THE
LINCOLNSHIRE PROVINCIAL SOCIAL COMMITTEE.
(See also the Lincolnshire Provincial
Social Committee Web Page at: http://www.pgllincs.org/LPSC.shtml
)
An amazing story of suceess compiled by W.Bro.
Bruce Goodman.
LINCOLNSHIRE PROVINCIAL SOCIAL COMMITTEE
President: Rt.W.Bro. G.W. SMITH
Vice President: Rt.W.Bro. G.M. Cooper
Chairman: V.W.Bro.R.P. WINDSOR
BACKGROUND
The Lincolnshire Provincial Social Committee (LPSC) was
formed in the 1980’s from an idea of the late V.W.Bro.
Walter Patton and W.Bro. Ben White. The then Provincial
Grand Master, Rt.W.Bro. G.M. Cooper, gave his agreement
and a first meeting was held at Horncastle Masonic Rooms,
where most have been held since. The Committee was originally
called the Festival Committee until it changed to its
present name in 1991. Ten Link areas were formed with
one Link Representative per area. An early decision to
include Link Representatives Ladies with full voting rights
has enhanced the Social ideas for the Committee. These
Ten Link areas developed into having one Linkman for every
Lodge under an area co-ordinator. These areas have now
been increased to 11 with the introduction of a Crowle
area.
PURPOSE
The LPSC aim is to encourage, promote, co-ordinate and
disseminate information about activities of a social nature;
to further friendly relationships of Brethren and their
Ladies in and out of the Province of Lincolnshire; to
assist in the raising of money for Masonic, Non Masonic
Charities and other projects as approved by the Provincial
Grand Master; to provide links with all Lodges in the
Province in the attainment of the LPSC’s objectives.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Many Social Events have been organised by the LPSC over
the years, including Garden Parties, Concerts, Quiz’s,
Battle of Britain Lunches and Provincial Lunches. Recent
large events were the Market Rasen Garden Party for Disabled
in 2004 and 2006 and the Cathedral Concert in 2005 in
2007.
LADIES FESTIVAL
In 1997 W.Bro Roy Eaton organised the first LPSC Ladies
Festival at Harrogate with the PGM Rt. W. Bro. Gordon
Walkerley Smith as the President. It proved a great success
and remains a popular event every year. In 2004 W.Bro.
Trevor Clingan and W. Bro. Derek Butcher took over the
events organisation. Over the years the Ladies Festival
has been held at Harrogate, Stratford, Oxford, Warrington,
Daventry, Norwich and Macclesfield.
LINCOLNSHIRE LINK
Early days of the LPSC saw a newsletter being circulated,
which grew into the Lincolnshire Link magazine which unfortunately
has now been discontinued. This publication came out twice
a year and was distributed to every Brother in the Province.
W. Bro Colin Kennedy was the editor and produced excellent
productions.
FUND RAISING
Over the years the LPSC has raised funds for charity in
a number of ways. Resulting in the 1991 Festival receiving
£33,000. The ‘Refurbished Regalia’ organised by
W. Bro Peter Cowe and Pauline Cowe joined the LPSC until
their retirement in 2004 and raised over £23,000
for Charity. The Provincial Grand Raffle Draw has also
helped raise funds with tickets being distributed by the
Linkmen. Donations from the Committee to the 2003 Festival
amounted to £43,000. In 2004 the New Provincial
Benevolent Fund benefited by £2,000, and Lincolnshire
Disabled Charities by £6,300. 2005 saw the support
of Youth Organisations with over £3, 500 being donated.
In 2006 £6,400 was donated to Disabled Organisations
and in 2007 £3,200 to the NMBF. To the present date
that represents a grand total of £99,520 raised.
CONNAUGHT COURT
The LPSC has given support over the years to the Connaught
Court Masonic Residential Home in York. Early fund raising
for the Home was shared each year by the Masonic Provinces
involved. When Lincolnshire organised the York Garden
Party in 1994 a massive £43,000 was raised - twice
the amount of previous years. Recent years has seen the
funding format changed, but two LPSC members still attend
the Homes Management meetings and a stall is organised
for the annual Garden Party.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The L.P.S.C. held its AGM at Long Sutton on Sunday the
10th February 2008 and among the items was the retirement
of W.Bro Jim Brackley as Secretary after 8 years in office.
Pictured above: V.W.Bro.
