A new Provincial Grand Master for The Royal Order of Scotland – March 2025
Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset
On Monday the 3rd March 2025 a new chapter in the relatively short history of the Royal Order of Scotland in Somerset took place: namely the Installation of a new Provincial Grand Master – its third.
The Province was honoured by the presence of a deputation from Grand Lodge in Edinburgh, and was doubly honoured in that the Deputy Grand Master and Governor, himself, accompanied by the Grand Secretary, Bro Alan Dickson, the
Grand Marischal, Bro Raymond King and, in a private capacity, Bro Grant Kavanagh, Grand Clerk joined the deputation.
At 10.00am sharp, the officers of the Lodge paraded in, and although the new Provincial Grand Masters (PGMs) term of office commenced on the 1st March, the Past Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master (PGM), Bro Trevor Cooper took the chair to perform the ceremony. His first agenda item was to receive and welcome distinguished visitors, which included PGMs from the Provinces of South West Counties, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucester and Herefordshire, South Wales, Hertfordshire, and other Deputy and Substitute PGMs. In total 27 guests, plus the Grand Lodge Deputation attended. The latter paraded-in in due form and were welcomed by the Past PGM.
Under the direction of the Grand Marischal, the Deputy Grand Master & Governor assumed the chair, and in doing so he first thanked the outgoing PGM, Bro Trevor Cooper. His patent having been verified and read by the Grand Secretary, Bro John James Burgess Allan J.P. was formally obligated and installed by the Deputy Grand Master & Governor as the Right Worshipful PGM of the Royal Order of Scotland for Somerset for the next five years – with effect from 1st March 2025.
In assuming the chair, the new PGM thanked the Deputy Grand Master & Governor and his Grand Lodge Deputation for taking time to travel to Somerset and conduct the Investiture. He also thanked the PGMs and members of their respective Provinces for attending, and took the opportunity of personally thanking his predecessor, Bro Trevor Cooper, who he presented with a new collar and jewel as Past PGM.
The PGM then Obligated and Invested Bro Bill Whitehead as the Deputy PGM and Bro Garry Baird as the Substitute PGM, followed by those of his team of officers present.
Meldon, PGM SW Counties; Ewen Rutherford, DGM&Gov; John Allan PGM; Paul Muir, PGM Dorsetshire; Trevor
Cooper, PPGM; Raymond King, Grand Marischal. Rear row: Bros Alan Dickson, Grand Secretary; Peter Hawken,
PGM Hertfordshire; Keith Evans, PGM Middlesex; Bro John Dollery, PGM Devonshire; Angus Herdman, PGM
Cornwall; Bill Whitehead DPGM; Bro Graham Kavanagh, Grand Clerk.
After the meeting, 45 brethren sat down and enjoyed a meal of Cock a Leekie Soup, Haggis with Neeps and Tatties, followed by Cruachan and then co ee and mints. The Substitute PGM, Bro Garry Baird gave an excellent rendition of Bro Robbie Burns’s ‘Address to the Haggis’. During the meal, the brethren enjoyed partaking in the traditional ritual of having a wee drink from the quaich’s of whisky that were passed around.
All in all, the day was considered to have been quite memorable and an example of the friendship and camaraderie that is a mark of Royal Order of Scotland Freemasonry.
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If you would like to find out more about the The Royal Order of Scotland, and it’s Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset, please contact the Chris Jeffery, Provincial Grand Secretary 📧 Chris-Jeffery@outlook.com
