PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER'S VIEW

Provincial Grand Lodge 2010

Our Director of Ceremonies, Tim Henderson-Ross, and his team of assistants, together with the Provincial Stewards distinctive in their red aprons, provided a dignified procession and an impressive background for me to appoint my officers for the ensuring year and to promote others for their service in recent years. I hope the active officers will enjoy a year of meetings and events around the Province. They should feel proud that their selection comes from the recommendation of their peers.

I was so pleased to see well over 500 Brethren, together with visitors from 24 other Provinces and Orders and even four who came over from Washington State.

I am especially grateful to my Deputy, Colin Bendon, and Assistants Gordon Cole and John Thurston, as well as the Provincial Secretary, John Gillo, for their support and pleased to reappoint them for another year.

My Provincial Wardens, Max Hart and Derek Gunningham, thoroughly deserve their high rank and I am sure they will enjoy representing me at some of the 80 Installation Meetings and other celebrations in the following year.

My Sword Bearer and Superintendent of Works, Barry and Geoff Watkins, seem to have been a Forest of Dean takeover!

Roger Dakin, our Almoner, has had a busy year, helping not only our Brethren and families who have needed assistance, but other needy individuals and charities in Gloucestershire. In the latter connection I am so pleased that our charitable endowment fund, which will be used for the benefit of all residents and charities in the Province (County of Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and parts of Bristol) has reached the magnificent sum of £630,000 in just two years.

As you are aware, we have been working with Gloucestershire Community Foundation Trust and formed a Grassroots Fund in which the Government has matched your own contributions. When this fund reaches £1m we should be able to distribute £50,000 a year to Gloucestershire charities for many years to come. I am grateful to you all, especially the Charity Fundraising team, for making a real contribution to the county of Gloucestershire. I was pleased to announce that we have been able to purchase an additional flat, thus bringing the total to 14, nine in Gloucester and four in Bristol. Our surpluses have been enhanced by the selfless and professional support provided by Dick Blakemore, John Whiteford and John Winfield, under the Stewardship of my Assistant PGM, Gordon Cole.

Brethren, we all know that Freemasonry cares, but I recognise that those who do not know us well may still not realise what and how much we do. The time when we were told not to tell others we were Masons has long passed. People will talk to you - be proud to tell them what we do. 

I am sure that those present all enjoyed the excellent facilities that have enabled so many of you to meet here and nearly 250 to have luncheon, and would wish me to thank the Governors and staff of Wycliffe College for allowing us to use their almost unique Gloucestershire facility whilst the school is on half-term.

Finally I should like to pay tribute to the tremendous support I receive - not just from Angela, my wife, but from all of my family.

I know that the same is true for many brethren who, with support from their wives and families are able to contribute so much, not just to Freemasonry but also to other activities for the benefit of their communities. This is the true spirit of Freemasonry in action - it is catching by those who love and admire us and the principles by which we live. Please take home to your wives and families my sincere thanks for all that they do to support you in your fine work.

In order to survive any organisation has to continue to change and evolve. Thanks to your efforts we now have:

-          more initiates than ever before

-          more relaxed lines of communication, internal and external and

-          a happy atmosphere of enjoyment right across the Province

Freemasonry in Gloucestershire is alive and well and I am sure that we can all look forward with confidence to a successful and interesting future.

Adrian Davies JP

Provincial Grand Master