Intendant General’s Address 2018

Now comes that part of the meeting where I address you. Firstly welcome to you all the members of this Division to YOUR meeting. You can hear what has happened during the last year, who has worked and been rewarded for that, what we have spent (and saved) and you can be here to support both your MPS and the friends who are appointed to Divisional Rank today. You also MAKE the meeting as you give it the ambience that shows our visitors that we are a happy bunch after all!

So what have we done? As a Division we have formed a Guards Mess where current, past and potential Divisional Guards meet twice a year to discuss Guard issues and also practice Marshalling skills. We have also encouraged those members of the Guard to escort the Divisional Eusebius and Generals when they venture out on their representative visits so that they can act as Assisting Marshals for the evening. I believe that this raises the standing of my representatives at these meetings and gives them some support. These seem to be very well received at present.

Accompanied by the Deputy IG and the Div Recorder I have tried to visit the usual Divisions on the circuit and in addition I attended the Division of Kent in March with the Deputy IG attending the Installation of the IG of Hertfordshire in February. Due to some family concerns in the latter part of the year I have not been able to attend one or two of the regular visits but I hope to be back in full harness next year. Continuing my attempts to attend all Divisional Meetings during my term of office the Div Recorder and I are off to Holland next Saturday to their meeting in Bilthoven. Accompanied by my Deputy as my guest I attended the Grand Sovereigns Conclave No 500 which met in the Division of the current MPS on this occasion in Harrogate

I was particularly pleased to attend Eboracum Conclave No 137 in October to present a very rare award to V Ill Kt Peter Shuker, PGHChanc, PDepIG, which was the 50 year Jewel that I hope he is wearing today! He entertained us all with musings of his masonic and professional life and it gives me great pleasure again to lead you all in further congratulations on this outstanding achievement.

Our regular events such as the joint Church service with the Mark Degree after Easter, the Summer Soiree and the Officers Dinner in November were all well attended.

The Church Service is always held on the Sunday after Easter and is open to all Knights, their friends and families. A lunch is available prior to the service and the church puts on a very good tea after the service. Likewise the Soiree is open to all and is a black tie event. We have to move venues for 2019 and we have booked the golf club at Aughton near Selby. The Divisional Officers Dinner is open to all Div Officers, Grand Officers and Div Guard along with their partners.

Several Knights accompanied me to London in July to attend the Grand Sovereigns Council where our recently retired Warden of Regalia and Junior General was appointed to PGWofR.

Ill Kts Graham Fenwick and Tony Atherley were both promoted to PGChamberlain and V Ill Kt Graham Wanless, the Divisional Recorder was promoted to the active rank of Grand High Almoner, all of these richly deserved.

As some of you may know the allocation of Grand Ranks is to be changed in the next year and as a result our allocation of appointments and promotions will be reduced. I don’t know by how many at present but we will lose at least one. I intend to discuss this at our Divisional Committee Meeting to see what we can do to maintain a meaningful reward system with what we have to work with.

You have heard of the reduction of our numbers in the last year and coupled with the deaths last year makes worrying reading. Recruitment occupies the thoughts of all Heads of Orders and I am no different. We do however have a tried and tested presentation to give and W Kt James Steele has updated this and included illustrations. I ask each Conclave to think seriously about arranging an evening to present this to invited Chapter Masons. The Divisional Team will turn out to support the Conclave but the initiative (and guests) must come from you. I also have permission to take this talk into any Mark Lodge in the Division should a Mark member request this and I thank the PGM of the Mark for this. This leads me neatly on to the HEADS OF ORDER PRESENT TODAY:

Em Kt Bob Clancey PGM Mark Master Masons N&E Yorkshire

P Kt Clive Copley Deputy PGM Mark Master Masons N&E Yorkshire

P Kt Allan Scott Past Deputy PGM Mark Master Masons N&E Yorkshire

Ill Kt Mike Graham, PGPref Past Inspector General Ancient & Accepted Rite, N & E Yorks

W Kt ‘Tom’ Tomlinson District Recorder Ancient & Accepted Rite, N&E Yorkshire

P Kt Neil Woodward R Ill District Grand Master for N&E Yorkshire in the Royal & Select Masters

V Ill Kt Steve Priestley, PGJG, DGMM & SPM N E Counties Operatives, Dep District GM of Royal & Select Masters, Asst. Prov Grand Summus Scarlet Cord

The District Grand PCW is also here today (myself)

Ill Kt Roger Booker, PGPref Dep Master Mason V (5th Degree) N E Counties, The Operatives

Ill Kt Phillip C Ellenor, PGChamb Dep Prov Grand Supreme Ruler, N & E Yorks, OSM or Order of David & Jonathan

Ill Kt David G Shipley, PGWofR Dep Grand Master Mason VI (6th Degree) Northern Counties, The Operatives

P Kt Paul Cowley District Grand PCW, Royal & Select Masters in West Yorkshire and Substitute PGM in the Royal Order of Scotland

P Kt Martin T Elwick Suffragen SRIA, Yorkshire

P Kt John Williams Suffragen SRIA, Yorkshire

I must also record my thanks to the Past IG, David Fox and the Past Deputies, Peter Shuker and Geoff Butler for their continued support. I’ve spoken for long enough; so it only leaves me to thank all of the Divisional Officers for their work last year, especially the Recorder and his Assistant, the Marshal and his Deputy, the Treasurer and that unsung hero the Divisional Almoner. I’ve already publicly thanked my Deputy do I hope he can remember what I have said. Please enjoy your lunch, have a safe journey home and lastly have a wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas. God bless you all.