R W Bro Jeffrey Gillyon
Provincial Grand Master
Provincial Grand Superintendent

Address to Provincial Grand Lodge

In a change with tradition, I opened Provincial Grand Lodge earlier in the day and Called Off so that our EAs and FCs could join with us in this meeting, for they represent our future and I would like them to stand and be recognised. I am hopeful you will return as MMs when you will be qualified to see the Opening and Closing ceremonies in your own right.

When last we met for our Craft Convocation, it was in the Nunthorpe Suite at York Racecourse. Today we return to the Central Hall at the University of York, a much larger venue and one that I hope in years to come we shall be able to fill to capacity.

Today we have offered free PSA Testing and I would like to put on record my thanks to W Bro John Davies for his work in making this initiative possible. When last we offered testing it undoubtedly saved the lives of several brethren, so funding was readily provided by our Provincial Charity, the Freemasons Charity Yorkshire North and East Ridings who are always mindful of our wellbeing.

I am very pleased that we have Richard Anderson with us today. Richard was of course my predecessor as Provincial Grand Master and was a great servant of this Province for many years. Welcome Richard (applause).
The impact of the pandemic meant we had relatively few Distinguished Guests from Other Provinces with us at our last meeting, but they are here in greater numbers today and this certainly enhances our proceedings. It is, I hope, also a sign that the worst effects of the pandemic are behind us. As they were all introduced on entering earlier, I do not intend to repeat the process, other than saying as I did this morning that RW Bros Ian Craigs, Bill Bewley and Dave Wheeler are old friends – Ian is indeed a very old friend and I know he will appreciate that I use the word ‘old’ kindly. We also have the new PGM of Yorkshire West Riding with us, in the person of RW Bro James Newman. James is no stranger to us, being a member of a lodge in our Province. We have with us Stephen Walker, the Deputy presently in Charge as John Thompson the PGM Designate for the Province of Durham will not be installed until next month. We do, of course, look forward to his company at our meetings for many years to come. Brethren, could I ask you to join me in showing your appreciation for the support of all our Distinguished Guests today (applause).

It is always good to see the Heads of Other Orders within our Province at our Annual Meetings and today we have with us Bob Clancey PGM of the Mark Degree and the Royal Ark Mariners and also Chris Barker the Grand Summus of the Scarlet Cord. I would invite them to stand and be recognised (applause). Like me, many of you enjoy membership of the other Orders and I would recommend them to you, once you have completed your journey in Pure Antient Masonry with exaltation in the Holy Royal Arch. I would at this point like to congratulate Companion Simon Rehill on his presentation entitled ‘Why the Royal Arch’ – Simon’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of the Royal Arch shone through and you could be sharing that enjoyment.

In 2020 and 2021, UGLE continued to bestow Grand Rank on several brethren, but Covid prevented Investiture ceremonies taking place. I am pleased there was a return to some sort of normality this year and in April I was in London to witness the First Appointments of Richard Smedley to the Active Rank of AGDC and Nigel Weightman to the rank of PGStB. There were also promotions for Ian Johnson to PSGD and Andrew Popely to PAGDC. Would those brethren please stand so that we can show how pleased we are for them (applause).

Brethren, it would be an understatement to say that the last two years have created difficulties for both society and individuals. Indeed, I think it is fair to say we have faced challenges never previously experienced in living memory during peacetime. We have gone through not meeting at all, meetings with numbers restricted to as few as six, masks worn, masks not worn and to add to the confusion, differing lockdown regimes in various parts of our Province. It did of course, at times, affect our ability to dine together after our meetings and that was a great blow, for I believe it is at our Festive Boards with all their camaraderie that many lifelong bonds of friendship are forged.

So here we are today, with the dark days hopefully behind us and intent on taking our lodges and Freemasonry forward with renewed vigour. However, we must never forget the losses we have suffered by way of fellow masons and family members during those dark days and I was pleased to see so many of you at Selby Abbey supporting our Memorial Service last August.

As your PGM, I did my best during lockdown, within the law, to encourage those of you who wished to continue meeting, to do so. I also fully recognised that some brethren would not wish to meet and I clearly stated they should not feel obliged to do so. These were very personal decisions for each of us to take and no-one should feel guilty about not attending their lodge because of concern for their own health or the health of family members.

I would like to thank all brethren for their commitment to Masonry during those difficult times and especially the Masters and other Officers who had to serve in their respective positions for far longer than they anticipated.