Raymond Windsor Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Chairman
of the LPSC presenting a retirement gift to W.Bro Jim
Brackley.
JACK
WAYMAN, "GENTLEMAN AND GENTLE MAN".
A moving tribute by W. Bro. Steve Cole
(The following article was, as will be apparent, written
for the Link magaine before its demise).
I have thought long and hard about how to start writing
this piece for the Link magazine and by kind permission
of W. Bro. Eric Wayman, I have finally found a starting
point. What an excellent description of a man to whom
many titles and accolades are due!
The titles include choir boy; sailor; bulb farmer; pilot;
Christian; freemason; Grand Officer; friend; mentor and
most importantly husband and father.
W. Bro. Eric Wayman covered all of the above in detail
at the Service of Remembrance so it is my duty and pleasure
to add some facts to the photograph that accompanies this
article.
There is no doubt that Jack was equally proud of all
three sons and his daughter, Pat. However, English Craft
Freemasonry not allowing ladies to join, Jack had to make
do with only seeing three of his children initiated into
the Craft.

The late W.Bro Jack
Wayman with behind his sons (left to right) Tim, Eric,
andPeter.
Having been initiated into Hundred of Elloe Lodge No.
469 on 8th September 1966,
Jack was passed on 8th December 1966 and raised on 4th
December 1967. He rose by merit to be installed into the
chair of King Solomon in January 1982.
It was no doubt a great thrill for Jack to see two of
his sons, Tim and Peter, initiated into Hundred of Elloe
on the same night in March 1980. They were then both passed
in December 1980 and raised in November 1981, again both
ceremonies taking place on the same night in what must
be very rare if not unique double ceremonies on each occasion.
They were quickly followed by Eric, who was also initiated
into Hundred of Elloe, in September 1981; passed in March
1982 and raised in November 1982.
1980 - 1982 proving to be three vintage years for Hundred
of Elloe and Jack!
Jack’s friendship and keenness to enjoy everything he
did came to the fore when he was instrumental in establishing
the now flourishing Lincolnshire Provincial Social Committee
and the Lincolnshire Link magazine. It was through the
social committee that Jack was able to involve Enid and
together their roles as mentors to many young masons and
their wives developed. My wife and I are fortunate to
be just one couple who have benefited greatly from this.
Despite being everywhere for everyone all of the time,
Jack did not neglect his sons and this was proved when
first Tim in 1991 and then Peter in 1994 took the Master's
Chair at Hundred of Elloe. Tim has since risen to be a
Provincial Grand Officer.
Jack was worried that he may not see Eric, by now Provincial
Organist, into the Chair. But, those who were privileged
to be there will never forget the pride that shone from
Jack when, in January 2007, he presented Bro. Eric Wayman
to the Worshipful Master to be installed as Worshipful
Master of Hundred of Elloe Lodge No. 469.
The accompanying photograph lived on Jack’s bedside table
and it was with great pride that he called me to him shortly
before he moved on to the Grand Lodge above to ask me
to see if I was able to have it published in the Link
magazine.
I was only too pleased to accept the task, not realising
that to try to write about such a great gentleman would
be so hard. I therefore present to you the picture that
brought so much pride and joy to Jack, in the knowledge
that you will understand and share in his pride and joy.
LORD
WORSLEY - THE MAN BEHIND THE LODGE
A history compiled by W.Bro. Stewart Oxborough,
Master of Lord Worsley Lodge No.3017
Freemasons Lodges are variously named to commemorate
worthy individuals, events, Masonic tenets, etc.. The
founding Brethren of the Lord Worsley Lodge No:3017 in
1904 continued a strong local Masonic custom by linking
its name with the family of the Earl of Yarborough - the
then Provincial Grand Master for Lincolnshire and first
Worshipful Master of the Lodge.
Despite their sagacity, they were not to know what an
inspired choice they had made in naming the Lodge after
Charles Sackville Pelham, the then sixteen-year-old eldest
son of the 4th. Earl, who traditionally takes the title
of The Lord Worsley.

Lord Worsley in 1904
As we shall see, Lord Worsley's life was a shining example
of those qualities we profess and strive to maintain,
both in action and word, in Freemasonry.
A shy boy throughout his early years, Charles, had an
endearing passion for horses which he never lost and was,
just like many other young men brought up in the country,
being a fine rider, and keen about sports.

