Provincial Prior & Knights Enjoying the Sunshine

The New Boy Can't Get Stuck In Quickly Enough !

This was, as always, a very friendly and colourful meeting, (as the photographs show) and a near capacity 133 Knights enjoyed a very tasty Festive Board, where we were pleased to be joined by the Craft Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Colin Harris.

The Provincial Prior's Address

Bro. Knights, I welcome you here today to what is for most of us familiar surroundings, but which is for our Provincial Priory meeting, breaking new ground.   I mentioned last year that I was considering returning to a mid-week meeting, and this is the result.   No doubt the move away from a Saturday has pleased some, as much as it has disappointed others.

We have once again had a very busy and I think successful year – Dedicating two Banners, celebrating 75 years of the re-Constitution of the Province, Installation of my new Sub-Prior, two highly successful social occasions – our annual St.George’s Day celebration dinner, and only last Sunday a Hog-Roast and Barn Dance.   All this on top of two regular annual events – the Provincial Malta meeting and our Service of Praise at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban.   Surely enough for the most satiable of appetites.

All of these events have been well supported by you, my Bro Knights, and I am indebted to you all for making the past year one to remember.   It also heralded the end of the Hertfordshire Craft appeal for the 2009 Festival.   I am delighted to announce that through the generosity of the Preceptories, we as a Province, have been able to donate to the Festival the princely sum of £8000, and all this on top of still maintaining contributions to the Ophthalmic Eye Hospital at Jerusalem.   I was in a position to present a cheque for this amount to the PGM at the recent meeting of the Hertfordshire Installed First Principal’s Chapter, where a team from our KT Province was giving a demonstration entitled, ‘The Knights Templar meets the Royal Arch’.   It is hoped that this presentation will find favour with RA Chapters who have no work to do, and indeed, we have already secured what I would like to think will be the first of many commissions.

One of the highlights of the past year has to be the appointment and installation last November of E.Kt. Tony Lapsley as my Sub-Prior.   His was a very popular choice and I have had no hesitation in re-appointing him earlier this afternoon.   He or I have attended the Installation meetings of all bar one of the Preceptories in the Province and wherever we have visited we have always been subject to the most warming hospitality and welcome.    I, of course, tend to go mob-handed with a contingent of my Body Guard and half a dozen or so escorting Knights, and I would here like to pay tribute to them – they support me on all occasions I visit and they do so at their expense and of course in their own time, and I am truly indebted to them for their commitment.   I have today appointed a new team of Provincial Officers and in congratulating and welcoming them all, I look forward to their company on many such visits during the course of the coming year. 

Provincial Vice-Chancellor and Provincial Prior of Surrey

It would be prudent perhaps to mention one or two of these new appointments., because there have been significant changes this year.   I would like to place on record my thanks to V.E.Kt. Brian Muir, who is stepping down as my Provincial Chancellor after a term of four years.  I have invested in his stead, V.E.Kt. Peter Aikman, whom I have managed to persuade to stand down as Prov. Treasurer after some 20 odd years of unstinting service, and his promotion to Chancellor is richly deserved.   The other change of which I would like to make mention is that of Provincial Prelate.   Because of the retirement of E.Kt. the Revd. Andrew Davey due to an inability to fulfil the duties of his office because of him living in Norfolk and having to tend to his own Parish, I am pleased to welcome to the office, E.Kt. John Simons.   John is not a Cleric, but is perhaps the next best thing, holding a high rank in the Salvation Army and I have no doubt he is more than capable of attending to our spiritual needs.

Whilst talking of promotions and appointments, it was pleasing to attend Great Priory in May and witness no less than five Knights of the Province receive the honour and dignity of Great Priory Rank from the ME&SGM.   E.Kt. Harry Hawkins and my Sub-Prior, E.Kt. Tony Lapsley, both received deserved promotions to PGtHer and PGtStB(B) respectively.    The other three had a first appointment conferred upon them and they were all worthy of the honour.    My Provincial Marshal, E.Kt. Mike Stanforth became PGtA-de-C, a rank befitting his status in the Province.    E.Kt. Robert Landragin attained the same honour as a reward for his stint as the Commander of my Body Guard.   He is retiring from that position as of this meeting and I would like to place on record my heartfelt thanks for all he has done in looking after my welfare for the last four years.   The third appointment of PGtWofReg went to E.Kt. Mike Beaty, who designed and manages the Provincial Website, is my KT publicity agent and also a member of my hard-working Social Committee.   Congratulations to all five; your new status in the Province is well deserved.

Having mentioned my Social Committee, I cannot let this opportunity pass without thanking them for their efforts on our behalf during the last year in organising two very successful social functions and extracting money from us in such a painless manner.   Thanks are also due to my Vice-Chancellor and my Provincial Marshal, not only for staging this meeting, but for their guidance and wise counsel throughout the past year.   And finally, I must mention the members of the host Preceptory, Joseph Moffett Preceptory, who will have worked tirelessly by the end of the day in setting up our furniture and our Festive Board.

Bro. Knights, I was installed as your Prov. Prior by the ME&SGM on 1st Saturday in June 2004, and the five-year Patent he awarded me, thus expired earlier this month on 6th June.   The mere fact that I am presiding over this meeting is a good indication that the GM has been pleased to offer me a renewal of that Patent – an offer I have felt honoured and privileged to accept.   I am only the custodian of this wonderful Province of ours, and in my inaugural address of five years ago I well remember saying that I was looking forward to the journey ahead with eager anticipation and I invited you all come along and join me for the ride.   It might, I said, get a bit bumpy along the way, but with good luck and God’s guidance our destiny was assured.    My Bro. Knights, I would like to think I have fulfilled my duty over the last five years.   The journey has been a bit bumpy at times, but we have come through unscathed, stronger and more vibrant than before, and whatever the future holds I know that with your support nothing is insurmountable.   Let us therefore look forward with eager anticipation to whatever challenges lie ahead and I would ask you all bear in mind the following words, paraphrased from the ritual of another closely-associated Masonic Order, ‘let the glorious example of the Holy and Righteous men of old, the illustrious heroes of former ages, whose matchless deeds have shed a bright lustre on the name of Knights Templar encourage us in the performance of every duty’

Bro. Knights, I thank you for the courtesy of listening to me and I greet you all well.