Companions

Once again I bid you all a very warm welcome and am most grateful for your support on what is the most important date in our Royal Arch year.
To our guests from other Provinces I again thank you not only for your support at our meeting today but also for the very friendly and cordial relationships that we enjoy in visiting your various Provinces and the generous hospitality that we receive.

I congratulate again all those Companions that I have had the pleasure of appointing, promoting and investing. I hope that you enjoy your new ranks and use them not only to continue to promote and encourage new members to the Order, but also to ensure that our younger Companions understand and appreciate the benefits of membership.

Earlier I had the pleasure of greeting representatives of those Companions exalted in the last year and it is to them that we look for the future of the Province. May you enjoy today and hope that it encourages you to have much happiness and success in your future Royal Arch activities. Your full participation in the working of your Chapters will do much to strengthen and ensure the future. I wish you well in your endeavours.

I also make special mention of those Companions from Denmark who are here today and are members of Hertfordshire Chapters. Thank you for making the long journey and I hope that you enjoy yourselves. I also hope that the problems associated with other Masons from your country who want to join the Royal Arch are soon resolved. You are committed Royal Arch Masons and add much to those Chapters that you have joined.

Companions last year I announced that we had raised over £125,000 in support of the Provincial Grand Master’s Festival for the Grand Charity. You are probably aware that our fmal total was in excess of £176,000 and I thank you all for this magnificent effort. It was a fitting tribute to the very cordial relationship that exists between the Craft and the Royal Arch, indeed all the various Masonic Orders in Hertfordshire, and I again thank the R W PGM for his continued encouragement, wise counsel and support.

At his annual meeting in September the PGM asked for support to pay off the outstanding mortgage on our Provincial Offices. This is support that I urge all the Chapters to consider and would ask that any donations you feel able to give should be sent to David Enock who will then record them and pass them onto the Provincial Office. Remember Companions that we receive considerable support from the Craft administration and early repayment of this mortgage will be of benefit to us all.

I now invite the PGM to receive a cheque from the Royal Arch to help towards his new appeal.

I now turn to the Mentoring scheme that has been introduced and thank Alan Ward, and in particular, Alan Wiffen, for their work and commitment. I am a little disappointed at the response from some of you and would urge you to go back to your Chapters and if you have not yet appointed a Mentor to raise the issue.

Alan Wiffen will be organising some seminars in the New Year to promote arid extend the scheme. I am convinced that a properly structured and supported mentoring scheme will do much to encourage membership of the Order. The scheme is in place and now we need your support.

Today there have been changes to the Executive. I have afready thanked Alan Ward for his time as my Deputy and also for his tremendous commitment to this Royal Arch Province. We are all delighted Alan to see you looking so well and in wishing you a long and happy retirement I also assure you that I will continue to call on your experience and expertise.

To my new Deputy, Ian Clift, this is not only a recognition of the total commitment that he has given to the Royal Arch over the last 18 years or so, but also for his support and loyalty to me. I look forward to continuing our special relationship and I know that he will continue to work hard for Hertfordshire.

Philip Lever has earned his promotion and continues to work hard for the
Province and I extend a warm welcome to our new 3C Principal, David
Morris, who I hope will enjoy his term of office and I know will be able
to continue fostering our cordial relationships with other Provinces.

To all those Officers who are retiring today I thank you for your support and trust that you have many happy memories of your activities around the Province. Your presence at the various installation meetings have often added to the enjoyment of all present.

To our new active Officers I look forward to seeing you at the various activities about the Province. Please take the opportunity to get out and about as much as possible as I know that you will be well received by the Chapters and will find much of interest at the different meetings.

To all of you involved in the organisation of today, too many to mention individually, I thank you and you can be well satisfied that your efforts have ensured a most happy and memorable day for us all.

Finally, Companions, continue to enjoy your Royal Arch Masonry and demonstrate that enjoyment by encouraging your Masonic friends who have yet to discover the joys of this Order to consider membership. Take into your daily lives the teachings and concepts of this wonderful Order and by displaying the happiness that this should bring to your Royal Arch membership you will be the best advertisement for prospective members.

I wish you continued success and enjoyment and look forward to being with many of you at your various meetings in the coming months.

May your God bless you all.

J Ilott
ME Grand Superintendent
Provincial Grand Chapter of Hertfordshire
2nd November 2009.