Provincial Festival 2017

First look at the Festival Jewel

The Wiltshire 2017 Festival Jewel, designed by Andrew Tiffin- Lodge of Loyalty No 1533, displays the sun, set against a blue sky, rising behind the prehistoric stones of Stonehenge and is suspended on a green and yellow ribbon, the colours of the Masonic Samaritan Fund

The Provincial Grand Master has invited me to give you a short insight into the Festival that is to be launched at Provincial Grand Lodge on 4 October 2012. The Festival is in aid of one of the four main Masonic charities, the Masonic Samarian Fund.

The Festival will run for a term of five years and the cumulative target has been set at the sum of £750,000.00. However, we would sincerely hope to not only reach that target but to exceed it by a substantial amount. There are approximately 2200 Freemasons in the Province, not all of them active, and it is realised that the burden of the fundraising will fall on those who are active, in the same way that there are those who are not able to contribute at the same level as others. Bearing in mind the present economic climate and inflation, the target has been set at a slightly increased figure to the last Festival in 2003 in the hope that the target that we have set will not be too much of a strain on the members of the Province.

The RW Provincial Grand Master has tasked me with launching the Festival in spectacular fashion, and for those who will be attending next year bear this in mind and do not be at all surprised at anything that might happen.

The Festival is being organised through four Committees:-

1. The Fundraising Committee under the Chairmanship of W Bro Jim Speed has the job of organising events which will be available to all members of the Province their family and friends. Already the Committee is busy arranging a Carol Concert with a major Male Voice Choir for Christmas 2012, a 40 mile sponsored walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal, a Provincial Raffle with a Mediterranean Cruise as the first prize and several runners up prizes. The 500 club has been launched and already over 100 Wiltshire Freemasons have signed up to the opportunity of winning monthly prizes of £100.00, £75.00 and £25.00 (see the activities and events page) Please do contact Alan Welch who will be delighted to explain the scheme in greater detail. They will also be visiting individual Lodges to discuss and assist them with fundraising ideas, remembering that fundraising should be fun, it should not be dull, boring and a drudge. More details will be forthcoming of these Provincial events in due course and I would urge you to encourage your family and friends to join you and to enjoy them.

2. The Publicity and Public Relations Committee is led by Asst PGM Philip Bullock. They will be keeping you informed as to what is happening for the Festival throughout the Province; again they too will be visiting individual Lodges keeping you up-dated with news. They will have publicity information and literature which is in the process of being produced. They will also answer any questions that you may have as to the use of the Relief Chest, and payments made direct to The Masonic Samaritan Fund.

3. The Logistics Committee under the Chairmanship of Simon Leighfield is sourcing Festival products for sale, cufflinks, tie pins, pens, mugs, scarves, and lots of other attractive items. These will be available for purchase throughout the duration of the Festival, and new items will be introduced from time to time. The committee is also working on individual Lodge rewards which will be presented by either the PGM, myself or the Asst PGM at Lodge meetings when the Lodge has a certain percentage of its members signed up to Gift Aid forms or has donated a specified percentage of its target. The Festival Jewel designed by W. Bro Andrew Tiffin has been approved by Grand Lodge and is now in production - I am sure every Freemason in Wiltshire will be proud to wear the Jewel.

Finally, the Final Event Committee is possibly badly named, as under the watchful eye of W Bro John Badger they are looking into a launch event dinner as well as the final event. There really are not a large number of venues that can cater for the sort of numbers that we are expecting for the final event, and so it will have to be held at one end of the Province or the other.

These four committees report to the main Festival Committee who will oversee the general running of the Festival, be there to give guidance and support and some experience where it is necessary.

Brethren, as with all Festivals there will be a lot of hard work, but I would sincerely hope that along the way there will be a lot of fun, a lot of laughter, new friendships formed, closer ties forged between Lodges, but above all a lot of money raised for a very worthwhile Charity.