Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Cornwall May 2020 Marking Time Issue 2 PGM’s Corona Virus Update We are now six into the general suspension of activity due to the coronavirus pandemic and the national lockdown has just been extended My first thoughts are with those who have suffered from the virus themselves or have loved ones who have. In particular, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Freemasons who have already passed to the Lodge Above. Whilst none of us have faced anything quite like this before, I have been hugely impressed with the fortitude and resilience being displayed by our members and families. It makes you proud be a Freemason. We will get through crisis time and will once again be able to enjoy our Mark and Royal Ark Masonry. My primary focus has been, will continue be, the welfare our members. At a video conference with Deputy on 13th April, we agreed the priority for now ought to be Welfare, Welfare, Welfare. With that as our focus we have put in place Welfare Support Plan for the Province. to this plan is Provincial Almoner, Alan Odgers and all Lodge Almoners who have the important duty of making sure they keep in touch with all members of their Lodge and their Lodge especially those are elderly who have underlying medical conditions. Our Provincial Almoner has shared the Government and NHS guidance on social -distancing and how to reduce the contracting coronavirus. I do hope that this advice has reached you and that you are it If you have not yet received the guidance or have not been contacted by someone from your Lodge please do get with your or with Alan Odgers so that we can put that right. You can help others track the spread coronavirus by downloading the symptom tracker application to your device and, set up, it only takes Inside this issue few seconds each day to submit your update on how you are The data is being analysed by College London in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Mark Benevolent Fund Update .. 2 Aside from health concerns, of you be facing financial hardship due to work having Wine at Nine & T@3................... 3 ended or through having had to close your business. Whatever the reason, please assured MBF PPE & Hope for Tomorrow that the Mark Benevolent Fund, our very own Charity, stands ready to dispense those in Updates. ..................................... 3 need. I have recently been nominated as a Trustee and asked to serve on the Worthy Causes Provincial 100 Club Draw results 3 Committee of the Mark Benevolent Fund, I can assure you that the MBF Petitions Committee is conducting business usual. We deal with petitions by video conference The Royal Ark Mariner Degree necessary, so please do your Lodge Almoner know, or you prefer our Almoner, Explained .................................... 4&5 so they can assist you. A look back in time! .................... 6 If you are anything like me you will be finding staying at home 24 hours a day, days a week Crossword .................................. 7 very strange indeed. We know it is the right thing to do but it is something we are not accustomed to. It can at times weigh upon us and, if we not careful, it can drag us down. Sue and I are finding many ways to keep ourselves occupied, with the weather we have been experiencing being an added bonus whilst working in the garden, helping to break the Special points of interest monotony. We also have excellent friends and family who keep up with new ideas to keep us connected. I have been especially heartened to hear of the many initiatives being used • Provincial Grand Master by our Mark Lodges to keep in touch with members with WhatsApp groups popping up, ring Appointed as MBF Trustee around networks being established and in some cases Lodges holding “get togethers” via Zoom, • Spot light feature on St John to prove that age is no barrier to technology I understand that at a recent Zoom meeting, our the Baptist Lodge No 404 Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bob Johns, joined the meeting , as always taking an active role in proceedings. • The Mark Month of May Through the Years If you are feeling low, pick up the phone and speak a friend from your Lodge. Also, you might find the NHS website Every Mind Matters of interest; you can even create your own mind plan to help you through the social distancing measures. The isolation we are all feeling now is temporary and we meet again. Don’t - a telephone call merely to check that well can make huge difference living I look forward meeting you again when it is safe to do so. In the stay at home do your bit to save lives and ease on the NHS, key and support services. I wish you and your loved ones Trevassack Lake Update Many of you will recall that at Provincial Grand Lodge in May 2019 the Provincial Grand Master talked about the donation from the Mark Benevolent Fund of £40,000.00 to support the work of the Helford River Children’s Sailing Trust at Trevassack Lake on the Lizard. The donation approved by the Mark Benevolent Fund, facilitated the purchase and construction of a floating classroom , which is fully accessible by wheelchair users and being solar powered has minimal running costs. We were delighted to receive a progress report from Helen the fundraising manager at the sailing trust, an extract of which is below “Thanks to a generous grant from the Mark Benevolent Fund” Wine at Nine, Time to Toast & Time for Tea One the 14th April the heads of orders from the Mark, Craft and Holy Royal Arch degrees across Hope For Tomorrow the Provinces of Cornwall, Devonshire and Somerset invited members to join them in taking “Wine at Nine”, this fits in with the latest initiatives from Mark Masons’ Hall trending daily on Dear Brethren , you will recall that in Twitter with #T@3 and UGLE’s #TimeToToast. 2015 the Province was delighted to announce that the Mark Benevolent Fund Thanks to our members for your support and for sending in your photo’s. had supported the Charity Hope for Please send your photo’s for our June Edition! to [email protected] Tomorrow by funding a number of mobile chemotherapy units which would work from hospitals across the country, at that time the Cornwall NHS Trust entered into an agreement with Hope for Tomorrow and a Mobile unit named Dorothy was based at Treliske, along with a support vehicle Provided by our Province. Throughout this time the unit has carried out treatment sessions in many locations around our Province, as well as providing additional capacity at the Treliske site. I was disappointed to learn recently that due to staffing issues at Treliske, the NHS Trust felt they were no longer able to effectively staff the unit along with increased pressures caused by the current pandemic, a decision had been taken by hope for Tomorrow to move the unit from Treliske, to Middlesex where the local NHS trust were struggling to maintain cancer services due to the Corona Pandemic. It is my hope and that of many others that in due course the unit may return to Cornwall to continue supporting those in need across our county. Kevin MBF Supporting Frontline Staff with PPE MBF Supporting Front- The Grand Secretary R.W.Bro. Ryan Williams, announced via his Twitter feed on 27th April , that the Mark Benevolent fund had supported an initiative to supply 2,500 face shields per week to frontline staff throughout Mark Provinces in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man 3 Spotlight on! St John the Baptist Lodge No404 The most South Westerly Mark Master Masons Lodge in Cornwall / England, under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and Districts and Lodges Overseas and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Cornwall. According to the Centenary History on the 25th September 1889, a Lodge of Mark Master Masons was opened at 11.00am to Advance eleven Brethren of Mount Sinai Craft Lodge No. 121. Provincial Lodge was opened at 1.00pm to Consecrate St John the Baptist Lodge No. 404. Today the current subscribing membership is 49 of which 3 are Very Worshipful Brethren a further 3 are Grand Officers, 11 are Provincial Officers, 7 Worshipful Brothers and 25 Brothers. 30 of the 49 were Advanced into St John the Baptist 404 and remaining 19 are joining members. In recent years, the Lodge produced a Deputy Provincial Grand Master, V.W. Bro. Alan B. Calvert in 1998 and several Provincial Grand Wardens, the latest being W.Bro. Jeremy Edwards as Senior Warden in 2015. A new banner was dedicated in December 2014. At this meeting the Assistant Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Raymond J. Smith was present and promoted with a field office, W.Bro. Harold Wearne to the rank of P.G.J.O. In 2011 and again in 2017, the Lodge has met on St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly to advance an islander. At the 2017 Installation, the Lodge’s two Honorary Members occupied the Wardens Chairs during the Ceremony. As with every Mark lodge the most important assets are its members. History is there to be viewed and to learn from. The Lodge building is important as are the furnishings, but to make a successful Lodge you need a blend of experience, good men, different characters and an appreciation from the members to learn, work together and most importantly have fun.