The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland
William Ramsay McGhee, MStJ, D.L., Grand Master Mason
Brethren,
A Good New Year to you all. May 2023 bring you health and happiness.
Yesterday in Grand Lodge I had several very useful and productive meetings. First was a meeting with Assistant Grand Secretary and Brother Lenny Pedersen to confirm the “Team Lists” for the forthcoming Installations and Rededications. The lists will be forwarded to Grand Lodge Office-bearers and to the respective Lodges and Provinces next week.
That was followed by a Zoom meeting with the Brethren in Sri Lanka where I will be Consecrating a new Superintendency and installing their first Grand Superintendent, Brother Dharmin Perera, next month.
Thirdly, another in-house meeting to get updates on the progress being made in respect of the District Grand Lodge Installations in February and March which was followed by a visit to the chemist to ensure that all inoculations etc., are up to date.
This weekend I am travelling to Denmark to participate in the New Year Festival of the Order of Danish Freemasons. This not only cements our relationship with Denmark, it is also an ideal opportunity to meet up, at the beginning of the year, with all the European Grand Masters.
SCFS
- This week saw Group membership rise to 7018 Brethren from not only the Scottish Constitution but from many of our Sister Constitutions throughout the world.
- The total examples of charitable giving recorded within the group rose to 1512, submitted by 441 of its members.
- These updated contributions can now be attributed as to being made on behalf of 424 Lodges, from within 58 of its Provincial Grand Lodges, District Grand Lodges, Superintendencies and Lodges abroad under the direct supervision of Grand Lodge.
- This week posts were submitted by group members representing the Provinces of Glasgow and Perthshire West.
- The total identifiable monetary value of the contributions now recorded has risen to £2,929,861.
SCFS Overseas Report
We were delighted to publish the following posts this week, celebrating our first examples of Masonic support of 2023.
- Brother George Rogers, PDGM, Western Australia, advised of a very generous donation of over £17,000 by the Scottish Masonic Charitable Foundation of WA, the District Grand Lodge, and the Daughter Lodges in the District of Western Australia, to the Surf Life Saving WA.
- Brother Craig Jessop, DDGM, Eastern Province of the Cape of Good Hope, shared news of the continued support by the District of the Old Folks’ Home in Buffelsfontein, getting the year off to a wonderful start by delivering 300 helpings of food to the residents.
- The Overseas membership continues to increase. This week, particular mention must be made to Lodge Scotia, No. 1003, Middle East (Malaysia), from which the final new member of 2022 came, bringing our Overseas membership for the year to a very successful conclusion.
Additional members were also approved from Lodges whose Grand Lodges are in amity with the GLoS, such as from UGLE (England, Trinidad, and Tobago), GL of Western Australia, GL of the Philippines, and the GL of Louisiana.
Next week in Grand Lodge we have a special meeting of the Administration Committee to discuss the necessary changes to the Constitution and Laws which will be required in respect of the proposed changes to the governance proposals.
That will be followed on Thursday with the annual meeting of the Heads of Orders.
I will finish the week off with a visit to Lodge St Nicholas No 93 on Saturday and the Divine Service of the Lodges based in Inverness on Sunday.
Finally, as always, please stay safe and look after each other.
Ramsay McGhee
Grand Master Mason