY 2010 (see item opposite)
Heritage Open Days 9th., 10th., 11th.,12th. September. (see item opposite)
Ladies Gift Fund Christmas Fayre Saturday,20th. November. Venue: Stirling Road, Edgbaston
Provincial Christmas Carol Service 3pm, Sunday 12th. December. Venue: St. Mary's Church, Old Swinford, Stourbridge
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A forma l summons will be issued in due course. Tea will be available from 5 p.m. and the Meeting called at 5.30 p.m. for a 6p.m. Opening.
ANNOUNCING OUR NEW DR IYER EXPERIENCE DAY
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Skid Car experiences: realistic ice, chase and oil skids Get behind the wheel of a 44tonne tn1ck Segway racing, beat the clock Quad bike dirt track driving
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£844,304 We're well on the way to a Million! With 13 months to go,donations from members of the Masonic Province of Worcestershire in aid of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys total now stands at £844,304 - and thanks to the generosity of our brethren, we are moving steadily towards achieving our minimum target of £1Million by the end of May 2011. 58 Lodges have now achieved at least Subscr iber status, with 3 Lodges and the WMCO Lottery becoming Grand Patrons. League tables showing the per capita achievements of Lodges and Chapters can also be viewed on th.e Provincial Website.
Royal Masonic Trust for Girls & Boys A.G.M. This year our Province has the honour of hosting the Annual General Meeting at Kings Heath at 12 noon on Wednesday 2nd. June. The AGM will be followed by a series of short presentations explaining the work of the RMTGB and the importance to the Trust of the money raised through the Festival Appeal system. Whilst primarily aimed at Lodge and Chapter Charity Stewards, the meeting is open to all Brethren and their wives and partners and our Provincial Grand Master would be pleased to have a good levelof support for what promises to be a very interesting and important event. If you wish to remain for the buffet lunch (£8.50 per person) please register inadvance with the Provincial Office. The Festival Celebration Dinner Friday 3rd June 2011 is only just over a year away and table bookings for the event are coming in at a steady rate. There are still a few rooms left at the Copthorne Hotel but with a special rate of £50 per room to include full English breakfast demand is sure to exceed supply. Booking forms can be downloaded from the Provincial website. With 14 months remaining there is still time to sign a Standing Order, arrange a fundraisi ng social event or at least agree an action plan for your Lodge or Chapter to achieve a higher target. Our Province is well on its way to raising a magnificent sum of money for the RMTGB in 2011 and on behalf of our Provincial Grand Master Ithank you most sincerely for your support so far.
Appeal 2011 Gavels The award of an Appeal 2011 Gavel
to Lodges which donate in excess of £300 per member has been particularly well received, with 16 Lodges having already qualified to receive an inscribed Gavel and a further 18 on Howard Wilson target to qua lify by the end of the Appeal.
Other Masonic Orders We are continuing to receive great support from, in particular the Companions of the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch, who have contributed a total of
nearly £60,000 to date. RA Chapters may also qualify for an Appeal Gavel by donating £100 per member and 4 Chapters have already exceeded this amount.
Appeal 2011 Chairman
MOMENT S IN TIME
ladles e:ive:inlnq photoqraphLJ
Ladies Gift Fund Not to be outdone, our ladies are generating significant sums of money by means of various fundra ising activities. The Ladies Gift Fund for Masonic Charities has so far contributed £12,000 to Appeal 2011and at the recent Spring Lunch our Provincial Grand Master was pleased on behalf of the RMTGB to award Vice Patron status to the Ladies Gift Fund. The Ladies of the Province of Worcestershire have also been very active selling green bags and organising the Ladies Lunch on the day of our Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting and they have so far donated in excess of £5000 to the Appeal.
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Gift Aid The importance of Gift Aid cannot be ignored. So far we have generated an additional £118,179 from this source. That is a huge sum of money ju st by using Gift Aid envelopes or Declaration Forms! Can we make it £150,000 from the Chancellor by June 2011?
The Grand Draw The winning ticket will be drawn at Provincial Grand Lodge on the 26th. June, when one lucky individual will win a new car worth over £7,500! Please sell as many tickets as you can and send the money and counterfoils into the Provincial Office as soon as possible. If you have mislaid your tickets please ask for a further supply in order to make this initiative a success.
