Almoner Seminars

September 2010

Almoner support throughout the year will continue to consist primarily of one-to-one discussion and briefing workshops for new Almoners given by the Provincial Almoner and his six regional ‘Assistants to the Provincial Grand Almoner’. The training comprises practical advice to those coming new to the role, information on how and where to seek further assistance for your clients or in support of your own role, and encouragement to recruit ‘assistants to the almoner’ in every lodge to share the workload and to ensure no-one in need is missed.

Seminar training of more general interest has been provided over the last 3 years by specialists from the RMBI, The Grand Charity, The Masonic Samaritan Fund and, last October at Beaconsfield, by MacMillan Cancer Support. “Talking Confidently” discussed the sensitive problem of talking about cancer with victims and was very well received. The seminar is to be repeated later this month at Aylesbury and in November at Bletchley (see details below)

“Talking Confidently”

Seminar with a Macmillan Cancer Support Nurse

Most of us will interact at sometime during our lives with someone who has cancer as it currently affects one in three people in the UK. For some individuals such interactions can prove daunting for fear of ‘saying the wrong thing’.

Led by a Support Nurse from Macmillan Cancer Support, this seminar will help Lodge Almoners and others who wish to attend, confidently to interact with someone who has recently been diagnosed with cancer or is currently receiving treatment. It was run at Beaconsfield last October and there was a strong feeling that Aylesbury and Bletchley should also host this very lively, interesting meeting. All Masons and their wives/partners are most welcome. Many wives attended at Beaconsfield and they gave the discussion a lot of extra depth.

We are most grateful to Stephen Isherwood, Almoner of St Peter and St Paul’s Lodge for organising this seminar and the accompanying handbook. Dates and venues are:

Wednesday 29^th September 7.30 to 9.15 pm - Aylesbury Masonic Centre

Monday 29^th November 7.30 to 9.15 pm -Bletchley Masonic Centre

Coffee / tea served from 7.0 pm

Please reply to Peter Carey, Provincial Grand Almoner if you would like to be present.