8 THE YORKSHIRE MASON SUMMER 2024
Provincial Grand Lodge 2024
The annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge and launch of Festival '29
was held at York Racecourse on 11 May 2024. In a memorable event the
Provincial Grand Master addressed the Convocation.
"Ladies, Distinguished Guests and Brethren
It is obvious that different audiences demand a
different message and let’s face it you can’t get a
less traditional audience than we have today for
our Provincial meeting. This is a meeting when we
can come together to celebrate and recognise the
achievement and contribution of so many, over 120
in fact, and to highlight one or two things for the
future.
When I took over this role in 2022, I said that
change would be the order of the day and change
there has been and further change there will be.
I am sure you will all be familiar with the analogy
between organisations, especially those which
have a long history like Freemasonry, and super
tankers where, when you want to change direction,
you have to signal your intention well in advance.
So, things are changing, quicker than they were
but still not at warp speed, a phrase that Star
Trecker’s will be familiar with. But, as a Province, we
will continue to champion change to ensure that
we enjoy our Freemasonry, and that our families
are an integral part of that enjoyment.
United Grand Lodge is pursuing a change of
direction and pace at a rate not seen before and
this Province is certainly up with the curve and in
instances ahead of it. What I won’t do today, given
our audience, is to spell out all those changes,
some of which are merely internal administrative
matters, but I will pick out some which I hope are
of relevance to all here today.
The most obvious is to make it truly clear that we
are a Masonic family. Masons, whether men or
women, and there will be some of our visitors who
are members of the Order of Women’s
Freemasonry or Freemasonry for Women,
inevitably go off to their meetings alone, the
important thing we must remember, is that
behind us all are those that support our
membership, a fact which is very evident today.
One of the emphases which has emerged over the
years is that Freemasonry must be fun. If it isn’t
why would any of us want to do it.