SPECIAL MEETING OF PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER INSTALLS NEW PROVINCIAL GRAND SUPERINTENDENT AND DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT - JUNE 2008

Tuesday the 24th. June 2008 was a memorable day for the Province of Lincolnshire when some 650 Freemasons attended Provincial meetings at the new Lincolnshire Events Centre at the Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln.

The day started with a Meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter at 11.30am when it was opened in due form by M.E. Comp Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, Past Second Grand Principal, assisted by other Officers of the Supreme Grand Chapter.

The Installing Officer addressed the Companions and stated the object of the Meeting. He then directed the Assistant Grand Scribe Ezra to read the Patent.

M.E. Comp Peter Geoffrey Lowndes then addressed the Grand Superintendent designate, E.Comp Graham Ives and enquired if he could conscientiously undertake the duties of the Office. Thus assured a prayer was given by the acting Third Grand Principal.

Following his Obligation, E.Comp Ives was Invested and placed in the Chair and M.E. Comp Peter Geoffrey Lowndes was conducted to a Chair on the right of the Grand Superintendent.

Having taken the Chiar, the Grand Superintendent then appointed E.Comp Tony Bridges and E.Comp Richard Garn as his Second and Third Provincial Grand Principals - who were duly Obligated and Invested.

E.Comp Ives then had the happy duty of appointing his new Deputy Superintendent, namely E.Comp C.A. Wells. Having been duly Obligated and Invested, E.Comp Wells took his place in the Chapter after which the Grand Superintendent confirmed the appointment of the other Provincial Grand Officers.

E.Comp Wells, the Deputy Superintendent (centre) with the resf of the Provincial Chapter Officers

GRAND SUPERINTENDENT'S ADDRESS AT PROVINCIAL CHAPTER JUNE 2008

Most Excellent Past Second Grand Principal, Distinguished Guests, Excellent Companions and Companions:

Welcome to this special Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter. This is the first event held in this magnificent new Epic Centre since it opened with the Lincolnshire Show last week. I shall say more about this Centre later on during the day. I am so pleased to see so many of you here on this special occasion for me personally and indeed, I hope, the Province of Lincolnshire. It is heartwarming to see so many Companions of this Province present and so many visitors. Thank you very much for all your support and I do hope that you enjoy your day. Some of our visitors have travelled long distances to be with us and it is much appreciated.

The most impressive contribution towards Installation Ceremonies is the attendance and work carried out by the Installing Officer and his team. We have been honoured by the presence of Most Excellent Companion Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, Past Second Grand Principal, who has of course been the Installing Officer. We thank you very much for attending today, Sir, and I am very grateful to you for Installing me as Grand Superintendent in such a dignified impressive manner. It was a particular highlight for me personally to listen to the reading of my Patent by the Assistant Grand Scribe E, Excellent Companion Graham F. Redman. Those of you who have not heard the Patent read by the Assistant Grand Scribe E before at an Installation Ceremony will have been very impressed. I am sure that the Companions have all enjoyed tremendously watching the Grand Directors of Ceremony at work both during the rehearsal prior to the meeting and indeed during the Ceremony. We are truly indebted to them for their work today. They have stayed overnight in Lincoln and I trust that they enjoyed being in the shadow of our wonderful Lincoln Cathedral. Many thanks therefore to the Acting Grand Director of Ceremonies, Excellent Companion James M. Long, and his Deputies, Excellent Companion Andrew F.C. Wigram and Excellent Companion Bruce C.T. Clitheroe. The attendance and invaluable assistance of the Grand Janitor, Excellent Companion Malcolm Brooks, is also much appreciated and most impressive. I do hope that you are all enjoying your visit to the Province of Lincolnshire.

It was particularly pleasing to see the senior Grand Superintendents who took part during the Installation Ceremony. They are already old friends of mine and certainly old friends of my predecessor, Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough. So thank you very much to Excellent Companion Thomas E. Briggs, the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent for the Province of Derbyshire, and Excellent Companion John K. Clayton, the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent for the Province of Yorkshire West.

