GRAND LODGE
of ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF IRELAND
ST. JOHN'S
DAY COMMUNICATION ‑ WEDNESDAY 27th DECEMBER, 2006
|
| M.W. Grand Master | George Dunlop |
| R.W. Deputy Grand Master | Douglas T. Grey |
| R.W. Assistant Grand Master | Leslie V. Johnston |
| As R.W. Senior Grand Warden | Robert J. Armstrong |
| R.W. Junior Grand Warden | Charles R. Knipe |
| R.W. Grand Secretary | D. Barry Lyons |
| R.W. Junior Grand Chaplain | The Ven. John G. Murray |
| V.W. Senior Grand Deacon | Kenneth Abernethy |
| V.W. Junior Grand Deacon | Robert J. Robinson |
| V.W. Grand Superintendent of Works | David T. Young |
| V.W. Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies | Ivan A. Meldivm |
| VW. Grand Steward | Frank R. L. Arnold |
| V.W. Grand Sword Bearer | John L. Frazer |
| V.W. Grand Almoners | William T. H. Balmer |
| Richard Ensor | |
| V.W. Grand Organist | John N. Rowden |
| As V.W. Grand Lodge Standard Bearer | S. Gordon Leathern |
| As VW. Grand Master's Standard Bearer | Noel Simpson |
| V.W. Grand Inner Guard | Rodney L. McCurley |
| V.W. Assistant Grand Secretary for Instruction | Robert J. Armstrong |
There were also present:‑
the Provincial Grand Masters of North Connaught, South Connaught, Down,
Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, the Midland Counties, North Munster, South Eastern
and Tyrone & Fermanagh; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Armagh, North
Connaught, South Connaught, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, Midland Counties,
Tyrone & Fermanagh and Wicklow & Wexford; R.W. Brother Alan Megarry, Past Grand
Director of Ceremonies; R.W. Brothers the Rev. Canon Richard H. Bertram and the
Rev. Charles McCurdy, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; R.W. Brothers J. Kenneth
Dunne and Geoffrey Ashton, Past Provincial Grand Masters; R.W. Brother Cyril R.
Foster, Past Provincial Deputy Grand Master; V.W. Brothers Terence O. Read, J.
Noel Millar, John McLean, Norman Humes, Richard H. Gray and Gordon Morrison,
Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother Samuel H. Boyle, Honorary Past Grand Deacon;
V.W. Brother John Torley, Honorary Past Grand Sword Bearer; VW. Brothers James
I.A. Davison, Charles A. McCullough, Samuel J. Patience, William J. Johnston and
Roger Matthews, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Brother Samuel Scott,
Honorary Past Grand Steward; V.W. Brothers David A.R. Lovesy, Victor Whyte and
Maurice W. Lee, Past Grand Almoners; V.W. Brothers Norman Jackson, Donald Finlay
and William J. Dixon, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; and R.W. Brothers
A.W. Coid and D.J. Long, Past Grand Representatives.
SISTER
CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED
The following Grand Lodges
were represented:‑ Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec, Saskatchewan,
Victoria, Western Australia, Austria, Belgium (Regular), Denmark, Estonia,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia,
Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana,
Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, Wisconsin, Argentina, Mato Grosso, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, Japan, and
the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio and
Caribbean & Jurisdiction.
APOLOGIES FOR
NON‑ATTENDANCE
Apologies for non‑attendance
were received from:‑ the Immediate Past Grand Master; the R.W. Senior Grand
Warden; the R.W. Grand Treasurer; the R.W. Grand Registrar; the R.W. Senior
Grand Chaplain; V.W. Junior Grand Chaplain, Selwoode Graham; V.W. Grand Stewards
of Charities; V.W. Grand Lodge Standard Bearer; V.W. Grand Master's Standard
Bearer; and the V.W. Grand Secretary for Instruction; the Provincial Grand
Masters of Antrim, Armagh, Munster and Wicklow & Wexford; the Provincial Deputy
Grand Masters of Munster and South Eastern; Past Provincial Grand Master of
Tyrone & Fermanagh; R.W. Brothers Daniel B. Fincher, Robert Campbell, R. Stanley
Johnston and Robert J. Thomson, Past Senior Grand Wardens; R.W. Brother Michael
W. Walker, Past Grand Secretary; R.W. Brother the Rt. Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz,
Past Senior Grand Chaplain; R.W. Brother the Rev. W. Warren Porter, Past Junior
Grand Chaplain; V.W. Brothers Arthur Pollock, Arnold J. Cooke and Mervyn W.
Morrison, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother Cecil Taylor, Past Assistant Grand
Treasurer; V.W. Brother Michael R. McWilliam, Past Assistant Grand Secretary;
V.W. Brothers Trevor Monteith and Richard Reid, Past Grand Stewards of
Charities; V.W. Brother Bernard V.A. Woods, Past Grand Almoner; V.W. Bro. T.A.
