Right Distinguished Deputy Grand Summus, Right Distinguished colleagues, Companions all. It is now 2 years since I was invested as your Provincial Grand Summus. That time has flown by and here I am addressing you again.
I have given thanks to my predecessor, Right Distinguished Companion Mik Barnes, who continues to support me and the Province in every way. We have a strong Province in good heart and full of enthusiasm for our Order. You have accompanied me far and wide on visits to the Provinces.
I thank my Deputy, Ian Smith, and my Assistant, Jack Love, for all their help and advice during the year. They each have heavy responsibilities in other Orders and their devotion to the Scarlet Cord is salutary. During the next Provincial Year we will again pay official visits to each of our Consistories. Dist Comp Ian will visit Hill of Zion at Croydon, Dist Comp Jack will visit Guildford and I will visit Surrey at Surbiton. During the year gone, we held an Emergency Meeting of Provincial Grand Senatus, on the work of Guildford Consistory, to work the Preparation Ceremony for a number of Companions. Our Representative Candidate was none other than the Deputy Grand Master in the Allied Masonic Degrees – Comp Clive Manuel.
I now, on behalf of all present, thank those Companions without whose hard work and dedication both before this Provincial Grand Senatus and from 7.30 this morning have made today enjoyable and indeed possible. I refer of course to our Provincial Grand Recorder, Dist Comp Len Hayward, and our Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, Very Dist Comp Arnold Long, and their teams. I must also thank Dist Comp Arthur Johnson, who retired today as our Provincial Treasurer after seven years’ service to Surrey.
Our membership continues to grow in an era when other Orders are sometimes struggling. As recruitment is entirely from Princes of the Order of the Secret Monitor, which itself has grown well, as we heard at Provincial Grand Conclave a few weeks ago, we must not only make sure that we invite all Princes of that Order to join the Scarlet Cord but we also need to actively recruit for the Order of the Secret Monitor. A first step is that all new Princes are now given a letter which is jointly from the Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler and the Provincial Grand Summus inviting them to join the Scarlet Cord, or at least to talk about it with a member of our Executives. I must at this time reiterate that an absolute requisite of membership of the Scarlet Cord is continuing and paid up subscribing membership of both the Craft and of the Order of the Secret Monitor.
Looking forward, as I mentioned last year, I hope to continue building on our success and we will be looking at the possibility of a fourth Consistory, possibly at Nutfield, in 2018. We are currently looking for an Organising and Founding Recorder – volunteers please. I am looking at a membership newly recruited from the OSM and from neighbouring Provinces with a minimum number of multiple memberships. Quality before quantity. Exciting times Companions, but early days as yet.
Three Companions of Surrey were honoured with well deserved reappointments or first appointments in Grand Rank, at Grand Senatus in May. In active rank, Right Distinguished Companion Ian Currans was of course re-appointed as Deputy Grand Summus, and Distinguished Companion Duncan Bell received first appointment as a Grand Steward. Distinguished Companion David Milne-Leith - received first appointment as Past Grand Standard Bearer. Congratulations to each of you.
I also congratulate those I had the pleasure of appointing and investing today to Provincial Grand Rank. It is not only a just reward for all your hard work and services previously but I remind you that we anticipate more from you all in the future. The Province has again improved its website, and next week you will be able to see the photos of today’s meeting on it. We still need help in reporting meetings of the Province and the Consistories and also events of interest to you. Our excellent and diligent webmaster, Bob Tuthill is also our Provincial Photographer as well as being a member of the Grand Summus’s Tzaddikim. As promised, we now have an assistant for you Bob, as Chris Eley became a member of the Order earlier this year. Bob continues to improve the website, let us know what you think, but most of all we need the content to go on the website – down to you Companions. We hope to commission Facebook and Twitter pages and will need these to be kept up to date, do we have a competent volunteer? Twenty First Century, here we come!
We receive great support from the other Provinces Companions. I attend a majority of meetings of the other Provinces, Districts, plus Consecrations and other events around the country. I am supported strongly by my Deputy, Assistant, DC and Recorder and by my predecessor R Dist Comp Mik. If any Companion, regardless of rank, is interested in attending one or more of these meetings please let me or our Provincial Recorder know and you will be very welcome on a self-pay basis. You do not need to be a Grand or Provincial Grand Officer to accompany us. You will learn a lot and be welcomed warmly and well.
There is excellent harmony and rapport between all the Masonic Orders in Surrey, led by the Craft, and we are expecting our Deputy Grand Superintendent in the Royal Arch to join us for lunch as well as our Provincial Prior in the KT. I was on Masonic business in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year so could not make the Heads of Order in Surrey meeting, hosted by the Craft, which dealt with a number of matters and continued to bind our Orders in mutual love and harmony. However, I was represented by my Deputy and my Assistant also attended as Head of his Order.
A date for your diaries companions, Saturday 2nd September is the date of our second Surrey Scarlet Cord Charity Dinner at the County Club in Guildford – a lovely venue. Ladies and Gentlemen who are not yet members of the Scarlet cord are invited and will be welcome. Our Assistant Provincial Grand Summus, Dist Comp Jack Love, is organising this and it is only £45 per head for a fabulous meal with good wine. We are limited to 64 guests and we are already filling the numbers rapidly. So see Jack about booking your place, those who attended last year will verify what a lovely evening and meal we had.
Enough from me now Companions, it is time for a libation and lunch after we finish the business of this Provincial Grand Senatus.
Thank you and God Speed You Fideles
R Dist Comp Louis Maurice Keats
Provincial Grand Summus
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