UP

GRAND LODGE
of
ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
OF IRELAND 

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION – 1st MARCH, 2007
at
The Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

Present:‑

M.W. Grand Master George Dunlop, on the Throne
R.W. Deputy Grand Master Douglas T. Grey
R.W. Assistant Grand Master Leslie V. Johnston
R.W. Senior Grand Warden Charles R. Knipe
As R.W. Junior Grand Warden Michael J. Ward
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 Chaplain The Rev. Selwoode Graham
V.W. Senior Grand Deacon Frank Arnold
V. W. Junior Grand Deacon John L. Frazer
V.W. Assistant Grand Treasurer Arnold J. Smith
V.W. Asst. Director of Ceremonies
Ivan A. Meldrum
As V.W. Grand Steward Samuel Scott
V.W. Grand Sword Bearer Rodney L. McCurley
V.W. Grand Steward of Charities Dennis Millen
  Diarmuid McNulty
V.W. Grand Almoners William T.H. Balmer
  Richard Ensor
V.W. Grand Organist John N. Rowden
V.W. Grand Lodge Standard Bearer Douglas Thompson
V.W. Grand Master's Standard Bearer Brian Kershaw
As V.W. Grand Inner Guard Richard H. Gray
V.W. Grand Secretary for Instruction
Michael J. Ward

There were also present:‑
the Provincial Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, South Connaught, Meath, North Munster, South Eastern, Tyrone & Fermanagh and Wicklow & Wexford; R.W. Brothers Adam J. McKinley, William J.E. Dukelow and Geoffrey G. Ashton, Past Provincial Grand Masters; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, North Connaught, South Connaught, Down, Londonderry & Donegal, Midland Counties, North Munster and Tyrone & Fermanagh; R.W. Brothers Allen Megarry and Michael R. Bicknell, Past Grand Directors of Ceremonies; R.W. Brother The Rt. Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz, Past Senior Grand Chaplain; R.W. Brother Charles McCurdy, Past Junior Grand Chaplain; V.W. Brothers J. Noel Millar, George B. Crooks, Norman Humes, Gordon Morrison, Kenneth Abernethy, Robert J. Robinson and Samuel H. Boyle, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brothers Robert B. Mills, James I.A. Davison, William J. Johnston, Andrew McFetridge, Samuel J. Patience and Roger Matthews, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Brothers Bernard V.A. Woods, Victor Whyte and Maurice W. Lee, Past Grand Almoners; V.W. Brother Brian Sheridan, Honorary Past Grand Steward; and V.W. Brothers Robert J. Hunter, Terence O. Read, Robert T. Bashford, Samuel A. McKenzie and William J. Dixon, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers.

SISTER CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED
New South Wales, Andorra, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece (National), Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Costa Rica, Cuscatlan El Salvador, Mexico, Brazil G.O., Chile, Ecuador, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Peru, Venezuela, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Senegal, China, the Philippine Islands, the Dominican Republic and the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Caribbean, Colorado and Ohio.

APOLOGIES FOR NON‑ATTENDANCE
M.W. Brother Eric N. Waller, Immediate Past Grand Master; the R.W. Grand Treasurer; the R.W. Grand Registrar; the V.W. Grand Superintendent of Works; the V.W. Grand Steward; the Provincial Grand Masters of Down, Londonderry & Donegal, North Connaught, Munster and Midland Counties; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Meath, South Eastern and Wicklow & Wexford; R.W. Brothers Daniel B. Fincher, Robert Campbell and Robert J. Thomson, Past Senior Grand Wardens; R.W. Brother Michael W. Walker, Past Grand Secretary; R.W. Brothers The Ven. R. Clayton Stevenson, The Rev. Canon Kenneth Cochrane and The Rev. W. Warren Porter, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Brothers Arnold 1. Cooke and Mervyn Morrison, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother Cecil Taylor, Past Assistant Grand Treasurer; V.W. Brother Michael McWilliam, Past Assistant Grand Secretary; V.W. Brother Arthur White, Past Grand Steward of Charities; V.W. Brothers Thomas A.D. Martin and Donald H. Finlay, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; and The Representatives of the Grand Lodges of British Colombia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Western Australia, Tasmania, Croatia, Estonia, Switzerland (Alpina), Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington, Ivory Coast, Japan and Columbia; and R.W. Brothers Herbert Meeke and Douglas Wakefield, Past Grand Representatives.

WELCOME BY THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER
Grand Lodge being opened, the Grand Master, Grand Officers and members of Grand Lodge were welcomed to the Province of Tyrone & Fermanagh by R.W. Brother D. Harry Weir, Provincial Grand Master.

OBITUARY
The Grand Master referred to the recent deaths of R.W. Brother John F. Wood, Past Provincial Grand Master of Meath and Past Foreign Representative; R.W. Brother J. Ardle Agnew, Past Grand Steward of Charities; R.W. Brother David Kirkwood, Provincial Assistant Grand Master, New Zealand; V.W. Brother Cyril G. Allett, Honorary Past Grand Deacon; V.W. Brother Denis A.J. Bruford, Honorary Past Grand Deacon, South East Asia and V.W. Brother James W. Poole, Honorary Past Grand Deacon. The memory of our departed distinguished Brethren was saluted.