Lord Worsley on his Charger at
Brocklesby
He was devoted to his mother and had an intense love
of home. He possessed a very loveable and affectionate
disposition, and was always cheerful and happy. These
qualities, along with the natural courtesy of his manners,
could sometimes hide from strangers a strong depth of
character. He was a particularly sensible young fellow
and considered in advance of many of his own age. 
Lord Worsley was educated at Eton and then abroad before
taking the entrance examination into the Military College
at
Sandhurst.
He had determined to join the Royal Horse Guards "the
Blues" and was posted as a 2nd. Lieutenant into the
Regiment on 5th. October 1908 - just a short time after
attaining his majority on August 14th. 1908.
These early years in the service of his country were
filled with good times both in the service and at home,
and it was during this time that Lord Worsley became a
family man. He had known The Honble. Alexandra Vivian,
a young lady of charming manners and great attraction,
for some years and in the autumn of 1910 they became engaged.
They were married on January 31st. 1911 and the honeymoon,
necessarily short due to his military service demands,
was spent in Rome where Lady Worsley's father had once
been British Ambassador. Lord Worsley was 23 and his bride
just under 21.
The
following year a daughter was born, but to the grief of
themselves and their families, it was stillborn, and there
was no other child of the marriage. The married life of
these two young people, which was destined to be so soon
cut short was, however, blessed with much happiness despite
this early tragedy.
Lord Worsley had followed his father into Freemasonry
- thought not initially into the Lodge which bore his
name. On the 6th May 1913 this was rectified and he was
balloted for, and accepted into the Lord Worsley Lodge
No:3017 as a joining member. The Lodge and the man were
at last united.
Later that same year the couple went on a big game expedition
in East Africa. Returning via Egypt and reaching England
in January 1914, the young couple moved into their newly
refurbished residence in Little Brocklesby, Lincolnshire.
Lord Worsley himself was only to spend a few days there
- intensely happy days for him and his wife in that Spring
of 1914, before he had to go back to his regiment. As
it turned out, they were the only days he lived there.
At the time war was declared, Lord Worsley was approaching
27 years of age. His first brother, Sackville George Pelham,
who was born in 1888, was to serve in the Great War with
the 11th Hussars. Another brother, Marcus Herbert Pelham
born in 1893, served in the Lincolnshire Yeomanry and
subsequently the 1st Life Guards. Both these brothers
survived the Great War and left the Army. A third brother,
Darcy Francis, had been born in 1892 but survived only
a few days.
In the summer of 1914, and although in a cavalry regiment,
Lord Worsley was sent on a machine gun course and on his
return to the Regiment was placed in charge of the Machine
Gun Section.
Two squadrons of the Royal Horse Guards, including Lord
Worsley's unit were sent to Ludgershall Camp on Salisbury
Plain for many weeks training. 

Lord Worsley, front left, at Ludgershall,
October 1914
Lady Worsley travelled there and took lodgings
with other officers wives. On Saturday 26th September
Lord and Lady Worsley went up to London to their house
in Great Cumberland Place. The following day they went
with their parents to morning service at Grosvenor Chapel
in Great Audley Street. They all then had lunch and remained
in conversation until Lord and Lady Worsley motored back
to Salisbury Plain. That was the last time on which his
parents saw him.
Soon afterwards, on 6th. October, the Regiment embarked
for Ostend. Throughout that October the Regiment was moved
backwards and forwards around Passchendaele, Zonnebeke,
Ypres, Mount Kemmel, and Zillebeke - names well known
to those who study the Great War. These manoeuvres often
resulted in spending 17 hours in the saddle, a few hours
rest, and then a further period in the saddle. On October
23rd. 1914 the "Blues" were sent into trenches
at Zandvoorde, relieving the "Royals" at daybreak
and receiving a good shelling as a welcome.
Trenches
at the early part of the war, particularly those at Zandvoorde,
were very primitive and uncomfortable. The shelter they
afforded against the enemy's H.E. shells was negligible.
He wrote to his wife "I am still in the trenches...last
night was the most miserable I have ever spent...the heavens
opened and it poured and blew all night." In his
last letter on October 27th he wrote that his brown charger
"Bodmin" had been killed and closed with the
words..."God keep you and me, and bless us both and
our friends."