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White Ensign Lodge No. 9169 It was a cold and windy October morning when a band of Brothers of White Ensign Lodge No. 9169, with their Ladies, embarked on a coach journey to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas. The party visited the Mem9rial Gardens before attending the Chapel for the Service of Remembrance that takes place at lam each day. ·
The party visited the chapel following the service then moved to the Masonic Memorial Garden where, during our own brief ceremony of remembrance, the Worshipful Master,W. Bro. CPO (MEA) Vaughan Williams, laid an anchor wreath on behalf of the Lodge to those of our comrades who had given their tomorrows so that we could enjoy our todays . The visitors were then able to spot the names at the main memorial of those with whom they had served.
The Provincial Grand Master receives a cheque for £500 toward Apeal 2011 from Mahir Kubba of the Priory Lodge No. 5545
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Father and Son Become Brothers A special event was witnessed at Elgar Lodge No. 92S4 by 62 brethren on the 21st. January when W. Bro. Bernard Callow performed a ceremony of Initiation - and the candidate was his own father! W. Bro. Bernard, 47, is a member of three Worcester lodges Semper Fidelis, Elgar and Catshill. Bernard's father,also a heating engineer, worked on the construction of the Masonic Hall in 19S8 and knew the PGM of the day, Dr. Bunting. Little did he know that more than SO years later he would be attending a meeting as a new-made brother of his yet-to-be-born son!
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or Dudley Council Box Office Castle Street
WAML Vice Chairman Bernard Whiting also presented a cheque to the Trust for £200.00 (pictured at back with red shirt
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The photo above was taken at the Stourport & Kidderminster WAML Group Annual Pantomime for children supported by the Noah's Ark Trust - a local charity that provides support for children who have lost a parent, other relative or someone close. This year's panto, the fourth held at the Masonic Hall, was 'Mother Goose' and some SO children with family members were entertained. Soft drinks and nibbles were provided during the show and the children received a selection box and a Masonic Teddy after the show (we're told that one of the little girls takes her teddy to bed with her every night!).
alongside the actors).
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Individuals then paid their individua l respects at the Royal Navy and Royal Marines area, follow- ing which the Charity Steward, W. Bro. Sgt. Ian Fothergill presented a cheque for £100 to the Arboretum.
Stourport & Kidderminster WAML Pantomime Show
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Pictured above (front, I to r) are W Bro. Bernard Callow, his father, W Bro. Bill Tucker {Worshipful Master) and VW Bro. Robert Vaughan, Deputy Provincial Grand Master.
Forester Lodge Benefits from "Can We Help" Initiative by Worcesters hire Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge On Friday,9th April Forester Lodge No. 7503 hosted a spectacular evening at Kings Heath on the occasion of the Installation of W.Bro Ivan Barton as Master of the Lodge, with an attendance of almost 100 brethren. An appeal was made to the Worcestershi re Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge for support.
The appeal was made after learning of the "Can We Help" initiative offered by the Provincial Stewards Lodge, details of which may be obtained from the Secretary,W. Bro. Ed Baker at secretary@9142.org.uk. Needless to say, the members of the Stewards Lodge duly answered the call from their brethren in need, filled the offices and Installed W.Bro Ivan into the Chair. The occasion was enriched by the presence and support of so many brethren who contributed to the memorable evening, not only for the new Master,but for members of the Lodge themselves, who were grateful to learn of the support availab le to them from the willing and eager members of the Stewards Lodge. The Lodge later balloted for a candidate for Initiation - let's hope that the Forester Lodge now goes from strength to strength. Pictured above are W Bro. Barton (centre) flanked by W Bro. Stuart Edwards, Asst. Provincial Grand Master, Provincial Grand Wardens, W Bro. Howard Wilson (the Master of the Worcestershire Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge), Grand Officers, Provincial Grand Officers and brethren of the lodge.
Priory Lodge No. 5545
Our congratulations go to two brothers who are both members of the Priory Lodge on being awarded the Provincial Grand Masters Certificate for Service to Freemasonry.
They are W. Bro. Malcolm Taylor Baugh, PProvJGW and W. Bro. John Foulkes, PProvSGW.
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Pictured below - Ito r are W.Bro. John Baugh holding the 60 year Certificate he accepted on behalf of his brother W.Bro. Malcolm Baugh, who was Initiated on 7th. December 1949, W. Bro. Colin Young, AsstProvGM and W.Bro. John Foulkes PProvSGW, who was Initiated on the 2nd . December 1959.
