MEGS Address to District Grand Chapter of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands Convocation on 26 July 2014

Companions,

It is with very great pleasure that I welcome you all to this the July 2014 Convocation of the District. Although this is the business meeting of the District, I continue to be pleased to see you out in such large numbers.

Companions, on your behalf I welcome our most distinguished visiting Companions and in particular I welcome:

• E. Comp G. Trevor Jones, the Grand Superintendent of Scottish Royal Arch Masonry in Jamaica and his deputation.
• E. Companion Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin the Grand Superintendent of Irish Royal Arch Masonry for Jamaica.

Please also join me in offering a very special welcome to E. Comp Afeef Lazarus, the Immediate Past Grand Superintendent.

Companions, at our Convocation last January, I stated that “I have tasked a small committee led by the President of the District Committee of General Purposes to oversee the creation of a District Grand Stewards Chapter. If the Companions find favour with it, it will be a Chapter which will hold demonstrations of the Aldersgate version of the Holy Royal Arch Ritual; perform functions as a Chapter of Instruction and assist the District Grand Chapter in arranging its Convocations and meetings. Its membership will be limited membership, will be exceedingly prestigious and will be drawn from very keen, committed Past First Principals”.

I am pleased to report that a group of Petitioners has been formed.

The Hamilton Holy Royal Arch Chapter is the Sponsoring Chapter. The Petition has been completed and dispatched to London. It will be considered at the next meeting of the Committee of General Purposes of Supreme Grand Chapter in September and, all other things being equal will be approved at the Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter in November 2014.

E. Comp Ian Roxborough will be the first Most Excellent Zerubabel of the Chapter. The name of the Chapter will be the District Grand Stewards Chapter of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Companions, if this timetable is met, it will mean that the District will conduct the Consecration of the Chapter sometime in early 2015.

We have not had a Holy Royal Arch Consecration for over twenty years. For most of us this will be a first, and ought to be a truly memorable experience. Companions, the work of the District Grand Stewards Chapter of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands will be very important.

We have grown this District to the point where we are now the Third largest District in the world under the Banner of the Supreme Grand Chapter of England. This is disproportionate to the number of members of the Craft in this District. As admirable as this superb increase in numbers has been, it has not brought with it an equally improved development in our Ritual work. It is my hope that a combined effort from the Companions in their Chapters and the Work of the District Grand Stewards Chapter will result in commensurate improvement in the quality of the Ritual Work in the several Chapters in the District. In this regard, I have tasked the Grand Officers in the Holy Royal Arch in the District, all twenty-three (23) of them, to become quality control officers. I have asked them to attend Rehearsals of their Chapter and to assist the Chapter directors of Ceremonies in order to ensure that the quality of the ritual work is enhanced.

Companions, on 01 May 2014 it pleased the Most Excellent First Grand Principal to appoint E. Comp. Ian Roxborough to the Rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies. E. Comp. Roxborough was present at Supreme Grand Chapter and all ten (10) of us who where there, beamed with great pride as he was invested by the Most Excellent the Pro First Grand Principal.

Finally, Companions, on your behalf I convey our thanks and gratitude to the District Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team for our very efficient ceremony and to District Grand Scribe Ezra and his team for their very hard work in arranging this meeting.

Walter H. Scott, Q.C.
Most Excellent Grand Superintendent
In and Over Jamaica and The Cayman Islands
26 July, 2014