It has been a great pleasure for me to invest all of the brethren that received their honours today, many congratulations, they were well earned. I encourage those with active rank to attend as many lodge installations as they find possible. They will gain a great knowledge of our Province and be rewarded with many new friendships. I thank last year’s officers who are now standing down; I hope you have had a happy and rewarding year. I particularly congratulate our two wardens W. Bro. Oliver and W. Bro. Quick for carrying out their duties in a dedicated and exemplary manner.
Whilst I am on the subject of appointments I take great pleasure in announcing the first appointments to grand rank and promotions.
The following brethren will be invested in London on the 29 April:
First Appointments
- Dr. Richard Ebrey AGStdB (active rank)
- Craig Cox PAGDC
- John Sevieri PAGDC
- Brian Adams PAGStdB
- Brian Haywood PAGStdB
- Gary Peard PAGStdB
Promotions
- John Winston DepPGM of Sommerset to PGSwdB (very worshipful)
- George Rodgers PSGD
- Jim Rowe PJGD
- Bill Richardson PAGDC
I congratulate all those brethren and wish them a very happy day in Grand Lodge and brethren I am sure you wish to do the same.
All key initiatives that are essential for assisting in helping to run a successful Province are now well established. Mentoring, Recruitment, Retrieval, Freemasonry Cares, Information and Social Media, Orations and the Armada Club for new members of the Order. The formation of the ‘Armada Club’ to attract new members to meet socially with wives, partners and friends has been a tremendous success and I thank all those who have put a great deal of effort into establishing and running ‘The Club’. I most especially thank W. Bro. Colin Gale, for overseeing this project, which under his guidance will spread throughout our Province.
A direct link to the Club is the care we have taken in looking after our initiates, along with their partners and wives they are invited to initiates evenings and also encouraged to join in organised group visits to other Lodges. I thank W. Bro. George Rodgers for his input into this area. I would also like to thank W. Bro. George for the gift of refurbishing the Provincial Grand Lodge, PGM’s chair and the two Wardens chairs a superb piece of workmanship, thank you.
Although it is a well established I think we should all remind ourselves of the great success of the ‘teddies for loving care’ scheme. Over 31,000 teddies have been distributed and that’s down to the hard work of W. Bro. John Addcock and his team of helpers and your personal generosity, Brethren.
It cannot pass without stating how grateful we all are to the team that organise the Devonshire Masons Year Book headed up by our Information Officer W. Bro. Peter Keaty. We have introduced a new method of correlating all Lodge records that go into the book. The backroom team of: W. Bro. Jack Parnell, the Editor and W. Bro. John Smerdon have worked so hard to establishing the new system. I know they would want me to mention that the cooperation of Lodge Secretaries, in keeping them up to date is essential. A big thank you to all those who advertised in the book and likewise to the sales team headed up by W. Bro. Phil Ratcliff, for convincing them, that they should.
We should all be very grateful for the splendid job that W. Bro Peter Keaty is doing with Social Media; I know he would want me to thank the assistance he gets from Bro. Paul O’Connell and our web-site manager W. Bro. Martin Heskins.
There are many brethren that work tirelessly to run all these essential initiatives and members of my executive that oversee them.
There are many unsung heroes who go about their duties within our order, in a true Masonic manner, not looking for praise; I take this opportunity to thank all of you.
I can only encourage the Brethren of this Province to support and use the guidance of these initiatives in their own Lodges.
I am also confident that all Lodges in the Province know where to seek assistance if required.
I am very proud of our close relationship with the other Orders in our Province, our obvious close links with the Holy Royal Arch and Mark Degree. You may not be aware that all Heads of Orders, most who are present today, meet twice a year, which I am extremely appreciative of. Thank you to all our Heads of Orders.
It was tremendously uplifting to lead the procession of Brethren in full regalia at the Lord Mayor’s Parade last year in Plymouth, as you well know we have not paraded for many years. It is our intention to maintain this type of practice thereby increasing public awareness as well as trust within our local community. I am grateful to all those who took part and helped display our openness to society in general.
It is also noticeable that we are gaining a greater coverage by the local press for our charity cheque presentations. I am hoping it will become common practice for all Lodges to remember to invite the press when they make local presentations to charity and to use social media to advertise their good works.