Left to right: E.Comp R. Garn; E.Comp A. Bridges;The Most Excellent, E.Comp Graham Ives; M.E. Comp Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, Past Second Grand Principal; E.Comp Thomas E. Briggs and E.Comp John K. Clayton

We are honoured by the presence of many distinguished visitors from other Provinces, most of whom are old friends of the Province. On this occasion they will not be announced individually but that should not detract from their importance to us at this meeting.

I also welcome heads of other Orders within the Province. A number of them are present today but again I don’t intend to mention them by name. I am very grateful to them for their support today and generally. However, I do wish to welcome individually Excellent Companion Geoffrey Mawer Cooper who is of course a Past Grand Superintendent of this Province. It is wonderful to see him here today.

I have been the Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge of this Province since the 1st October 2007 and that seems a long time ago! I wonder whether I hold the record for the longest serving Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge. There has of course been a reason for the length of term of my Office in this respect which I fully understood from the outset. Nevertheless the arrangements for this meeting have been prepared at quite short notice. It is extremely important therefore that I thank all the Companions within this Province who have taken part in the arrangements for this meeting.

In particular Excellent Companion David Brown, the Provincial Grand Scribe E, and the Assistant Provincial Grand Scribe E, Excellent Companion Michael Clarke, have been working tirelessly and efficiently for me and the Province during the course of the last few weeks. Our Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, Excellent Companion David Bird and his Deputies and Assistants have also been a tower of strength and have re-assured me considerably. Many thanks to you all. I know that those in my said Provincial team have found the support and advice from those in the secretariat Office of Supreme Grand Chapter invaluable. Nothing has been too much trouble and they have answered all of our queries, whether minor or large, promptly and efficiently.

I am grateful to Excellent Companion Eric Wayman for acting as our Organist at short notice and also Companion Malcolm Forrest for providing his own Organ today.

There is another Companion who requires special thanks. As always Excellent Companion Greenhough has worked very hard with his colleagues in providing the excellent sound system. He has undertaken this task for us on a Provincial basis for many years and we would have been in extreme difficulty without his assistance.

The Members of the Provincial Grand Stewards’ Lodge have also worked very hard today. I am grateful to them all.

It is also appropriate that I should pay tribute to my predecessor, Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough. Now we all know that he has been blighted with ill health for a number of months. We wish him well and sincerely hope that he will be where he should be in the near future – that is in the company of his Companions. I personally have missed him very much at Masonic meetings during the course of the last few months. I also owe him a considerable debt of gratitude. It was he who plucked me from relative Royal Arch Masonry obscurity to the hierarchy within this Province. This was several years ago. The experience I have gained under his leadership has been invaluable and I trust will stand me in good stead in the challenges ahead. I do not believe that I would have been so well equipped to be the Head of Royal Arch Masonry and Craft Masonry in this Province if he had not given me this opportunity. Moreover, I have inherited from him a very vibrant and healthy Royal Arch Province. I am very fortunate indeed.

I had the opportunity to Address the Companions of this Province on a formal basis at our Provincial Grand Chapter Meeting in Scunthorpe in April of this year. During that Address I set out a number of my hopes for the future in Royal Arch Masonry and also set out some details of my intentions. It would be inappropriate for me to repeat those matters today. However, you know that I am very interested in the issues of recruitment, retention and retrieval.

All of us have a responsibility to do our best to ensure that all Master Masons in this Province complete their journey through Pure and Antient Freemasonry by being exalted into this wonderful Order. We then have a duty to make sure that they enjoy themselves and participate fully within their Chapters and that gentle efforts are made to retrieve Companions who cease to attend their Chapters. Craft Masonry is robust. Royal Arch Masonry in this Province is strong but it should never be overlooked that it does sometimes have a certain fragility about it. It is a large and colourful jewel in the Crown of Freemasonry. Like a beautifully coloured, but sometimes fragile flower, Royal Arch Masonry needs nurturing and looking after with great attention. It will not look after itself. We, my Companions, have a responsibility to ensure that Royal Arch Masonry flourishes in this Province throughout the years ahead. Companions, I believe that you are all well aware that Royal Arch Masonry is extremely important and dear to me. I am sure that you will never doubt that I have the strongest of commitments to it. In conclusion I am very comfortable with my team who I look forward to working with in the years ahead. I am very happy and content with all my Lincolnshire Companions and I look forward to further enjoying your friendship and companionship for a long time to come. Thank you very much for listening to me and I do hope that you enjoy the rest of your day.

