Executive Focus

July 2012

The past few months have proved to be another very busy period for the Province with numerous functions and projects taking place, many of which are covered within this issue, and I would like to thank you all once again for your hard work and dedication.

I have to mention in particular the Diamond Jubilee Family Fun Day at Fawley Hill and the Friends of the RMBI Ball, both of which were an outstanding success and culminated in the amount of money raised being far above expectations. A huge thank you has to go to all those who organised and supported these events and we can all be proud of the results achieved.

Buckinghamshire Freemasonry continues to have great success with the local media and we continue to deliver effective and interesting articles which are regularly snapped up and used by editors. The front cover of this magazine is an excellent example of what can be produced and this picture was an instant success with local newspapers. Our media team work very hard to produce these results and I have requested that they put together a short presentation to explain the methods and tactics which bring results. This will be titled “Media Strategy and Presentation” and will be delivered at the Provincial Grand Officer Club meetings on Thursday, 6th September in Aylesbury and Monday, 17th September at Beaconsfield. I encourage you to attend where you will learn the requirements needed to engage effectively with our media team.

On a similar subject I have to report that John Jackson, our Provincial Information Officer and editor of Concord, has decided to stand down. He has given great service to this Province over many years and will be sadly missed. The editorial role will now be taken on by Sue Dorman and the announcement of a successor to John as Provincial Information Officer will be made at the two PGO Club meetings to be held in September.

Lastly, I wish to remind you of the excellent Masonic Housing Association complex, Prebendal Close in Aylesbury (featured in the Winter 2011 edition of Concord). Frances and I were very lucky to be invited to the AGM in July where we were able to meet residents, staff and the house committee. This truly is a wonderful housing scheme and one we can be proud to be associated within Buckinghamshire. For those who have not visited or know very little about it, I recommend a visit; it is certainly a worthy cause and one which all Buckinghamshire Lodges should consider supporting. My thanks go to Margaret Farrow (Warden) and the staff for their excellent work, along with Geoff Smith (Chairman) and the committee, for their voluntary efforts.

Have a good August break and I hope to see many of you later in the year, particularly at the Provincial Meeting, the booking form for which was sent out with Concord.