UP

GRAND LODGE
of
ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
OF IRELAND 

There were also present :- the Provincial Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, Noah Connaught, South Connaught, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, Midland Counties, North Munster, Wicklow & Wexford, and, Nigeria; R.W. Bros. Adam J. McKinley, Kenneth J. Dunne, Geoffrey G. Ashton, William J.E. Dukelow and Herman A. Mould, Past Provincial Grand Masters of Antrim, the Midland Counties, North Munster, Tyrone & Fermanagh and Ghana; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of North Connaught, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, North Munster, South Eastern, Tyrone & Fermanagh, Wicklow & Wexford and Nigeria; the Past Provincial Deputy Grand Master of North Munster, Cyril R. Foster; R.W. Bro. Michael W. Walker, Past Grand Secretary; R.W. Bros. David McKee and Allen G. Megarry, Past Grand Directors of Ceremonies; R.W. Bros. Richard H. Bertram, Charles McCurdy and W. Warren Porter, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Bros. Terence O. Read, Leslie V. Johnston, J. Noel Millar and Gordon Morrison, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Bros. Major E. James Bate, Amold J. Cooke, Raymond A. Leadbeater, Anthony J. Darlison and Mervyn W. Morrison Honorary Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Bro. Ralph B. McGuckin, Past Grand Superintendent of Works, V.W. Bro. Cecil Taylor, Past Assistant Grand Treasurer; V.W. Bro. Michael McWilliam, Past Assistant Grand Secretary; V.W. Bros. Reginald Mack and R.S. Morrow, Honorary Past Grand Sword Bearers; V.W. Bros. Ivor A. Moloney, James I.A. Davison, Trevor Monteith, William J. Johnston, Charles A. McCullough and Samuel J. Patience, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Bro. Emmanuel D. Andrew Jaja, Honorary Past Grand Steward of Charities; V.W. Bro. Bernard V.A. Woods, Past Grand Almoner; V.W. Bros. Brian Sheridan and Samuel Scott, Honorary Past Grand Stewards; V.W. Bros. Robert J. Hunter, Peter D.G. Read, Robert T. Bashford, S.A. Mackenzie, D.H. Finlay and Brian Kearon, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; and R.W. Bros. Henry R. Robinson, John F. McDermott and Thomas G. Anderson, Past Grand Representatives.

SISTER CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED
The following Grand Lodges were represented:‑ Scotland, Alberta, Canada in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, New South Wales, Victoria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Cuscatlan El Salvador, Chile, Equador, Peru, Sao Paulo, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, India, Japan, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Ohio and The Caribbean and Jurisdiction. 

APOLOGIES FOR NON-ATTENDANCE
Apologies for non‑attendance were received from:‑ the R.W. Provincial Grand Masters of Down, Munster, South Eastern, Tyrone & Fermanagh and New Zealand, and the Chairman of the Metropolitan Board; the R.W. Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of South Connaught, Down, and the Midland Counties; R.W. Bros. William W. Hughes, Daniel B. Fincher and Robert J. Thomson, Past Senior Grand Wardens; the R.W. Grand Registrar; R.W. Bro. the Rt. Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz, Past Senior Grand Chaplain; R.W. Bros. the Ven. John G. Murray and the Rev. Selwoode Graham, Junior Grand Chaplains; R.W. Bros. the Ven. R. Clayton Stevenson, the Rev. Canon Ken Cochrane and the Very Rev. Philip J. Knowles, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Bros. Arthur T. Pollock and Norman Humes, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Bro. Donald C. Willson, Honorary Past Grand Deacon; R.W. Bro. Charles Hatch, Past Provincial Deputy Grand Master, Armagh; V.W. Bros. Arthur White and Samuel H. Boyle, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; the Representatives of the Grand Lodges of British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Saskatchewan, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Turkey, Alaska, Arizona, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Argentina, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Benin, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, South Africa and China; R.W. Bros. Douglas Wakefield, and Harold Ross, Past Grand Representatives. 

DELEGATIONS FROM SISTER CONSTITUTIONS
Prior to the opening of Grand Lodge, the Grand Director of Ceremonies escorted delegations from visiting Sister Grand Lodges into Grand Lodge:The Regular Grand Lodge of Italy was represented by M.W. Brother Fabio Venzi, Grand Master; the Grand Lodge of Scotland was represented by Bro. David Begg, R.W. Grand Secretary; the United Grand Lodge of England was represented by R.W. Brother George Francis, Senior Grand Warden and V.W. Bro. John M. Hamill, PGSwdB. 

WELCOME TO DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Grand Lodge being opened, the Grand Master formally welcomed our distinguished visitors and the Senior Member of each delegation suitably replied. OBITUARYThe Grand Master referred to the recent deaths of R.W. Bro. Boon‑Par Lim, Past Grand Inspector of South East Asia and Hon. Past Grand Deacon; R.W. Bro. Colin J.A. Clarke, Provincial Assistant Grand Master, S.A.N. and Hon. Past Grand Supt. of Works; R.W. Bro. Robert J. Fleming, Past Grand Deacon, Past Foreign Rep. of the Grand Lodge of Texas and Member of the Grand Lodge of Instruction; V.W. Bro. Robert I. Hoffman, Hon. Past Grand Deacon and Rep. on the Metropolitan Board; V.W. Bro. Keith N. Rowe, Honorary Past Grand Deacon; R.W. Bro. Okon Abia Bassey, Hon. Past Grand Deacon; R.W. Bro. Etim O.E. Isong, Hon. Past Grand Deacon and V.W. Bro. Alexander J. Weir, Hon. Past Grand Steward. The memory of our departed distinguished Brethren was saluted. 

MINUTES
On the proposal of R.W. Brother T. Noel Bownes, Senior Grand Warden, seconded by R.W. Brother Charles R. Knipe, Junior Grand Warden, the Minutes of the March 4th 2006 Communication of Grand Lodge, which had been circulated, were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

INVESTITURE OF FOREIGN GRAND REPRESENTATIVE
R.W. Brother Norman T. Reid, 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 and formal presentation of his Patent of Appointment as Representative of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Caribbean and Jurisdiction. The newly invested Grand Representative was conducted to his seat and saluted.

NOMINATION OF THE GRAND LODGE OFFICERS FOR 2007
In accordance with Grand Lodge Law No. 43, the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes nominated the following Brethren to be the Grand Officers for 2007:‑