Brethren, I believe the future is bright for Freemasonry in general and this Province in particular, for whilst we lost a number of members during lockdown, we also received widespread expressions of interest from men wishing to join us. This renewed interest in Freemasonry has not just happened by chance – it results from several things - from our community work during the pandemic, the work of the Masonic Charitable Foundation and your own Charity the FCYNER, the increased media profile of UGLE and its Digital Marketing Campaign through FaceBook. Brethren, do not be concerned about the quality of candidates that are being introduced via social media, for each and every one of them is assessed by an Area Membership Officer before ever being passed to a lodge for interview. Make sure that your lodge is ready to access this candidate pool by appointing an active Lodge Membership Officer and ensuring the Lodge Profile on your website is both informative and attractive, for we must refer a candidate to the most suitable lodge if he is to become fully engaged and, it is only by having men who are fully engaged, that we will build a vibrant, growing Province, fit for the 21st century.

I mentioned at our Last meeting that our Provincial Liaison Officer initiative was fully operational and it could not have come at a more opportune time, given the exciting road ahead. Every lodge has a Provincial Liaison Officer and the emphasis is on him being supportive and helpful to you. Brethren, mutual trust, understanding and confidentiality are the essential requirement of this relationship between two equals.

Brethren, I have consecrated three new lodges in the last year and you could be forgiven for wondering why, when some existing lodges are struggling for numbers. Let me assure you that permission to form a new lodge is not given lightly and any proposed new lodge must offer something new – something not previously available in this Province.

It was good to see so many of you on the floor of Provincial Grand Lodge this afternoon to receive your honours and I hope you will not only wear your new ranks with pride, but make Province proud of you, through continually working to promote harmony in your lodges.

Brethren, it is 25 years almost to the day since I was appointed Provincial Senior Grand Warden on the 17th May 1997 here in this very Hall, after which I became involved in a number of projects, including a very comprehensive assessment of the Provincial Office, which was the precursor to the Provincial administration and management systems becoming ‘virtual’ and allowing us to dispense with all property costs. In 2003 I was appointed Assistant Provincial Grand Master, made Deputy Provincial Grand Master a year later and, as Provincial Grand Master since 2013, I have now been a member of the Provincial Executive for some 19 years. After 25 years travelling the length and breadth of Yorkshire North and East Ridings, during which time I have visited almost every Lodge and Chapter, and many more than once, I feel the time has come for me to retire and Grand Lodge have accepted that I will do so with effect from the end of June this year. I am pleased to advise that the Grand Master has accepted my recommendation that VW Bro Dr David Chambers should be installed as my successor in both the Craft and Royal Arch and this will take place on Saturday 30th July when the MW The ProGM will officiate. I feel sure that VW Bro David will enjoy the same level of support you have given me over many years.

Brethren, as you may well imagine, I stand here with some sadness, realising that I will never again open and preside over Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter. However, I take with me a wealth of memories and a huge number of lasting friendships. It has been a great privilege to lead you through the good times and some of the more recent dark days. We have made that journey together and I regard you all as part of my extended family. Please do take care.

Address to Provincial Grand Chapter

We are meeting this morning in a much different setting to last September when the Nunthorpe Suite at the Racecourse served us well in an emergency.

It is good to see our Chapters so well represented today and to see the First Principals processed in at the beginning of proceedings. As First Principals they have a heavy responsibility in the year ahead, namely one of revitalising their Chapters after what can perhaps be best described as a period of hibernation for many.
I do hope that many of you have taken advantage of the free PSA Testing made available today courtesy of funding from our Provincial Charity, the Freemasons Charity Yorkshire North and East Ridings. We offered these tests a few years ago and, I am very pleased to say, they did save lives.

At this point I have great pleasure welcoming my predecessor as Provincial Grand Superintendent, Richard Anderson – Richard is not only my predecessor, he has also been a good friend over many years (applause).
All our Distinguished Guests were introduced on their entrance to Provincial Grand Chapter so, as is usuaI, I will not repeat the process. Three of the Grand Superintendents are already well known to you, in the persons of Ian Craigs from Northumberland, Bill Bewley from Cumberland & Westmoreland and Dave Wheeler from Lincolnshire, but we also have a very new Grand Superintendent present, namely James Newman from the West Riding. From Durham, we have Michael Shaw, the Deputy Grand Superintendent-in-Charge, as the Grand Superintendent Designate, John Thompson, will not be installed until next month. Could I ask you to give a rousing Yorkshire North and East welcome to all our Distinguished Guests (applause).

