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THURSDAY 18th AUGUST
 Welcome to First Rising – the official newsletter for members of United Grand Lodge of England

A CONCERT TO MARK HRH THE DUKE OF KENT’S 55 YEARS AS GRAND MASTER

HRH The Duke of Kent, KG was Installed as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England on 27 June 1967 at the Royal Albert Hall, during the special 250th Anniversary Meeting of Grand Lodge held on that day.

Brethren under the United Grand Lodge of England, together with their wives, partners, family and friends, are invited to a celebration of His Royal Highness’s 55 years as our Grand Master at a concert in the Grand Temple on the evening of Tuesday, 18th October. The invitation is also being extended on a similar basis to members of other organisations of which His Royal Highness is President or Patron.

The concert will feature a wide selection of musicians ranging from those still at one of the Music Conservatoires, (including Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, of which His Royal Highness is Patron); those establishing themselves in the early years of their careers as performers and those at the peak of their careers, such as Rick Wakeman and Christopher Stokes, the Grand Organist.

The concert will feature music by Coates, Fauré, Debussy and Mendelssohn (His Royal Highness is Patron of the UK Friends of the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Foundation) amongst others.  The second half will consist of a performance of Saint Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals”, featuring specially-written verses linked to each featured animal being read by senior Freemasons well-known to us all.

Starting at 19:00, the concert is expected to be over by 21:15, although the bar/café area will be open until 22:00 for those that wish to stay.  Brethren will note that the concert will not be a Masonic meeting and formal dress is not required, but in the presence of the Grand Master those attending will wish to be smartly dressed. 
An exhibition of material associated with the celebration will be shown in the Library and Museum and will be open later than normal, until the start of the concert.

The concert will be free to attend and is expected to be heavily subscribed, so an early response is recommended. The link for tickets is given here for your information.

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YOUR CHANCE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR FIFTY FIVE YEARS

It is with great sadness we have to inform you of the passing of our

Brother Peter Fry

83 years young to the Great Lodge above.

24 September 1939 – 07 August 2022

Les Foulsham

November 1939 – June 2022

Worshipful Brother  Brian J Cole, newly installed Master of
Dalhousie And Call Sign Lodge No. 865 for the coming year 2022 – 2023

Congratulations and best wishes from the brethren of

Dalhousie And Call Sign Lodge No. 865

https://mailchi.mp/pglm/pmk-banner-dedication?e=b2aa593fe4

Click on above link

OVER A MILLION PEOPLE RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THANKS TO FREEMASONS

Freemasons are doing their bit for the upcoming Mental Health Awareness Week, raising more than £1.9m to donate to charities supporting mental health. Freemasons have so far made over 100 donations, helping more than 1.4 million people experiencing mental health issues. To help communities achieve a better state of mental health, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and the Masonic Charitable Foundation, are supporting various institutions, schools and universities.

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COULD YOU BE THE FREEMASON TO LIGHT THE JUBILEE BEACON AT FREEMASONS’ HALL?

ENTER THE BALLOT

Freemasonry in Middlesex

https://email.freemasonscharity.org.uk/748P-5GTZ-EC1C68C4FEA1676CV63SK4B5402B4FB4E6828/cr.aspx?v=1

Click on the link above for more information

MONDAY 25th APRIL  Welcome to First Rising – the official newsletter for members of United Grand Lodge of England.

FREEMASONS DONATE MORE THAN 20,000 EASTER EGGS TO CHILDREN ACROSS THE UK

Freemasons are donating 20,000 Easter eggs to thousands of children, care homes, hospitals and food banks across England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.Freemasons have been rolling up their sleeves and distributing Easter eggs across the country once again this year. The donations are helping children and families in most UK cities. In addition to donations, Freemasons are also delivering the Easter eggs and have travelled to various charities in their cars and on motorbikes.

