MEGS Address to District Grand Chapter of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands Convocation on 23 July 2016

Companions,

I have very great pleasure in welcoming you all to this the July 2016 Convocation of the District. After our excursion last July to the Masonic Building, Davis Avenue, in the city of Montego Bay, it is good to be back home at Barbados Avenue. It is an absolute delight to see so many of you here at the business meeting of your District outside of Kingston.

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

• M.E. Comp. John A Fraser, the M.E. First Grand Principal of the Supreme grand Royal Arch Chapter and his deputation. This truly historic and unique visit of a Scottish High Ruler to our convocation is deeply appreciated. You do us a great honour by your presence. We wish for you an enjoyable visit to our assembly, and
• M.E. Comp. Douglas Murray, the Grand Superintendent of Scottish Royal Arch Masonry in Jamaica and his most distinguished deputation, and
• M.E. Comp. Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, the Grand Superintendent of Irish Royal Arch Masonry for Jamaica.

We continue to be blessed that E. Comp Afeef Lazarus, the Immediate Past Grand Superintendent, regularly attends our meetings and I ask you to give him a hearty welcome.

Companions, on 28 April 2016 it pleased the Most Excellent First Grand Principal to appoint E. Comps. Kirkland Seymour Todd Douglas and Dr. Wade Anthony Morgan P.A.G.D.C. respectively. They have each given yeoman service in the cause of the Holy Royal Arch in this District and we expect and indeed, need many, many more years of dedicated service to this cause from them. The large number of Companions and I who were present at the Investiture Meeting were thrilled, almost beyond belief, at hearing the names of these Companions being read out by the Grand Scribe Ezra in Grand Chapter.

Companions, your Grand Superintendent is generally very pleased at the state of the Holy Royal Arch in our District. The records of United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Grand Chapter of England as at 18 July, 2016, reveal that our Craft District had 1241 members of which 57.3 percent were in the Holy Royal Arch. We are amongst the world leaders and we ought to be justifiably proud of the same.

The Grand Officers whom I have appointed to give superintendence to the several chapters in the District have provided reports to the Committee of General Purposes and me which give a very favourable report of the high quality of the ritual work being performed in the Chapters and to the enthusiasm being displayed at the Convocations across the District.

My one area of disappointment continues to be the attendance levels of Companions at meetings. Last calendar year the average attendance across the District was 40 percent. This was a 2 percent increase over the previous year. Whilst the marginal increase in attendance is appreciated, we are nowhere our targeted attendance rate of 50 percent. There are no constitutional or other bars to the Chapters holding either a Past Principals night or a Stewards Night. These and other innovations will result in greater levels of attendance and ought to be encouraged by the Principals of the Chapters. As Royal Arch Masons, regrettably, we do not visit either our Scottish or Irish cousins often enough. May I exhort you all to significantly increase your visiting to the English, Scottish & Irish Chapters over the next six months.

The District Grand Stewards Chapter of Jamaica & The Cayman Islands No 9795 which was consecrated and dedicated on 29 June, 2015 has already begun to have an impact in the District. Its members have been instrumental in the improvement in the quality of the ritual work across the District. By all accounts, the Demonstration which it did in Montego Bay was really quite good. I am advised that the work assignments have been given out and that during the month of august 2016 it will put on a demonstration of the Ceremony of the Passing of the Veils. Let us honour their efforts with a full house!

Companions, please join with me in acknowledging the dedicated hard work of the Deputy Grand Superintendent and the Grand Officers in giving superintendence to the several Chapters.

Companions, as this is the first of two meetings this afternoon, I will be brief. On your behalf I convey our grateful thanks and gratitude to the District Grand Scribe Ezra and his team for their very hard work in putting on this meeting, to the District Grand Stewards Chapter for arranging the room and the facilities for the meeting, and to the District Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team for our very efficient ceremony.

Walter H. Scott, Q.C.
Most Excellent Grand Superintendent
In and Over Jamaica and The Cayman Islands
23 July, 2016