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Provincial Grand Masters Annual Address 2024

Once again, I welcome you all to our meeting in these magnificent surroundings at Freemasons Hall. I congratulate those who have received appointments and promotions today for all you have done for your lodges and our Province. Through your hard work and that of our Comms and Membership teams, more and more people want to join us.

The theatrical nature of our ceremonies, new sound, and lighting systems creating a theatrical experience now attracts initiates from lodges themselves rather than just via the Province.

In 2014 when I was an APGM, our publicity work started to take off under my watch led by Phil Witney on Marketing and Webster Springer on the shows team. It was Webby’s “Go BIG or go home” attitude which challenged the Province to buy the new show team tents and livery and the Kop Hill event stand was launched.

This was the start of the production of many exceptional film and marketing assets being produced. In the following years Webster was everywhere. He created and led a team that always got up at 6am to bang in the tent pegs including Phil, myself, and Matt Eaton and who were still there 3 days later putting it all away.

One Step Beyond the Craft

You may not realise that Freemasonry is made of a number of different 'Progressive Orders'. This series will explain these various Orders and how they are linked.

Rose Croix
The full title of this Order is The Supreme Council 33rd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales and its Districts and Chapters Overseas. It is more familiarly known as ‘Rose Croix’.

Meetings are held in Rose Croix chapters.

Qualification for joining is that a candidate must have been a Master Mason for a year and believe in the Trinitarian Faith with membership usually being by invitation. The joining ceremony is called ‘Perfection’.

The regalia consists of a pink collar with higher degrees having different coloured collars along with a sash and the highest degree also includes a cap.

There are 33 degrees within the Rite with the Chapter taking candidates up to the 18° Perfection.

OCTOBER DIARY OF MEETINGS

Buckinghamshire has 117 lodges that meet at 16 Centres across the county throughout the year.

This is the diary for the coming month.

If there is a location & day that suits your home and work life and you are interested in finding out more, please reach out to our membership team who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you would like to be part of freemasonry and a global community, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

Just one week to go until the Bucks PGL meeting

The countdown has begun for our annual meeting at Freemasons Hall, London. Approximately 500 brethren, family and friends will be in attendance to watch and support fellow Brothers receive appointments and promotions within the grand setting of this magnificent art deco building, Home of the United grand Lodge of England.

DID YOU KNOW HE WAS A FREEMASON ?

GEORGE VI

(Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York) was born on 14 December 1895 in Sandringham, Norfolk, and was King of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952.

George VI was initiated in Navy Lodge No. 2612 on 2 December 1919 and was installed as its Master in 1921. An enthusiastic Freemason, he joined several Lodges and different masonic orders. He was the Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1923 and Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex from 1924 until 1937.

He was elected Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1936 and was appointed a Past Grand Master of England in 1937. Although he formally withdrew from Freemasonry after he was crowned King of England in 1937, he personally installed his brother, George, Duke of Kent, as Grand Master in 1939, the Earl of Harewood in 1943 and the Duke of Devonshire in 1948.

The several items of regalia that belonged to King George VI including aprons, jewels and sashes. An oil painting of George VI is also housed in Freemasons' Hall by S

If you would like to be part of a global community that has has hand and still has so many famous members, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

Marcellians Lodge Raise Drifters Band Member Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis former singer of the Drifters, was initiated into Freemasonry at Great Queen Street as part of the big 100 back in 2021,

The evening was not just a raising for Ray but it was also the launch of Project Transform at Thame Masonic Hall, which is also an Oxfordshire Centre, the last of the Buckinghamshire centres to have this fantastic system installed and rolled out, which both Leaders of Masonry John Clark and Stephen Tucker united in the completion of.

The lights and music that accompany the ceremony make it even more special adding a more dramatic effect to the evening, greatly enhancing the experience for Ray, who was overjoyed by his ceremony.

The evening was incredibly well attended, with executive representation from Oxfordshire wanting to see Project transform in action and delivered as a 3rd degree ceremony.

Ray Lewis was initiated into Freemasonry at Great Queen Street as part of the big 100 back in 2021, what made this evening and ceremony more special was it was conducted at the Thame temple which is in Oxfordshire but used as a temple for several Buckinghamshire lodges.

One of his fellow band members also volunteered to come along and perform for him. The Drifter was able to sit back and enjoy a brilliant performance from his friend and fellow band member at the festive board. A fantastic end to a wonderful evening.

