The ROYAL ARCH MASONS
2013 Bicentenary Appeal
The Royal Arch Rulers and other senior
masons with members of the Royal College of Surgeons after a
presentation of their work to Grand Chapter in November 2010
It
is now almost a year since the launch of the Royal Arch Bicentenary
Appeal by Supreme Grand Chapter.
2013
will celebrate the full emergence of the Royal Arch as we now
know it 200 years ago. An important element in the programme
is a fund raising exercise to provide a permanent reminder of
the celebrations. The amount raised, an anticipated £1
million, will be used to create a Research Fund for the benefit
of the Royal College of Surgeons, which is to be administered
at no extra cost alongside the Craft's 250th Anniversary Fund
for the purposes of research by the Royal College.
Grand Lodge has always supported the Royal College since its
foundation in 1800 and, more specifically, since the 250th Fund
was set up in 1967 to provide support for the Fellowship Scheme.
The Appeal will reinforce Supreme Grand Chapter's support for
this vital work, bearing in mind that the Royal College is a
registered charity and receives no direct funding from the NHS.
It also serves once again to emphasise the indissoluble link
between the Craft and Royal Arch masonry.
Over the past year there has been much activity both nationally
and in the Province to promote support of the Appeal. Members
of the Royal College have made presentations around the country
and will be here in Lincolnshire next March when they will be
guests at the Geoffrey Cooper Chapter of Installed First Principals.
The Province and Chapter will be especially honoured on that
occasion by the presence of the ME Second Grand Principal EComp.
George P. Francis accompanied by the ME Grand Superintendent
Graham Ives and members of the Provincial team.
This meeting on Friday 2nd March 2012 will be held at the Masonic
Hall Grantham and all Royal Arch masons are eligible to attend.
Donations are already coming in from both individual Companions
and Chapters. Gift Aid will be able to be claimed on individual
donations, so it is hoped that Chapter donations will incorporate
this additional amount. Leaflets have been distributed to all
members through Freemasonry Today and by Provincial office.
More are available on request, so keep those donations coming
in!
The
Royal College of Surgeons is a registered charity (not part
of the NHS) and plays a vital role in supporting surgical research
within the UK.
The Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary Appeal has been established
to help fund the College's successful surgical research fellowship
scheme, which supports surgeons to undertake a surgical research
project. This scheme enables the brightest and best surgeons
of each generation to explore treatments for conditions and
injuries that affect millions of people worldwide.
The scheme relies completely on voluntary donations from individuals,
trusts and legacies and needs more funding to continue the number
of worthy research projects supported.
Surgical research continues to provide significant advances
in:
»hip and knee replacements
»the prevention of strokes
»reconstructive surgery for trauma and war-wounded victims
»less invasive surgery and quicker recovery
»skilled operations to improve hearing and sight
»cancer survival rates.
Future innovations in surgery will be driven by research. However,
nationally less than 2% of funding for medical research is given
to surgical projects.
Further funding is urgently needed and donations to The Royal
Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary Appeal will help to support advancements
in surgical care for current and future generations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I
am delighted that we will mark our 200th anniversary in 2013
by working with The Royal College of Surgeons of England to
establish The Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary Appeal.
Freemasonry has had a long and close association with the College
through the 250th Anniversary Fund established in 1967, and
we are delighted to have supported so many important research
projects.
This campaign gives us an excellent opportunity to contribute
further towards something that is helping to save lives and
improve the quality of life for us, our children and grandchildren.
HRH
The Duke of Kent, First Grand Principal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We
are all justly proud to be the major benefactor to The Royal
College of Surgeons of England for their surgical research funds.
In order to provide a valuable donation to the College our target
is to raise a minimum £10 plus gift aid from every Companion.
We are using a Grand Charity Relief Chest and there are no administrative
costs.
Donation forms will be provided and you will also find the form
on the Supreme Grand Chapter website at www.grandchapter.org.uk
and the Grand Charity website at www.grandcharity.org.
This is a wonderful way to mark The Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary
Appeal and any contribution you may wish to make will be gratefully
received.
Nigel
Brown, Grand Scribe E
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At
the Autumn meeting of Supreme Grand Chapter in London, after
the regular business had been transacted there was a presentation
by research Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons.
The Royal College of Surgeons is a registered Charity which
sponsors some of the brightest and best young surgeons of each
generation to undertake research into conditions and injuries
that affect millions of people. Last year of the 140 applicants
there was only sufficient funding to support 15 research programmes.
There
were four presentations covering osteoarthritis, the spread
of breast cancer, prostate problems, and finally from a young
lady who after announcing her comprehensive C.V. surprised everyone
by declaring that she was a Major in the British Army and had
recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Many of
the traumas this young woman had witnessed, and operated on,
in battlefield conditions have stimulated her researches into
the use of antibiotics and bone growth hormones in the treatment
of blast injuries.
To mark the official The Royal Arch Masons 2013 Bicentenary
Appeal a Fund has been launched to raise over £1,000,000 to
support further research projects by the Royal College of Surgeons.
It is hoped that with the distribution of the official leaflets,
and covering letter from the Provincial Grand Charity Steward,
Companions will not only make their own donation, but will actively
encourage all others to do so too.
Companions,
in time many of us, our families and friends will benefit from
the researches that this Appeal will help to fund. Do, please,
give generously.
Colin
A. Wells, Deputy Grand Superintendent