His words do not convey the heroism and endeavour shown
by the "Blues" at that time. Field Marshal,
Earl Haig speaking of the British Cavalry at Zandvoorde
said...."British Cavalry were more than a match for
the German Cavalry brought against them, their sound training
and good shooting proving more than sufficient to counterbalance
German superiority in numbers."
On the 29th October the "Blues" were relieved
in the trenches by the 1st Life Guards under Lord Hugh
Grosvenor. As he was coming out of the trenches, Lord
Worsley was told that as the Life Guards only had one
machine gun, it was necessary for him to go back and assist
them. That was after seven consecutive days in the front
line, with no relief as the other troops had had. No complaint
was heard; to others he appeared cheerful, and when receiving
orders to remain in the trenches he smiled and said it
was "all in the day's work"; but it must have
been a bitter disappointment when he was ordered back
once more to face danger and discomfort - and death.
After an ominously quiet night, at 7.00am on the 30th
October 1914 the enemy began a terrific barrage with high
explosive and shrapnel from some 260 heavy guns on the
Zandvoorde Ridge.
This terrible shelling lasted for one and a half hours.
The trenches were exposed to full view of the enemy on
three sides and by 9.00 o'clock were literally blown to
pieces and one troop totally buried. 
As the Germans advanced, the Brigade withdrew to the
support trenches. Messages were sent to Lord Worsley's
unit telling him to fall back, but it is not known if
they ever reached him. Indeed, nothing is known with certainty
what took place, because none of the officers and men
in the remaining trenches survived and there were no prisoners;
not a man came in to give any information as to what took
place - they were all killed. An officer in the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers trenches to the left of Lord Worsley subsequently
described the defence put up that day as one of the finest
feats of the War.

Lord Worsley and his Machine Guns,
October 1914
Lord Worsley was last seen directing his gun as enemy
shell fire exploded all around him. In front of his position
was a mound of dead Germans - mute testimony to the work
of his Machine Gun Section throughout that morning. His
gun was heard chattering before an ominous silence settled
over the Zandvoorde Ridge. Despite the apparent loss of
our Brother, the cost to the enemy had been heavy, and
valuable time had been gained for the British Command.
Field Marshal, the Earl Haig was doubly distressed at
this grim news as Lady Worsley was his sister-in-law.
The War Office telegraphed on November 7th 1914 that
Lord Worsley was "missing" but with no assured
notice of his death he was subsequently promoted to the
rank of Captain on November 15th 1914. On January 11th
1915, however, the sad news was received that the latest
German list of British killed showed the name of Lord
Worsley. It was also stated that he had been buried south
of Zandvoorde. Thus, after more than two months of intense
anxiety and doubt for his young wife, his parents, and
relatives and friends the worst was announced.
The Worshipful Master of the Lord Worsley Lodge called
an emergency meeting on the 19th January 1915 and the
sad news was passed to the Brethren that their Brother
Mason had given his life in the service of his country.
Lord Worsley's parents made enquiries which resulted
in a map of the location of his grave and return of Lord
Worsley's identification disc. The Imperial War Graves
Commission followed up on this and came across a report
of the battle. A German cavalry officer and aristocrat,
Oberleutnent Freiherr von Prankh, interested to know who
had held out so valiantly against him inspected the trenches.
There he found the body of Lord Worsley, removed the identity
disc, and had him properly buried and a cross placed on
the grave.
Unfortunately, von Prankh was killed a few days later
and the personal belongings never recovered. The identity
disc did, however, survive and was returned to Lady Worsley.
A friend of Marcus Pelham, Col. A. W. H. James, was
entrusted with a copy of the map of Lord Worsley's grave
and endeavoured to find it. The first attempt failed but
on a second visit in December 1918 proved successful.
Taking bearings outside the village of Zandvoorde, due
North 100m to one road and due East 100m to another, he
walked to the spot indicated on the map. At the exact
spot they found the upright of a cross. There was no sign
of the cross piece or any other grave. 

He placed some large pieces of stone around the upright
before leaving. In the village where he was billeted he
then had a simple wooden cross made which was inscribed
with the words:
" R. I. P. Lord Worsley, R. H. G.
Oct. 30th, 1914."
The next visit to the grave was by Sackville Pelham
and Col. James. They collected the new cross and made
their way to Zandvoorde. On arrival at the grave they
found a patchy osier fence growing near the grave running
East to West. They took cuttings from this and several
of these plants now grow in the grounds at Brocklesby.
