The Suffolk Freemasons Magazine May 2020 FORUM Lockdown Edition... Dear All, Extraordinary times? Well I think we all agree that this is the mother of them all. The resilience of one and all is remarkable and the guidelines have thus far been followed. I am typing this message on VE day having just been reminded of how those before us coped to allow us many of the privileges that we benefit from today. Within this electronic edition of Forum my focus is of course on Freemasonry and our brethren and families. We have seen many outstanding acts of kindness given by so many of our Brethren to so many causes as well as the people around them and your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated. Trying to keep ourselves together as Lodges could become another challenge for us to consider, but after my first health check of our Lodges, I cannot believe for one moment that this may present a problem now, or at any time in the future. The Zoom meetings that are already taking place probably means that none of our Lodges will not have missed more than one gathering each. Visual contact adds a great deal to these meetings and whilst individuals are sharing regular phone calls, it means we can stay in touch, update and inform, and most importantly, share a smile. I strongly believe that not having our meeting of the Province on May 29th and congratulating those Brethren who have worked so hard for their pending honours, would be a travesty, so I plan to hold a virtual meeting on Zoom for all the brethren who are to be recognised for their achievements on that very day. My secretary will inform you of the details shortly. Brethren, it will remain essential that we follow the UGLE rules and regulations for the future and the Governments advice for us all. During the months to come I have no doubt that you will all protect the future of your own Lodges. Stay in touch, stay connected and informed and most importantly, look after each other. Captain Tom reminded us that “tomorrow will be a better day” and it will. ‘Your proof of being a mason to others’…well that has been defined in many ways we could never have imagined but nevertheless, that’s where we are and this, or anything else that may be thrown at us will not deter the effort and ingenuity of every Suffolk Freemason. I don’t wish for one moment to try and predict a time when we may meet as we used to but I do predict that you will maintain your Lodges with the same enthusiasm that you have always had and we will make do and mend with the tools that we currently have to use. To temporarily exchange the warm handshake for Zoom, is not the best deal in the world, but it will do and it will do well until we can sit around that Festive Board and I can take wine with each and every one of you. Please stay safe and always ‘to Absent Brethren’. remember our final toast, R.W.Bro. Ian Yeldham Provincial Grand Master ottings J from e Provincial Grand Secretary What a strange situation we find ourselves in! Most Lodges will have now missed their last three meetings which is as long as the Companions, usual summer break. On the plus side almost all of us seem to have embraced the As I write this, we are a week away from what should opportunity to continue to meet through a have been our Annual Provincial Meeting, where I virtual forum. Province is very keen to promote this and would would have been able to thank all of you for the encourage all lodges to carry on meeting through the summer enthusiasm and support of the Royal Arch Province of months on the date of their regular meetings. If you do set up a Suffolk over the past year. Alas, circumstances have meeting please include the Provincial Office on the email curtailed our Freemasonry at the moment, hopefully distribution list of the meeting details, you might find that your there will be light at the end of the tunnel soon, and Provincial Rep, a senior Provincial Officer or even a Ruler will we will all be able to catch up and swop stories of our join you for a few minutes to wish you well. self-isolation. My grateful thanks to the active Officers of 2019-20 for e recently announced Suffolk Provincial Covid 19 Fund has their support and attendance at those Chapters I and already been put to good use as you will read elsewhere in this my executive were able to visit before the “lockdown”. newsletter so if you become aware of any way in which the To those Companions that were to receive their Province can assist your local community please make it known Appointment or Promotion next week, Companions to