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GRAND LODGE
There were also present:‑ (along with the Provincial Grand Master of Antrim, in the Grand Officers list,above) the Provincial Grand Masters of North Connaught, Down, Londonderry & Donegal, Midland Counties, North Munster, South Eastern, Wicklow & Wexford and the Chairman of the Metropolitan Board; R.W. Brothers Geoffrey G. Ashton, R. Stanley Johnston, Thomas C.B. McBain, Robert J. Armstrong, Robert S. Hackett and Harvey F.J. Heavener, Past Provincial Grand Masters; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Antrim, South Connaught, Down, Midland Counties, South Eastern and Tyrone & Fermanagh; and the Deputy Chairman of the Metropolitan Board; R.W. Brothers Cyril R. Foster and John Hadden, Past Provincial Deputy Grand Masters; R.W. Brother William J. Dyer, Past Grand Director of Ceremonies; V.W. Brothers Charles McCurdy and John Murray, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Brothers Robert J. Robinson, John O. Dunlop and Frank R.L. Arnold, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brothers Samuel H. Boyle, Bernard V.A. Woods and Mervyn Morrison, Hon. Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother William J. Johnston, Past Grand Steward of Charities; V.W. Brothers Victor Whyte and William T.H. Balmer, Past Grand Almoners.Also other senior Brethren; and the Masters, Past Masters, Wardens and Brethren of many Lodges. SISTER CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED The following Grand Lodges were represented:‑ Canada in Ontario, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Cuscatlan El Salvador, Venezuela, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, South Africa, China, the Philippines, Mauritius and the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of the Caribbean, Massachusetts and Ohio. APOLOGIES FOR NON‑ATTENDANCE Apologies for non‑attendance were received from:‑ the R.W. Grand Treasurer; the R.W. Junior Grand Chaplain, the Rev. Noel H.L. Regan; the V.W. Junior Grand Deacon; the V.W. Grand Superintendent of Works and the V.W. Grand Lodge Standard Bearer; the Provincial Grand Masters of Armagh, South Connaught, Tyrone & Fermanagh, Meath, Natal and India; the Provincial Deputy Grand Master of Londonderry & Donegal; R.W. Brothers Robert J. Thomson, Charles W. Olden and William W.T. Shortland, Past Provincial Grand Masters; R.W. Brother Michael W. Walker, Past Grand Secretary; R.W. Brother Allen G. Megarry, Past Grand Director of Ceremonies; R.W. Brother Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz, Past Senior Grand Chaplain; R.W. Brothers the Rev. Richard H. Bertram, the Very Rev. Philip Knowles and the Rev. W. Warren Porter, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Brothers Kenneth Abernethy and John Frazer, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brothers Gordon V. Bradshaw and Samuel H. Boyle, Hon. Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother Ralph McGuckin, Past Grand Superintendent of Works; V.W. Brother Cecil Taylor, Past Assistant Grand Treasurer; V.W. Brothers Arthur W. White and Trevor Monteith, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Brother Maurice W. Lee, Past Grand Almoner; V.W. Brothers S. Gordon Leathern, David Penpraze and Donald H. Finlay, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; and The Representatives of the Grand Lodges of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Hungary, Turkey, Alaska, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil (G.O.), Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Japan, Madagascar, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Ontario & Jurisdiction and North Carolina; and R.W. Brothers Douglas Wakefield and Leslie Dawson, Past Grand representatives OBITUARIES The Grand Master paid a short tribute to the memory of Pam Waller, recently deceased wife of our Immediate Past Grand Master, and the Brethren stood in silent prayer. The Grand Master referred to the recent deaths of R.W. Bro. S. Frank Sweetnam, Past Foreign Representative and Hon. Past Grand Steward; V.W. Bro. R. Ian E. Wilson, Past Grand Deacon; V.W. Bro. Edward J. Nelson, Hon. Past Grand Deacon (Zimbabwe) and V.W. Bro. George Dalli, Hon. Past Grand Superintendent of Works (Gibraltar). The memory of our departed distinguished Brethren was saluted. WELCOME BY THE GRAND MASTER The Grand Master welcomed all Brethren and commented on the unusualness of Grand Lodge being in Dublin for this March Communication. MINUTES On the proposal of R.W. Brother Michael J. Ward, Senior Grand Warden, seconded by R.W. Brother