The early weeks of 2008 have been quite busy. The year commenced with the 2008 Provincial Honours being announced, these being much earlier than in previous years primarily due to the Provincial meetings being held earlier this year. In Preston we were honoured to receive the following high profile acting ranks;

Craft.

Provincial Junior Grand Warden W.Bro.David Winder

Provincial Grand Chaplain W.Bro.Rev.Graham Halsall.

Provincial Deputy Grand Sword Bearer W.Bro.Rodney Thompson

Provincial Grand Steward W.Bro.Robert Norris

Holy Royal Arch.

Provincial Grand Standard Bearer E.Comp.Harold Sutcliffe

Provincial Grand Stewards E.Comps.Paul Renton and Patrick Bracewell

In addition in the Craft we received 15 first appointments and 12 promotions. Notable in the promotions is W.Bro.John Whiteside, who is to be promoted to the high Rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden. John served as Vice Chairman and Secretary of Preston Masonic Hall Ltd for 15years and fully deserves this promotion. In the Holy Royal Arch we received 11 first appointments and 3 promotions. Our congratulations go to all these Brethren and Companions. My thanks once again go to you the Group Representatives for the comprehensive supporting information that you supplied. I can inform you that the Province found the time scale that was used for the 2008 cycle to be more convenient than that previously employed and have indicated that they intend to continue to request early nominations for the 2009 cycle. I will be writing to you therefore in April requesting your input.

Following on from the Provincial Honours was the announcement that the Provincial Grand Master is to retire in June 2008 and that his successor will be W.Bro.Peter Hosker, a former Chairman of the Preston Group. Closely following this announcement was another one advising that our own Assistant Provincial Master, W.Bro.Seddon was also retiring and following the reallocation of the Groups, W.Bro.Leon Tax will assume the responsibility for the Preston Group. Finally came the announcement that E.Comp.Stanley Oldfield is to be appointed as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master with responsibility for the Liverpool Trafalgar and Wellington Groups and that E.Comp.Ray Martland is to replace him as Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals. On behalf of the Preston Group I would wish to place on record our thanks to W.Bro.Seddon and E.Comp.Oldfield for the services and support they have both given to the Group and in the case of E.Comp.Oldfield to wish him every success in his new office.

I can advise you that as a tribute to the service that W.Bro.Seddon has given to the Province and Group, we are to hold a Dinner in his honour here at Saul Street on the 19th May. Letters from myself and the Group Secretary are being posted today to Lodge Secretaries and Chapter Scribe E’s with details of the Dinner. I do hope that we receive good support from the members of Lodges and Chapters for this event.

I also can advise that an event is being organised as a celebration for the retiring Provincial Grand Master. This will take the form of a Concert featuring The World Famous Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. This Concert is to be held at the Guild Hall on Saturday 7th June 2008.
The proceeds from this Concert will be donated to the 2010 Festival. Tickets at a cost of £12 each will be available shortly from the Group Secretary. A few volunteers will be required to act as Stewards at the Guild Hall on the night. Any Brother wishing to volunteer for this duty would they please contact the Group Secretary?

I would now like to return to domestic items and to say how encouraging it is to see the steady intake of new candidates and joining and rejoining members. As I have stated previously, it is important that we all make every effort to ensure that the new members feel welcome and comfortable in their early days of membership. I am pleased to see on many occasions, experienced Lodge members sitting with the new members and also leaving the Lodge room with them on the occasion when it is necessary for the new member to retire. As a further help to Proposers / Seconders of recent initiates, the appropriate Lodge Liaison/Mentoring Officer will be writing to the Proposer advising when and where another initiation is taking place and to encourage him to attend the ceremony with his candidate. I would hope that this would lead to friendships being established between the new members.

Once again I would raise my concern at the number of resignations, particularly from Lodges. Are we doing enough to retain our members? All Lodges have received details of the Discoverer Project. How many Lodges have carried out the survey contained in it to determine if the Lodge is providing what the members require? As you are aware this Project is intended for the private use within the Lodge, but I would be interested to hear under the item of Any Other Business, from any Lodge who has carried out the exercise and who would be prepared to share of any positive results emanating from it.

I would again raise the subject of Honorary Membership of Lodges and Chapters and to request that when these are offered they are done so on the basis of the worthy service that the Brother or Companion concerned has given, and that the person concerned is made aware of the many privileges that he would forego. I thought that it might be useful to Lodges to be aware of the conditions attached to Honorary Membership and therefore attached to the Minutes of this meeting are some notes of guidance that have been prepared by the Province.

In the Royal Arch there have also been a number of exaltations during the present season, and now there are Royal Arch contacts in each Lodge, it is hoped that we will see a further strengthening of the Holy Royal Arch in the Group. No Lodge however has yet to date arranged for the Paper that Excellent Companion Oldfield has written, entitled the “The Indissoluble Link between the Craft and the Royal Arch” to be delivered in a Lodge. I have heard the paper given in a Chapter by E.Comp.Oldfield and I can commend it to Lodges. A few years ago the Preston Group held one of the first joint Convocations to be held in the Province and I can inform you that we intend to hold another, this time with a different format, in February 2009 and that the Chapter of Unanimity No.113 has agreed to host the event. It is disappointing to note that very few Chapters have visits by the Principals of other Chapters. I am not sure why this is the case. It may well be that the cost of the Festive Board charged to the Principals is an issue. I am making the following suggestion that the Chapters emulate a scheme that has been adopted by many Rose Croix Chapters in the N.W.Lancashire District whereby visiting Sovereigns are asked to pay a reduced Festive Board fee which approximates to half the normal cost and this information is included with the Summons for this meeting. This incentive has resulted in an increase in the number of Sovereigns visiting the Chapters. Perhaps Chapter Representatives may wish to discuss this suggestion within their Chapters.

During the current Masonic Season we have not received any applications from within the Group to the Community Fund of West Lancashire Freemasons. I am sure that there many deserving cases that would appreciate our support and I would urge your Members to seek these out.

I would wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the support that you gave to the recent Group Dinner and in particular for the quality of the discussion that took place with the Provincial Grand Master at the Question and Answer session. I can inform you that the Group Dinner in 2009 will be held on Thursday 22nd January. I hope to be able to advise you at our next meeting in October who will be our Guest Speaker at this Dinner.

I trust that you do not mind me once again requesting that you and your members continue to give maximum support to Preston Masonic Hall and also to the various events that are being organised by the Refurbishment Fund Committee in conjunction with the Preston Masters. An Open Forum was held recently by the Hall Management when many useful suggestions were put forward and which I am sure that the Hall Management found to be useful.

Last December we held another successful and equally enjoyable Carol Service at Broughton Parish Church. I can advise that the 2008 Carol Service will be held again at this Church on Sunday 7th December. My thanks go to W.Bro.Ian Cuerden for organising the Service and I am sure he would welcome any additional members for the Group Choir. I trust that the Service will be well supported once again.

Ian Greenwood
Chairman