And I now extend a warm welcome to the members of the Province and congratulate those Brethren whom I had the pleasure of appointing

and promoting this afternoon and investing them with their new ranks which bring with it new responsibilities and I know that you will accept those responsibilities and offer help, encouragement and assistance to the newer brethren. I must thank the members of my Executive and other members holding important office in the Province for their invaluable help to me during the past year particularly in this my first year as your PGM.

I thank especially my Deputy – Very W Bro Anthony Williams for his loyalty and support to me and likewise the Assistant Provincial Grand Master W Bro. Robert Arundel and their constancy and commitment to the province.

Thank you!

Brethren, it is good to see so many here this afternoon and I appreciate at this time of year there is much competition for that precious commodity time with half term holidays  and with P G Lodge falling on a weekday I know that there are many Brethren who  are unable to be here because of their work and holiday commitments. So I very much appreciate your attendance here today to mark this occasion and to make it so special for my new Provincial Team.
BUT I take this opportunity now of thanking my outgoing Wardens and all the officers not only for their valuable support but for their time commitment.

It has been both valued and appreciated not only by myself and the Executive but especially all the Lodges where you have attended at Installations
It is also a particular pleasure to have with us today my predecessor

Right Worshipful Brother M John Hughes, looking I must say, in the picture of health and I know enjoying as much golf as he can manage

Lovely to see you R W Bro John.

So Brethren, as it says in Agendum No 15 I am to address you all!

It is an old adage you know but one which I like and that is:

The Past may be History

The Future a mystery

BUT the present is the real gift!

So as I reflect on the past year

and I look to the future which I believe is bright and full of promise

as we face the challenge of any new Masonic Year  

The official  launch of the Festival for the Royal Masonic Trust for girls and boys is only two months away and preparations  are very much now underway

The Festival will conclude in 2013 just five years with much to achieve

I have already- received tremendous commitment and support for the on going work of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys-

from the Lodges and the brethren and I am confident that  Monmouthshire will rise to meet the challenging target which has been mutually agreed with the Trust and the Province and so I thank and welcome today on your behalf brethren two honoured guests in the persons of two Senior Representatives from the Trust

W Bro Les Hutchinson , Secretary to the Council

and W Bro Mike Woodcock Head of P R and a member of the Council

who will be addressing us all after my sermon ! Sorry my address!

on the outstanding work of the Trust for Boys and girls.

Now I know that to date

Lodges have greatly supported many local and commendable charitable initiatives in their own communities and this is so very important

and as The Pro Grand Master stressed at the Regional meeting of PGM's in Bristol just a couple of month ago this is very valuable work and should continue during festival periods involving the Local press to promote what we are about!

And I stress that!

And brethren, with that in mind I have been considering very carefully how we can manage and assist our local charitable activities during the forthcoming Festival because Lodges will I know be committed to this festival

through  the various fundraising activities and raffles etc not only at their Lodge meetings but at other Social events too!

The Lodges here in Monmouthshire have built up a fine reputation

and receive much acclamation for their support of the more local voluntary charitable organisations

I was privileged earlier this year to present a cheque for £5000

to  Monmouthshire Scouting movement

to enable them to send more of their Scouters to the Centenary Celebrations this year.

The Grand Charity awarded £5000 to the St Woolas Cathedral restoration appeal and I was able to add an additional £5000 to that from the Province and My Assist PGM and Provincial  Charity steward presented a cheque for  £10000 last Wednesday evening to Dean Very Revd Dr Richard Fennick at the Cathedrals-benefactors-Eucharist.

The details of that presentation are already on the Cathedrals Web Site.

I feel that I can with some confidence say that the Province will rise to meet the challenge of the New Festival

BUT Brethren at the same time I pledge that the needs of our local Charities will be protected. and so therefore commencing in 2008 my Deputy and I will be hosting an annual Local Charity Presentation Event in November of each year with the assistance of the Asst .PGM and the Chairman of the Masonic 1997 Masonic Trust W Bro Richard Davies and others.

Each Lodge in the Province will be entitled to nominate a single or multiple local Registered Charity to the Management Committee for their consideration-for-financial assistance

Non Registered Charities will be also be considered but at a lower level of financial assistance.

I must stress that the Management Committee of the Fund must approve each recommendation within the very stringent rules of the Charity Commissioners.

This will mean that in the five years of the Charity Festival the capital investments of the Monmouthshire Masonic Charity 1997 will be considerably depleted.

However, following completion of our commitment to the Trust for Girls and Boys we shall have a period of 3-4  years which will restore the capital value of that Fund and at the same time also to continue to support our Local Charities.

Lodges will be kept informed at all times by the Provincial Executive

I also mention the fact that  W Bro Richard Davies Grand Officer,

who has been Secretary of the Monmouthshire Trust since it’s inception ten years ago has now been elected as it’s Chairman.

