Grand Guide Report – 2014

Provincial Grand Guide Report for the Year Ending – 28th July 2014 

The Report

R. Wy Supreme Ruler there are lies, damn lies and statistics. Attached to this report is a break down of inductions, joinings, resignations and deaths in the Conclaves during the past twelve months. The good news is that inductions outnumber deaths and resignations; admittedly not by much. There have been a total of 12 deaths or resignations but 15 inductions. But this is significant for it is the start of the recovery from the losses over the past years. Excluding the Supreme Rulers Conclave the total of all the Conclaves give us 189 members. Given that several members belong to more than one Conclave the actual total membership is lower than that 189. Most Conclaves are reporting that they have new members in the pipeline and the Province is well placed to build on this year’s gains.

What is not included in the attached table is the attendance of the members we have. The average attendance of members at their own Conclave across the Province is 55%. As well as a need to recruit new members it suggests that we need to have a drive to encourage more members to put attendance at Conclave as a high priority.

Though attendance is therefore relatively low what is clearly apparent from the reports of the Provincial Visiting Deacons, is that the Conclaves are in good heart, the meetings are without exception enjoyable, friendliness and friendship abound and the work is of a good standard, with half the Conclaves working a Princes degree. This is also happily true of the Conclave that started the year in a bit of turmoil and the Conclave whose secretary died. The Visiting Deacons in the Conclaves have endeavoured to contact all their charges with a high percentage success rate, although there are a small percentage of members who do not respond to the Visiting Deacons.

I would like to thank all the Conclaves for the warmth of welcome that myself, and the Four Provincial Visiting Deacons have received. The Provincial Visiting Deacons are a happy band and have approached their work with enthusiasm and when one has not been able to attend they have covered it between themselves. In this respect I would particularly like to commend Wy Bros Barry Howell, Keith Parks and Roy Woodhouse who on many occasions have cheerfully increased their workload. All have provided me with comprehensive reports on all the meetings that have taken place in the Province during the past year. They have made my job as Provincial Guide easy.

Supreme Ruler your Province is in a healthy state with new members and further members in the pipeline. I am certain that we can look forward to the future of the Province with confidence.

That, Supreme Ruler, completes my report. RB Masterson, PGSwdB