Category: News Archive

New Intendant General Announced

Worthy Knights

Important Changes within the West Midland Division

Old Swinford RC Installation

Last night 6^th April 2017 at Oldswinford Chapter Rose Croix, the Provincial Prior of the Province of Worcestershire in The Masonic and Military Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, R Em Kt Stephen Wyer, was enthroned as Most Wise Sovereign by the Rt Ill Bro Colin Young, Intendant General of the West Midlands Division of the Masonic and Military order of the Red Cross of Constantine and the Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and of St John the Evangelist, in the presence of the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Rose Croix District of Worcestershire V Ill Bro Richard N Hoare 33⁰

The Rulers of the three principal Christian Orders in Worcestershire, working harmoniously together as usual!

Donation Courtesy of Grand Sovereign’s Fund

Birchen Coppice Appeal

The Worcestershire Masonic Orders meeting at Kidderminster collected £4350 with the generous help of Red Cross of Constantine, Grand Sovereign’s Care for Children Fund.

W Bro Martin Lawrence, Chairman Kidderminster Masonic Temple Association coordinated the appeal to meet the cost of running a six week holiday camp for children from Birchen Coppice School. Based on the Birchen Coppice Estate which is council home estate and has many problems. The estate has double the national average of poverty and deprivation, is ridden with anti-social behaviour, has alcohol and drug dependency problems. Many of the parents of the children who attend the school are illiterate. During school holidays many of the children are left to their own devices lose on the estate without food for the day.

Mrs Charlotte Jeynes the School Events & Fund raising organiser is passionate about the welfare of these children and is to organise a summer school so they can have a place to attend.

The School motto is “Reach for the Stars”and the holiday club is to be called “COSMOS”.

The purpose of this event and it is hoped to run such events for all school holidays is to maintain the social and emotional development of the children who are between 4 and 12 years of age, along with maintaining welfare for them and provide a cooked meal for up to 50 children per day. Many of the children receive little or no education from their parents and after a six week period off school the continuity of education has been lost and the teaching staff have to start back  from step one to get the child on the path of further education, this holiday camp will give the child access to continued education. Parents will also be able to attend to receive basic reading and writing skills  and introduction to computer skills  so they can have an understanding of what their children are aiming to achieve.

The Rising Stars Holiday Club will be open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and in addition to maintaining their education, they will also be involved in activities to help build their esteem. They will maintain their own allotment and then sell the produce teaching them planning and business skills and be taken away from the estate on a trip to the seaside, as many of the children have never left the Estate not even into Kidderminster town centre.

Pictured left to right: R W Bro Robert Vaughan Prov Grand Master. Mrs Kay Butler Headmistress, W B Martin Lawrence Chairman KMTA, Mrs Charlotte Jeynes School Events and Fund Organiser, W B Colin Young PAsstPGM and Intendent General of the Red Cross of Constantine.

Service at Lincoln Cathedral

A contingent of Knights from our West Midlands Division

Our Intendant General sharing a glass of bubbly with the Intendant General of the East Midlands

Beyond the Craft Shrewsbury 3rd June 2015

On Monday June the 3^rd, the Intendant – General, R Ill Kt Colin Young, assisted by the Deputy Intendant – General, Ill Kt Ian Thorpe, were invited by the Craft Province of Shropshire to participate in an exhibition of the additional degrees, entitled “ Beyond the Craft” at the Masonic Hall, Shrewsbury. The presentation was opened by the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Peter Taylor, and almost all of the inner Orders of Freemasonry were represented. A great deal of interest was expressed by the visitors in our Order, and the whole event assisted in raising the level of awareness among Shropshire masons about the Christian Orders. Our Intendant – General declared the event very worthwhile.

The Guard at Morning Star Conclave

The Guard on duty at Morning Star Conclave at Kings Heath

Consecration of Richard Wallis Conclave No 520 at Rugby

The Consecration of the Richard Wallis Conclave No 520 took place a Rugby on Tuesday January 14th 2014.

The Grand Sovereign Richard Wallis Officiated assisted by the Right Illustrious and Venerable Kt Reverend Charles Peter Blackwell Smyth, Grand Eusabius and in the presence of The Deputy Grand Sovereign R. Ill & Em Kt Peter Hawken GCC,  R. Ill Kt Michael Herbert GCC and R. Ill Kt John Manby the East Midlands Intendent-General.

The Installing Officers were R. Ill Kt Colin Verdun Young The West Midlands Intendent-General who installed the Sovereign, V. Ill. Kt Michael Adams and Ill Kt Charles Gwynn the Deputy Intendent-General who installed the Viceroy P. Kt Thomas Gray.

The Conclave will meet at Atherstone in Warwickshire and has a special significance for the Grand Sovereign as his ancestors lived in the area some 500 years ago. Now the Wallis name has again returned to the area.

Some 80 Worthy Knights attended the ceremony with 65 staying to dine.

After the ceremony and before sitting down to dine the Grand Sovereign indulged in Sabre D’Or opening the Champagne, provided by the Conclave Sovereign, with a sword to great acclaim.

Red Cross Gala at Kings Heath

Red Cross of Constantine Gala Dinner

The Gala Dinner in aid of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, held at Kings Heath on 30th September was a tremendous success. 92 Knights of the Order, a number of Brethren, plus a sprinkling of non-masons were welcomed with a glass of Buck’s Fizz, then sat down to an excellent meal, at a splendid table laden with mess silver provided by Richard Gale.  

During the meal the Intendant-General, R. Ill. Knight Colin Young, in an ebullient mood, took wine with members of the armed services, past and present. Spontaneous singing broke out in true barrack room style, which caused much hilarity and which set the mood for the occasion.

The highlight came when the Guest speaker, Colonel Kevin Beaton OBE, the Officer in Charge of the medical facility rose to speak. He began by remarking how much he had enjoyed sitting next to the Deputy Intendant-General, our very own Colonel Dr Charles Gwynn, who was of course, himself highly experienced in battlefield medicine, and listening to his reminiscences of his adventures where he and Kevin had both looked after the health of the “ladies” in the same brothel in Belize City, at different times during our postings there!

His presentation then turned to the work of the Centre, which had, for some years, been centred at Selly Oak, and which had just transferred to the newly built facility at the Queen Elizabeth hospital which was now the largest intensive care facility in the whole of Europe. He spoke movingly and with considerable eloquence about the tremendous courage shown by the wounded, many of whom had lost two or three limbs and suffered other terrible injuries, and the dedication and resolve of those who ministered to them.

When he had concluded those present rose in acclamation, emotionally to express their admiration for all that he represented.

The Intendant-General proposed a vote of thanks. His well chosen words perfectly captured the mood of the evening. The raffle was then drawn, and a magnificent gallon bottle of whisky was won by the Divisional Junior General, Steven Turner, who, after consulting his conscience, presented it to Colonel Beaton.

Worthy Knight Ian Fothergill then proceeded to auction a very special bottle of Irish whiskey which had been donated by Lodge Glittering Star, which is, of course, a military travelling Lodge and which had expressed the wish to be associated with the event. It raised the incredible sum of £714, which enabled the Intendant-General to present a cheque for £2,500 to Colonel Beaton, to augment the sum of over £5,000 which we had donated previously.

In concluding the evening, the Intendant-General promised the continuing support if the West Midlands Division to this most valuable cause, and the assembled company dispersed, expressing the view that they had found the event both thoroughly enjoyable and humbling.

New News Item

St Dunstan Conclave No 519 to be consecrated at Kidderminster on Wednesday November 20th at 11.00am