Park. At the grave they dug down six inches and amazingly
found the cross piece of the old German Cross. It was
remarkable as the area had been under constant shellfire
since the original grave had been dug. The new cross was
put in place and the old German one removed.
This
now hangs over Lord Worsley's sword in Brocklesby Church.
They reported what they had done to the War Graves Commission
who put up a sign prohibiting anyone from touching it.
It was the policy of the War Graves Commission to exhume
the body of those soldiers in isolated graves and put
them in suitable cemeteries so they may be properly attended.
However, they would also honour any wish of the family
in this delicate matter. Lord Worsley's family considered
it wise and right to move the grave and the Chaplain of
the Naval depot at Immingham, the Reverend R. S. Swann-Mason,
representing the family, attended the exhumation at Zandvoorde,
on September 8th 1921.
The body was properly identified, reverently placed in
a coffin and covered with the Union Jack. Then, along
with the wooden cross, conveyed in a covered van at a
stately pace to a mortuary near the town of Ypres.

Lord Worsley's coffin is carried
into the Ypres Cemetery
The burial took place the following morning at 10.00
am Friday September 9th 1921 in the Military Extension
No. 291 of the Ypres Town Cemetery, just outside the Menin
Gate and beyond the cross-roads of the Menin Road which
leads to the infamous "Hell Fire Corner". A
short, simple service followed and two small bunches of
marigolds were placed on the coffin - one for Lady Yarborough
and one for Lady Worsley. 

Reverend R. S. Swann-Mason at
Worsley's Re-burial
After committal and prayers, the grave was then closed
and the wooden cross from Zandvoorde placed at its head.
There the cross remained until 1923, when the new War
Graves Commission erected the now familiar headstone used
at all military cemeteries. The wooden cross was carefully
removed and returned to Lord and Lady Yarborough. This
cross now also hangs in Brocklesby Church - opposite Lord
Worsley's sword and the original German Cross from Zandvoorde.
The headstone bears the monogram of the Royal Horse Guards
at the top; above the Cross are the words:
LIEUTENANT
LORD WORSLEY
ROYAL HORSE GUARDS
ZANDVOORDE
30TH OCTOBER 1914, AGE 27
Below the Cross:
HE DIED FIGHTING FOR GOD
AND RIGHT AND LIBERTY
AND SUCH A DEATH IS IMMORTALITY
The grave is set out as one of four in a
row amongst others in the Military annexe of the town
Cemetery.
Members of his family visited the grave
at Ypres, so carefully tended and in the spring bright
with English flowers - the last resting place of our dear
departed Brother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Lord Worsley's original grave at Zandvoorde
was located, Lady Worsley at once took steps to buy the
ground in which her husband lay. The task was long and
tedious , but the land was eventually purchased. The money
required was raised by the wives and parents of those
who died on 30th October 1914. This land was eventually
conveyed to the Imperial War Graves commission by Lady
Worsley and it was there that the Household Cavalry decided
to erect a memorial to commemorate the sacrifice of the
three regiments who perished on the Zandvoorde Ridge.
The memorial is in the form of a 21 feet high column,
which is surmounted with a cross. The names of the glorious
dead are inscribed on the front of the column, and on
the base is the following inscription:
"To those of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards and Royal
Horse Guards who died fighting in France and Flanders,
1914. Many of them fell in defence of the Ridge upon which
this cross stands."
The memorial was unveiled by Field Marshal Earl Haig,
Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards, also representing the
King, on May 4th 1924. The three regiments were present
along with a large number of the relatives of those who
were commemorated.
Earl Haig gave an impressive address. There then followed
two minutes silence between the "Last Post"
and "Reveille." The service ended, wreaths were
placed by officers of the three regiments, and they were
followed by the relatives - among them were Lord Worsley's
family - his parents, Lady Worsley, and Lord Worsley's
two brothers.
Our founding Worshipful Master must have had a heavy
heart that day but could take great consolation in the
knowledge that his eldest son, Lord Worsley, had enforced
by example and precept the tenets of Freemasonry even
to the point of his own death.
As he wrote to the Lodge... " I beg you to convey
to the Brethren of the Lord Worsley Lodge the grateful
thanks of Lady Yarborough and myself and Lady Worsley
for their kind expression of sympathy on the death of
our dear son. You and the Brethren who were privileged
to know his noble character can measure the depth of our
grief, and the loss we have sustained. It is however some
consolation to know that we can always look back with
pride to the fact that he did his duty and died like a
Hero." 
