CURRENT TOAST LIST

Toast List - Updated November 2023

On Thursday the 9th April 10 members of the Province travelled by mini bus and ferry from Harwich the Hook of Holland, a further 45 minutes on the mini bus took them to the masonic centre in Bilthoven in the Netherlands.

The meeting itself was an Official visit by the Provincial Grand Summus, with the pomp of Sword and banner etc. The Provincial Grand Summus said he wanted to repay the Dutch members for their continued support for the Consistory and the Province as a whole and thought an Official Visit would in a small way enhance the occasion.

The meeting itself consisted of a 1st Grade for 5 new candidates and the 3rd grade for 4 other members. So what was so special about the occasion?

Well, The Provincial Grand Summus had hoped to share this news a few months ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the announcement had to be delayed. He is now delighted to report that in the first time in the history of the Province it has surpassed 100 members and currently stands at an impressive 103 and a membership of 140

Encouragingly, it is anticipated that a further five or six candidates may follow in the Consistory this time next year, as well as candidates for several other Consistories over the next few months, which speaks volumes for the strength and future of the Province.

The Provincial Grand Summus says he expects the number of members to rise to around 110 by the end of the Masonic year with a total membership of around 150!

He thanks you all for your continued hard work and unwavering support. The Province continues to go from strength to strength.

AGM 2026

On Friday the 19th June 75 members and guests arrived at Braintree masonic hall for the AGM, having been refreshed with bacon rolls prior to the meeting every one was ready for an 11am start.

During the meeting I had the pleasure of introducing and welcoming guest from other Provinces as well as the Heads of 11 other Orders.

The work being concluded we all retired to a glass or two of bubbly before lunch.

For those of you unable to attend I have included my address for your information.

Next event is the 18th December at Saxon hall for the annaul Christmas meeting hosted by Charlemagne Consistory, please put this in your diaries!

As you will read in my address our Tzaddikim numbers have now increased to 9 members and by the end of the meeting 3 others have also shown an interest, the good news just keeps coming

ADDRESS

Companions all,

Thank you all for being here today.

I would like to begin by extending my sincere gratitude to everyone in attendance, particularly those who have travelled considerable distances to join us. Your commitment and presence means a great deal and truly reflects the strength of our fellowship.

To the outgoing Provincial Officers, I would like to offer my sincere thanks for your support over the past twelve months. I hope you have enjoyed your year in office. Thank you.

So an update on where the Province stands, 6 of our 7 consistories are now aligned with and meet on the same day as an OSM conclave, the one that isn’t, is a morning breakfast consistory and therefore unable to. I thank the Provincial Grand Supreme Ruler and those of you who were involved in the necessary negotiations to make this happen. What is particularly pleasing is the instant positive effect this has made to those last few consistories and I hope the OSM conclaves.

This now means I am able to tell you that my previous forecast of a membership of 140, has been far exceeded . I can also report that our member numbers have also risen considerably and we currently stand at 108, of that number, 21 have joined since this time last year and I am aware of at least a further 8 candidates and 2 joiners in the pipeline, so again thank you so much for your efforts and support. I am also aware a number of our newest members are here with us today, so thank you for your attendance

So where does this leave us in relation to the Provincial OSM member numbers. As it currently stands around 63% of all OSM members (Both UK and the Netherlands combined) are also members of this order, as I’m not sure how that compares to other Provinces I have used as my bench mark the member numbers of our Mark and Royal Ark Mariners because as we know the majority hold their meetings on the same day. Unless the PGM tells me differently I believe the percentage is around 69.5% of Mark members are also members of the Royal Ark Mariners. So whilst are numbers are increasing we still have a little way to go, were we to attract just another 10 or so members in addition to the 8 i am aware of we will have reached that 70% target. What a wonderful achievement that would be for us all and the Order in general, let’s see what we can achieve

Moving on

At the recent Grand Senatus meeting, distinguished companions David Grey and Dist. Comp. Barry Hurst received promotion to Grand Rank and on the previous day companions Luk Captijn and David Bridge received their 4th grades, while Dist. Comp. Colin Nash and Gordon Maclean received their 5th grades. Please join me in congratulating them all on these well-deserved achievements.

And the good news continues. I am also pleased to report that membership of our Provincial Tzaddikim has increased once again this year, with several new companions joining our ranks making a new total of 9 members . New members are always welcome so if you wish to join them please contact Em comp Mike Jervis

Companions,

We held what I believe was a very successful Christmas meeting last year at Southend under the banner of Charlemagne Consistory, and it is my intention to repeat that success this year.

While I cannot reveal all my plans just yet, I do have a few ideas that I hope will make this year's meeting even more enjoyable. I encourage everyone in the Province to attend and support what promises to be a memorable occasion. So please put the 18th December in your diaries.

I would also like to conduct the Preparation Ceremony at that meeting, subject to the permission of the consistory members. So if you have just been appointed to an office that is involved in the ceremony, I encourage you to take the opportunity to learn your part and become familiar with the ritual.

So in closing I think this year has been one of celebration

We celebrate with those who have been appointed and promoted

We celebrate the presence of the heads of 11 other orders joining us

We celebrate exceeding the target set of 140 membership

We celebrate reaching over 100 members

We celebrate 21 new members since this time last year

We celebrate an increase in tzaddikim members

And we celebrate your attendance here today again our highest number

So thank you all once again

Finally, I remind you of our Facebook page, it would be wonderful to see more of you participating and sharing news of our activities. So if you use Facebook please join us. Please also keep an eye on our presence on the Provincial OSM website.

In closing, I would like to thank the administration team, the ceremonial team, and the many helpers who have contributed to today's meeting. I also thank each of you for your continued dedication, your time, and your presence here today. Thank you all

bottom of page