Discover Freemasonry and it's Special Interest Lodges

On Saturday 19th October, Buckinghamshire Freemasons will be hosting the next in a series of successful Bring a Friend events, however with a unique twist, to show off the Province's incredible range of Special Interest Lodges to those existing masons, as well as any initiates.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday 19th October
Time: 12:30 - 3:00PM
(arrive from 12:00 for registration, presentations begin at 1.00PM)
Location: Slough Masonic Centre, 76 Ragstone Road, Slough, SL1 2PX

Prospective initiates and interested joiners can experience:

-The good reasons to join Freemasonry, including personal growth, leadership development, and community impact.
-Talk with members of special interest Lodges and hear why they are so brilliant.
-Meet special interest Lodges that cater to a wide range of hobbies and passions.
-Discover the exciting special interest themed events that take place regularly in the province.

Also come along for:

-A display of classic cars and motorcycles in the car park.
-Showcase exhibition of our special interests within Freemasonry.
-Open Bar and Refreshments as well as a light buffet are provided for all attendees.
-This event is your gateway to discovering the incredible variety that exists within Buckinghamshire Freemasonry.

Passing the Torch at Marcellians Lodge

A bittersweet moment occurred at the most recent Marcellians Lodge meeting when Grae Laws, the Provincial Grand Communications Officer for Buckinghamshire, handed over his apron to Lee Buckingham, his replacement. While Grae showed some reluctance to part with the role he had held for several years, there was also pride in seeing the communications team move forward under new leadership.

The formal transition will take place on Saturday, October 5th at Freemasons' Hall in London. Lee expressed excitement about taking the reins and guiding the team into the future, especially with many new initiates on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Grae isn't stepping away from provincial duties entirely. He'll be moving into the role of Provincial Senior Grand Warden, taking over from Lloyd Harrison, the incumbent Prov SGW. Grae, along with his fellow Warden Mark Harry, will play a key part in the upcoming "12 Days of Christmas" campaign. This ambitious initiative aims to initiate over 60 new members across various lodges between November 20th and December 19th.

As Grae reflected on his time as Communications Officer, it was clear that his efforts had yielded their own rewards in the form of a thriving, engaged Masonic community in Buckinghamshire. The torch may be passing, but the light of fellowship burns as brightly as ever.

One Step Beyond the Craft

You may not realise that Freemasonry is made of a number of different 'Progressive Orders'. This series will explain these various Orders and how they are linked.

Knights Templar and Knights of Malta
The full title of this Order is The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta, in England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas. It is more familiarly known as ‘KT’.

Knights Templar meetings are held in Preceptories and under the authority of its warrant, Knights of Malta meetings in Priories are also held.

Qualification for joining is that a candidate must be a Royal Arch Mason and believe in the Trinitarian Faith. The joining ceremony is called ‘Installation’.

The regalia is based on that of a Templar Knight and consists of a cap, tunic, mantle, sash, belt and sword. The Malta regalia is similar, but the tunic is red and mantle and cap are black.

The Order is based on the actions of a band of Knights who were granted a place of habitation within the sacred precincts of King Solomon’s Temple. The candidate is admitted as a pilgrim and undergoes a period of pilgrimage and warfare then penance and meditation before being made a Knight of the Temple.

You can find out more about this order here: https://www.markmasonshall.org/orders/knights-templar

If you are interested in joining this order within Buckinghamshire, please message us.

BIG 1-2-3 memories - three generations at Fairway 8614

On Saturday June 29th, over 150 people took their next regular step in Freemasonry. 650 people attended this once in a lifetime moment. It was a fantastic day for many Buckinghamshire Freemasons but even more so for the members of Fairway Lodge No. 8614 as they welcomed a very special initiate.
The lodge had one of the first slots available on the day and got to Temple 14 GQS shortly after 0900 to perform the ceremony of initiation of Oliver, in the presence of his Dad Mike who was the current head of the lodge. Oliver's grandfather, John, who is also a member of the lodge and was present for the ceremony.
Bro Oliver joins a succession of new members to Fairway lodge who have welcomed seven initiates in the last few years, and will no doubt follow in both his fathers and grandfathers’ footsteps in Freemasonry.

If you would like to join the Freemasons follow this link: https://buckspgl.org/joinAfter filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

DID YOU KNOW HE WAS A FREEMASON ?

RICK WAKEMAN

Rick is a member of the London Chelsea Lodge, contrary to what you might first imagine, the Lodge derives it name not from any links to that part of West London but from a group of entertainers who, in 1905, were appearing at the old Chelsea Theatre in London’s West End and sought dispensation to form a new Lodge.

Rick became a Freemason in 2007 and the support that his mother had received from the Lodge when his father passed away became a catalyst for him to join Chelsea Lodge, No. 3098, known as the world-renowned “Entertainers’ Lodge”

He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Music and Broadcasting.