As a Province we have been indebted to W. Bro. Jeff Bailey who has now stood down as Press Officer. He worked tirelessly and efficiently in that capacity. We wish W. Bro. Clive Eden who takes over that role every success. At this juncture I know Clive would want me to remind you of the Garden Party to be held at Ugbrooke House on Sunday 21 June for family and friends and especially children. Once again, the importance of remembering our Brethren who made the supreme sacrifice in past conflicts, I wish to thank all those who took part in the Remembrance Day Parades and services, throughout the Province.
The Royal British Legion continues to serve us well in supplying the wreaths with the square and compass as the centre piece.
Brethren we are now accepted as part of the official wreath laying party at the Exeter Cathedral service and of course your family and friends are welcome to that service. Brethren although the idea of a Masonic Centre has not as yet transpired I still have a team investigating all possibilities, throughout the Province. If nothing else I am delighted that it has inspired many Lodge Management Committees to take a closer look at their situation and running costs. Our buildings are an essential part of our future and one of the first impressions that a new member and his family will have of our Order.
The Carol Service at Exeter Cathedral was a total success and from the feedback I am receiving, enjoyed by all who attended. Toni, myself and all the Executive found it very moving and uplifting, a wonderful way to start Christmas.
My thanks go out to all who attended but to one very special person W. Bro. Dr. Adrian Rogers who worked so hard, with his team, for many months to make it a day to remember. This year it will be at St. Andrews Church in Plymouth on Sunday 13 December and the Bishop of Plymouth Rt. Rev. Neil Mc Kinall will be in attendance.
We were very saddened that W. Bro. Richard Speed stood down from office and I thank him on your behalf for the excellent service that he has given the Province over the past years. I know after a well earned rest he will want to help us in whatever way he can.
I am sure you will all join with me in welcoming W. Bro. Chris Yard as our new APGM. Chris needs no introduction and it gave me great pleasure to invest him in Unity Lodge No. 1332 Crediton on the 18 December last year we wish him, every happiness and great success, in his well deserved future role. My words are not sufficient enough to thank him for the exemplary way he carried out his role as Provincial Grand Secretary.
It will come as no surprise that I have been delighted to appoint W. Bro. Richard Ebrey as our Provincial Grand Secretary. Richard has worked for many years as Assistant Secretary and now looks forward to not having to make the coffee.
Brethren we owe a debt of gratitude to our Provincial Grand Treasurer, W. Bro. Craig Cox, for the very skilful way he manages our funds and the guidance that he gives us, for our future financial stability. Thank you, Craig.
The Provincial Benevolent Committee has been required to make adjustments, in the way it operates, to comply with current legislation and the Charity Commission.
My thanks go to the Chairman of that committee V.W. Bro. Nick Ball for overseeing those changes and to W. Bro. Charles Dowell for the legal work involved and of course to our hard working Provincial Charity Steward, W. Bro. Barry White.
My grateful thanks go, to three of the members of that committee who have stood down from office, W. Bros. John Shepherd, Bill Daw and Peter Lee. My very grateful thanks also go to V.W. Bro. Nick Ball, for his good advice and support as my Deputy.
The year 2017 will be the celebration of 300 years of Freemasonry in this country. Grand Lodge will be organising a function in London but also request that we celebrate in our own Provinces.
To this end I have set up the ‘300 Committee’, headed up by W. Bro. Andy Vodden, they are doing a splendid job of organising the celebrations for Devonshire. I know they would welcome any ideas that you wish to put forward.
Brethren we enter into a new year soon, and I have every confidence that this Province is on the right track. Why brethren? Because when I and the Executive travel the Province we experience the positive vibes of happiness and harmony from all of you; and long may that last. I am delighted to inform you that up to the year end 2014 we showed a slight increase in membership.
We have consecrated a new Lodge called the ‘Lodge of Construction No. 9892 meeting at Uffculme, whom we obviously wish every success. There is also a great possibility of another Lodge being formed in the West of the Province and that is partly due to an excess of candidates in that area. Brethren we are strong, we maintain a strong foundation, and we do our best to apply a modern approach to gaining membership but at the same time uphold our standards and traditions.
I have only one set of brethren to thank for that and that’s all of you. I salute you and look forward to a great future together.
God bless you all and please have a safe journey home.
Rt. W.Bro. Ian Kingsbury
Provincial Grand Master Devonshire