E.Comp Graham Ives
The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent

DEPUTY GRAND SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE'S ADDRESS AT PROVINCIAL CHAPTER APRIL 2008

Provincial Grand Chapter was held on Saturday the 19th April 2008 at Scunthorpe. Here is the Address given to the Companions by the Deputy Superintendent in Charge, Excellent Companion Graham Ives.

Companions, this is a very special day for me personally and it is heartwarming to see so many Companions present supporting Royal Arch Masonry in Lincolnshire. I have already welcomed our Distinguished Guests and Heads of Orders, some of whom have travelled long distances to be with us, and I sincerely hope that they have a very happy day.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity of holding our Provincial meeting in Scunthorpe. It is some years since we held our annual meeting in Scunthorpe and it is good to be back.

I have now been "in Charge" since the 1st October 2007 when Excellent Companion, the Reverend Derek Scarborough, retired. We all very much regret that for some time now he has been blighted with ill health. I am sure that you agree we should extend our very best wishes to him and we look forward to seeing him regularly attending Masonic meetings again soon, particularly in the Royal Arch. I am personally most grateful to him for all his support, advice and assistance over many years. He has extended a warm hand of friendship to me and has done his best to pass on much of his vast experience and skills. I have inherited from him a very vibrant and healthy Royal Arch Province.

I am also deeply indebted to the Provincial Grand Master in Craft, Right Worshipful Brother Gordon Walkerley Smith, for all his advice and support during the whole of my Masonic career but in particular during the course of the last few months.

The Second Provincial Grand Principal, Excellent Companion Anthony Bridges, and the Third Provincial Grand Principal, Excellent Companion Richard Garn, will be honoured by Supreme Grand Chapter at the end of this month with the Rank of Past Grand Standard Bearer. This is very much deserved and I express my gratitude to them for their support and work since they took office last April.

Excellent Companion David Brown has been on a steep learning curve since I appointed him last year as the Provincial Grand Scribe Ezra. He has worked very hard and tirelessly for the Province and I look forward to a close association with him during the years ahead. He has been very ably and loyally supported by Excellent Companion Michael Clark, the Assistant Grand Scribe Ezra. They have been particularly helpful and hardworking in the arrangements for this meeting.

I have been very reliant upon the hard work and efficiency of the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, Excellent Companion David Bird, and his team of Directors of Ceremony. I am sure you agree that their professionalism has contributed substantially to the success of Royal Arch Masonry in Lincolnshire and in particular this meeting.

This meeting could not have taken place without the support of the Royal Arch Masons in Scunthorpe. They have all worked very hard in the months leading up to the meeting and of course during the meeting. I extend my deep gratitude therefore to my Companions from St. Lawrence Chapter and the Chapter of St. John.

I also warmly thank the members of the Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge for their assistance throughout today. It is much appreciated.

Once more I express our deep gratitude to Excellent Companion Geoff Greenhough for the very important role he plays at our meeting to ensure that you can all hear what is being said. He starts his work very early and ends very late. It is much appreciated by me and, I am sure, all present.

I am very sorry that our Immediate Past Provincial Organist, Excellent Companion Malcolm Collins, has not been able to be with us today due to ill health. However, I am very grateful to Excellent Companion John Pemberton, who has been invested as Provincial Grand Organist today, for his support and the very fine music provided by him during the Ceremony.

It has been good to have my old friend, Excellent Companion Alan Robinson, the Immediate Past Deputy Grand Superintendent, at my side not only at this meeting but on other occasions during the course of the last number of years. He is a good friend of the Royal Arch in this Province and I am very reassured by his attendance and presence today.