us. whilst I will not be able to perform the actual ceremony You will by now be aware of the latest guidance sent to lodge your Appointment/Promotion will still take effect as Almoners covering their reporting on the health of their from 14th May 2020 and I hope once we return to our members. At first glance this would appear to be contradictory to Freemasonry I will see you out around Suffolk and be one of the fundamental principles of our organisation. All I can able to congratulate you personally. tell you is that it is a temporary situation and that further advice To those who should have received Grand Rank will be issued by Grand Lodge in the future. Appointment or Promotion, Nigel Gregory our Director of Ceremonies to Active Grand Standard Bearer, to e 2020 Provincial meeting has had to be postponed as you are our Assistant Secretary Kelvin Larcombe to Past aware and I am not able to give any indication of when or even if Grand Standard Bearer, and my Deputy Ray Pascoe it will be held. I can however inform you that the date for 2021 promoted to Past Grand Sword Bearer, we all missed has been set as Friday 4th June at the Royal Hospital School so at out on what would have been a very special day. least we have something to look forward to, although it seems I have great pride in this Province to well in the future. see and hear what is being done by You would think that the Provincial secretariat would be quiet at the members of all the Orders during the moment but it doesn’t seem to feel that way, so as usual can I this difficult time, I dearly hope it is thank the members of the team who continue to carry out their not too long before we can all numerous duties with good humour and their customary meet again. efficiency, mostly from isolation in their own homes. David. I wish you all, your families and all your connections the very best of health in the coming weeks and look forward to meeting you again when all of this is behind us. Roger Nash, Provincial Grand Secretary, May 2020 őĂőĂÁĢė űĩŖ͠͠͠ Felixstowe Foodbank ʼñ²čăŘĔŁ ĴĔ ČŁËñ êĔİ ŘĔŁİ õčËİÕÑõÊĆŘ ëÕčÕİĔŁĴ ëõêļêļ supported by Colneis Ĕêˍʃɽɽʞ Ĕč ÊÕñ²Ćê Ĕê ²ĆĆ ļñÕ ËñõĆÑİÕčʞ ŘĔŁčë ĭÕĔĭĆÕ ²čÑ ê²ê²ČõĆõÕĴ ļñ²ļŖÕ Ë²İÕ êĔêĔİʞ ĭĆÕ²ĴÕ ²ËËÕĭļ ĔŁİ ČĔĴļ ĴõčËÕİÕ ëݲļõļŁÑÕʣ ñõĴ Jamie Read asked the members of Colneis Lodge õĴ² ÑõêêêêõêõËŁĆļ ļõČÕ õč ŖñõËñ ÕŕÕİŘĔčÕ õĴ ÑÕ²Ćõčë Ŗõļñ ²č ((((if they were willing to donate the equivalent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of the ! ŁčĭİÕËÕÑÕčļÕÑËİõĴõĴʞ ²čÑ êĔêĔİ ŘĔŁ ļĔ ļñõčă Ĕê ŁĴ ÑŁİõčë ļñõĴ price of a meal at the Festive Board to a local charity called ĭ²čÑÕČõËõĴ ļİŁĆŘ ²ĭĭİÕËõ²ļÕÑʣ ñÕ ĴŁĭĭĔİļ Ĕê !#####################İõŁčÕ ñ²ĭļÕİ ‘Basics’ which is a local foodbank that supports families in ²čÑñÕ ŁêêêêĔĆă |İĔŕõčËõ²Ć ;ݲčÑ ñ²ĭļÕİ ñ²İõļŘ êĔİ &###################AʿĴ Felixstowe. For the past couple of years Colneis have had a ŕõĴõĔčļñ²ļ ÕŕÕİŘ ËñõĆÑ ÑÕĴÕİŕÕĴ ĴŁĭĭĔİļʞ ˲İÕ ²čÑ Ĕĭ#####ĭĔİļŁčõļõÕĴ ‘Basics’### box in their robing room #########and members are invited to ##################### čĔČ²ļļÕİ Ŗñ²ļ ļñÕõİ ËĔčÑõļõĔč õĴ ²ÊĴĔĆŁļÕĆŘ õčŕ²ĆŁ²ÊĆÕ ļĔ ĴĔ make a donation of non-perishable items when they come along ###### ############ Č²čŘê²ê²ČõĆõÕĴ ʴ ļñ²čă ŘĔŁʽʣ to meetings. ## ##+4'&,-"#8'"#E'"%-&#)5#+),*$-"#.)(/-#'#E-&-#DO#6-'&"#'/)=#N)E-#B&)%4-&"#84)# &²ĴļčëĆëĆõ²ʿĴ ñõĆÑİÕčʿĴ AĔĴ8####ĭõËÕĴ ʰ&Aʱ Within #### 24 hours £554.50 #### was raised and has # already## been##>-,,#C)*-# + ####donated, ###### a fantastic effort. One ### of Colneis # other ### ‘traditions’ is ###to ##( give each lodge member an Easter Egg at our April meeting, «p~99iĄblY1«ioY«~b however with the meeting suspended and the eggs having been purchased, they too were donated to the charity. ! ### ######### ############## ## ####### ######### ####### ## ######### ###### ######### ###### ## #### # # # ### Cornwallis Court Update Sudbury Lodges commence Following requests for news about how Cornwallis Court has been affected by Covid 19, the Provincial Executive has agreed ‘Square Meals’ food box deliveries that a monthly bulletin shall be circulated to all members of the Across our province, lodges and Province. You should expect to receive the bulletin from your groups of lodges have been Lodge Secretary or Lodge Almoner. e bulletin will not be about organising schemes to support all things connected to Cornwallis. It will focus on the impact of the most vulnerable. Necessities the pandemic. e Manager at Cornwallis, Denise O’Brien has are being relieved and afflictions informed me that there have been ten cases. She says that, in the are being soothed.