The Provincial Priory of Malta Meeting for 2009 was held at The Cloisters, Letchworth, on Tuesday 8th September under the banner of the Joseph Moffett Priory number 383 and it was, once again, a scorching hot day which was felt by those attending (as the photograph illustrates)..

The Right Eminent Provincial Prior, Brian Blanchard, welcomed the 100+ Knights present and opened the Chapter of Provincial Priory of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta (to give it its correct title). We were honoured this year by the prescence of the Great Prior of Malta, R.E.Kt. Edwin (Eddie) B. Goodwin and the Provincial Prior of East Anglia,  R.E.Kt. Geoffrey Hewitt.

After the minutes of the last regular meeting of Provincial Priory of Malta were confirmed the Provincial Prior requested the Prelate and Mareschal to escort E.Kt. Beaty to the Guard Room. There seventeen Candidates, including the Representative Candidate, Kt. Douglas Bainbridge of the Temple Dinsley Preceptory No.283 were given the Mediterranean Pass and Installed as Knights of St Paul by E.Knight Michael D. Beaty PProvCptGen. Whilst this was taking place in the Guard Room, the Provincial Prior, R.E.Kt. Brian Blanchard, appointed his officers and announced the promotions and first apppointments for the year. Those Knights appointed to active rank are shown on the "Province" page of this web site.

Promotions were given to the following:

and First Appointments were given to:

E.Kt. Beaty re-entered the Priory and the Candidates were admitted and made Knights of Malta by the Provincial Prior. The Provincial Sub Prior, E.Kt. Tony Lapsley PGtBaillie conducted the ceremony, ably assisted by E.Kts. W.H.(Bill) Jones, John.B. Linley PGtSwdB and Barry.S. Searle ProvLtGen.

The R.E. Provincial Prior then addressed the assembled Knights:-

Bro.Knights,

I welcome you all here to this Provincial Priory of Malta meeting, and in doing so may I start by congratulating my Sub-Prior, E.Kt. Tony Lapsley and the other participants on the ceremonial this afternoon.   I also, of course, offer my congratulations to those Knights, who this evening were made Knights of Malta.   Their numbers are somewhat less than we have come to expect, but in a way that is quite encouraging as it means that more are receiving the degree in Priories throughout the Province – something I have been advocating and wish to encourage.

This meeting also gives me the opportunity of investing those Knights who have been appointed to and promoted in Provincial Malta Rank, ranks which are appropriate to those they received earlier in the year at our Knights Templar meeting in June.    Next year will see a slight departure in the manner in which Provincial Ranks are notified.   Recipients will receive one letter early in the year inviting them to receive not only a Provincial Rank in Knights Templar but also a Provincial Rank in Malta, even though the Investiture Meetings will continue to be separate.   This procedure will not only streamline our administration, but it will have a bearing on another matter I wish to bring to your notice.     On achieving rank of any sort, we as masons, are dependent upon the highly profitable cartel of Masonic regalia outfitters.  The Provincial Craft, here in our Province, have realised this and as you know now offer new Craft, Royal Arch and Mark regalia at very advantageous prices by going direct to the same or similar manufacturers in the Sub-Continent as used by the regalia outfitters.   My Brother Knights, we as a Knight Templar Province, also have contacts in India and Pakistan and whilst we have no wish to involve ourselves wholeheartedly in the regalia business, we will be in a position to offer those who are appointed and promoted in Rank, new KT and Malta Mantle Badges at a considerable saving on the equivalent obtainable from recognised Masonic outfitters.   Details will be given in the letter of appointment sent out to recipients of Provincial Rank, but I stress again, we are not in the regalia business and will not be holding a stock of Mantle Badges and will only obtain those for which we have firm orders and for which we are paid up-front.   We will not be getting involved in the part-exchange, or selling of, second-hand Badges – we have a Warden of Regalia who does this   There will also be a cut-off date for placing an order, which if missed means you will have to make your own arrangements through the usual channels.   I hope and trust you will take advantage of the scheme when it is introduced in the Spring of next year.

Brother Knights, I now wish to address you on the subject of the St.John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital.   Last week-end saw the KT Triennial Conference in Winchester, which I know some of you attended.    It was here that it was announced that Great Priory, in conjunction with the Eye Hospital at Jerusalem, would be launching a special appeal with a particular project in mind.  The project would mean receiving donations in the sum of £115,000 over the next two years.   This amount would be in addition to and separate from the usual generous donations already given by Preceptories and KT Provinces within Great Priory.   Brother Knights, with the Craft 2009 Festival now behind us, perhaps we might consider this new venture when we come to allocating our charitable funds, but I would stress it should not be looked upon as an alternative to your usual donations to the Eye Hospital, but in addition to them and designated as such.   I am also delighted to say that Great Priory has at last woken up to the fact that donations to the Eye Hospital can be subject to the Gift Aid Scheme.   Preceptories will be receiving instructions on how this is to be implemented and I hope they will be taking advantage of it.

Brother Knights, we have now exhausted our stock of Provincial KT ties and need to order another supply.   In so doing, I have been asked to take the opportunity of reviewing the quality and design of the tie, and this we are in the process of doing.   I hasten to add that this is not another ploy to get everyone to purchase another tie, as the Provincial Emblem, so evident on our existing tie will still be very prominent, but I would like to think that the quality and the design incorporated in the weave of the new tie will encourage you to purchase it.   It will be available in the very near future.

In two to three months time we shall again be gathering at Birmingham for the meeting of the Great Priory of Malta, when E.Kts Tony Lapsley, Harry Hawkins, Mike Stanforth, Robert Landragin and Mike Beaty will all be receiving appointment to or promotion in Great Priory of Malta Rank.   We congratulate them on their forthcoming preferment, and I would like to think that the Province will once more be well represented by yourselves to support them on the day.   For those of you who have never been to the Great Priory of Malta meeting, it is well worth a visit as apart from the usual investiture associated with the event, the Great Prior of Malta also performs the Malta ceremony that we have seen today on a live candidate in front of several hundred Knights, who are just dying for him to make a mistake – but he never does, and we are immensely honoured to have in our presence today, none other than the same Great Prior of Malta himself, R.E.Kt. Eddie Goodwin.

As you probably realise, Bro. Knights, no ‘official guests’ are invited to attend our Malta and Eddie is here in a private capacity, and delighted we are to have him with us.    I am equally delighted to welcome as a personal guest, that good friend of ours from the neighbouring Province of East Anglia, R.E.Kt. Geoffrey Hewitt, the Provincial Prior.    Geoffrey, I am so pleased that you have been able to join us here today and you well know the reason why.   Coupled with these distinguished Knights I also take this opportunity, of course, to greet any other visitor we may have in our midst today.

Bro. Knights, I reserve the right to have more to say at the Festive Board, and so in closing, I would like to thank the Joseph Moffett Priory, the Priory under whose Banner this meeting is being held, my Provincial Mareschal and his team, and my Provincial Chancellor for all their hard work in bringing this meeting to fruition and of course to thank you all for your attendance here today.    I look forward to being in your company on my visits throughout the coming year.