I do feel that we should drop a tear of sympathy in favour of Excellent Companion Colin Wells who is to be my Deputy Grand Superintendent when I am Installed. He has been Deputy Grand Superintendent in waiting for a number of months but he waits patiently and I very much look forward to working with my close friend in the years ahead.

I, together with the Second and Third Principals, have continued to regularly visit the Chapters. We have been warmly received by all the Chapters and enjoyed our visits very much. Since I became Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge I have had the great pleasure of being accompanied on my visits by members of the Provincial Team. This has been much appreciated and I have enjoyed their company. Indeed I believe that they have also enjoyed the experience of travelling to other centres in Lincolnshire which they had not visited before. Lincolnshire is of course a large Province geographically and there have been occasions when those Companions have travelled the length of the Province on these visits, for example from Deeping to Cleethorpes.

I congratulate all of you who have received either a First Appointment or a Promotion today. This is in recognition of the work you have carried out so far and in an expectation that you will carry out further work in the years ahead. I look forward to working with you all and enjoying your support.

I extend my thanks to the Sphere of Influence Officers. I do know that the Companions enjoy their support at their Chapters and these Officers have a very important role to play in guiding the well-being and future of the Province. I am hoping that we shall be able to draw up a short document setting out what I consider to be the role of the Sphere of Influence Officers but I hasten to add that I am more than well satisfied with the contribution which they are making at present.

The Chapter Executive of the Province has had extensive discussions concerning the continuing issues of recruitment, retention and retrieval. I also know that these issues are being actively and continually considered by Supreme Grand Chapter. The policy of my predecessor, which has worked very well, has been for recruitment and retention to be simply by way of discussion between Brethren and Companions. I say that this has been successful because it is clear there is a reasonable percentage of Chapter Masons in Lincolnshire. However, there is some concern in the Registrar’s report because it will be seen that there has been a small reduction in membership. I do of course receive all the Summonses of the Chapters and I assure you that I read them all carefully. I am heartened to note that during recent months there does appear to be an increasing number of Candidates for Exaltation, ballots for Candidates, and presentation of Supreme Grand Chapter Certificates on the Agendas. I am therefore optimistic for the future but we should not "rest on our laurels".

It is important that we all assume the responsibility to encourage Master Masons to be exalted into Royal Arch Masonry and complete their journey through Pure and Antient Freemasonry. However, it is my intention to introduce some new initiatives into the Province with regard to recruitment and retention.

It is our intention to prepare a pamphlet for distribution concerning Royal Arch Masonry. I believe that this will assist with regard to recruitment. I intend to ensure that we continue to have regular entries on the Provincial website. I hope that you enjoy what we are doing in that respect.

Retention is of course primarily the responsibility of the members of the Chapter i.e. to make newly exalted Companions welcome and to do our best to ensure that they are happy and comfortable in our presence.

So far as retrieval is concerned I encourage all the Chapters to appoint an Almoner on a yearly basis. The role of the Chapter Almoner will of course be the traditional role of an Almoner but I also feel that in Royal Arch Masonry the Chapter Almoner can be responsible for investigating retrieval of members who have ceased to attend. The Almoner could perhaps make some discreet and sensitive enquiries about this and consider courses of action which would encourage individual members to return to their Chapters. This is of course the responsibility of all the Companions as well.

In 2006 the Pro Grand First Principal instructed the Second Grand Principal to investigate the issues of recruitment and retention of Royal Arch Masons. The Pro Grand First Principal reported to Supreme Grand Chapter at its meeting on the 14th November 2007 that the first conclusion of the report relates to the additional paragraph to the 1813 Declaration in the Book of Constitutions and relating to the status of the Royal Arch. You will recall that this was added to by Grand Lodge in 2003 and that the Royal Arch was described as "an extension to, but neither a superior nor a subordinate part of the Degrees which precede it". He reported that he felt that the 2003 Declaration, as to the status of the Royal Arch, was not entirely satisfactory and that it did not help to describe the relationship of the Royal Arch to the three Craft Degrees. He stated that this was not helpful to those joining or those seeking to recruit new members. He reported that he was requesting Grand Lodge to give full consideration to replacing the 2003 Declaration with a fresh definition. He felt that we should all seek to describe the Royal Arch as the next step in Freemasonry after the Craft Degrees and the final step in pure Antient Masonry. He stated that it was of course both an integral part of Craft Masonry as well as being its completion.