MINUTES
On the proposal of R.W. Brother Douglas T. Grey, Deputy Grand Master, seconded by R.W. Brother Leslie T. Johnston, Assistant Grand Master, the Minutes of the November 23rd and December 27th 2006, Communications of Grand Lodge, which had been circulated, were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

INVESTITURE OF THE JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN
The Junior Grand Warden, Adam J. McKinley, who had been unavoidably absent from the Installation of Officers Meeting in December, 2006, was proclaimed and saluted.

INVESTITURE OF THE GRAND MASTER'S STANDARD BEARER
The reappointed Grand Master's Standard Bearer, V.W. Brother Brian Kershaw, also unavoidably absent from that meeting, was invested and saluted.

REPORT OF THE GRAND LODGE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES
It was proposed, seconded and passed unanimously that R.W. Brothers George Ginnelly and Rodney L. McCurley and V.W. Brother David T. Young be elected as the three Grand Lodge Board Representatives on the Grievance Committee. Confirmed.
It was proposed, seconded and passed unanimously that R.W. Brothers Dennis R. Millen, G. Ginnelly, D.A.R. Lovesy and Rodney L. McCurley and V.W. Brothers David T. Young, Brian Kershaw and Alan R. Crowe be elected members of the Finance Committee for 2007. Confirmed.
It was agreed that the By‑Laws Committee and the Library Committee would comprise the Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Brother D. Barry Lyons, W. Brother Morgan McCreadie with Ms. Rebecca Hayes being a member of the latter. Confirmed.
A vacancy having arisen in the Representation of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, the Board recommended that the name of V.W. Brother Maurice Lee, Provincial Grand Secretary of Tyrone & Fermanagh, be sent forward for consideration by the Grand Lodge of Illinois, as a suitable Brother to act as their Grand Representative here. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed.
Read letter from the Grand Lodge of Cuba, submitting the name of V.W. Brother Alberto William Rojas Aguilar, as a suitable Brother to act as our Grand Representative there. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed.
The Board considered a breach of Grand Lodge Law No. 141, paragraph 3 by Lodges No. 230, Aughnacloy and No. 407, Ramelton. The Grand Secretary was directed to write to the Lodges concerned.
The Board considered and granted requests for dispensation under the terms of Grand Lodge Law No. 118, for a Brother to serve in a Principal Office in two Lodges concurrently ‑ Lodge No. 25 & 2; Lodge No. 100 & 203.
The Board considered and granted a request from Lodge No. 19 for permission to transfer its Warrant to Mullingar, for a Communication, as part of its Centenary celebrations. Confirmed.

INVESTITURE OF FOREIGN GRAND REPRESENTATIVES
R.W. Brothers Israel Abernethy, and Mervyn A. Dowling, being in attendance and having produced their Patents of Appointment, the Grand Director of Ceremonies formed a procession and presented them to the Grand Master for Investiture as Representatives of the Grand Lodges of Oklahoma and Mexico (York), respectively. The newly invested Grand Representatives were conducted to their seats and were saluted.

CONFERRAL OF HONORARY RANKS
The Grand Master, with the concurrence of Grand Lodge conferred the following Honorary Ranks:‑

Past Grand Deacon  
R. W. Bro. Cyril F.A. Quigley Past Master of Lodge No. 353, Belfast
R.W. Bro. Thomas Holden - Provincial Assistant Grand Master, Natal
   
Past Grand Standard Bearer  
Bro. Steven Kelly - Secretary, Lodge No. 295, The Royal Dragoon Guards

THE GRAND MASTER'S ANNUAL REPORT
The Grand Master, in a short report, touched on a number of subjects including various Masonic events he had attended since the last Grand Lodge meeting including the Constitution of the new Installed Masters' Lodge No. 939 in the Province of Londonderry & Donegal and the meeting of the Sir Henry Wilson end Sir Charles Cameron Lodge No. 353 at which R.W. Brother Cyril Quigley, 100 years young, was Installed as Worshipful Master, for the third time. The Grand Master brought the Brethren up to date with Events G.L.I., mentioning the two Mozart concerts in the Grand Lode Room on November 10th and 11th last on behalf of the Austrian Embassy, as part of the 250 Anniversary celebrations of Mozart's birth, and the Veronica Dunne International Song Competition preliminary rounds and semi‑final, also held in the Grand Lodge Room, in February. He informed Grand Lodge that he had appointed Richard Ensor as Chairman of the Grand Master's Festival with Rodney McCurley co‑ordinating the Northern Provinces and Basil Fenton co‑ordinating the Southern ones. The overall theme would be that of Children and the beneficiaries are to be The Samaritans, an all Ireland organisation, which assists those experiencing distress and despair the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice and, in the south, the Laura Lynn Children's Hospice Project, in conjunction with the Children's Sunshine Home. He reminded Brethren to read, distribute systematically, where applicable and contribute to the Grand Lodge News ‑an important source of Masonic information. The Grand Master also alluded to the problem of declining membership, especially in the Belfast Metropolitan area and he intended to form a sub‑committee specifically to address this.

THANKS TO ORGANISING BRETHREN
Finally the Grand Master thanked R.W. Brother Harry Weir and V.W. Brother Maurice Lee, Provincial Grand Secretary, and the many Brethren involved in helping with the arrangements for the meeting and lunch.

CHARITY COLLECTION
The Charity Collection amounted to €1,744.97.

GRAND LODGE CLOSED