Provincial Grand Lodge

Saturday 1st April 2023

Brethren, I am delighted to address you here at Provincial Grand Lodge this afternoon, my first full Provincial meeting as your Provincial Grand Master. As I said at my Installation in November, we are in exciting and challenging times, and I thank you all for your work and support and commitment.

I have already introduced to you, individually, our distinguished guests, many of whom have travelled considerable distances to be with us today.

I am very grateful to all of them for the support they have given to our Province and once again I thank them all most sincerely. Your attendance and support is very much appreciated.

I extend my congratulations to all those I have had the pleasure of investing this afternoon, either as a first appointment or as a promotion.

It is a well deserved reward for what you have achieved in your Masonic career within the Province of Cornwall but it is also an expectation of the further achievements that we expect from you in the forthcoming years.

To those Brethren that I have appointed to an active rank this afternoon I say this, It is a very special year and will pass all too quickly. Please do make the most of your time as an active Provincial Officer, you will have a very special year and make some wonderful friendships but all too quickly you will find the year has passed and you are back here, handing your collars on.

I also extend my particular congratulations to the four brethren who have received my Certificate of Service to Freemasonry today. Your achievements over many years are such that the honour received today is just reward for everything you have done.

Brethren, several members of the Executive and the semi-permanent Offices have stood down today having served the Province tirelessly over several years.

W.Bro Graham Jones has retired as Provincial Grand Secretary after 6 years in the office. During that time, in addition to his already onerous workload, Graham has had to deal with the Tercentenary celebrations, Covid, Hermes and not to mention a new PGM.

I personally thank Graham for his hard work, help and guidance and we as a Province are also indebted to him for everything, he has done for us.

W.Bro Simon Taylor has today stood down as the Provincial Membership Officer. Simon has very successfully led the Province through the roll out of The Members Pathway, 2 very busy and successful NDMC’s and has reinvigorated our light blues club and again we should all be very grateful to Simon for all his hard work on our behalf.

I have this afternoon had the pleasure of appointing W.Bro Simon as a Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremony so he certainly won’t have any additional spare time in the next few years.

W.Bro Andy Philip retires as one of our Deputy GDC’s this afternoon. Unfortunately, Andy is currently unwell and cannot be with us this afternoon, but I do thank him again for 3 years’ dedicated service in that office and for trying to keep the Rulers in some sort of order. I am sure that you all join with me in wishing him a speedy and full recovery.

My APGM W.Bro Mike Pritchard also officially hands over the office of Provincial Grand Charity Steward today although he has been taking it easy for the past few months.

Mike, again my grateful thanks for everything that you have done for the Province during your time in that very important role.

I must also again express my thanks and appreciation to my DPGM and my APGM’s whom I have been delighted to reappoint today. Their support, advice and guidance are invaluable to me and their hard work and commitment to our Province is an example to us all.

Brethren, I offer my congratulations to the following brethren who are due to receive a rank or a promotion in Grand Lodge later this month.

In Grand Lodge the first appointments are.

W Bro John Sleep my APGM to PJGD

W Bro Mike Barnes of Phoenix Lodge 131 and W Bro Eugene Clemence of Trevithick Lodge 9339 both to PAGDC

W Bro Martin Harvey of St Michael Lodge 2747 who has been out Provincial Grand Tyler for the past 7 years to PGStB

The promotions are.

W Bro David Leaity my DPGM to PGSwdB and to VW Bro.

W Bro Mike Pritchard my APGM to active SGD

W Bro Graham Bennett my APGM to PSGD

In Supreme Grand Chapter first appointments

E Comp David Ward of King Arthur Chapter 7134 to PGStB

E Comp John Doran of Saint Petrock Chapter 330 to PAGDC

The promotions are.

E Comp Jon Arnold DGSupt to PGSwdB

E Comp Ian Kerslake of Mount Edgcumbe Chapter 496 to PAGSoj

At the last count there are close on 50 brethren travelling to Grand Lodge to support me and these brethren receiving honours. Not quite the 20000 that Trelawny managed but wonderful support. I’m confident that we will all enjoy a special few days in London.

Brethren, Our very best wishes and congratulations to you all.

Brethren, as you are only too well aware, the end of our Festival is looming with only some 20 months now remaining. The MCF does such an amazing job looking after Freemasons and the wider community, and it relies solely on our support to continue and expand this fantastic work.

We still have a great deal of work to be done and I would again urge all of you that haven’t yet, even at this relatively late stage, to consider setting up a payment plan in support of our Festival.

The retiring collection today will be in support of our Festival, and I would ask you all to please complete and fill the envelope on your chairs and hand them to the Stewards on the doors when retiring.

I am delighted that within the Province, we are now working closer than ever with the Royal Arch. The MEGS and myself meet on a regular basis and we are now holding joint Executive meetings. My DPGM and the DGSupt are also meeting regularly and will shortly be announcing positive changes to the appointment of Royal Arch representatives within our Lodges. Remember that great and indissoluble link between the Craft and the Royal Arch. Together we are stronger.

We have now received our Membership Challenge from London so we know the targets that we have to achieve over the next 7 years. By fully adopting the Members Pathway some of our Lodges are now seeing the obvious benefits through increased initiations and reduced losses and I would urge all those Lodges who are yet to become involved to do so as soon as possible. My Membership team, together with the Provincial Mentor and Almoner are always available to assist but it has to be driven from the Lodges themselves.

Brethren, as I said at my Installation, I believe we have exciting times to look forward to but we also have much hard work to do.

We all have a major role to play in securing the future growth and stability of our Order, our mission being to make sure that we are a thriving organization, one that people are willing to be part of and one in which those who join are willing to participate.

Importantly we must enjoy our Freemasonry and be ready and willing to tell everybody of the fun and enjoyment we all experience.

Brethren my thanks today must go to the staff of The Atlantic Hotel for the use of these premises. To W Bro Jim Byrne and the Members of St Michael and Towan Lodges for their hard work in setting up and taking down PGL and to the members of our light blue club The Trelawny light blues and the Robert Eliot for all their help this weekend.

Brethren I thank you once again for your support and wish you all a very safe journey home.