He has devoted so much time and energy with others to it’s success  

and he has now been succeeded as secretary  by  W Bro Richard Bevan of the Llantarnam Lodge. I also mention that W Bro Norman Wybron, my Deputy-Grand Superintendent in the Royal Arch and now my newly appointed and invested Provincial Senior Grand Warden has retired from the Trust

after ten years as it’s vice chairman and his place on the committee has been taken W Bro Robert Fowler of the Henllys Lodge .

And as I thank W Bro Robert for his enthusiasm I also pay tribute to W Bro Norman Wybron for his wise counsel and commitment to the Trust over the last 10 years and at the same time thanking all the other Trust committee members. W Bro Neil Mounter My Provincial Grand Treasurer now vice chairman and W Bro Ken Davies for their invaluable work on our behalf!

Brethren all in my personal letter of communication to all the members of the Province in August I outlined some of the initiatives and changes which I was proposing to make and in particular I mentioned the details of the Initial Festival Committee to be chaired on behalf of myself and my Deputy

by my Assistant PGM

The Team whom I have drawn up represents  only  an initial team

and I stress that as already I have made at least two additions to that committee .

I am confident that the Province will achieve the target of £750,000- over the next five year period. We are brethren we are living in ever changing times

and so often we have to be Bold and Brave to achieve stretching targets!

After all Brethren I was a Banker in a former life and spent much of my career chasing the staff and targets!

And now in another life I enjoy seeing money assisting those less fortunate than ourselves in stead of the shareholders!

And so for the next 5 years our prime focus is going to be on raising the maximum sum we can achieve for this worthy and needy charity ,a Charity that does so much to help our young people who through no fault of their own find themselves in the most difficult and often distressing circumstances. We must always keep at the forefront of our minds Brethren that there is no better investment for the future than in our younger people and especially those who may be disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

After my address we will learn more from the Trust, I have decided to start allocating funds from the Provincial Charity 2004 to the New Festival  as from 1st July this year. This will gives us a good start brethren to the festival target prior to the official launch in January next year It will also mean that several  brethren who have a Gift Aid running, through out the province, will qualify to wear that Festival Jewel from day one of the festival."

BRETHREN
I stated last year at my Installation that I was very fortunate to have inherited a Province from my predecessor in very good heart with an excellent record of Festival achievement and with good and effective systems of management and communication in place. I did effect one or two changes earlier this year in the personnel to accommodate my  being exceptionally  granted the appointment of an Asst PGM which The M W The Grand Master had given me leave to appoint in view of my dual headship as PGM and MEGS and with my Parochial responsibilities as a cleric in the Diocese of Monmouth. and so earlier this year I was able to promote the ever diligent Provincial Grand Secretary W Bro Robert Arundel and  his  promotion  necessitated then the appointment of a New Provincial  Grand Secretary and I was pleased to appoint  W Bro Bob Jones to that office he has taken up the reins of the administration of the Province with great efficiency  commitment and enthusiasm .This of course in turn meant that I had to find a new Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and I thank W Bro Chris Evans and not to spare his blushes for  rising to the Challenge of his new responsibilities! All these brethren have certainly risen to the challenge set before them and compliment the executive . I am very aware that I am surrounded by so much potential in the province!

There are however other areas that will be the subject of further development.
And the first area is that of Education and Training. I am as keen, as my predecessor was, to focus on Education and training to enable us all to enjoy a better understanding of what we do as Freemasons,

Why we do it! and the historical context in which it is done.

And to this end there will be some new initiatives and changes

And I take this opportunity of thanking W Bro David Ieuan James The Provincial Grand Master in the Mark Degree for all his work as the Education and training Officer over the past years and in thanking him. I thank the whole committee for all that they have achieved

He is now stepping down and so today I am appointing W Bro Dr Robert Hugh Fountain as Education and Training Officer but with special responsibilities for over seeing not only the mentoring and care programme which has been initiated but also overseeing the Newly created Provincial Grand Lodge Orator Scheme And to assist him I have appointed W Bro Brian Medhurst as The Provincial Grand Orator This is a new Provincial appointment and reflects the appointment by Grand Lodge of The Grand Orator. It is an office which I have every confidence W Brian Medhurst will discharge with distinction, charisma and a true professionalism which that office will demand.

Brethren only the future library of Grand Lodge  approved lectures can now be used  and there are already many fine  lectures in circulation but it is now mandatory that they all have to be approved by Grand Lodge to ensure that there is a wide variety of informative and educational lectures available to all Lodges within the Province Via this Grand Orator scheme-

The Province is also very fortunate to have within its ranks some very able and distinguished academic Brethren involved in Masonic research and who have produced very fine lectures.

These may be submitted to Grand Lodges via the Provincial Orator for approval

Brethren, it is important for us to remember that making an advancement in our Masonic knowledge is equally as important as the ceremonies themselves, and I hope you will agree that the better understanding we have of our Order and what is expected of us should lead to more satisfaction and more enjoyment in our Masonry.

This should all link in with the active mentoring and care scheme already introduced into our Lodges.

