Brethren, following my Installation in late November, I promptly flew off to the USA to visit my 98 year old mother and other family members.  As a result, the content and length of my address will be slightly different to that which you have previously been accustomed to. My time to prepare was rather limited so I trust that you will forgive any omissions or shortcomings. 

Brethren, I am delighted that the Installation Communication has been re-established on this date and equally pleased at the excellent turnout, for which I sincerely thank you.  

Firstly and most importantly, I would thank you all for the great honour you have bestowed on me by electing me as your Grand Master. During my Masonic career I never ever contemplated that I would rise to such high office.  

Some years ago, I did realise that there was a possibility that I could be considered for one of the three principal officers of our Constitution; a development I had not personally expected nor sought. 

To follow the immediate Past Grand Master, M.W.Bro. Eric Waller is an immense task and one which I will not take lightly or try to avoid.  My period under his leadership was indeed inspiring and when he encouraged me to allow my name to go forward as his successor, I thought deeply about it before I consented.  

There is much sadness at his retirement but I am ready to maintain the continuity, of that which he started, and add stability, to that which he has achieved. 

The dramatic loss of our Grand Master and Grand Secretary, who has undoubtedly become an institution in the Masonic Order, not only in Ireland, but throughout the Masonic world, has indeed posed a positive and personal challenge to the new regime, in its quest to maintain the equilibrium established over the past years.  

I presently feel like our highly esteemed Past Grand Master M.W.Bro. Lord Donegall, who on his installation, referred to Stanley Baldwin’s comment on becoming Prime Minister, which stated: ‘Gentlemen, I do not need your congratulations, I only need your prayers.

My Installation and that of my Deputy and Assistant was something special as we welcomed some thirteen delegations from Grand Lodges throughout the world, including our sister Constitutions from England & Scotland in the persons of Lord Northampton and Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing.  

My visitations to Lodges during 2006 were most enjoyable and yet proved most enlightening when I considered the trend which, to me, characterised the distinction between urban and rural Lodges.  The former were generally struggling to keep members while the latter tended to be growing and vibrant. We have suffered severe losses in the urban area of greater Belfast where the numbers in the past were substantial, yet Dublin, which contradicts that pattern, appears to enjoy relative growth. It suggests to me that this phenomenon is worthy of closer study which I plan to address during the coming year. 

Membership levels and the associated financial issues do cause concern, not only in Ireland, but worldwide. In view of such losses, my personal view is that the total energies of all Brethren should ideally focus on the salvation of their own lodge rather than seek dual memberships, quite often with no clear purpose. 

I must add that I have studied a number of treatises on the subject of membership loss and none has offered an effective global solution as each Masonic Constitution is affected by differing conditions and environments. 

Fund-raising will continue as before on the basis of a proportional approach to Outreach and In-reach respectively. Firstly, we are committed as Freemasons to help the distressed, widowed and fatherless within our Order, which we do most generously through our Charity Funds and I would compliment the members of the various Charity Committees for the good work that they do. We enjoyed a most welcome development in 2006 when our funds benefited to the tune of €190,000 as a result of changes to our Charity Administration and my congratulations go to our ‘Charity Girls’ in the front office who do and have done a wonderful job. General Administration costs of Grand Lodge will be reviewed in the coming year. 

We are also committed to help society in general, and again, we have not fallen short in this task. Poor image and negative publicity have plagued us for some years and the past Grand Master’s policies and strategies have impacted much on the progress made in this respect.  

I regret very much the loss of Bro. Vere Wynne-Jones as one of our PR Consultants, who did some wonderful work in the South.  Thankfully, we have W.Bro. Trevor Hanna from the North who continues to do an excellent job and for whom we must find a match in the South. Our policy of Building Bridges and Opening Minds will be on-going. 

The most important image is the one we personally portray in public. We must be proud to be Freemasons and should never deny our membership.  As Freemasons, we must not only convince ourselves that we are a force for good but we must be seen to be so. This can be successfully achieved without compromising The Order’s historic principles and integrity or jeopardising its ancient mysteries.  

The Grand Treasurer, R.W.Bro. Charles Olden suggested to me earlier in the year that greater support of the Medical Research Fund in the form of bequests would create a larger capital pool. This would increase the accrued interest which would be readily available to fund a wider range of medical research in the outside world and literally be ‘on tap’ when needed. I would gladly support this suggestion and ask Brethren generally to give their consideration to it when determining their giving. 

We have funded a number of projects in the past and currently are funding Research at the University of Cork which commenced in September 2005. This project examines mechanisms underlying chronic renal failure and we have undertaken to donate €30k p.a. over a three year period. Chronic renal failure is associated with obesity and diabetes type II which are increasing at an alarming rate in Ireland and most other developed countries. This particular development aims to slow the progression of the disease and provide major health benefit. 

Events GLI, Ltd. will continue to arrange concerts and other events on behalf of Grand Lodge with a key focus of promoting the image of our Order in society.  The Past Grand Master has now taken on the role of Managing Director whilst I have moved to the position of Chairman. 

During the year we successfully managed a Mozart Concert in the Grand Lodge Room in Molesworth Street on behalf of the Austrian Embassy. The Austrian Consulate General, Ms. Albrecht, was so impressed with our organisation that she made a special request to attend the Grand Master’s Installation Banquet, which we approved. 

Other opportunities have arisen as a result of this work and our most competent Operations Committee, headed by V.W.Bro. John Keeley, are geared up to respond.  We expect these activities to generate a reasonable income.   

Our Past Grand Master intended to have another Grand Master’s Festival and I have decided, with the approval of the Grand Master’s Council, to fulfil his wish over the next few years. 

A number of Brethren have been invited and have agreed to act in the following capacities, viz:   

National Chairman:                  R.W.Bro. Richard Ensor, Chairman, Metropolitan BOGP

Southern Chairman:                  R.W.Bro Basil Fenton, PGM South Connaught

Northern Chairman:                 R.W.Bro. Rodney McCurley, PAGM Down 

Preparation & Set-up:                   By September, 2007

Festival Formally Commences:    January, 2008

Festival Ends                                 December, 2008

Presentations Made:                     March, 2009 

The Beneficiaries will be determined by the March, 2007 Communication of Grand Lodge in Enniskillen and announced at that time. 

I would appeal to all Brethren to read the Grand Lodge Newsletter regularly, to submit meaningful articles and keep abreast of Masonic events which regularly affect us. 

During the year, I visited two elderly Brethren, one a mere 99 year old in a Nursing Home and the other a 100 year old who lives at home, both having a great love for our Order.  They were keen to know what was going on and both were avid readers. How disappointed I was to learn that they did not even know that the Grand Lodge Newsletter even existed!  

Brethren, how sad that such a thing can happen in this day and age and that these Brethren were left in the dark.  I trust that it never happens again!  I raised some previous issues of our Newsletter for them and appealed to their Worshipful Master to ensure that this oversight would not recur. 

Our close relationship with the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Scotland is well founded and I look forward to safeguarding the future of Freemasonry, during my watch, through the medium of our Annual Tripartite Meetings and other regular contact.