The Pro Grand First Principal also stated that the other important conclusion of the report, in relation to recruitment, was a recommendation to Grand Lodge from Supreme Grand Chapter, that a Royal Arch Representative should be appointed in each Craft Lodge. He stated that this Representative, until further research and consideration had taken place, would not be a Lodge Officer. However, he would have the responsibility of promoting the Royal Arch within the Lodge. He stated that representatives needed to be carefully chosen. The report gives advice and guidance on this matter. I am liaising with my Executive with a view to drawing up written guidance concerning the role of the Chapter Representative in Craft Lodges.

I do consider that the recommendations in the Report are very positive and helpful with regard to the issues of recruitment. I urge all of you to embrace the recommendations with enthusiasm when they are implemented in this Province.

I want to refer briefly to the role of the Provincial Grand Almoner and the Provincial Grand Charity Steward. The Executive is considering this issue carefully at this stage and we hope to draw up guidance concerning the responsibilities of those Officers. We also intend to liaise with the Provincial Grand Almoner in Craft and the Provincial Grand Charity Steward in Craft to discuss any role our Officers can play in conjunction with their Craft opposite numbers. The Festival is due to start in 2009 and whilst I am sensitive to the fact that we cannot expect Craft Masons and Chapter Masons to contribute financially twice I am hopeful that Provincial Grand Chapter can play a very positive and active role during the course of the five years from 2009.

So far as Ceremonies are concerned I am very pleased to note that the Province has generally embraced the changes in the ritual introduced a few years ago. Having said that I agree with the policy of my predecessor which was to leave the Chapters to make their own decisions as to whether the non-mandatory changes should be implemented within individual Chapters or not. Wherever possible Chapters are entitled to retain their own traditions and we in the Province would not wish to interfere in this respect. We certainly continue to share the work between the Companions as recommended by Supreme Grand Chapter and this is of course a practice which has taken place in Lincolnshire for many years in any event. Companions who have difficulty with regard to ritual should always be assisted wherever possible by other Companions. So far as the Principal Sojourner's work is concerned I take the view that if you have a Principal Sojourner within your Chapter who wishes to undertake all of that work he should be encouraged to do so because it is such a wonderful and rewarding piece of ritual. However, if you have a Companion who finds it difficult to learn all of that ritual then I fully support dividing up the work of the Principal Sojourner which lends itself to such a course of action.

If you do not have a Candidate for Exaltation at a meeting then sometimes Chapters undertake rehearsed ceremonies. I have no objection to this but I would prefer that this is done within Chapters of Instruction or separately by way of informal rehearsals. Lectures are much more rewarding provided that you are selective concerning the content of lectures. Such evenings can be very successful but only if the lecture is informative, entertaining and of interest.

In Craft Masonry for a number of years the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master has been instrumental in presenting Certificates commemorating 50 years of service. There are a number of Companions in the Province who have completed 50 years in Royal Arch Masonry. I am in the process of identifying those Companions and 50 year Certificates will be presented to them in early course. I hope that you agree with this course of action because it is a substantial achievement. Indeed I hope to obtain one myself in the years ahead!

In conclusion, Companions, I am very optimistic for the future so far as Royal Arch Masonry is concerned both in Lincolnshire and indeed in England. I look forward to serving you all in the years ahead and I look forward in particular to your companionship. I believe that we have today united in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness. Thank you very much for listening to me today and please enjoy the rest of the day.

Excellent Companion Graham Ives, Deputy Superintendent in Charge.

WHY JOIN THE ROYAL ARCH?

Four weeks after being raised to the Third Degree all Master Masons are entitled, and are strongly recommended, to be exalted to the Supreme Degree of the Holy Royal Arch.

This Supreme Degree has been described as both the foundation and keystone of the whole Masonic structure, and also as being the next step in Freemasonry after the Craft Degrees and the final step in pure ancient Masonry.

