QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION SATURDAY, 6th October 2001

at
THE QUEEN'S HALL, NEWTOWNARDS, CO. DOWN

Present:

There were also present:‑
R.W. Brothers Daniel B. Fincher and Robert Campbell, Past Senior Grand Wardens; the Provincial Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, North Connaught, Down, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, Midland Counties, Tyrone & Fermanagh and Wicklow & Wexford; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, North Connaught, South Connaught, Down, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, Midland Counties and Tyrone & Fermanagh; R.W. Brothers Rev. Charles McCurdy and Rev. Warren W. Porter, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; VW. Brothers Arthur T. Pollock, Ivan Ferguson, Albert Topping, T.O. Read, William G. McElwaine, Leslie V. Johnston, John N. Millar and John McLean, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brothers Allen G. Megarry and Michael R. Bicknell, Past Grand Directors of Ceremonies; V. W. Brothers Trevor Monteith, Samuel H. Boyle, William J. Johnston, J. Ardle Agnew and Andrew McFetridge, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Brothers Bernard V.A. Woods and David A.R. Lovesy, Past Grand Almoners; and VW. Brothers S. Gordon Leathern and Robert T. Bashford, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers.

SISTER CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED

The following Grand Lodges were represented:‑ Scotland, Alberta, Canada in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Western Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Turkey, Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Costa Rica, Cuscatlan of El Salvador, Mexico ( York), Argentina, Grand Orient of Brazil, Ecuador, Sao Paulo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, South Africa, China, the Philippines the State of Israel, the Dominican Republic and the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Connecticut and Ohio.

APOLOGIES FOR NON‑ATTENDANCE

Apologies for non‑attendance were received from:‑ the R.W. Grand Treasurer, the R.W. Grand Registrar, the V.W. Grand Superintendent of Works, the V.W. Grand Inner Guard, the Provincial Grand Masters of South Connaught, South Eastern, Munster and North Munster; R.W. Brother W.W. Hughes, Past Provincial Grand Master of Wicklow & Wexford; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of North Munster and Wicklow & Wexford; the Assistant Grand Inspector for the Far East; R.W. Brother the Rt. Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz, Past Senior Grand Chaplain; R.W. Brothers the Ven. R. Clayton Stevenson, Rev. Canon Richard H. Bertram and Rev. Canon Kenneth W. Cochrane, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; VW. Brother R. Ian E. Wilson, Past Grand Deacon; VW. Brother David McKee, Past Grand Director of Ceremonies; V.W. Brothers Arthur W. White, R.H.B. Mills and Herbert A. Walsh, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; VW. Brother Cecil G. Oakes, Past Grand Ahnoner; VW. Brothers Dr. Norman Jackson, George Power, Thomas A.D. Martin and Samuel A. Mackenzie, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; the Representatives of the Grand Lodges of Saskatchewan, New South Wales, Alpina of Switzerland, Illinois, New York and Missouri; and R.W. Brother Douglas Wakefield, Past Grand Representative.

RESIGNATIONS OF THE GRAND MASTER AND ASSISTANT GRAND MASTER

Before Grand Lodge opened, the Deputy Grand Master notified the Brethren that the Grand Master and Assistant Grand Master had both resigned their Offices and that in the circumstances he was not sure of his own position. He asked the Brethren if they were satisfied that he should preside at this Communication of Grand Lodge which was confirmed by acclamation.

WELCOME BY THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER

Grand Lodge being opened, the Provincial Grand Master of Down, R.W. Brother William Mawhinney welcomed the Grand Master, Officers and Members of Grand Lodge on behalf of the Provines of Down and Antrim, to Newtownards. In reply, the Deputy Grand Master thanked the Provincial Grand Master for the arrangements for this Communication of Grand Lodge, including the preceding luncheon and asked that the thanks of Grand Lodge be passed on to everyone concerned.

OBITUARY

The Deputy Grand Master referred to the recent deaths of:‑ R.W. Bro. Ian G. Brown, Past Senior Grand Warden and Past Provincial Grand Master of Tyrone & Fermanagh; R.W. Bro. Thomas C. Baker, Past Provincial Grand Master, South Eastern; R.W. Brother Albert V. Green, Past Provincial Grand Master, South Africa Northern; V.W. Bro. Robert L. Byrne, Honorary Past Grand Deacon, New Zealand; R.W. Bro. Thomas A. McCready, Representative of the National Grand Lodge of Denmark; R.W. Bro. George C. Jackson, Representative of the Grand Lodge of Colombia (at Cartagena) and VW. Brother Dr. R.J. Whyte, Honorary Past Grand Almoner, Londonderry & Donegal. The memory of our departed distinguished Brethren was saluted in accordance with ancient custom.

MINUTES

On the proposal of the Senior Grand Warden seconded by the Junior Grand Warden, the Minutes of the Quarterly Stated Communication of Grand Lodge held on June 7th, 2001, as circulated, were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

INVESTITURE OF FOREIGN GRAND REPRESENTATIVES

R.W. Brothers Neville K. Irvine, Noel A. Drain, Trevor Monteith, Andrew Stuart, Brian Kershaw, R. Alexander Best and Joseph N. Lewis, being in attendance and having produced their Patents of Appointment, the Grand Director of Ceremonies formed processions and presented them to the Deputy Grand Master for investiture and presentation of their Patents of Appointment, as Representatives of the Grand Lodges of Western Australia, Alberta, Croatia, Luxembourg, California, Michigan and the State of Israel, respectively. The newly invested Grand Representatives were conducted to their seats and were saluted.

