Norman James Thompson, DL
Provincial Grand Master and
ME Grand Superintendent

Provincial Grand Master's address:

Address by the Provincial Grand Master, Norman James Thomson, DL,
Annual Meeting at The Sands Centre, Carlisle on 20th October 2011.

MW Pro Grand Master and Brethren. Welcome. I am pleased and encouraged to see so many Brethren here today to join in the celebration of those Brethren I have had the pleasure of investing with their Provincial Grand Ranks.

To the recipients of the appointments and promotions, I offer you my personal congratulations and hope that you will continue to support your respective lodges your Groups and the Province.

I think it appropriate to mention two Brethren, who have been honoured today, W Bro Tom Round who only last evening received his 60 year certificate from the Deputy Provincial Grand Master and who celebrated his 96th birthday this week and W Bro Douglas Lowe who at 94 is much younger but will soon celebrate 75 years in masonry having been initiated before he was 21 years of age.

There is nothing automatic in appointment or promotion as some think. Preferment must be earned by supporting and working for the good of our Order. After a successful year as Master of a lodge you are expected, following a year as Immediate Past Master, to look for new windows of opportunity by regular attendance, working the degrees and helping with the administration of the lodge. The same applies equally for promotion in Provincial Grand Rank. It is not a matter of sitting and waiting for the next few years and expecting preferment. Rather it should be a time of looking for ways of supporting and encouraging the junior Brethren. It should also be remembered that all the Acting Officers are appointed for one year after which most relinquish office and others take their place hopefully bringing new impetus to their new role.

I have already made mention of changes in the Rulers of the Province and today we say thank you to those who are retiring from Provincial Office, some after many years in a particular role.

To the retiring Wardens, W Bros Jim Rudd and Alan Sewell who have been well received when they visited lodges, thank you for your hard work. W Bro Tony James, PAGDC retires as Registrar after 11 years in office but I know I can continue to rely on his advice as a Grand Officer. W. Bro Malcolm Woods, PAGDC hands over the custody of the Provincial regalia having been our Tyler for 9 years.

W Bro Michael Davies who has been our Provincial Grand Secretary for three years retires today. He has put in place new systems for the administration of the Province embracing information technology, an unenviable task knowing how many of us resist change.

Thank you to all the Officers who retire today and I am sure you will now commit more of your time to your respective lodges.

I also place on record my thanks to the members of the Provincial Secretariat, the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and his Team for the work they have done throughout the year and for their work today.

The 2016 Festival Committee have been working hard arranging various fundraising events and administering the Festival. The Boxing Committee arranged an impressive Boxing Evening last February and I look forward to attending a similar event next February.

A number of Brethren and their ladies are to make a return trip to Malta next October and W Bro David Tuke, the organiser has donated two places on the holiday as a raffle prize and the proceeds are for the 2016 Festival, tickets are on sale and I understand the draw will take place at the Provincial Grand Chapter Meeting next May.

As members of the Province we should all be working together helping to raise funds for the 2016 RMBI Festival, the sale of Christmas cards and the afore mentioned fund raising activities will all help if we all support the 2016 Committee's endeavours.

We have a long way to go to meet our target but with our collective support we will succeed.

Both the Provincial Grand Mentor and Orator have attended lodges on a regular basis and their presentations have been well received but I must ask lodges to ensure that they make arrangements with those Officers well in advance as both W. Bros Messenger and Beattie are very busy masons.

W Bro Peter Mason has at my request and by invitation of lodges presented a number of interesting talks illustrating the indissoluble link between the Craft and the Royal Arch. RA Going Forward 2013 is an ideal opportunity to educate the many Master Masons who still appear to be ill informed about the Royal Arch. As a Province, in addition to our commitment to the 2016 RMBI Festival, we are supporting the Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary Appeal for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and thereby supporting advancements in surgical care for current and future generations.

Next year Her Majesty the Queen will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee and to commemorate this event Beacons are to be lit throughout the Realm. Her Majesty has graciously consented to lighting the first beacon. The date set for the celebration is 4 June 2012. The Lord-Lieutenant for Cumbria, Sir James Cropper has invited us to be involved and I have asked the Group Chairmen if they will arrange for at least one Beacon to be lit in their respective Groups. I am pleased to inform you that South West Cumberland has already arranged sites for two Beacons, well done. Full details about the event can be found on the Diamond Jubilee website and this information will be included with my address on the Provincial website. *

Her Majesty hopes that the celebrations will be community events so we could consider this by inviting our friends to join with us at say a barbeque or some other community event and again raise the profile of Freemasonry and perhaps funds for the Festival.

A number of Groups have been active in their local communities and as I have said on many occasions it is far easier to donate money than to give of time. We are being called upon and expected to financially support our central Masonic Charities and giving of our time is a positive way of showing our commitment to non Masonic charities.

