Dear Brethren,
It is with sadness that I start my letter this week, unfortunately Sue Jennings, wife of W. Bro. Don Jennings, passed away this week. On 2nd September a good friend and well-respected Brother, W. Bro Roy W. Ford suffered an accident from which he was subsequently called to the Grand Lodge Above. He will be missed. Please have Don and Mrs. Ford in your thoughts and prayers.
Brethren,
The Provincial Grand Master wishes to remind Brethren about the Coronavirus Information which is regularly updated on the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Website. It may be found at the following link;-
To All Brethren within the Province,
Once again I greet you all well and hope that you are as safe as possible. Many congratulations to out PGM for the very efficient and friendly Virtual Provincial Meeting on 26th August. I, for personal reasons, could not take part, but I did watch the recording on Facebook. It was a pleasure to hear from the Assistant Grand Master, Rt. W. Bro. Stephen Davison, he was so encouraging. No, it was not like Portsmouth Guildhall, where we usually share a wonderful day, but it still had dignity and decorum. Let us hope that next April will be better and we can actually meet up together again.
Dear Brethren,
Please find below a link which will allow you to watch a recording of the Provincial Virtual Business Meeting held on, Wednesday 26th August 2020.
Dear Brethren,
A message from our Provincial Grand Master.
To All Brethren within the Province,
Being typically British I will again start with the weather. What a difference this week has been, now we might be saying, “When is it going to stop raining?” The gardens are looking better for the welcome rain and life has come back to most of my lawns. The blackberries and raspberries are now coming towards the end but we have enjoyed a nice crop of both.
Dear Brethren
The Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England and Wales and Districts and Councils Overseas, District of the Southern Counties, have recently announced Grand Ranks for 2020. The Brethren receiving first appointments and promotions are tremendous supporters of the Progressive Orders.
To All Brethren within the Province,
What a hot week this has been, too hot for many of us, making sleeping difficult. Now the thunderstorms and rain have eased things for us. Tragically though the floods brought devastation to some parts of the country, let us remember those who lost their lives in the train crash in Scotland and send our best wishes to those who were injured. In spite of all that I trust that you are all safe and well.
To All Brethren within the Province,
I must start my letter this week by offering our condolences to all of the families who have lost loved ones in the terrible explosion that took place in Beirut, Lebanon, last Tuesday. Our thoughts and prayers must be for those who were injured in this disaster. One thing which was emphasised in the news bulletins was the dedication and resourcefulness of the hospital staff in all hospitals involved, some of which had been damaged in the tremendous blast. All the emergency services were stretched to the limits, having to contend with Covid 19 at the same time.
Brethren All,
I trust that I find you all safe and well on this sunny Saturday morning. The guidelines issued by the Government yesterday shows that we must still be cautious and realistic as to when we might be able to consider meeting again.