DR DAVID STAPLES – AN IMPORTANT NOTICE I’m sorry to announce that David Staples (CEO) has decided to resign from his role as Chief Executive Officer for United Grand Lodge of England with effect from 14 April 2022 although he will remain as Grand Secretary until 14 September 2022 and will attend the investiture events.    David has commented as follows: “Being the Chief Executive Officer of the UGLE has been a singular privilege and honour, and I feel, with the completion and imminent launch of the new UGLE strategy for the next seven years, the time has come to hand on the mantle to someone new so that I can embark on new opportunities.    “The last four and a half years have seen an enormous rate of change within Freemasonry, and I am honoured to have been part of the journey. I have asked the President of the Board to allow me to step down as Chief Executive Officer and to begin the process for recruiting my successor to take the organisation forward into a new chapter of its history. Recognising my desire to move on to new and different challenges, he has kindly agreed. With leave of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, I will be continuing in my role as Grand Secretary until such time as a successor has been appointed in my stead, at which time, as is right and proper, I should expect to step down from office in his favour. I would like to thank you for your enormous hard work and support whilst in tenure and I wish you all, and the United Grand Lodge of England, the very best for the future.”   I would like to thank David for his hard work and commitment during his time in office, which has led to many positive improvements within Freemasonry. I wish him well in the future.    Geoffrey Dearing, President of the Board of General Purposes

UGLE WORLDWIDE – A VIEW FROM THE DISTRICTS ON SOLOMON LIVE Meet RW Bro Michael Hadjiconstantas, District Grand Master of Cyprus, who will share his insights into UGLE Districts and tell us about the customs and traditions of Freemasonry in Cyprus.   Solomon Live webinars cover popular masonic topics and offer the opportunity to ask questions and give us our #DailyAdvancement. These lively sessions are hosted by the inimitable W Bro Brody Swain, PCO of Worcestershire.   🎟️ Book here to register for an interview with RW Bro Michael Hadjiconstantas, at 19.30 on Tuesday 17th May  BOOK YOUR TICKET

MONDAY 11th APRIL  Welcome to First Rising – the official newsletter for members of United Grand Lodge of England.

UKRAINE RELIEF CHEST APPEAL CHARITIES ANNOUNCED

The Relief Chest Appeal for Ukraine now stands at £564k and is rising. The response from members across the Constitution has been tremendous and will enable Freemasonry to respond to the crisis in a meaningful and impactful way. Five selected charities will each receive a grant of £100,000 each towards their work. They are:- UK for UNHCR – the UN Refugee agency  Key focus – Ukraine – EMERGENCY SHELTER AND PROTECTION UNICEF  Key focus – Ukraine – HEALTH AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES Plan International UK Key focus – Border Countries – CHILD PROTECTION AND EDUCATION British Red Cross  Key focus – UK – REFUGEE SUPPORT AND RESETTLEMENT  The Refugee Council  Key Focus – UK – REFUGEE SUPPORT AND ADVICE

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NORTH WALES FESTIVAL KICKS OFF FESTIVAL IN SPECTACULAR FASHION

To launch the North Wales Festival 2028 Appeal, John Charles Hoult, Provincial Grand Master, accompanied by his Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Assistant Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Grand Charity Steward rode the Velocity Zip Wire at Zip World.  The target is to raise £2.5million for the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), the Freemasons’ charity. Provinces throughout England and Wales organise fundraising appeals known as Festivals. Festival appeals are a vital source of funding and generate the majority of donations made to the MCF.

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SOLOMON LIVE: MEET THE ASSISTANT GRAND MASTER SIR DAVID WOOTTON

Meet the Assistant Grand Master Sir David Wootton on Solomon Live. Find out about Sir David’s life, from being Lord Mayor of London, leading the Universities Scheme, being a leading City lawyer and his life-long commitment to rowing! These stimulating webinars are hosted by W Bro Brody Swain, PCO of Worcestershire and are designed to give us our #DailyAdvancement. They will last approximately 45 minutes. We will cover popular masonic topics and offer the opportunity to ask questions. Book here to register for an interview with RW Bro Sir David Wootton, at 19.30 on Tuesday 19th April.

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