To All Brethren of the Province.
Good morning to you all, and I wish you a very Happy Easter, hoping, where possible, that you will be able to enjoy time with your families. We have an Easter Egg hunt arranged for Monday, together with a barbeque here. Let us pray for a fine day.
There has been some rain overnight but the gardens and lawns are still very dry. Pat has been busy in the garden trying to cut back intrusive ivy and other unwanted plants. So far she has planted shallots, beetroot, lettuces sweetcorn, potatoes and runner beans. As a challenge for the Chilbolton flower show, along with other garden club members, she has planted a single potato in a pot. Any produce from this will be weighed and counted and then exhibited at the show in June.
Last Saturday, many of us attended the Annual Provincial Meeting at the Guildhall, Portsmouth. It was a very enjoyable day. W. Bro. Ian Small was Installed as the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, and we all wish him every success in that role. This was followed by the Investiture of the Provincial officers for the year, again, we wish them well in their preferment and trust that they will enjoy the honour conferred upon them. I have the honour of being re-appointed as Provincial Almoner and hope to keep in touch with you through letters from Andover. In the near future I will be contacting All Lodge Almoners in an effort to obtain a closer relationship with one another.
Our MBF Festival is swiftly drawing to a close, only just over a year to go, there is still time, if you are able, to support this by regular giving or donations as and when possible.
Ther are a number of our brethren and their loved ones, still suffering ill health or mental issues and are unable to attend meetings. Please, please, keep them in your minds and try and contact them. A phone call or a visit would not come amiss, we should all be Almoners in some way. Keep those lines of communication open, I am also conscious that the privacy of brethren and their families must be respected.
Once again, Pat and I wish you all a very Happy Easter, not forgetting its real meaning.
God Bless you all,
Best wishes.
Malcolm Lloyd, P.G.S.D., Prov. Almoner