Dear Brethren All,
This morning, I will be leaving home soon to attend the seminar at Eastleigh Football Club regarding Care and Dementia. This has been arranged by W. Bro. Malcolm Collier, Provincial Almoner in the Craft and Royal Arch Chapter. These events are well arranged and attended, the content is usually very professional, I hope to see some of you there.
Next Saturday promises to be a milestone in the Provincial Mark calendar, as this will be the 150 years celebration of Mark Masonry in the Province, in conjunction with the Provincial Annual Meeting at Portsmouth. I hope that as many of you as possible will give the Provincial Grand Master your full support at this event. (Due to a family commitment, I will not be there.)
Many of you in the south of the Province, and on the Isle of Wight, have suffered from floods and high tides recently. I hope that you and your families have coped with this without too much problem. We do feel for you all.
Pat and I have noted the increase in the number of wild birds in the garden recently and how busy they are. We have seen sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, robins, many pigeons and even a bluetit. Pat has this habit of talking to the robins when they appear during her working in the garden. She has also been very interested in a pair of blackbirds who seem to be building a nest in one of the bushes on the edge of the lawn. On Friday a female blackbird was observed collecting worms and we suspect there may already be chicks in the nest.
As it was such a nice sunny day yesterday, I managed to cut the lawns and the grass is looking in good form. Plants have been put in a small greenhouse ready for planting soon, runner and broad beans, lettuces, sweet corn to name a few. The carrots have begun to break through the surface and so have the beetroot. One might say, “Things are looking up.”
Once again, I ask that you keep those lines of communication open and those brethren that we have not seen recently are not forgotten. Covid must still be out there as Pat and I have been invited to attend for our booster jabs, so these will take place soon.
Best wishes to you all.
Malcolm Lloyd, P.G.S.D., Prov. Grand Almoner