Derek Martin, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearer; the Representatives of the
Grand Lodges of Scotland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Tasmania, Croatia,
Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Cuscatlan
El Salvador; Mexico, Sao Paulo, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and R.W. Brothers Douglas
Wakefield and Herbert Meeke, Past Grand Representatives.
OBITUARY
Grand Lodge being opened, the
Grand Master referred to the recent deaths of R.W. Bro. Thomas George Francis
Stoney, Past Foreign Representative; R.W. Bro. Ivan H. Tyrrell, Foreign
Representative of North Dakota; V.W. Bro. Charles A. McCullough, Past Grand
Steward of Charities; R.W. Bro. Geoffrey J. Brown, Provincial Deputy Grand
Master of New Zealand and Honorary Past Grand Deacon; V.W. Bro. Jacob W.B.
Kophanu, Honorary Past Grand Deacon; and R.W. Bro. Bartholomew Armstrong, Past
Foreign Representative. The memory of our departed distinguished Brethren was
saluted in accordance with ancient custom.
WELCOME BY
THE GRAND MASTER
The Grand Master welcomed all
Brethren attending Grand Lodge indicating he was aware that there were a number
of Brethren unable to attend due to various circumstances, including illness and
arrangements made prior to the revival of this date for the Installation
Ceremony.
MINUTES
On the proposal of the R.W.
Senior Grand Warden, seconded by the R.W. Junior Grand Warden, the Minutes of
the October 7`" Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge, which had been
circulated, were taken as read, approved and signed.
INSTALLATION
OF THE GRAND OFFICERS FOR 2007
The Grand Master, M.W. Brother
George Dunlop, was proclaimed and saluted. The Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Brother
Douglas T. Grey, was proclaimed and saluted. The Assistant Grand Master, R.W.
Brother Leslie V. Johnston, was proclaimed and saluted.
APPOINTMENT
OF PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTERS AND INSPECTORS
The Grand Master announced
that he was re‑appointing all Provincial Grand Masters and Grand Inspectors
overseas. The Provincial Grand Masters and Grand Inspectors were saluted.
INSTALLATION
OF THE SENIOR GRAND WARDEN
The Grand Director of
Ceremonies formed a procession and presented R.W. Brother Charles R. Knipe to
the Grand Master for investiture as Senior Grand Warden. R.W. Brother Knipe was
installed and was saluted.
INVESTITURE
OF THE GRAND OFFICERS
In the unavoidable absence of
a number of Brethren the following were then invested or proclaimed, and
saluted, as the Grand Officers for 2007:‑
| R.W. Grand Treasurer | Charles W. Olden |
| R. W. Grand Registrar | Arthur D.S. Moran |
| R.W. Grand Secretary | D. Barry Lyons |
| R.W. Grand Director of Ceremonies | William J. Dyer |
| R.W. Senior Grand Chaplain | The Rev. Canon George N. Little |
| R.W. Junior Grand Chaplains | The Ven. Archdeacon John G. Murray |
| The Rev. Selwoode Graham | |
| V.W. Senior Grand Deacon | Frank Arnold |
| V.W. Junior Grand Deacon | John L. Frazer |
| V.W. Grand Superintendent of Works | David T. Young |
| V.W. Assistant Grand Treasurer | Arnold W.J. Smith |
| V.W. Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies | Ivan A. Meldrum |
| V.W. Grand Sword Bearer | Rodney L. McCurley |
| V.W. Grand Steward of Charities | Dennis R. Millen |
| Diarmuid McNulty | |
| V.W. Grand Almoners | Richard Ensor |
| William T.H. Balmer | |
| V.W. Grand Organist | John N. Rowden |
| V.W. Grand Lodge Standard Bearer | Douglas Thompson |
INVESTITURE
OF FOREIGN GRAND REPRESENTATIVE
R.W. Bro. Shadrach Bailie
being in attendance and having produced his Patent of Appointment, the Grand
Director of Ceremonies formed a procession and presented him to the Grand Master
for investiture as Representative of The Grand Lodge of Argentina. The newly
invested Grand Representative was conducted to his seat and was saluted along
with the Representatives of all Foreign Grand Lodges with which the Grand Lodge
of Ireland is in amity.
CERTIFICATES
OF PAST GRAND RANK PRESENTED
The following Brethren were then presented to the Grand
Master for presentation with their
Certificates of Past Grand Rank:
V.W. Brother Kenneth Abernethy - Past Senior Grand Deacon |
V.W. Brother Robert J. Robinson - Past Junior Grand Deacon |
W. Brother Trevor Hanna, Past
Master of Press Lodge No. 432, Belfast was presented to the Grand Master for
presentation with his Certificate of Honorary Past Grand Deacon.
GRAND LODGE
CHARITY MOTION
The Grand Secretary, R.W.
Brother D. Barry Lyons, proposed a Motion that Grand Lodge make a donation of
€3000 to the Masonic Benevolent Institutions. The Motion was passed unanimously.