He had a prolific career in the music industry playing keyboards, and he is still playing today. He is best known for being in the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004 and for his solo albums released in the 1970s.

One of his famous albums of the early 1970’s was The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which was a seminal work of its time and was highly acclaimed.

BIG 1-2-3 memories - I am a Master Mason!

On Saturday June 29th, over 150 people took their next regular step in Freemasonry. 650 people attended this once in a lifetime moment. BIG 1-2-3 was four months in planning and 14 hours in the delivery with a core team of 25 people, supported by over 50 lodges in the province.
For Dan, who took his third regular step in Freemasonry, it was an emotional experience.
"As one of the brethren raised at BIG 1-2-3, I stepped into the Grand Temple with nervous excitement. The emotion and tension were palpable, especially under the portentous red lights that bathed the massive temple in an otherworldly glow. The nerves turned to calm serenity and awe as we walked onto the chequered floor and fell under the watch of the silent onlookers, and the spell of the sound of violins echoing around us. The love and dedication of those who organised and orchestrated the ceremonies on that day was evident throughout, and I cannot sufficiently praise them for their work and dedication."
Dan is second from the left in the picture, surrounded by fellow members of the Provincial Communications team and several chains.
If you would like to join the Freemasons follow this link: https://buckspgl.org/joinAfter filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

One Step Beyond the Craft

You may not realise that Freemasonry is made of a number of different 'Progressive Orders'. This series will explain these various Orders and how they are linked.

Royal Ark Mariners
The full title of this Order is The Ancient & Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariners. It is more familiarly known as ‘RAM’.

Meetings are held in Lodges and are ‘moored’ or attached to a Mark Master Mason’s Lodge of the same name.

Qualification for joining is that a candidate must be a Mark Master Mason. The joining ceremony is called ‘Elevation’.

The regalia consists of an apron and breast jewel. The apron has a colourful rainbow edge.

The Order is based on the story of Noah, his sons and their wives and commemorates the providence and mercy of God and relates to the legend of the Deluge, or Great Flood. The ceremony recalls God’s promise that never again will he undertake the destruction of mankind.

If you are interested in joining this order within Buckinghamshire, please message us.

Next time we will introduce you to Knights Templar.

Emily’s Star Charity was established in 2012 in memory of Emily Elizabeth who had a life limiting disorder and after fighting hard lived for 26 days only

They support Milton Keynes University Hospital especially with babies born prematurely or underweight also children and young adults with complex needs.
BMCFhave donated £3,058 to cover the costs of taking 30 registered families to the zoo for a memory making trip and have received the following feedback from Katie Mainwaring:

We took 125 people in all including children in wheelchairs and also included a picnic lunch and ice cream.
The following letters of thanks were received from the families:

"Thank you for an amazing time at the zoo, it’s difficult to find things to do with Rayyan but he absolutely loved it, the fresh air & seeing the animals made him content & he enjoyed himself. Thank you as always xx" Nadia, Rayyan's Mum

"What can I say bam bams has been stuck in hospital for almost 3 months due to a failing care package, everyday he comes home for home leave it’s been a rough journey for us as a family and my boy being away from us when he should be home, the trip to the zoo was an amazing day we made some beautiful memories with bams (Brandon) and will forever be grateful, quality family time is so important for all but more so for life limited children so a massive thank you for helping create memories " Katie

"It was such an awesome day! It wasn’t too manic and the weather was perfect! I just want to personally thank Katie for the day out plus ice creams plus the train! Esmé was over the moon they had her dairy free ice cream so that made her day! I think Jacobs favorite bit was the giraffes playing thank you again!" Steph

"Thank you for an amazing day at the zoo. Even today the children are talking about it. From how many monkeys they seen in the trees, to enjoying a yummy ice cream at lunch time. It’s certainly a big highlight for our summer holidays and we made some amazing happy memories." Kelly, Mum to Ruby & Jenson

BIG 1-2-3 memories - Pleased to play my part

On Saturday June 29th, over 150 people took their next regular step in Freemasonry. 650 people attended this once in a lifetime moment. BIG 1-2-3 was four months in planning and 14 hours in the delivery with a core team of 25 people, supported by over 50 lodges in the province.
For Neil, assistant to the head of Freemasonry in Buckinghamshire, it was a rewarding experience.
"After hundreds of hours of meetings, rehearsals, and revisions I can honestly say that it was one of the best days of Freemasonry that I’ve had the privilege to be a part of. A once in a lifetime experience for candidates and provincial stewards alike! It was a real privilege to assist so many brethren on their Masonic journey. The Egyptian temple is simply stunning, and I enjoyed every moment of delivering the second-degree ceremony to so many happy people. I hope that others can adopt our approach to delivering an experience for Freemasons wherever in the world they are."