It is both an integral part of Craft Masonry as well as being its completion.

In Craft Masonry, a brother acknowledges a belief in a Supreme Being, but this is never explored. In the Royal Arch, a mason continues and completes his education and knowledge of Craft Masonry and is invited to consider his relationship and dependence on God. It can therefore justly be claimed to be the climax of Freemasonry and no brother can really consider his Masonic journey to be complete until he has joined the Royal Arch.

Chapter membership is a prerequisite for admission to certain other Orders of Freemasonry.

Just as Craft Masons meet in a Lodge, Royal Arch Masons meet in a Chapter and are known as Companions. Chapters usually hold three or four meetings a year and the
fees and annual subscriptions are generally smaller than those in the Craft.
As in a Craft Lodge, there is progression of officers towards the chairs of the three Principals who govern the Chapter.

The Royal Arch is the only other Order under the same Book of Constitutions as Craft Masonry and is administered by Supreme Grand Chapter, its principal officers and officials being mainly the same as those of the United Grand Lodge of England.
The Province is led by the Grand Superintendent, who is assisted by his Deputy and the Second and Third Principals.

As in Craft Masonry "to please each other and unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness" is still an objective, but it is one which in Chapter we can view in a deeper and more rewarding light. Your enjoyment of the Royal Arch will be in proportion to your contribution to the happiness of your Companions.

Make up your mind to enjoy your Royal Arch Masonry as you do that of the Craft and you will come to understand that the Holy Royal Arch is the essence of Freemasonry.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER APPOINTMENTS

Supreme Grand Chapter have announced that E.Comp Antony Bridges of Round Table Chapter of Lincolnshire No:8240 will be appointed PGStdB and E.Comp Richard Alec Garn of Welland Chapter No:469 will be appointed PGStdB.

These worthy Companions will be invested at the Supreme Grand Chapter Meeting on May 1st 2008. Our sincere congratulations to them both.

Adding a new dimension to the term 'Active Officer', we see (above) E.Comp Tony Bridges taking part in the Sport Relief 'Run a Mile' in which he raised £125 for charity through sponsorship.

We think Tony was the only active Officer running (2nd Provincial Grand Principal). The lady who is running with him is Diane Massaria from Sydney Australia a friend of Tony's daughter who works for Qantas. She was here on holiday and was a great sport to join in. Congratulations once again - Tony!

RETIREMENT OF REVEREND DEREK SCARBOROUGH AS THE MOST EXCELLENT GRAND SUPERINTENDENT IN AND OVER LINCOLNSHIRE ON 30TH SEPTEMBER 2007

Approximately 120 Companions met at the Meeting of Hugh of Avalon Chapter No. 1386 at the Assembly Rooms, Lincoln on the 28th November 2007 to honour the highly successful term of Office of Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough, Immediate Past Grand Superintendent in and over the Province of Lincolnshire.

E Comp Derek Scarborough, Immediate Past Grand Superintendent in and over Lincolnshire

During the Ceremony the First Principal of the Chapter, Excellent Companion P. Manton, offered to Excellent Companion Graham Ives, Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge of the Masonic Province of Lincolnshire, the Sceptre of the Chapter. Excellent Companion Ives accepted the Sceptre and addressed the meeting as follows:

"MOST EXCELLENT, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, EXCELLENT COMPANIONS, AND COMPANIONS,

I am delighted to see so many Companions present at this very important meeting. I extend to you all a very warm welcome. I am particularly pleased to see that there are a number of visiting Companions in addition to the many excellent Companions who are present.

The purpose of this item on the Agenda is of course to honour the very successful and happy term of office of our recently retired Grand Superintendent in and over Lincolnshire, Reverend Derek Scarborough. Very regrettably Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough is not well enough to attend this evening but he does send his very best wishes to you all. Our Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master has very recently been discharged from hospital after a routine, but major, operation. He also sends his best wishes and has expressly informed me that he wishes to be closely associated with the purposes of this evening. I am delighted to inform you that he is making excellent progress. I have also spoken today to Excellent Companion Geoffrey Mawer Cooper, Past Grand Superintendent, and he also extends his very best wishes and again wishes to be closely associated with the sentiments expressed this evening; he has a family commitment.