Selwyn S. Davies, Junior Grand Warden, the Minutes of the December 27'" 2011, Communication of Grand Lodge, which had been circulated, were taken as read, confirmed and signed. REPORT OF THE GRAND LODGE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES It was proposed, seconded and passed unanimously that Brothers David T. Young, Roger Matthews and Cecil Tilson be elected as the three Grand Lodge Board Representatives on the Grievance Committee for 2012. It was proposed, seconded and passed unanimously that Brothers David T. Young, Brian Kershaw, William T.H. Balmer, Ivan Connor, Ian Kirkpatrick, John E.V. Smith and Ivan Boreland be elected members of the Finance Committee for 2012. It was agreed that the By‑Laws Committee and the Library Committee would comprise the Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Brother D. Barry Lyons and W. Bro. Morgan McCreadie, with Ms. Rebecca Hayes being a member of the latter. The recently recognised Grand Lodge of Cyprus having agreed an Exchange of Foreign Representatives, the Board recommended the name of W. Bro. Randall Robertson, Past Master of Lodge No. 620, Dublin, be sent forward for consideration to act as their Grand Representative here. Recommended to Grand Lodge. A vacancy having arisen in the representation of the Grand Lodge of Croatia, the Board recommended that the name of W. Bro. Thomas M. Yarr, Past Master of Lodge No. 602, Derriaghy, be sent forward for consideration to act as their Grand Representative here. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed. A vacancy having arisen in the representation of the Grand Lodge of Japan, the Board recommended that the name of W. Bro. W. James Lynch, Past Master of Lodge No. 769, Clough and Lodge No. 96, Ballymena, be sent forward for consideration to act as their Grand Representative here. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed. The Board considered and approved a request for Dispensation under Grand Lodge Law No. 118 for a Brother to serve as Worshipful Master in two Lodges in 2012 ‑ Lodge No. 24 and Lodge No. 223, Armagh. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed. The Board considered and approved requests for Dispensation under Grand Lodge Law No. 118 for Brethren to hold two senior Offices in 2012 ‑ Lodge No. 505 and Lodge No. 688; Lodge No. 776 and Lodge No. 861. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed. The Board considered and approved a request for Dispensation under Grand Lodge No. 118 for a Brother to serve as Secretary in two Lodges in 2012 ‑ Lodge No. 218 and Lodge No. 598. Recommended to Grand Lodge. Confirmed. The recommended wording for the Charity toast at Masonic Dinners ‑ "Our poor and distressed Brethren" recently notified to all Lodges by a Grand Lodge of Instruction circular, has received a great deal of criticism and the Board recommends that Grand Lodge officially change it to, for instance, "Our Masonic Charities", or some similar wording. The Junior Grand Warden, therefore, handed in a notice of motion to change the Charity Toast to "Our Masonic Beneficiaries" and proposed to have it encapsulated in the Book of the Laws and Constitutions, if approved by Grand Lodge in June. Following the handing in of a Notice of Motion, by the Grand Secretary, at the March Meeting of Grand Lodge it was proposed by R.W. Bro. Richard Gray and seconded by R.W. Bro. John Dickson to amend Grand Lodge Law No. 180 re. Provincial Grand Inspectors from: INVESTITURE OF FOREIGN GRAND REPRESENTATIVES W. Bro. Derek D. McCrudden, Past Master of Lodge No. 994, Gortin, 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 the Representative of the Grand Lodge of Guinea. The newly invested Grand Representative was conducted to his seat and was saluted. V.W. Bro. John T. Hassett, Past Master of Eden Lodge No. 73, Limerick and Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden, North Munster, 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 the Representative of the Grand Lodge of New York. The newly invested Grand Representative was conducted to his seat and was saluted. CONFERRAL OF HONORARY RANKS The Grand Master, with the concurrence of Grand Lodge conferred the following Honorary Ranks:
GRAND MASTER'S ADDRESS The Grand Master delivered his quarterly address, which will be appended to the master copy of these Minutes.
ANNUAL REPORT REMINDER The Grand Secretary reminded Provincial Grand Masters to compile and send in their annual reports for publication.
CHARITY COLLECTION The Charity Collection amounted to €787.63.
GRAND LODGE CLOSED |
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