Appointments in Brief Our congratulations and thanks go to the following:
3EFORE
£10,000 Donation by Mark Masons
A cheque for £10,000 was presented to Kidderminster Hospital League of Friends chairman, David Wase on the 14th. April by RW Bro. Francis C. Spencer - Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Worcestershire. The money was donated by the Grand Lodge of Mark Masons Benevolent Fund, following a report by RW Bro. Stuart Edwards, Grand Treasurer, that included mention that there had never been a request to consider a donation to a charity based in the Midlands. W. Bro. John McGann, whose daughter Deborah has been successfully treated for breast cancer at the facility, suggested the Millbrook Suite - a highly valued local cancer care centre within Kidderminster Hospital. The donation will be used to provide a rapid transit system that will enable blood samples to be transported efficiently between the Millbrook Suite cancer care facility and other departments. Recent major grants by Mark Masons have included £3 Million to the Osteoporosis Trust, and £1.6 Million to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. A donation of £49,000 was made to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal which provided emergency housing for victims of the disaster.
W. Bro. Michael Guest on his appointment as Grand Supreme Ruler in the Order of the Secret Monitor. W. Bro. Stuart Edwards who will be installed as Inspector General of the District of Staffordshire & Shropshire, A&AR, at a special meeting on 14th. July at Wolverhampton. W.Bro. Stuart Edwards will also be appointed to the Honour and Dignity of Knight Commander of the Temple on the 19th. May. VW Bro. Richard Wallis will be invested as Grand Junior Warden at Mark Grand Lodge on the 8th. June. W. Bro. David Hooker on his appointment as Grand Principal Conductor of the Work in The Order of Royal and Select Masters. W.Bro. Andrew Sweeney will be appointed Assistant Grand Summus in The Order of The Scarlet Cord on its Constitution on 21July. W.Bro. Eric Bourne will succeed W.Bro. Tim Morris as Deputy Provincial Master at the Mark Provincial Grand Lodge on the 12th. June.
What can you give the Mason who has everything?
How a bout a "Masonic" tea towel?! Loosely based on the aprons worn at Lodge meetings, the Irish linen tea towel designed and produced by the Ladies of the Province might encourage their menfolk to help with the washing up! It is available for £5.00 from the Rulers or their wives, the PGL office at Bromsgrove or by post from Helena Goddard with a 75p postage and packing charge. (Cheques payable to P.G.L. of Worcestershire) All profits will go to the RMTGB Appeal 2011. Our ladies are generating significant sums of money by various fundraising activities. The Ladies Gift Fund for Masonic Charities has so far contributed £12,000 to Appeal 2011 and at the recent Spring Lunch our Provincial Grand Master was pleased on behalf of the RMTGB to award Vice Patron status to the Ladies Gift Fund.
W.Bro.Raymond Rooke pictured presenting the Provincial Grand Master's Certificates for Service to Freemasonry at King's Heath on the 4th. February. The recipients were (left) W. Bro Dyson Smith Richards (SO yrs.) of Pro Patria Lodge, and W. Bro. Trevor Harris (60 yrs.) of Lechmere Volunteers odge.
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Our Ladies of the Province of Worcestershire have also been very active selling green bags and organising the Ladies Lunch on the day of our PGL Meeting and they have so far donated in excess of £5000 to the Appeal.
Worcestersh ire Masonic Web Master and Internet Group The group exists to assist those who would like to gain a presence on the worldw ide web and joi n the ever-growing online Masonic community.
Experience gained by the Group has shown that websites help facilitate communications within a Lodge, and provide information and contact details for Masons, and those keen to find out more about the Craft. Several Lodges have gained members since their webs ite was published, as Masons relocating to Worcestershi re, and others, have used the internet to find a local Lodge. You are welcome to attend the Group's regular meetings at Northfield Masonic Hall. Our aim is to promote the use of the internet within Worcestershire Lodges and to act as a forum, providing help and assistance when required. Details of our meetings are published on the Provincial website. Professiona l l.T. Consultant and website developer Bro. Alan Trow-Poole spoke recently about the highly professional-looking Page Lodge website (www.pagelodge.org) and will be providing further expert advice. For further details, please contat the Secretary, Bro. Mark Lodge (mark@depmod.net)
Appeal 2011Profits from eBay Sales W. Bro. Rick Abbotts has devised a novel way of raising money
for Appeal 2011. He is selling items in new or good,used condition donated by members of the Province via web auction site eBay - with virtually all proceeds going to the Appeal,and the a mount received by Province will be credited in your name and lodge name to your donation total. It's a great idea! Just contact Rick on 0121445 5894 or 07795 567867,or email him at pgl@richa rdabbotts.co.uk.
