The Liverpool Gladstone and Liverpool Sandon Groups held a joint Masters and First Principals Evening at the Liverpool Masonic Hall, Hope Street.

It was the turn of the Gladstone Group to host this bi-annual event, which was very well supported by the members of both groups, with 16 Worshipful Masters, Five First Principals, six IPMs and three IPZs.

The evening started in the Doric Suite with Deputy Provincial Grand Master Brian Gillbanks meeting with those, both Craft and Royal Arch, who had taken office for the first time either as WM or MEZ  during last year or this.  Brian was accompanied by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Michael H Hill, Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals Ian A Fisher, Provincial Grand Secretary Geoffrey Lee, the two Provincial Wardens, Barry Jameson, and Derek Durling, and the two group chairmen, Paul Shepherd and John Wreyford.

The meeting allowed a great degree of informality and the brethren could express their thoughts quite freely and ask any questions of the Provincial Officers.  Indeed it was not all one sided, with Brian and his officers also using this opportunity to ask those present of how they thought the Province was progressing.

In due time the party left the Doric to enter the Corinthian Suite where they joined with the general members of the Gladstone and Sandon Groups in open forum, with a Question and Answer session.  Brian began by welcoming everyone present and thanking them for their attendance, particularly those present for the first time.  The first question was about the Provincial Honours system, and the mystique which sometimes surrounded it.  The Provincial Officers gave enlightening and reassuring answers, explaining how the system worked in quite some detail and of the guidelines used to ensure it was as fair and equitable as could be possible.

The next topic raised was of the success of the Mentoring initiative in looking after new members and retaining their interest.  This talk expanded to cover methods of recruitment, and it was generally agreed that most interest these days came through the various web sites and not through “open days” or advertising in professional magazines.  Brian mentioned that the new and improved Provincial website would hopefully be up and running sometime in May, and was to a very high standard.  In this day and age it has to be recognized that electronic communication is becoming the preferred method of the majority as their time is becoming more precious as more call is put upon it.  It was mentioned that an official advice leaflet had been circulated around the Province explaining how time could be saved both in lodge and at the festive board if needed by following some of the advice within the leaflet.

Royal Arch Masonry and its inextricable links to the Craft were expounded on by Ian Fisher, giving the percentage of members in both.  Every Craft lodge has now got a Royal Arch contact whose name should be printed on every lodge summons, and the advantage of this is now starting to be seen.  This concluded the forum, with the members making their way to the main banqueting hall for the festive board. All proceedings throughout the evening were under the exemplary control of Sam Robinson.

The 2010 Group forum for new masters to air their views