PARALYMPIC CHAMPION FETED BY YORKSHIRE ROYAL ARCH MASONS

Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE, the paralympic athlete, was the guest speaker at the 8th Annual Provincial Grand Chapter Dinner of the Province of Yorkshire North and East Riding on 15 March. The event, at the Gimcrack Rooms York Racecourse, was attended by over 200 Provincial Officers together with their wives and partners.
    Tanni Grey-Thompson reminisced about her career as a champion athlete, confiding that she really wanted to be an International Basket-Ball player. This ambition was thwarted by her being fourfeet- ten tall and suffering from spina bifida, so she decided that she would simply have to concentrate on athletics. So successful has she been, that she has won more gold medals than any other disabled athlete in the world, as well as being three-times winner of the London Marathon. She has decided to retire from athletics when she beats her Marathonrunner husband’s time in the London Marathon. Tanni disclosed that her husband has said he will retire if she does!
    The Grand Superintendent, Donald Davinson, presented a cheque for £1000 for Tanni’s chosen charity, the University of Wales Medical School’s research facility for difficult births.

HAPPY BAND OF BROTHERS

The Buckinghamshire Masonic Centenary Fund has responded to a request by the Cadet Band of the Buckinghamshire Battalion, Royal Green Jackets, and donated £17,000 to provide a mini-bus to help transport the band to its various engagements. Alan Watkins, Secretary of the Fund, handed over the keys of the brand new 17-seater minibus at the Aylesbury Territorial Army Centre. In due course the band bus will have the caption ‘Bus presented by the Freemasons of Buckinghamshire’ on both front door panels. Captain Trish Caseman, the Band Director, has offered the Cadet Band to play at the Buckinghamshire Masonic Benevolent Fund Fête at Hall Barn on Saturday 12 July 2003 as a gesture to local Masons. The band is 16 strong and can give short marching and bugle displays, as well as short military band pieces – ideal garden party fare! Centenary Fund chairman, Deputy Provincial Grand Master Don Varney, together with Alan Watkins and the rest of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Buckinghamshire, were keen that the band should have a symbolic opportunity to make a public expression of gratitude to Buckinghamshire Freemasons. The Centenary Fund is used exclusively to provide assistance to organisations and individuals with a strong local Buckinghamshire connection. In its 12 years of existence, the fund has donated more than £466,000 to good causes, and during 2002 gave grants to 41 local non- Masonic charities and individuals totalling £57,454, an average of £1,404 for each award.

FREEMASONS VISIT SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR, NEASDEN

On Thursday 8 May 2003 a special function took place at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, London – Europe’s largest traditional Mandir (Temple). This magnificent Temple was constructed from 2,800 tons of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tons of Italian marble, which were first shipped to India, carved by 1,500 craftsmen and then shipped to London. The Temple was constructed in three years, and is the largest Hindu Temple outside India. In total, 600 freemasons attended the function in the afternoon. First the visitors were shown round the Mandir complex to learn how the Mandir was constructed by dedicated volunteers. After viewing the deities in the sacred shrines, they saw an educational and enlightening exhibition on ‘Understanding Hinduism’.
    In the cultural complex built in traditional wooden Haveli style, another exhibition on BAPS (Hindu Mission in UK) Swaminarayan Sanstha outlined the worldwide activities of the organisation. The special assembly started at 5:30pm with Vedic prayers traditionally sung by the saints from the ancient scriptures. The atmosphere created was truly soothing.
    Following a presentation on the humanitarian and charitable activities of the BAPS organisation, the mahant (Head) of the Mandir, Pujya Atmaswarup Swami addressed the gathering. Talking of the message of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj - inspirer of the Mandir - he emphasised the importance of spirituality in our everyday lives and its role in aiding individuals to work for the betterment of others.
    Rex Thorne, Chairman of London Management, thanked everyone involved in arranging the function and presented a special memento to Pujya Atmaswarup Swami to commemorate the occasion. He specially commended the Hindu community for their kindness, humility and understanding. The assembly ended with the traditional Arti ceremony in which lighted lamps are waved before the deities. The evening ended with the serving of prasadam (traditional Indian food).
    The Freemasons had the chance of understanding Hindu traditions at firsthand. They were very impressed with the architecture but more so by the spirituality that pervades the entire Mandir. The dedication, devotion and discipline of the volunteers too was heart-warming, as was the activity of education by BAPS.

MASONIC LIBRARY AND MUSEUM GROUP IN DERBY

The 11th meeting of the group took place on Saturday 29 March at the Derbyshire Provincial Library in Littleover. Delegates came from masonic libraries and museums from 15 Provinces, out of more than 70 identified masonic collections. Among those present at this meeting was Diane Clements, Director of the Library and Museum at Great Queen Street, London.
    The first talk, by John Belton of the Internet Lodge, entitled ‘Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink’ outlined the vast amount of information available on the internet. The second, by Paul Riley, dealt with the practicalities of using computers for storing and retrieving information. The delegates were given a guided tour of the Provincial Masonic Hall and saw the enormous progress made since the Library was seriously damaged by fire in 1990.

BRISTOL MARK MASONS MODEL AMBULANCE RAISES MONEY

Following the presentation of a Crusader Ambulance to the Avon Branch of St John Ambulance in March 2001, as part of the National Campaign, brethren of the Mark Province of Bristol decided to continue their support of the vehicle, and established a fund to contribute to its annual running costs.
    To provide a focus for this, a collection box was made in the form of a model ambulance, which is trundled round the dining tables at each After Meeting. This initiative has enabled the sum of £1,000 to be raised over the past two years – a laudable achievement by a Province of only nine lodges. This continuing commitment made possible a second cheque for £500 to be presented to the Commander of the Avon Branch of St John Ambulance, Stuart Hadler, at the Mark Annual Dinner in March this year by the Provincial Grand Master, Norman Cavvell.