GRAND LODGE
of
ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF IRELAND

ST. JOHN'S DAY COMMUNICATION - 27th December 2001
at
FREEMASONS' HALL, DUBLIN

Present:­

There were also present:- R.W. Brother R. Eric Fenelon, Past Deputy Grand Master; the Provincial Grand Masters of Antrim, North Connaught, Down, Meath, Midland Counties, North Munster, South Eastern, Tyrone & Fermanagh and Wicklow & Wexford; the Provincial Deputy Grand Masters of Antrim, Armagh, North Connaught, South Connaught, Down, Londonderry & Donegal, Meath, Midland Counties, North Munster, Tyrone & Fermanagh and Wicklow & Wexford; R.W. Brother Daniel B. Fincher, Past Senior Grand Warden; R.W. Brothers Rev. Charles McCurdy, Rev. Canon Richard H. Bertram and the Rev. W. Warren Porter, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; V.W. Brothers Albert Topping, Terence O. Read, William J. McElwaine, Leslie V. Johnston, John McLean, John N. Millar, John R. Hadden, John S. Dunlop and Charles R. Knipe, Past Grand Deacons; V.W. Brother Ralph B. McGuckin, Past Grand Superintendent of Works; V.W. Brothers David McKee and Alan G. Megarry, Past Grand Directors of Ceremonies; V.W. Brothers Arthur W. White, Stanley Mcllroy, Trevor Monteith, J. Ardle Agnew, Samuel H. Boyle, William J. Johnston and Richard J. Reid, Past Grand Stewards of Charities; V.W. Brothers Bernard V.A. Woods and David A.R. Lovesy, Past Grand Almoners; V.W. Brothers Norman Jackson, S. Gordon Leathern and Samuel A. Mackenzie, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; and R.W. Brother Henry M. Robinson, Past Grand Representative.

SISTER CONSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED

The following Grand Lodges were represented:‑ Scotland, Canada in Ontario; Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Western Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Croatia, France, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Cuscatlan of El Salvador, Argentina, Grand Orient of Brazil, Ecuador, Sao Paulo, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, Mali, South Africa, China, Japan, the Philippines and the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Massachusetts and Ohio.

APOLOGIES FOR NON‑ATTENDANCE

Apologies for non-attendance were received from M.W. Brother Lord Donegall, Past Grand Master; R.W. Brother Rt. Rev. Samuel G. Poyntz, Past Senior Grand Chaplain; the R.W. Grand Treasurer; the R.W. Grand Registrar; the V.W. Grand Inner Guard; the Provincial Grand Masters of Armagh and South Connaught; R.W. Brothers Rev. Canon Kenneth W. Cochrane and Rev. Walter Herron, Past Junior Grand Chaplains; R.W. Brothers Robert J. Thompson, John Greer and Noel Bownes, Past Provincial Grand Masters; V.W. Brother Arnold J. Cooke, Honorary Past Grand Deacon; V.W. Brother Herbert A. Walsh, Past Grand Steward of Charities; V.W. Brother Cecil G. Oakes, Past Grand Almoner; V.W. Brothers Thomas A.D. Martin and Robert Bashford, Past Grand Master's Standard Bearers; the Representatives of the Grand Lodges of Victoria, Portugal, Arkansas, Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio and Guinea; and R.W. Brothers Douglas Wakefield and Harold Ross, Past Grand Representatives.

WELCOME BY THE GRAND MASTER

 The Grand Master welcomed the Brethren saying how pleased he was to see so many present; and, in particular, he welcomed W. Brother Peter Shortland, Past Provincial Grand Registrar of Surrey (EC), brother of the Provincial Deputy Grand Master of South Connaught, R.W. Brother William W.T. Shortland, who was saluted.

 OBITUARY The Grand Master then referred to the recent death of R.W. Brother Valentine R. McCormack, Past Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, whose memory was saluted in accordance with ancient custom.

INSTALLATION OF GRAND OFFICERS FOR 2002

The Grand Master, M.W. Brother Eric N. Waller, was proclaimed and saluted.

The Deputy Master, R. W. Brother George Dunlop, was proclaimed and saluted.

The Assistant Grand Master, R.W. Brother William Mawhinney, was proclaimed and saluted.