ANNUAL
RETURNS OF OFFICERS OF SUBORDINATE LODGES
The Grand Secretary submitted
the Returns of Officers of subordinate Lodges and the names of Representatives
on the Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Boards of General Purposes, for approval,
confirming that one Annual Return was outstanding and that the remainder had
been checked and found to be correct.
Grand Lodge approved the
Returns and empowered the Grand Secretary to issue Leave to Install to the
outstanding Lodge providing the Annual Returns were submitted, found to be
correct, and that all dues and fees had been paid.
REPORT OF THE
GRAND LODGE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES
The Grand Secretary made
reference to the Installation Ceremony of the new Grand Master on November 23rd last and referred to correspondence received from Brethren with bona fide
tickets who had been refused admission, erroneously, to the event. He apologised
to these Brethren and told the Board he would be writing to them individually in
due course.
The Board noted and approved a
Motion coming forward to Grand Lodge in the name of the Grand Treasurer that a
grant not exceeding €3000 be made to the Masonic Charities under the Provisions
of Grand Lodge Law No. 29.
The Board noted with regret,
for reporting to Grand Lodge, the return of the Warrants of W.T. Braithwaite
Lodge No. 441, Belfast; Premier Lodge No. 529, Belfast; Fidelis Lodge No. 577,
Rosetta, Belfast; Hugh M. Jackson Lodge No. 673, Belfast and St. George's Lodge
No. 1016, Carrickfergus.
Read memorial for the issue of
a new Warrant to establish an Installed Masters' Lodge in the Province of Antrim
to be called City of Lisburn Lodge and to be numbered 112. Recommended to Grand
Lodge. Confirmed.
The Board considered requests
for dispensations, under the terms of Grand Lodge Law No. 118, for a Brother to
serve the office of Secretary in two Lodges in 2007: Lodges Nos. 63 & 939; 124 &
296; 2 & 511; 683 & 2000; 6 & 1003; 354 & 930; 688 & 917 and granted same.
The Board considered requests
for dispensations, under the terms of Grand Lodge Law No. 118, for a Brother to
serve as a Principal Officer in two Lodges in 2007: Lodges Nos. 748 & 877; 104 &
930; 144 & 488; 175 & 615; 141 & 877.
The Board considered and
approved requests for dispensation under the terms of Grand Lodge Law No. 123,
for a Brother to serve as a Secretary though not a Past Master, in Salem Lodge
No. 62, Kenmare and in Kgale Lodge No. 918, Gaborone.
The Board considered and
approved a request for the issue of a Duplicate Certificate for Lodge No. 734,
Belfast, the original having been lost.
Reported a recommendation from
the Grand Master's Council Meeting of October that the Candidate Application
Forms be made mandatory for all Masonic Provinces in Ireland. This was proposed,
seconded and passed.
Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed.
Read letter from the Grand
Inspector of Gibraltar recommending the reinstatement of Honorary Grand Rank to
a Brother previously suspended for a short time by Grand Lodge. Agreed and
recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed.
The Grand Secretary read
report from the Grand Lodge Charity Committee, recommending a grant of €700 to
the widow of a deceased Brother (Kingstown Lodge No. 510), Dublin. Confirmed.
THE GRAND
MASTER'S ANNUAL REPORT
The Grand Master then made a short address, details of
which will appear in the Grand Lodge Annual Report for 2006.
CONFERRAL OF
HONORARY RANKS
The Grand Master, with the concurrence of Grand Lodge,
conferred the following Honorary Ranks:
| Past Grand Deacon | |
| V.W. Bro. Barrie W. Sergay | On promotion from Hon. Past Grand Steward |
| V.W. Bro. Stephen Samuelson | On promotion from Hon. Past Grand Steward |
| V.W. Bro. John Bugeja | On promotion from Hon. Past Grand Steward |
| Past Grand Superintendent of Works | |
| V.W. Bro. Garth E. Leech | Past Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, S.A.N. |
| V.W. Bro. Cecil B.R. Stewart | P.M. of Lodge No. 368, Southern Cape |
| Past Grand Steward | |
| V.W. Bro. Stephen F. Sweetnam | Past Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, North Connaught |
| V.W. Bro. Ernest R. Wynne | Past Provincial Grand Lodge Chaplain, S.A.N. |
| Past Grand Sword Bearers | |
| V.W. Bro. John D. Knox | P.M. of Lodge No. 610, Southern Cape |
| V.W. Bro. Francois J. Van Hoogshaten | P.M. of Lodge No. 722, Southern Cape |
| V.W. Bro. Edgar Johnson | P.M. of Lodge No. 610, Southern Cape |
| Past Grand Inner Guard | |
| V.W. Bro. Gideon C. Volschenk | P.M. of Lodge No. 608, Southern Cape |
| W. Bro. Stephen J. Stanbridge | Member of Lodge No. 722, Southern Cape |
| Overseas District Grand Rank | |
| W. Bro. Charles A. Noguera | P.M. of Lodge No. 325, Gibraltar |
| W. Bro. James Lagares | P.M. of Lodge No. 325, Gibraltar |