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How to Become a Freemason If you are not a Freemason and feel that you would like to know more, perhaps about becoming a Freemason yourself,our website has a webpage at www.worcestershi repgl.org.uk that provides more details and an online form to register your interest. You'll find us to be a very open organisation and we'll be delighted to answer fully any questions you may have.
Donna Louise Childrens Hospice
The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine is one of the Three Great Pillars of Christian Masonry,and they have a spec ial fund, The Millennium Fund, which exists primarily to support Children's Hospitals and Hospices in particular. WorcesElgar Lodge Members and Wives tershire's own Assistant P.G.M. Colin Visit Celtic Lodge in Brittany Young is the lntenSix stalwarts from Elgar Lodge, accompanied by 5 spouses, en- dent Genera l joyed a visit to Celtic Lodge, which meets in a local auberge at of The West Vendel, Brittany. Having received a warm and fraternal wel- Midlands Division, come, they had the pleasure of watchi ng the WM and his team and, sup- ported by Pass Alex, the Lodge Secretary's son. As this was a family affair, his Dep- uty, Charles Alex's Godfa- Gwynn and six other ther and Dad mem- bers of the both assisted Order, recently '- • in the cere· presented a cheque mony, with his for £2,500 to Trish Grandad Den- Curtis, the Trust and Grants Officer of the DonColin Young presents a cheque for £2,500 to nis, a Grand na Louise Children's Trish Curtis, Trust and Grants Officer for the Officer, giving Hospice in North Donna Louise Children's Hospice a marvellous Staffordshire. This rendition of Hospice has to raise the extended £2 million per year to keep it running, and members of the St 2nd. Degree Chad Conclave in Stafford responded with enthusiasm to their Tracing Board. plea. Further information about the hospice can be found at Fortunately,the ceremony was conducted in English, following w ww.don nalouisetrust.org. which our hosts packed their travelling lodge away, and the temple reverted to its usual function of a dining room. Joined A Story Teller's Chair for Bray's by our ladies, we returned to Vendel to enjoy the excellent festive board. The next morning, we decamped to Bayeaux to Fellowship Lodge No. 6707 has celebrated the 60th. Anniverview the Cathedral and Tapestry, before driving to Creully, to sary of the Lodge by donating a unique gift to the Bray's Special an excellent auberge booked by the Provincial Motoring Club School, Sheldon, Birmingham. The Worshi pful Master,W. Bro. Events Secretary. Another evening of fine dining ensued, fol- Mike Derry decided to support the school,which teaches 80 stulowed by a pre-dawn start, returning to Worcester by 4pm. We dents between the ages of 2-11who have physical handicaps. now hope Celtic Brethren will visit Rainbow Hill. The teacher in charge, Mr. Mike Scott, said that he felt that a Story Teller's Chair and a theme room to provide sensory stimulation for the children would be welcome. The Lodge duly purchased a handmade chair from a maker in Wales at a cost of £270, and raised a fur- ther £730 which was used to create a theme room based on the four seasons. Further donations have made it possible to finance the purchase of a sound system for the children.
Boxing Night Why not enjoy an evening of Boxing with friends {as a spectator, of course !). Kingswinford Country Club,Wall Heath, Kingswinford is the venue for a super evening of Boxing entertainment on Tuesday,30th. November 2010. Tickets are available from Vic Southan at £35, and the proceeds will be donated to the RMTGB Appeal 2011.
Grand Portrait Draw Result The Portrait Draw was organised by Cyfrinfa Dewi Sant to raise money for the RMTGB Appeal 2011. The Draw was held at the St. David's Day meeting of the Lodge,and the lucky winner was W. Bro. Ed Baker,who will now be painted by W. Bro. Graeme Collins. The event raised approximately £500.
Published by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire, 94 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs.861ODF. © 2010 Editor: Mike Murphy: 01299 822960: Email .source@seve rn7.co.uk Media and Press Relations Officer :Graeme Collins: 01562 74 1777 :Email·news@momentsintime .co.uk
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Please forward allsubm issions for the Nemletter to the News Editor:N ick Appleton: 01905 841475 :Ema il ·oldedwardian6141@btinternet.com
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