Annual Meeting of the Provincial
Grand Lodge of North Wales

Address by the RWPGM

Bore da a croeso i chi i gyd.

Brethren, I welcome you all to Venue Cymru this afternoon and a warm welcome also to our distinguished guests. I will shortly introduce them all to you.

I first of all want to thank the Provincial Officers who have accompanied me and my Deputy and two Assistants throughout the past year. We visited nearly fifty lodges, 49 really but nearly fifty sounds better! I appreciate all the effort, time and energy they have put into the work. We had a great deal of fun and pleasure and I am delighted with the welcome we all received. I will miss those who retire but look forward to the new experiences that always come with new Officers. I thank the Provincial Secretary for his extremely hard work in this his first year, and for the innovations that he is making. He would not have succeeded without the assistance and efforts of Sally and Jacqui in the Office. Without their knowledge and support we would frequently be lost. I am also very grateful to the numerous Brethren who have voluntarily assisted with various work in the Provincial Office. The number of volunteers has been remarkable.

My Director of Ceremonies has been constantly at my side and has looked after me so well.

I congratulate all the Brethren appointed for the first time today. This is a most pleasant feeling for you all I am sure. Your good work in the future will prove the validity of your appointment. To all those who have been promoted I also extend my congratulations and exhort you to continue with the work that led to the belief that you were worthy of promotion.

I am also pleased to be able to congratulate the following Brethren on being appointed Officers of Grand Lodge:-
W.Bro. Bryn Roberts, PAGReg
W.Bro. David Vernon Hughes, PAGDC
W.Bro. Cemlyn Rees Williams, PAGDC and

W.Bro. John Clive Dawson who was promoted to the rank of PJGD. I am pleased to tell you that W.Bro Dawson is getting better.

We will in future have fewer Appointments to Grand Lodge because of our dwindling numbers. That is a clear message to us all in our attempt to recruit and retain members.

I am pleased that the reports I hear from Lodges regarding the Mentoring Scheme are favourable. Next year let us hope that resignations decrease and Lodge attendances improve.

Good reports have been received following the Prov.G.Sec´s Forums. The report forms showed that 98% of those attending found them useful and enlightening. There was 1 of course who thought they were useless and a waste of time. Do not worry the comments form was anonymous. Mind you having dealt with criminal law for over 40 years I´m pretty good at spotting handwriting. The computing systems are progressing rapidly. For reports of its progress watch our much improved Web site. It´s all too technical for me.

I want to boast now. We were the first to complete the Historical Record Survey. The work of W.Bro. Clive Dawson, PJGD, and W.Bro. Hywel Wyn Jones, ProvJGW, was remarkable and I thank them and all those who assisted them.

The Teddy Bear Scheme is proving very successful and we hope to extend it to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd very soon.

We hope to carry on working very hard to preserve this Province and make it attractive to young men. W.Bro. D.V. Hughes, PAGDC, is looking into the Universities Scheme.

Very importantly I am expecting very soon a report on the whole of our Provincial Honours system and am grateful for the hard work of my APGM W.Bro Tudor Morris and his two Committees for all their time and effort.

I have made the following appointment W.Bro David Berwyn Davies, PPJGW, is to replace W Bro David Spalding, PAGReg, who wished to retire as Chairman of Group 7. I thank W Bro David Spalding, not only for his work as Group Chairman but also as Provincial Grand Registrar. His counsel was always well researched and safe and he assisted me and my predecessor greatly.

Finally I thank all those worthy Brethren who represented me throughout the Province and supported me at the Grand Officers Meetings which we hold twice a year. You will hear very soon of changes in the system of my representatives in your Lodges, who are not necessarily Grand Officers.

And thank you all Brethren for your work because without you we would not be here.

Diolch yn fawr i chi i gyd.

 • Approved by United Grand Lodge of England • 

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