By Graham King - Provincial Charity Steward
We are now less than two years away from our Festival which is to be held in June 2009. For many lodges that means between there are only eight to 10 meetings left, and I am very conscious of the fact that this is not a lot of time to enable them to transfer the funds that they are holding, and indeed anticipate generating, into the Provincial Festival Account.
The good news is that we presently hold in excess of £1.75 million and I anticipate that this will increase quite substantially during the course of the next 20 months.
At the end of June this year, 15 lodges had become grand patrons, 34 had become patrons and 52 had become vice patrons. It is encouraging that several patrons will soon become grand patrons and those vice patrons will become patrons.
See the patrons list for the most up to date figures. www.pglherts.org/patrons
In addition there are many lodges that have so nearly achieved vice patron status and I hope that by this time next year this will apply to the vast majority of the lodges in the province.
To become vice patrons a lodge has to have transferred to the Provincial Festival Account £5,000; if any of the charity stewards are uncertain of their lodge’s status they can contact W Bro Peter Trowell, the incoming Provincial Senior Grand Warden who is monitoring all the monies received. His e-mail address is: peter.g.trowell@btopenworld.com
A list of lodges which have achieved patronage status is on the provincial website.
I know that the charity stewards are keen to ensure that their lodge supports the Festival as much as the members are able to do, and I also know that many lodges are holding special fund-raising events and I would urge their members, and friends and guests to support them as much as they can.
I have been pleased to be at a number of lodges during the last year to present their Patronage Certificate and there are more in the pipeline. I am always delighted to do so and please do not hesitate to contact me if I am free to attend and I would be more than happy to do so.
I would urge all charity stewards to seek approval to transfer whatever funds are available to the Provincial Relief Chest. Any monies deposited continue to earn a considerable rate of interest based on the monies that have been so transferred and thus no lodge is losing out by holding monies in their account.
Finally if any charity steward is uncertain of their role and wants to find out more then the names of the Assistant Festival Co-ordinators who are based at each of the masonic centres is available on our website. Please do not hesitate to contact them if there are any matters upon which you need advice or guidance.
G G King