OUR HISTORY RE-VISITED
Brocklesby Today
Memorials to the 4th Earl of Yarborough and his son,
The Lord
Worsley, are in Brocklesby Church and are fitting tributes
to these two Freemasons who are so close to the heart
of the Lord Worsley Lodge members.
The 4th Earl was the Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire
from 1895 to 1936 - a remarkable record of 41 years which
our current Provincial Grand Master said (in his address
to the Lord Worsley Lodge's Centenary Meeting in 2004)
he had no wish to emulate.
On the memorial to the 4th Earl of Yarborough, the Square
and Compasses can be seen in the oval tablet to the left
of the Earl's likeness and Lincoln Cathedral in that on
the right.
The memorial to Lord Worlsey is a wall mounted high relief
in alabaster and marble and
shows him, in uniform, kneeling at prayer. The memorial
is by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger (1885-1934)
who has produced many magnificent memorials to the Great
War.
Jagger also sculpted Sir Ernest Shackleton, another
famous Freemason, and this stands in a niche on the Exhibition
Road side of the Royal Geographical Society.
The memorial to Lord Worsley is finished in a 17th century
style and bears, in a roundel above the frame, the buckle
logo of Lord Worsley - a likeness of which has been adopted
in tribute by the Lord Worsley Lodge of Masonic Instruction.
The Household Cavalry Memorial at Zandvoorde
today.
Once in the centre of a field in the village
of Zandvoorde, the memorial is now behind modern houses
and is acessed by a gate and path between them. A Book
of Remembrance is placed at the gate for visitors to sign.

The photograph is taken along the line of
the trenches that Lord Worsley commanded. The Germans
attacked from the left - trying to break through to Ypres
and the sea to the right.
The Memorial stands on the site of Lord
Worsley's original grave - where he was killed - his name
is engraved on the base of the Memorial hidden by the
small hedge.
The Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium today.

The British Memorial to the Missing was
built to commemorate those who were killed around Ypres
between 1914 and 1917 but have no known grave - it bears
the name of 54,896 soldiers.
Every evening at 8.00 p.m. the traffic is stopped and
members of the Ypres Fire Brigade sound the Last Post.
In a simple, moving ceremony the silver bugles ring out
in tribute to those who died. On a still night the fanfare
can be heard from Lord Worsley’s grave in the small Ypres
Town Cemetery Military Extension, only just beyond the
Menin Gate - past the cross roads and houses which can
just be seen through the archway.
Lord Worsley's Grave, Ypres Town Cemetery today.

Lord Worsley's grave is the first of the
row of four. He is buried next to an unknown soldier and
two double graves. So it is that all distinctions, save
those of goodness and virtue, cease when death, the grand
leveller of all human greatness, reduces us to the same
state.

ARCHIVING
IN OUR LODGES - WHAT CAN WE DO TO PRESERVE OUR MASONIC
HISTORY?
ARCHIVING IN OUR LODGES or 'Preserving
our History and Heritage'.
The preservation and safe custody
of our Lodge records and artefacts has been a dilemma
faced by many Lodges over the years, and the problem
increases as our Lodges get older and have a longer
history of continuous meetings. Basically that problem
is one of unsuitable and/or insufficient storage space
with the right conditions to preserve our Minute Books,
other documents and artefacts. We all know how our records
can deteriorate if they are kept in e.g. damp conditions,
or how they can be misplaced and even lost if they are
not kept in secure storage. And many Lodges do not have
much storage space and probably do not have sufficient
funds to acquire a secure, damp-proof storage cabinet.
In 2006, the Rt. W. Provincial Grand
Master expressed his concern at the potential risk that
we may lose some of our important history if this growing
problem is not tackled now. He therefore established
a Provincial Archives Committee and appointed his Provincial
Senior Grand Warden at that time, W. Bro. R. L. Brittan,
as its Project Leader. One of the first things that
Committee agreed was the Mission Statement set out at
the end of this article.