To Assist W Bro Dr Robert Fountain I will appoint shortly  a Recruitment and retention Officer and who will have specific responsibilities in coordinating  the mentoring initiatives  and will report to me directly

This will I hope help reduce and certainly I hope redress the number of good and talented Brethren we lose each year and lead to a positive increase in the numbers joining Freemasonry.
I realise that some Lodges find themselves in difficulty in recruiting new Brethren and I am desirous of offering practical assistance, support and encouragement to the Brethren of those Lodges.
We also have to recognise on the other side of the coin that we may also need to look to support the weaker Lodge. I would like to pay tribute to

W Bro John Hicks my Provincial Registrar, for all his outstanding work especially with the production of the Directory and maintenance of the data base assisted by W Bro John Court.

I thank to W Bro Dr Peter Grossi for all assisting the Province with his valuable  I T skills

Brethren W Bro John Hicks and W Bro Philip Godsell have also expanded and updated the Provincial Web Site for which we are indeed very grateful

I would also like to make mention too of the Provincial Information Officer W Bro Edie Barrell who collates all the press releases and information from Grand Lodge
In the Province I am also very happy that I enjoy and excellent relationship with the MEGS and with the other Heads of Orders too and I am pleased to see that they are representing their orders here today and especially the Christian Orders

The M W The Grand Master has acknowledged the sovereignty of the other Orders but of course at the same time brethren he was quick to say that their growth is dependent on growth in the Craft

And speaking on behalf of the Craft and Holy Royal Arch in this Province I can say that I very much appreciate the support and the encouragement we receive from you all and I can assure you of my continued support involvement and support to you and the Orders you may represent.

I know that we can achieve so much more when we all pull together as a team.
or rather singing from the same hymn book- Ancient and Modern of course.

As a Province we have a good system of communication will all the Lodges through not only my Deputy PGM and Assist PGM BUT all the mandated Grand Officers,

Provincial General Purposes Committee and Provincial Grand Secretary, and I through my Executive will always welcome comments and ideas from you all. I am particularly pleased to see more Lodges sending out their minutes to ALL their brethren. I hope other Lodges will emulate the example.
Communication in keeping brethren advised is vitally important

I am also conscious of the change in attitude of brethren towards openness, following the 'Freemasonry in the Community' initiative, and I will continue to encourage that attitude.

My recent meeting with His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury-Primate of all England on behalf of UGL just a fortnight ago was both positive and helpful and as the Arch Bishop said to me in his own words-

Fr “The door is still open”

He also stated that he had observed much more openness with the craft although some of the words which you use in your ceremonies trouble me.

We made progress Brethren  

Now Brethren

I know that I speak to the converted when I say that we are all aware of the great privilege of belonging to our Great Order and the excellent work that it does both in Lodge and in the charitable context. However, brethren,

The best advertisement for our Order lies in the hands of each and every one of us in our daily lives and how we deal with those with whom we come into contact. If those people know that we are Freemasons and they like and respect us, then surely they cannot fail but to have a more positive view of Freemasonry.
Brethren I am extremely aware of the very great honour and responsibility of being the Provincial Grand Master of Monmouthshire, and as I begin my second year in office I am really looking forward to continuing in serving this Province of Monmouthshire as your Provincial Grand Master and I am very pleased and comforted to have as my Deputy PGM such an experienced and dedicated and highly respected Mason as Very Worshipful Brother Anthony Williams.

And  also such an able, experienced and enthusiastic Assistant Provincial Grand Master W Bro Robert Arundel

The Senior team and by that I also include all the executives who work well together because  each and every one of them  has as our priority what is best for Freemasonry in the Province of Monmouthshire.

I can assure you Brethren that for my part I will do my utmost to serve this Province to the very best of my ability. I will always try and explain why important decisions are made because I believe communication and mutual understanding to be so important if I am to enjoy your confidence as your Provincial Grand Master.

I think most of you are aware by now that I am firstly a Cleric and a Mason secondly and I will need to crave your understanding and indulgence that on occasions I may not be able to attend as many ordinary meetings as perhaps my predecessors may have done. But I can assure you all that I will still be actively involved at all times in the administration of the Province with the assistance of my Executive officers
What is most important to me is that we all really enjoy every moment of our Freemasonry and have great fun doing so; so much so that you will want more, and encourage others to do the same.

In closing I thank all those Brethren who have worked so very hard and tirelessly in the preparation for today’s meeting too numerous to mention but I must make mention of my Provincial Grand Secretary, the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies,

I thank too all the meeters and the Greeters today who have assisted and guided our many distinguished guests and brethren. I thank the School for all the facilities provided to but above all brethren I thank you all once again for attending and making this day so special for the Province

I thank W Bro Philip Moles and W Bro John Somerin for assisting the Provincial Grand  Secretary and W Bro Ken Dixon for the stewarding in the car park

All the brethren who have been responsible for the preparations towards the Provincial Grand Lodge Meetings.,

I look forward to this coming year serving and  working together in peace, love and harmony and may the Great Architect of the Universe direct guide and protect us in all that we do.
 

I thank you Brethren for your attention and God bless you all.

RW.Bro.  The Reverend Malcolm C G Lane JP

© Province Of Monmouthshire