ELECTION OF THE BOARDS OF MANAGEMENT
OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS

Grand Lodge approved the election of the Brethren, as nominated by the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes, to form the Boards of Management of the following Masonic Benevolent
Institutions:‑

On being put to Grand Lodge, the Motion was carried.

ELECTION OF THE GRAND MASTER

The Deputy Grand Master again referred to the resignation of the Grand Master and reported that, in these circumstances, at the meeting of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes, it had given him much pleasure to propose the name of R.W. Brother Eric N. Waller, Past Provincial Grand Master of Wicklow & Wexford, to be the next Grand Master. This had been seconded by R.W. Brother George Dunlop, Provincial Grand Master of Londonderry & Donegal. The Deputy Grand Master asked were there any other nominations and, there being none, R.W. Brother Eric N. Waller was declared Grand Master Elect followed by prolonged acclamation. R.W. Brother Waller, being in attendance, graciously accepted his election saying that he wished the direction of Grand Lodge to be a team effort and that it therefore gave him much pleasure to nominate R.W. Brother George Dunlop, Provincial Grand Master of Londonderry & Donegal, as Deputy Grand Master Designate and R.W. Brother William Mawhinney, Provincial Grand Master of Down, as Assistant Grand Master Designate. He further stated that he would instal these Brethren as Deputy Grand Master and Assistant Grand Master immediately following his own Installation as Grand Master on Thursday November 22"d. The announcement of the names of the Deputy Grand Master Designate and Assistant Grand Master Designate were again greeted by prolonged acclamation.

NOMINATION OF THE GRAND OFFICERS FOR 2002

In accordance with Grand Lodge Law No. 43, the Board nominated the following Grand Officers for 2002:

AUDITOR OF GRAND LODGE ACCOUNTS

W. Brother Peter H. Mullock, FCA, Past Master of Lodge No. 395, Dublin, was nominated as Auditor of Grand Lodge Accounts for the year 2001.

REPORT OF THE GRAND LODGE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES

Read Memorial for the issue of a new Warrant to establish a Lodge in Port Royal, Jamaica, to be called "Port Royal" Lodge No. 926. The Memorial was recommended by Lodges Nos. 390, 889 and 899 and by the Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Deputy Grand Master of Jamaica.
The documentation being in order and the fee having been paid, the Board recommended the issue of a new Warrant. Confirmed.

The Board noted with regret, for reporting to Grand Lodge, the decision of the Brethren of Lodges Nos. 213, Belfast; 262, Newtownabbey; and 509, Belfast, to return the Warrants to Grand Lodge at the end of the current year.

Vacancies having arisen in the Representation of the Grand Lodges of Victoria, West Virginia, Colombia at Cartagena, Madagascar and Chile, the Board recommended that the names of V.W. Brother Rodney L. McCurley, Provincial Grand Secretary of Down; V.W. Brother Alan Stewart, Provincial Assistant Grand Secretary of Down; VW. Brother Jackson Reynolds, Past Master of Lodge No. 979; W. Brother William C. Colhoun, Past Master of Lodge No. 544; and W. Brother Basil French, Past Master of Lodge No. 598, be sent forward to the abovementioned Grand Lodges, respectively, for consideration as suitable Brethren to act .as their Grand Representatives here. Confirmed.

Read letters from the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of British Columbia & the Yukon, the Grand Lodge of Alaska and the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, submitting the names of M.W. Brother the Most Hon. the Marquess of Northampton, Pro Grand Master; M.W. Brother Douglas Hargrove, Past Grand Master; W. Brother Gerald R. Fairley, Past Master of Glacier Lodge No. 10; and M.W. Brother Carl J. Smith, Grand Master, respectively, as suitable Brethren to act as our Grand Representatives there. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed.

NOTICE OF MOTION

The Grand Secretary, on behalf of the Grand Treasurer handed in Notice of Motion, under the Provisions of Grand Lodge Law No. 29, that Grand Lodge make a donation of not more than £2000 to the Masonic Charities.

GRANT FROM THE CHARITY COMMITTEE OF GRAND LODGE

Grand Lodge approved a recommendation coming forward from the Committee of Charity for a special grant of £500 to the widow of a former Brother of Lodge No. 249, Dublin.

GRAND LODGE OF INSTRUCTION

Grand Lodge confirmed the election to membership of the Grand Lodge of Instruction of V.W. Brother Robert R. Elliott.                                         

REPORTS ON THE MASONIC CHARITIES

VW. Brother Trevor Morrow reported on the work of the Annuities Funds; W. Brother Roger Matthews reported on the work of the Masonic Girls Benefit Fund and the Masonic Boys Benefit Fund; R.W. Brother Arthur Pollock reported on the situation with regard to Masonic Havens Limited; and R.W. Brother Dennis Millen reported on the winding‑up of the Grand Master's 2000 Appeal. The reports of these Brethren will be printed in the Annual Report of Grand Lodge for the year 2001.

THANKS TO ORGANIZING BRETHREN

The Deputy Grand Master thanked V.W. Brother Rodney McCurley, Provincial Grand Secretary of Down, and all Brethren involved in helping with the arrangements for the reception, luncheon and Grand Lodge Communication.

CHARITY COLLECTION

The Charity Collection amounted to £890.

GRAND LODGE CLOSED.