Provincial News
- Written by: John Fergusson
The Province has recently enjoyed a very successful annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge along with a similarly successful and enjoyable Past Rank Promotions’ meeting at Three Counties Lodge both of which were very well attended by Brethren from across the Province.
At the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting, our Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, was delighted to appoint W Bro Martin Dimmock as Provincial Senior Grand Warden and W Bro David Butt as Provincial Junior Grand Warden and took the opportunity to thank W Bro Neil Sheppard and W Bro Chris Mullen, the outgoing Provincial Senior Grand Warden and Provincial Junior Grand Warden, for their support during a very successful year. The Provincial Grand Master then proceeded to appoint other Brethren receiving acting or first appointments to Provincial Grand Rank. The meeting was honoured with the presence of RW Bro His Honour, Richard Hone, QC, President of the Masonic Charitable Foundation who was invited by the Provincial Grand Master to address the meeting. He delivered and most informative and enlightening address on the work of the MCF.
The Three Counties Past Rank Promotions’ meeting was a great success and many Brethren who are the backbone of both their Lodges and the Province were honoured with Past Provincial Grand Rank promotions. During the course of the meeting, VW Bro James Newman, Deputy President of the Masonic Charitable Foundation was declared Master Elect of the Three Counties Lodge.
Our Provincial Grand Master addressed both meetings and updated Brethren on many matters and wished all a very enjoyable Summer. You can read his address in full by clicking here.
- Written by: Simon Key
An online public vote is to be held between the 12th of June and 31st of July 2017 to decide which local charities within the Masonic Province of Northants & Hunts will receive up to £25,000 each, as part of Freemasonry’s 300th anniversary celebrations.
Freemasons have nominated six good causes to receive the Province’s share of a special £3 million Community Awards Tercentenary Fund.
The charities that the Province has selected for the public vote are:
- Peterborough and District Riding for the Disabled
- Carers Sitter Service - Stamford
- Northampton Mencap
- Crazy Hats Breast Cancer Appeal - Northamptonshire
- The Acorn Cancer Support Group - Huntingdon
- DACT - Daventry
Anyone who wishes to vote for one of the nominated charities should visit mcf.org.uk/vote, select the Masonic Province of Northants and Hunts page and vote for the charity of their choice. All the nominated charities are guaranteed to receive a grant, but the public vote will determine the amount from £4,000 up to £25,000.
The £3 million fund, which is being distributed to mark the 300th anniversary of the formation of the first Grand Lodge in 1717, is being administered by the Masonic Charitable Foundation and will be distributed to 300 charities across the country.
The Masonic Charitable Foundation receives all of its funding from Freemasons and their families. It is estimated that half of Freemasonry’s total charitable expenditure of over £33m goes to charities that help people in communities across the country.
In relation to the vote, the Northants and Hunts Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, said -
We are delighted to be able to invite the whole community to join our 300th anniversary celebrations by helping us to decide which of these excellent local charities should receive the highest award. Every vote counts, so I encourage everyone from the Northants & Hunts Province to visit the website and take part.
- Written by: John Fergusson
After attending the Annual Convocation of the Royal Arch Province of Lincolnshire at the Lincolnshire Showground on the morning of 10th May 2017, our Grand Superintendent, E Comp Wayne Williams, accompanied by the Provincial Grand Scribe E, E Comp David Brown, continued their travels towards St Ives for the evening Convocation of St Ivo Chapter.
In addition to a fine exaltation ceremony during which Companion Mike Osborne was welcomed and introduced to the Supreme Degree, the occasion was a well-planned opportunity to present a Jubilee Certificate marking 50 years in Royal Arch Masonry to E Comp Vic Bashford, PPrGScN at the spritely age of 96 years. The Grand Superintendent recalled the occasion of our own Provincial Convocation in June 2013 when it was his pleasure to present to E Comp Vic his “Certificate for Meritorious Service” to recognise his exemplary service to the Royal Arch in this Province in two of our Chapters (St Ivo and Ailwyn) and in which he had served as ME Zerubbabel on two occasions in both as well as MEZ in our First Principals’ Chapter in 2004. E Comp Vic has held the Provincial Rank of PPrGScN for some 25 years - a seasoned campaigner in every sense of the word and a stalwart for the Royal Arch in this Province, having held one senior Chapter office or another consecutively for no less than 31 years. 
During the presentation, the Grand Superintendent also referred to E Comp Vic’s wartime service in the Royal Air Force when he served on the very first of the dreaded Russian North Atlantic convoys in 1941, escorting Hurricane aircraft parts to the Russians as part of the allied war effort. For such courage and bravery, the Veterans were rightly awarded, over time, the Russian Ushakov Medal and, more latterly, the newly minted Arctic Star medal by way of formal British recognition.
E Comp Vic responded in such modest terms expressing his appreciation to all concerned and one who, over the years, has rightly earned the respect and admiration of us all.
