PGM's Focus (December 2006)
PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER’S FOCUS
On the 23rd October 2006 Horatio Nelson Hall was invested as our new Deputy Provincial Grand Master and judging by both the reception he received when entering Grand Lodge to be invested and also at the Festive Board his appointment certainly meets with great approval.
Of course Nelson brings considerable experience to the Executive and I am delighted that he agreed to join the team. While Nelson will strive to retain our Masonic traditions and standards, and rightly so, he fully recognises that in this fast moving world we must of necessity identify the needs of ‘modern man’ and move slowly but purposefully to meeting them if we are to continue our long and historic success. Equally it must be said that he also brings other vital ingredient to the team, he has a great ability to ‘communicate happiness’ and seeks to have fun while operating in a totally professional manner.
Nelsons responsibilities will be to manage the continued success of the Buckinghamshire Masonic Benevolent Fund which takes care of needy Freemasons and the Buckinghamshire Masonic Centenary Fund which has provided in excess of £500,000 of assistance to the Community in the past 15 years. He will also be responsible for our Provincial Honours System which collects information from Lodges that relates to their recommendations for annual Appointments and Promotions. Perhaps Nelson’s biggest challenge will be to ‘keep me in line’, that will be fun.
I was delighted that some 800 of our brethren and distinguished guests attended what many described as an outstanding Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting. At that meeting I announced that we shall have three major objectives during the coming year, they being:
- To increase the number of brethren contributing to our 2010 Festival via gift aid from 19% in year one to 38% in year two.
- To achieve the key tasks relating to each of our project groups as we implement our Vision Drivers for the future.
- To increase the number of new initiates by at least 30% in the coming year.
It is only with your enthusiasm, enlightened and creative thinking and involvement that we can achieve our objectives, enrich our great traditions, create stronger lodges, enhance our self development and family commitment and put Freemasonry back at the forefront of our communities as the fraternity that really cares for and about people.
By the time you read this web update Christmas will be over and we shall be celebrating the New Year. If you have not yet set your New Year Resolutions perhaps you would consider one or both of the following:
- For those not yet supporting our 2010 Festival Appeal – I pray that I am never in desperate need and in the meantime pledge to give in order that our great charities can help those that are.
- For every member of the Province - Within the next year I will seek to identify and introduce one suitable person for initiation into the craft.
May you enjoy your Masonry in 2007, above all, ‘communicate happiness’ to all within your circle and let us all go out and ‘prove to the world the happy and beneficial effect of our ancient society’.
Ray Reed