Grand Master's Address October 2018

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Category: Allied Masonic Degrees

Brethren I must begin by thanking you once again for attending our Annual Meeting here in Great Queen Street in such excellent numbers. We seem to go from strength to strength and show I think, though I am rather biased that the Order is in good heart. Today is a day of celebration for us all, but especially for those of you who have been honoured by promotion in or first appointment to Grand Rank, either way Brethren your new rank will have been well deserved. I have congratulated you all individually, but I must also do it collectively for it demonstrates your commitment to our Order and I hope that you and your guests enjoy it to the full for many years to come.

Those of you who read the agenda and I hope Brethren that you do, will have noticed that we have again increased our membership of the Order, this time by 234. This is most encouraging as it is well over 1 member per Council, but as I say each year we can’t afford to be complacent, we must make every effort to encourage the right Gentlemen to join the Craft and then, when the time is right, move further up the Masonic ladder and hopefully join our Order.

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Emergency Grant to Indonesia

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Category: Mark Masons’ Hall's Charities

The Mark Benevolent Fund has approved a grant of £30,000 to provide relief for those affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. The grant will be used to purchase 857 ShelterKits provided by ShelterBox Disaster Relief.

Amongst other items ShelterKits provide a tarpaulin, hammer, nails, a shovel and rope to help utilise existing materials that may be on hand to make quick repairs and provide immediate shelter.

To find out more about Shelterbox and Shelterkits click on this link: www.shelterbox.org/shelter/aid/shelterkits

Mark well Brethren, your support for the Mark Benevolent Fund continues to help those in need no matter who or where they are.

£2,500 awarded to Hope House Hospice

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Category: Mark Masons’ Hall's Charities

Pictured: Bro. Darren Coleman-Heald – Charities Manager MMH, Cat Dowdeswell – Hope House Area Fundraiser, P.Kt. Mike Mullan and R.Ill.Kt. George Wainwright, Intendant-General for North Wales

Mark Masons’ Hall’s Charities Manager, Darren Coleman-Heald joined the Worthy Knights of the North Wales Division to present a cheque for £2,500 to the Hope House Hospice on behalf of the Grand Sovereign’s Care for Children Fund.

The money will go towards mobile end of life units at the hospice. Fundraisers, Cat & Louise, explained that Hope House was the first Hospice in the world to provide dedicated care for children from birth to early adulthood. Twenty-three years later it continues to flourish. However, it needs every penny to survive as it costs £6.3 million per annum just to keep going.

Find out more about the charity at https://hopehouse.org.uk

Huge Success for Mark Masons’ Hall - London Open House

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Category: Mark Masons’ Hall

Our thanks to Darren Coleman-Heald - Charities Manager, Judith Ridley – Head of Finance and HR, Lisa Corcoran – Manager Shop@86, Dan Heath – Assistant Grand Secretary, Michael Owen – Catering Manager, Fabio Raposo – Deputy Catering Manager and Frank Cruz, Head Bartender for giving up their free time to help and support Mark Masons’ Hall at the London Open House event on Sunday, 23 September 2018.

Guests arrived from 9.30am and waited very patiently in the rain so we opened the doors early to allow them to dry off. Within minutes the team was inundated with guests from all corners of the globe. Our figures show that we welcomed over 400 people in to the building during the 4-hour opening time.

Lisa looked after registrations at the front desk whilst Judith directed people to the various rooms and answered their strange and wonderful questions ‘en route’! Dan and Michael were good enough to take on the role of tour guide and Fabio and Frank were swamped in the bar serving drinks and sandwiches. Darren spent most of his time working both printers to death on the 4th floor as demand for brochures outstripped supplies!

They all had a great day, if not a somewhat exhausting one, and were delighted when the doors closed at 2pm, but not before a last final mad rush by those wanting to see the lovely building. The last time Mark Masons’ Hall joined the Open House project was over 10 years ago and we are thrilled by the success of the event.

Here’s to next year!