I know that most of our Groups have assisted in marshalling events and assisting with street collections and I commend this charitable work. Having spent four hours standing on a cold wet street with a collecting box and a tray of badges in support of a local hospice I speak from experience. It does have its rewards when people comment that they have never seen so many men collecting for the hospice and they can be informed that all the collectors are Freemasons, the reactions are interesting and again gives the opportunity of educating the unpopular world who are not masons.

I was pleased to accept an invitation from the Vicar and Parochial Church Council of St. Mary's Church, Wigton to attend a service in their church arranged by our Provincial Grand Chaplain. We have been invited to attend a service in Whitehaven next June and once the date has been agreed information will be sent to all lodges. I am indebted to VW Bro Canon Roan for the arrangements.

We continue to develop the Provincial Information Team who, under the leadership of the Provincial Information Officer, W Bro Mike Clementson, are advancing their skills, particularly with the Group Newsletters. It is indicative of the strength of the Team that the Provincial Senior and Junior Grand Wardens, whom I have invested today, are members of it. The Team does however rely on lodges communicating with them so that they in turn can pass on items of interest to all parts of the Province.

The Lodge Secretaries should ensure each member receives a copy of the Group Newsletter. Printed copies should continue to be made available to those members without an email address or email buddy. I am sure many almoners and mentors already regard it as part of their important duties to ensure members who are unable to attend their Lodge regularly due to sickness or age as well as widows are kept up to date with new from the lodge.

We continue to make positive relationships with other organisations in the Province by attending functions with them. As we approach Remembrance Sunday I hope lodges will again be well represented at Remembrance Services. Last year I attended the Remembrance Parade in Kendal together with our current Deputy Provincial Grand Master where we were well supported by Brethren from the South Westmorland Group. This year I have been invited to attend the Remembrance Parade in Millom where I will welcome support.

Brethren, when the Summons for this meeting was issued I asked in particular for support from the Worshipful Masters and Wardens of Lodges. The Province recognises all the work they do for their Lodges in particular and Freemasonry in general. I invite them now to stand and be acknowledged not only for their presence today but for what they are doing throughout the year.

I am also pleased to give an especial welcome to our Distinguished Guests. The Distinguished Guests from other Provinces and the Heads of the other Masonic Orders in this Province were introduced to you when they entered Provincial Grand Lodge earlier and I welcome them collectively and thank them all for their support today, which we value tremendously. We are made most welcome whenever and wherever we meet them.

It is invidious to name names but I must mention two Heads of other Masonic Orders. I am pleased to welcome W Bro Edward Crosby PPrSGW who is making his first appearance since his Installation as District Grand Prefect of the District Grand Council of Cumberland & Westmorland in the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees. W Bro Thomas Firth Jackson PAGDC is making his last appearance as the Grand Superintendent of District No 2 of the Province of Lancashire and Cumberland in the Order of The Holy Arch Knight Templar Priests. Next Tuesday he will be installed as the MW Grand Master of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England & Wales and Districts and Councils Overseas. We wish him well in his new office and the election that precedes his Installation.

Some of our guests were called upon to escort the Pro Grand Master into Provincial Grand Lodge and I would now like to introduce them to you:
RW Bro Richard Anderson Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings together with his Deputy Provincial Grand Master VW Bro Jeffrey Gillyon
RW Bro Peter Magnay Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Northumberland
RW Bro Eric Heaviside Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Durham
RW Bro Steven Adcott Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Cheshire together with his Deputy Provincial Grand Master VW Bro Ian Cranston
VW Bro Harold Woodward Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Province of East Lancashire
VW Bro Captain Eidwin Mullen Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Province of the Isle of Man.
W Bro James Newman SGD of England as Chairman of the Trustees of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
Finally, W Bro Stephen Blank DepGDC, who we welcome back to the Province, accompanying the MW Pro Grand Master and as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province of East Lancashire

When I attended the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex recently together with the Provincial Grand Secretary I was asked if I would look at the possibility of forming a branch of the Masonic Fishing Charity. The charity arranges fishing trips for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities on a one to one basis. I am pleased to report that we are making excellent progress thanks to W Bro David Kellet and Bro Stephen Roberts who have found a suitable venue. They would appreciate help from other anglers, masons and non-masons. Information will be placed on the Provincial website. This is an ideal way of showing Freemasonry Cares. **

Brethren, in conclusion I ask you all for your continuing support for the continued success of the Glorious Province of Cumberland & Westmorland. Recruitment, Retention and Retrieval must be our watch words. The practice of our Freemasonry must embody Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all our actions.

Brethren, I wish you a happy and successful Masonic Year.

*www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk

**www.mtsfc.org.uk