Wednesday 4th December 2024 – Uxbridge Masonic Centre
The meeting was hosted by Prince Michael of Kent Lodge, No. 1720, who conducted their Installation Meeting in which W. Bro. Michael Hillman P.G.St.B. P.Prov.G.J.W was Installed as WM by acting Installing Master, V.W.Bro. Michael J. Flint, P.G.J.D. P.Prov.G.S.W.
Once the WM had appointed and invested his Officers for the forthcoming year, the Lodge was Called Off and the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Peter J Hyde accompanied by a retinue of Provincial Grand Officers processed into the Temple and Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in due form.
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. Darrel P Palmer P.G.J.D. then presented the In Memoriam for those Brethren who had passed to the Grand Lodge Above during the year, following which the assembled Brethren stood to Order as a mark of respect to the departed Brethren.
Due to his absence from the Annual General Meeting Part 1 on 30th October 2024, W.Bro. Andrew P Elliott P.A.G.Swd.B. was then presented and duly Invested as Assistant Provincial Grand Master.
The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master then proceeded to appoint and invest the Recipients of 1st Appointment as Provincial Grand Officers, as well as those receiving Promotions. He also invested those Recipients of Active Office that were unable to attend the AGM Part 1.
R.W. Bro Peter then addressed the Provincial Assembly and opened by apologising for the brevity of his Address at the October Meeting, which was due to time constraints imposed by the Grand Lodge team, so he intended to make the most of this opportunity !
The main focus for him was Retention and Recruitment. It was important that we retain the existing membership and ensure that being a member of the Mark in Middlesex was an enjoyable experience for all and that Members would look forward to attending their Lodge meetings and support not only their own Lodges, but also attend other meetings to increase attendance, which always makes for a more enjoyable meeting and Festive Board.
He was looking to increase the number of social events to which not only members, but also their families and non Mark Masons would be encouraged to attend, in order to enjoy the camadarie of the Order, which in turn would assist with recruitment.
To this end a Burns Night Supper White Table event was being organised for Saturday 18th January at Uxbridge and plans were also in hand to look at orgainisng the return of the very successful Weekender events.
He was aware that a number of members had been impacted by the recent expansion of the ULEZ charge, which added to the cost of their meetings and he has therefore found a suitable venue outside of the charge zone which could host a Lodge Meeting, which would be held on a Saturday morning and would be followed by the fish and chip lunch, in order to keep dining costs to a minimum.
Following the success of Special Interest Lodges, such as the Armed Forces and George Parker for golfers, R.W. Bro Peter was actively looking at creating a rugby Lodge based at Twickenham which, would meet on a Saturday morning, followed by a Festive Board watching a game on one of the TV screens at Cole Court.
Any other ideas for Special Interest Lodges would be most welcome as a means to regenerating failing Lodges.
Turning to Recruitment R.W. Bro Peter highlighted that the initiatives he had just outlined would hopefully encourage Members to reach out to their friends in Lodges and Chapters who were yet to join the Mark and invite them to become a member of the “Friendly Degree”.
A personal approach was more likely to have greater success than any marketing activity undertaken by the Province.
If all those attending the Meeting could recruit just one Member during the year, then there would be a signifcant increase in the membership in the Province, leading to healthier Lodges for all concerned.
With regard to the venue for the 2025 Annual General Meeting, whilst the Twickenham event had been a great success thanks to the Cole Court staff, there were too many variables to guarantee that a similar event next year would be same success, therefore, the Meeting would return to the Girls School at Rickmansworth, possibly on a Saturday morning, but this was yet to be confirmed.
The Provincial Grand Master concluded by thanking Prince Michael of Kent Lodge for hosting the Provincial Meeting, all those attending, especially those who work behind the scenes who make such events possible and the great success the day had been, finally congratulating those he had had the pleasure of Appointing and Investing that afternoon.
Provincial Grand Lodge was then Closed in due form and the Provincial Grand Master accompanied by Members of the Provincial Executive and Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge, retired in procession.
The Prince Michael of Kent Lodge Installation Meeting was then Called On with the usual reports and then Closed in due form and the attendees retired to the bar for refreshments until it was time for the Festive Board, which took on a Festive theme, as evidence by the photographs below.