The Grand Master then announced his appointment of Provincial Grand Masters and Grand Inspectors Overseas as follows:

Munster                                    Alan J. Campbell

Antrim                                      Adam J. McKinley

North Munster                         Geoffrey G. Ashton

Londonderry & Donegal        Robert G. Quigley

Down                                       John F. Kerr

Armagh                                    George Miskimmins

North Connaught                     George F. Ginnelly

South Connaught                    Hugh Milling

Meath                                       John F. Wood

Midland Counties                    J. Kenneth Dunne

South Eastern                         R. Arthur Keppel

Tyrone & Fermanagh              W. James Dukelow

Wicklow & Wexford                Harvey F.J. Heavener

New Zealand                           Roland J. Whyte

South Africa, Northern            George W.G. Moir

Southern Cape                        Wyndham G. Morgans

Zimbabwe                                Peter A. Birkett

Natal                                         Petrus J. Marx

Ireland in India                         Lahu C. Chogle

Nigeria                                      Alabo T.O. Graham‑Douglas

Ghana                                       Nana Herman A. Mould

Zambia                                      Hiralal J. Bodalia

Bermuda                                   Ralph D. Seligman

The Far East                             Chamson Chan

Jamaica                                     James S. Moss‑Solomon

Chairman of the Metropolitan Board                     Selwyn Davies

Grand Inspectors

South East Asia                        Koh Thian Swee

Sri Lanka                                   Isaac N.S. Samson

Malta                                          Joseph Cordina

Sierra Leone                             Kenneth A.B. Fergusson

Gibraltar                                     Joseph Chiara

The Grand Master announced that he would instal R.W. Brother Alan J. Campbell as Provincial Grand Master of Munster when Grand Lodge met in Cork on Saturday March 2"a° 2002. He also indicated his intention to instal R.W. Brother Ralph D. Seligman as Provincial Grand Master of Bermuda on the same date.

INVESTITURE OF SENIOR GRAND WARDEN The Grand Director of Ceremonies formed a procession and presented R.W. Brother R. Stanley Johnston to the Grand Master for investiture and installation as Senior Grand Warden. R.W. Brother Johnston was conducted to his seat and was saluted.

INVESTITURE OF JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN

In like manner the Grand Master invested and installed R.W. Brother James Kirk, Past Provincial Grand Master of Down, as Junior Grand Warden. R. W. Brother Kirk was conducted to his seat and was saluted.

INVESTITURE OF GRAND OFFICERS The following Brethren were then invested, or proclaimed, and saluted as the Grand Officers for 2002:

ANNUAL RETURNS

The Grand Secretary submitted the returns of Officers of subordinate Lodges for approval, confirming that only one Annual Return was outstanding and that the remainder had been checked and found to be correct. Grand Lodge approved the returns of Officers and empowered the Grand Secretary to issue Leave to Instal to the outstanding Lodge provided the Annual Return was submitted, found to be correct, and that all dues and fees had been paid by the end of January 2002.

WARRANTS RETURNED

The Grand Secretary reported, for noting by Grand Lodge, the decision of the Brethren of Lodges Nos. 351, Monaghan; 412, Dublin; 526, Belfast; and 797, Belfast, to return the warrants to Grand Lodge.

GRAND MASTER'S ANNUAL REPORT

The Grand Master then presented his annual report on the progress of Irish Freemasonry during 2001. The Grand Master's address will be printed in the Annual Report of Grand Lodge for the year 2001; and a copy is attached to these Minutes.

CONFERRAL OF HONORARY GRAND RANK

The Grand Master, with the concurrence of Grand Lodge, conferred the following Honorary Ranks:­

Past Grand Director of Ceremonies

V.W. Bro. Andé Paul Kruger - Past Master of Lodge No. 368, Cape Town.

Past Grand Steward

V.W. Bro. Samuel Scott - Past Master of Lodge No. 725, Holywood.

V. W. Bro. Bomi R. Umrigar - Past Master of Lodge No. 319, Bombay.

V.W. Bro. Parthasarathy Sampathkumar - Past Master of Lodge No. 648, Bombay.

V. W. Bro. Sam H. Dotiwalla - Past Master of Lodge No. 319, Bombay.

Past Grand Sword Bearer

V. W. Bro. George F. Van Tonder - Past Master of Lodge No. 610, Cape Town.

V.W. Brother Scott being in attendance, the Grand Director of Ceremonies formed a procession and presented him to the Grand Master for presentation with his Certificate of Honorary Grand Rank. The Grand Master thanked V.W. Brother Scott for his many years of service in acting as Assistant Grand Steward at Installation Ceremonies etc. saying how pleased he was to be able to recognize this contribution in this way.

CHARITY COLLECTION

The Grand Master announced that the Charity Collection which amounted to £830 would be donated to the Samaritans.

GRAND MASTER'S 2000 APPEAL

The Grand Master asked that all Brethren make every effort to ensure that monies held at Lodge level on behalf of the Grand Master's 2000 Appeal be sent in as soon as possible so that this Appeal could be finalized and the monies disbursed to the beneficiaries.

GRAND LODGE CLOSED

Grand Lodge closed following which some 125 Brethren lunched in Freemasons' Hall where the Deputy Grand Master proposed a toast to the health of the Grand Master.

E-mail Grand Lodge at office @ freemason.ie

E-mail the Webmaster :- richard.gray @ kenbane.freeserve.co.uk                  

Copyright - Grand Lodge of Ireland 2002