The Provincial Archives Committee
has identified a solution to the principal problem:
digital imaging is the way forward. This method, which
is fast becoming the standard method for long-term document
storage, allows us to create digital images of our records
and to store them on DVD discs in a special format called
'Jpeg'. On it, viewing images is simple, using retrieval
software which allows us to manipulate those images
in many ways. These include magnifying them, changing
the contrast, indexing for ease of search, and printing
selected sections or pages. Instead of having to both
find and then thumb through old Minute Books, such DVDs
will be a real benefit to hard-worked Lodge Secretaries
and other Brethren, particularly when it comes to research
and projects like preparing Lodge histories.
In short, digitisation of records
presents us with a wonderful opportunity to make our
old records easily accessible - but it is essential
that professionals carry out the initial work for best
results. It is also important to recognise that even
such digital records need preservation regardless of
the storage medium used. However, this is less onerous
than with paper records, but is still necessary to ensure
long-term preservation. So we will still need safe storage,
reviewed regularly, with discs rewritten whenever needed.
A few Lodges in other Provinces have
already had their records copied digitally and have
realised the benefits indicated above, and some of these
have been examined. Over the past few months the Archives
Committee have also been working with a professional
company, ImageLife, on a feasibility study and Pilot
Programme for our Province, and a presentation of this
work, using material (much of it from the 19th Century)
from St Hugh Lodge, No 1386, was given, with hand-out
leaflets, before Provincial Grand Lodge on 19 May, 2007.
What the Rt. W. Provincial Grand Master said at that
meeting about Archiving is set out in his address to
the meeting which can be found on the Provincial Grand
Master's Page of this web site.
W.Bro Britain (Right) is
seen giving his presentation before Provincial Grand
Lodge.
In the next few months, a presentation
of this work will be made at a meeting in Lincoln, when
the Co-ordinator for each of the Province's 21 Masonic
Centres will be asked to be present with up to 2 other
representatives. That meeting will be followed by similar
presentations at each Masonic Centre with representatives
from each of the Lodges there. At those presentations
and thereafter, W. Bro Reg Brittan, ProvSGW. (2006),
and W. Bro. Jack Pollard, ProvGSuptWks (2006), will
be available to make a presentation to individual Lodges
(with the provision of printed Guides and check lists)
and will be available to discuss any of the issues and
costs associated with the project. Inevitably, first
priority will be given to the older Lodges.
In summary, apart from demonstrating
and explaining the digitising of Lodge records, etc.,
Phase 1 of the Project will involve asking each Lodge
to prepare an inventory, particularly to identify those
of its records which, subject to cost, the Lodge would
like to have digitised, and also which of its records
and other items it would wish to have stored and preserved
elsewhere in, e.g., a Masonic Museum. It will be necessary
to give copies of those inventories and decisions to
the Project Team to enable them to assess the scale
of the project. This will help them to arrange (and
hopefully to negotiate better cost terms for) the preparation
and supply of DVDs from ImageLife. It will also enable
them, although this will be Phase 2 of the Project,
to assess the storage capacity required and whether
and how this could be done as part of a Masonic Museum.
LINCOLNSHIRE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE
ARCHIVES COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT:
PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO CONSTITUENT LODGES
ON THE BEST PRACTICES OF ARCHIVING AND DISPLAYING HISTORICAL
RECORDS AND ARTEFACTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND ALSO
PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF FREEMASONRY'S
RICH HERITAGE.
Our mission is:
-
to identify and
disseminate knowledge on best practice for the collection
and archiving of our historical records, artefacts,
pictures, manuscripts, etc.;
-
to ensure our Masonic
history is preserved effectively with the aim, eventually,
of displaying it in a museum;
-
to promote the rich
heritage of Freemasonry generally and to increase
the knowledge and understanding of Lincolnshire Masonry
in particular;
-
to contribute
to the public's awareness and understandingand thereby
change any public misconceptions of Freemasonry.
In accordance with our
Mission Statement, to achieve our goals we will:
-
promote archiving
to preserve and safeguard our historical records and
collections;
-
promote the use
of our records and collections for the purposes of
education;
-
encourage and promote
access to our records and collections to the widest
possible audiences, both Masonic and public;
-
promote the Provincial
Website, by remote access through the World Wide Web
using information technology;
-
form partnerships
with other Masonic Orders and Bodies as appropriate;
-
seek to obtain the
resources needed to realise these aims.
-
WE AIM TO BECOME
THE LEADING INFORMATION AND LEARNING RESOURCE FOR
THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY IN LINCOLNSHIRE