One of the highlights of the masonic year for me is going down to London in the last week of April to see the new Grand Officers from this Province invested. I have not been able to do so for two years as there were no investiture ceremonies owing to Covid, although new Grand Officers were still appointed. Last month Bill Glanville and Richard Smedley were invested with the rank of PGStB, while Nigel Weightman was promoted to PAGSoj. After a two year break, I was able to travel down to London to witness their investitures – surely a sign that we are finally returning to some form of normality. 

Could I ask those companions present who received preferment in Grand Rank to stand, and Companions l think we should recognise their achievement (applause).

One of the special days in our Provincial Royal Arch calendar has traditionally been the November day out in London to visit Supreme Grand Chapter and although we missed out through lock down in 2020, we did actually manage the trip in November 2021, although in reduced numbers. I would like to put on record my thanks to the 35 hardy Companions who attended, or did their very best to do so, despite the efforts of LNER to thwart them. I expect normal service will be resumed on Wednesday 9th November this year, so please companions get that date in your diaries.

I said earlier that First Principals will bear the heavy responsibility of revitalising their Chapters in the year ahead and that will be no easy task. Going to Lodge or Chapter is a habit, a habit that some brethren and Companions will have got out of. It is perhaps easier to rebuild interest in Lodges meeting every month, as opposed to Chapters where there can be long gaps between meetings. So, Companions, make every meeting count and if you need any extra meetings then just ask Province and we will accommodate you. I do appreciate that Exaltation ceremonies are the lifeblood of our Chapters and this afternoon, with Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts at the Provincial Craft Meeting for the first time, there will be a presentation by a relatively young Companion, Simon Rehill, entitled ‘Why the Royal Arch?’ It is important that we generate interest and curiosity in Craft masons as early in their masonic careers as possible.

Companions, with the age profile in the Royal Arch being significantly higher than that of the Craft, some elderly brethren, perhaps with underlying health conditions, may still seem somewhat reluctant to return. Of course, no pressure should be put on them to do so, but if they are kept fully informed about what is happening in their Chapter and left in no doubt that you miss them, they may be won over in the months ahead.

Whilst we have sadly lost Companions in the last two years, the growing pattern of initiations in the Craft leads me to believe that those losses can be made up if we work at it. I am working at it Companions, for example by arranging the Royal Arch presentation in the Craft Provincial Meeting this afternoon, but the Royal Arch Representatives also need to work at it and, each and every one of you need to work at it, by promoting the concept of Royal Arch Masonry in your Craft Lodges. 

I know that sometimes the Chapter ritual can appear quite daunting to newer members and even those of quite long standing. However, could I remind you, use of the ‘Setting the Scenes’ readings explains a great deal and these do not need to be learned but can be read by newer members, as can the Bible Readings, to ensure more Companions are involved. If Companions are asked to do something, however small, they will surely feel more engaged and be more likely to attend the meeting.

Companions, I said that you need to make every meeting count, and to do so, every meeting that does not have a candidate for exaltation must have some stimulating content if we are to encourage companions to return and also engage with those that have already done so. There is plenty of help available to you at Provincial level, so please talk to Trevor Collinson, who leads our Membership Provincial Management Group.

I mentioned something at our meeting last September which I think is very important and therefore worthy of repeat. A new Address to the Master Mason has been written and we are recommending that it is not read to him immediately after Raising when he is overwhelmed by everything that has happened to him during the evening. How much can a man actually take in? We would strongly recommend it to be read to the new Master Mason at the meeting immediately following his Raising when, as part of the Order of Business, he can be brought onto the floor of the lodge, be the centre of attention, and be hopefully more receptive.

If you feel your Chapter is in real difficulty and needs help urgently, don’t just decide to hand in your Warrant. Please talk it over with your Provincial Liaison Officer, for every Lodge and Chapter has one and you will find that Province is only too ready to step in and help in any way it can. Talk to us and discuss what options are available – for example, a Chapter with perilously low numbers finding it difficult to continue may find amalgamation with another local Chapter a more attractive way forward, rather than merely admitting defeat and handing in the Warrant.

As always, it has given me great pleasure to not just appoint and promote Companions today, but to actually meet them one-to-one on the floor of Provincial Grand Chapter. Whilst it is a long time since I received my first Provincial honour, I can still remember what a special moment it was for me personally and I hope some of you have shared that feeling this morning.

Companions, I have so much enjoyed being your Grand Superintendent over the years as it has provided me with the opportunity to meet many of you. The last two years with restricted opportunity to visit have, therefore, been particularly difficult, for we are Companions and our Chapters are where we go for true companionship.
Companions, thank you for the support you have given me over so many years and may the True and Living God Most High go with you all.