Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire & Isle of Wight

1.         Our Freemasonry in the Community initiative has been developed with an Exhibition Unit for display at County Shows, Town Centres, and other locations.

2.         A number of changes have been made to the Provincial website to make it more appealing to members of the public. An entirely new web site is being developed with the primary focus being the public. 

3.         The Adelphi database has been completed and checked and I have arranged for an Assistant Provincial Grand Master to undergo training to ensure that the Province maximises use of the facility. 

4.         The name of our Provincial News Letter has been changed from “News and Views” to “Insight” with the strap line “A window into Freemasonry in Hampshire & Isle of Wight” and the emphasis of the publication has changed so that it will appeal to non Masons. A number of interesting articles (Freemasonry’s connection with the Armed Forces, Charitable Support for Help for Heroes and the Freemasonry in the Community initiative amongst others) were included. The new publication was distributed widely, posted to all brethren of the Province (using the Adelphi database), and is handed initiates on the night of their initiation. It has also been distributed to Libraries, Universities, hospices, and those hospitals making use of the TLC facility. Copies have also been made also be available on the Exhibition Unit, through Provincial Amity Groups, and Masonic halls particularly those where non-masonic functions are held. 

5.         An Assistant Provincial Grand Master has been made responsible for Recruitment, and a Recruitment Policy and Guidelines for Lodges have been finalised with a view to ensuring that Lodges across the Province are consistent in dealing with prospective candidates and those showing an interest in Freemasonry. 

6.         An Assistant Provincial Grand Master has been made responsible for Retrieval and the Province has embarked on a retrieval process with a personal letter from me enclosing the latest issue of News and Views incorporating details of a number of new initiatives within the Province and sent to all brethren (where appropriate after filtering) who have resigned from Lodges in the Province since 1 January 2009. Contact Officers have been appointed for each Group across the Province to follow up on these letters which are being sent out on a phased basis. 

7.         An Assistant Provincial Grand Master has been made responsible for Retention and I have separated this from the Provincial Mentor. A procedure has been put in place with a view to Contact Officers across the Province making contact with brethren who no longer attend Lodge with a view to our learning whether this is due to any shortcomings on the part of the Province and/or Lodge, whether there are lessons to be learned, and as part of the process whether the Brother can be enthused to return either to his Lodge or to some other Lodge if there is a problem with the Lodge of which he is a member. 

8.         I have launched our 2016 Festival Appeal for the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, appointed an Assistant Provincial Grand Master Appeals Director and put in place an Appeals Committee in each of the twelve groups in the Province. A booklet was prepared and sent to every Brother in the Province and the amount raised as at the date of this report is in excess of £2.25 million. 

9.         I have changed the requirement for Visiting Officers to Lodges in the Province to be Grand Officers and a number of Senior Provincial Officers have been appointed as Visiting Officers. 

10.       The responsibility of Visiting Officers has been reviewed and changed so that Visiting Officers are now encouraged to get more involved with the Lodges to which they are Visiting Officers and provide help and support where required. 

11.       I have appointed a Senior Grand Officer (PJGD) to form a committee to manage Open Days at Masonic Centres across the Province. 

12.       I have given more responsibility to Group Representatives and formalised their role across the Province such that each Group now has a Group Committee responsible for ensuring that the Province’s initiatives and policies are implemented consistently in the Groups. 

13.       I have appointed a Provincial Events Committee which will (inter alia) revitalise our Welcome to the Newer Mason seminars details of which, with invitations, will be provided to initiates on the night of their initiation. 

14.       I arranged a meeting at the Provincial Office of the Heads of all other Masonic Orders in the Province (all fourteen attended or were represented) with the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Provincial Grand Secretary and a Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master whom I appointed Liaison Officer responsible for liaising between the Craft and other Masonic Orders. The Liaison Officer ensures that where appropriate and requested arrangements are made for me to be represented at meetings and functions of the other Masonic Orders. The meeting with the Heads of Orders was well received and will be repeated on an annual basis. 

15.       I have arranged for the Deputy Provincial Grand Master in liaison with the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and Group Representatives to produce a schedule of Lodges in Decline across the Province and introduced a policy for dealing with such Lodges at Group level. This is quite separate and distinct from the Policy for Lodges Experiencing Difficulty which was introduced some years ago to advise those Lodges which are at risk of closure. 

16.       Three Lodges have surrendered their Warrants – in respect of one Lodge I presided over a closing ceremony; and in respect of the others which did not require such a ceremony, the relevant Assistant Provincial Grand Masters attended to receive back the Warrant. The main emphasis on these occasions was to encourage brethren to join other Lodges and this is being monitored with a good level of success. 

17.       I have arranged for a complete review of our Provincial Charities albeit this is now on hold pending the decision on the Attorney Generals reference to the First Tier Tribunal. 

18.       The Universities Scheme is gaining momentum in the Province and two of the three Lodges within the Scheme are seeing a good supply of initiates from the Universities.

R.W Bro. Michael J. Wilks
Provincial Grand Master