The Chapter Executive meets each May to arrange the calendar for the ensuing Masonic year. Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough had not made a secret of the fact that he did intend to retire during 2007 as our Grand Superintendent as he would be attaining a milestone birthday that year. In May a decision had not been made about when that retirement would take place. Hence he arranged his official visits up to the end of this month and this meeting was intended to be his last official visit. He did of course retire from Office at the end of September and it seemed wholly appropriate that we should honour his term of Grand Superintendent at this particular meeting.

We are therefore delighted to be in this very grand and impressive masonic centre which is placed in one of the most picturesque areas of England. It was particularly appropriate this evening to be so close to our wonderful cathedral in Lincoln. Hence the Province made contact with the Scribe E of this Chapter, who spoke to the Principals, and we are very grateful for the hospitality extended to us by the Companions of the Hugh of Avalon Chapter this evening.

Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough is a friend, Brother and a Companion to us all.

He was initiated into St. Botolph’s Lodge no. 588 in Sleaford on the 14th December 1967. He was installed as Worshipful Master of that lodge on the 16th January 1980. He was exalted into Hope Chapter no. 588 in Sleaford on the 1st October 1970. He is a founder member of Shire Chapter no. 5610 in Sleaford, St. Guthlac Chapter no. 2880 in Deeping and the Geoffrey Cooper Chapter of Installed First Principals no. 9467 in Horncastle. Indeed he was the guiding force in consecrating the Geoffrey Cooper Chapter of Installed first Principals and it was he who quite rightly nominated the name of the Chapter.

He became First Principal of Hope Chapter in November 1985.

He received his first Provincial Craft rank as Acting Provincial Senior Grand Deacon in 1986. He was invested as Provincial Grand Chaplain in 1990 and of course continues to hold that rank.

He received Grand Rank in 1992. He was Acting Assistant Grand Chaplain in 1994 and at present holds the extremely high and important rank of Grand Chaplain in Craft. He has held that rank since 2005 and that clearly displays the very high regard with which Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough is held in all masonic circles throughout the country.

His first Provincial Chapter rank was in 1989 as Acting Scribe N. He became a Principal of the Province subsequently before being installed by Excellent Companion Dr. John Allin, the then Grand Superintendent, as Deputy Grand Superintendent in 1997. He was of course installed as our Grand Superintendent in November 1999 and held that office with great distinction until the end of September of this year.

Prior to being installed as Grand Superintendent he did of course receive Supreme Grand Chapter rank.

All in all Companions he has enjoyed to date a glittering and very impressive Masonic career. This is of course no accident and very much deserved. We have all benefited from this.

Several years ago he approached me, completely out of the blue, and asked me if I would serve him as Third Provincial Grand Principal. I was delighted and honoured to do so. I was promoted to Second Provincial Grand Principal and then upon the retirement of Excellent Companion Alan Robinson I was installed as Deputy Grand Superintendent. Nobody could have had a more supportive and guiding influence than me in Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough. I am very grateful to him for all that he has done for me. We have enjoyed many happy hours together in Royal Arch Masonry and long may that continue. I would certainly not be in the position I am today if it was not for him.

I am sure that you will all agree that he has worked tirelessly over many years for the benefit of Royal Arch Masonry in Lincolnshire. Over that period of time he has officially visited each year one half of the Chapters and he has brought much happiness with him to those visits. During a time when numbers in Freemasonry nationally have been falling, and this is particularly so with regard to Chapter, the Chapter numbers in this province have remained steady. The percentage of Chapter Masons which we have in this province compares very favourably indeed with other parts of the country. Excellent Companion Scarborough will no doubt agree with me that theoretically all Master Masons should complete their journey through pure ancient Freemasonry by being exalted into Royal Arch Masonry. However, we have to accept that we live in the real world and it is a testimony to his personality and hard work that I inherit from him a very vibrant and healthy Royal Arch Chapter Province.