If you would like to join the Freemasons follow this link: https://buckspgl.org/joinAfter filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

DID YOU KNOW HE WAS A FREEMASON ?

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

Arthur was a Scottish writer born on 22 May 1859 and would go on to become famous as the creator of the detective Sherlock Holmes.

He studied at the University of Edinburgh's Medical School where he achieved the Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery qualifications. Whilst he was a medical student, Conan Doyle was profoundly captivated by the skill of his professor, Dr Joseph Bell, in observing the minutest detail regarding a patient's condition. This approach of diagnostic deduction inspired Conan Doyle's literary creation, Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in 'A Study of Scarlet', and its success encouraged Conan Doyle to write more stories involving the detective. Successively, Conan Doyle focused his work on non-fiction, including to military writings, such as The Great Boer War (1900) and The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 6 vol. (1916–20).
Conan Doyle was initiated in Phoenix Lodge No. 257 in Portsmouth in 1887 and resigned from the Lodge in 1889. He re-joined the same Lodge in 1902 and remained a member until 1911.

You may not know, but some of the filming for the 2009 Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law took place at the United Grand Lodge of England’s headquarters Freemasons’ Hall in London.

If you would like to be part of a global community that has has hand and still has so many famous members, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

PARIS 2024 PARALYMPICS FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY

On a wet Saturday morning, the luminaries of the Paralympics and the world's media descended on humble Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics, for a far-from-humble event: the lighting of the Paralympic Flame.

Buckinghamshire Freemasons were asked to volunteer to aid in the organisation and running of the event; taking up positions as marshals, traffic wardens, stewards and even diplomats.

We're very proud to have been in attendance of this ceremony of global significance and of the praise received from those in attendance, with one member of the press remarking "I've completely changed my mind about what you are!" In a world of scepticism and cynicism, this is among the finest of compliments a Freemason can receive from their community.

But the day was not one for sceptics nor cynics; even as the rain lashed and the winds howled, the spirit of hope, togetherness, and strength extolled by the Paralympics could not be extinguished. The flame was lit to rapturous applause, the torch carried with due reverence, beginning its journey to Paris and drawing onlookers and excitement from every quarter.

The Paralympic flames will make their final appearance during the Opening Ceremony, where they will be used to light the cauldron to symbolise the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games tomorrow, 28th August.

Aylesbury played its part well, and the Buckinghamshire Freemasons will forever be proud to have helped it in doing so.

BIG 1-2-3 memories - I took my Second Degree!

On Saturday June 29th, over 150 people took their next regular step in Freemasonry. 650 people attended this once in a lifetime moment. BIG 1-2-3 was four months in planning and 14 hours in the delivery with a core team of 25 people, supported by over 50 lodges in the province.
For Daniel, it was a a magical experience to take his second degree in the company of his husband Abdul.
"The Egyptian temple where my Second Degree took place was stunning, with purple and turquoise creating a unique atmosphere. Our lodge members supported us along with so many brothers from across the county and overseas. We had memorised our parts, feeling nervous and excited about presenting them to theDPGM. The ceremony went smoothly. Provincial Grand Stewards gave us tips on how to stand and present ourselves. The tracing board was interesting, with symbols teaching us about morality and masonry. As a new Freemason, I learned a lot. Seeing multiple ceremonies deepened my understanding of masonry. I met great new brothers and made connections. It was a long but rewarding day."

If you would like to join the Freemasons follow this link: https://buckspgl.org/joinAfter filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

SEPTEMBER DIARY OF MEETINGS

Buckinghamshire has 117 lodges that meet at 16 Centres across the county throughout the year.

This is the diary for the coming month.

If there is a location & day that suits your home and work life and you are interested in finding out more, please reach out to our membership team who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you would like to be part of freemasonry and a global community, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.

Digital Transformation in Freemasonry with

Discover how the is harnessing technology to elevate the experience for its members.
This engaging webinar features Hugh-Douglas Smith, the Chief Information Officer of UGLE, and an esteemed Freemason hailing from the Hallstone Province of Buckinghamshire. Hugh is at the forefront of Project 2023, a pioneering initiative to develop a membership system designed to empower members by giving them direct control over their own data.

Gain insight into the innovative measures implemented by Hugh and his team to modernise the way Freemasonry is experienced.
� Book now for 19.30 on Tues 10th September ➡ https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3917235409272/WN_PHQf_A4HTYeqVBzuDquT-g

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