Announcement from Bedfordshire’s Provincial Grand Master

It has now been almost three months since my Installation as your Provincial Grand Master and Grand Superintendent. Those three months have been some of the busiest of my life, primarily taken up with listening, learning, discussing and planning. I am now ready to tell you of the first fruits of some of those processes.

Since the Installation of Jonathan Spence as our new Pro Grand Master and Pro First Grand Principal, freemasonry in England and Wales has been moving apace. Under the direction of the Grand Master and First Grand Principal, the Duke of Kent, Jonathan Spence has been implementing great improvements, concerning both the administration of our headquarters and the structure of our fraternity itself.

No longer will there be the divide between the Craft and Royal Arch as had often been the case in recent decades. There is to be a return to a more traditional stance of the Craft and Royal Arch being as one.

We have a new and better mantra;

One Journey, One Organisation.

The one journey is from Initiation to Exaltation, the one organisation is pure Antient Masonry. This is as it is stated in our Preliminary Declaration in the Book of Constitutions.

Over the coming months and years, we will see our wonderful fraternity bonding closer than ever before so that, in due time, it will be considered as natural to complete the one journey, from Initiation to Exaltation, as it is now considered natural to progress to the third degree after the second.

As from January 2025, it is the plan that candidates for Freemasonry will pay one joining fee, which will cover that one journey, from Initiation to Exaltation. Candidates will be informed of the four stages of their progress, and it is up to us all, especially the Mentors, to support them in that wonderful journey of discovery.

My predecessor, Tony Henderson, started off this process by combining many of the Provincial Offices, and encouraging every brother to complete their one journey in pure Antient Masonry before exploring the wonderful and exciting world of other Orders which lie beyond. I wholeheartedly agree with this approach, as do all my fellow Heads of Order, with whom I work closely and enjoy very friendly relations.

On a local level, both Craft and Royal Arch Executives now meet as one Executive Committee, working together as one organisation. We now have a joint Provincial Secretariat, Almoner, Charity Steward, and Membership, Mentor and Communications Teams. The integration is working splendidly.

Official Visiting Protocol

My Provincial Grand Directors of Ceremonies are formulating an improved protocol for official visiting, one that will be interchangeable across pure Antient Masonry, and one that is similar to Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter. I very much hope that all acting Provincial Grand Officers will want to involve themselves in a number of official visits during their term of office, and that we will enjoy several Provincial Team Visits each year. I am asking Lodges and Chapters to apply to the Province for a Team Visit, if they feel they have a significant event which warrants one.

Changes

I now want to announce some significant changes in the Craft Executive. Whilst these changes will happen at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge in October, I am announcing them now so that the brethren concerned can prepare for the changes and the work that lies ahead of them.

We will be saying a sad farewell to Hugh Love as Assistant Provincial Grand Master, after an exemplary term in office. Hugh is far too valuable and far too wise to lose, and so he will be involved in other important positions, of which I will inform you further on.

I have appointed Steve Attwood to be his successor. Steve has proved himself as a first class Provincial Grand Treasurer and as an invaluable member of the Executive Team. His wide experience in business management, along with his keen, analytical mind, will be hugely beneficial over the coming years.

Shortly after my Investiture, I approached the Grand Lodge, seeking permission to appoint a second Assistant Provincial Grand Master for Bedfordshire. I proposed that the brother appointed to this new role would take charge and oversee the considerable amount of work generated by implementing the Strategy for Freemasonry, the Membership Challenge (attracting new members into all parts of pure Ancient Masonry), the Members’ Pathway and Archway (those wonderful tools for lodges and chapters to improve what they do) and electronic communications, particularly the website, databases, social media and information campaigns. I am delighted to announce that the Grand Master acceded to my petition, adding the caveat that the position is not to be considered a permanent one, and would be regularly reviewed.

I was thrilled by this positive response and can now tell you that Dean O’Connell, the Provincial Junior Grand Warden and Past Provincial Grand Communications Officer has accepted the appointment to be our second Assistant Provincial Grand Master. Dean is a well known brother and companion, here and in London. He is very popular and has exactly the type of brain that we need in this new position. Whilst he will be Invested at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge in October, he will start to form a team immediately, to assist him in his many tasks.

Provincial Grand Treasurer

It is not in my gift to appoint a Provincial Grand Treasurer as this is an elected position. A single nomination has been received to replace Steve Attwood in October, and one which I fully endorse, that of Dave Samuel. Dave is a successful entrepreneur, has an intimate knowledge of finance and electronic systems and, for those of you who may not yet know him, he is a very keen freemason and a lovely man. I hope he will also receive your support.

The Disciplinary and Advisory Panel

I have instituted a new panel entitled ‘The Disciplinary and Advisory Panel’. The task of this panel is to investigate and advise me on any matters of dispute, rule implementation, or masonic discipline which may come to light. This will be the first time that the Province has formalised these processes. The core of the Panel will be Clive Walsh, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Bob Curson, Deputy Grand Superintendent and Hugh Love, Assistant Provincial Grand Master. The Provincial Grand Registrar, Neil Jarvis, will be the legal advisor, and the Provincial Grand Secretary and Provincial Grand Scribe E, Tony Green will be the secretary. They will co-opt other members when required, and will report to me, alone.

The Alpha Group

I inherited a group of representative masons, who had been invited to form a think tank named ‘The Alpha Group’. This group will continue to be chaired by Hugh Love. I have already given them a variety of subjects on which I wanted their thoughts and, in return, have received useful feedback.

We Need You

With the huge expansion of roles which now need filling, I will soon be appealing to you all to use your skills to get involved at a Provincial level. These roles will be open from our newest Entered Apprentice to our most senior Grand Officer. The skills being sought will be hugely diverse. There should be something for everyone who is interested in helping others and getting involved at Provincial level. I hope that all these activities will also be hugely satisfying …. and good fun! Watch out for this appeal!

Last Words

At my Installation, I announced my manifesto for my tenure in office. It was simple;

To Unite in the Grand Design of Being Happy, and Communicating Happiness.

The pursuit of this manifesto has been, and will be, the basis of everything I do.

We are lucky and privileged to be freemasons and deserve to be proud of our membership of the largest and most wonderful fraternity the world has ever seen.

As we move into this new and exciting era in our history, it is important for us to hold fast to that which makes us different from every other organisation. Our ritual; the deep affection we have for each other; the happiness, peace and fun we derive from our membership, and our deep faith in The Great Architect of the Universe.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, for the hugely touching support, respect and affection you have shown to me, and for all you do for each other, for your lodges, for your chapters, and for our happy Province of Bedfordshire.

We have a most wonderful and exciting future, let’s enjoy it!

Yours sincerely and fraternally,

Nick

Nicholas Keith Edwards
Provincial Grand Master & Grand Superintendent