Over the years he has made many Provincial Appointments and I can say from personal experience during the last number of years that his teams and his close colleagues in Royal Arch Masonry are always very happy.

We are of course very sorry that for the last few months his life has been blighted by bad health. He richly deserves our support and appreciation. We trust that in the months ahead we shall see him in good health and I expect him to play with me a very full part in Royal Arch Masonry in Lincolnshire. Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough we wish you a very long and happy retirement.

I would now like to proceed to make a presentation to Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough on behalf of all the Companions of Lincolnshire. For that purpose Companion Director of Ceremonies, Excellent Companion David Bird, I would be grateful if you would escort Excellent Companion Alan Robinson, Past Deputy Grand Superintendent of Lincolnshire, to me on the floor of the Chapter room so that I may make the presentation to him on behalf of Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough."

Excellent Companion Graham Ives then presented to Excellent Companion Alan Robinson a decanter and silver plinth, suitably engraved, together with a bottle of whisky. He also presented a cheque for Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough to enjoy a few days of much deserved holiday in North Norfolk with his norfolk terrier, Minx. Excellent Companion Graham Ives reported that the Companions of the Province had also purchased Minx as a gift to our recently retired Grand Superintendent. Excellent Companion Alan Robinson suitably replied on behalf of Excellent Companion Derek Scarborough.

E Comp Graham Ives presents a cheque and gifts to E Comp Alan Robinson to pass to E Comp Derek Scarborough

The presentation was very warmly received by the Companions. Excellent Companion Graham Ives returned the Sceptre to the First Principal of the Chapter.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER APRIL 2007 REPORT

Provincial Grand Chapter was held last year on Saturday the 21st April at St. Georges College in Sleaford.

The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, E. Comp. Reverend Derek Scarborough, had expressed a wish that the Meeting should be held in Sleaford, his home masonic town, as it was to be his last Meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter as the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent in and over the Province of Lincolnshire.

The Convocation was very well attended by over 300 Companions. The Most Excellent Grand Superintendent enjoyed the support of many Distinguished Visitors from neighbouring provinces including Grand Superintendents, Deputy Grand Superintendents and Principals. He was also very pleased to welcome from Supreme Grand Chapter, E. Comp. Dr. Malcolm Roger Aish, the President of the Committee of General Purposes, and E. Comp. Graham Redman, the Assistant Grand Scribe E. He was supported by the Heads of other Orders in the Province including the Provincial Grand Master in Craft, Right Worshipful Brother Gordon Walkerley Smith.

Those responsible for the organisation of the Meeting had clearly worked very hard. These included the Companions of the Sleaford Chapters, the Provincial Grand Scribe E., E., Comp. John Jefferson, and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, E. Comp. David Bird, together with their respective teams of Officers.

During the Ceremony the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent reappointed E. Comp. Graham Ives, Past Grand Sword Bearer, as Deputy Grand Superintendent. He also appointed and invested E. Comp. Tony Bridges as Second Provincial Grand Principal and E. Comp Richard Garn as Third Provincial Grand Principal.

Left to right:
Excellent Companion Graham Ives PGSwdBr, Deputy Grand Superintendent; Excellent Companion Tony Bridges, 2nd Provincial Grand Principal; The Most Excellent The Rev. J.R. Derek Scarborough, Grand Chaplain and Grand Superintendent; Excellent Companion Richard Garn, 3rd Provincial Grand Principal; Excellent Companion David Bird PAGDC, Provincial Director of Ceremonies.

He warmly thanked the outgoing Principals, E. Comp. Terry Little and E. Comp. Dr. Brian Roberts for their very successful terms of office. He proceeded to appoint and invest the other Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year.

The Address of the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent was interesting and informative and, as always, was very warmly received by the Companions.

There was a convivial atmosphere at the Festive Board and all in all it was a very happy and successful occasion. It is clear that Royal Arch Masonry is in very good heart in the Province of Lincolnshire and this is testimony to the very hard work, dedication, and popularity of our Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, Derek Scarborough, over many years.

Graham Ives, Past Grand Sword Bearer,
Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge of Lincolnshire