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Report of the Committee of General Purposes
Minutes of the Regular Convocation of
29 April 2004 were confirmed.
Royal Arch Strategic Working Party
Proposals for certain changes to the
administration of the Royal Arch,
amendments to the ritual consequent
upon the decision of the Craft in December
2003 to redefine the relationship between
the Craft and the Royal Arch, three
other short additions to the ritual, and
a preliminary version of proposals for
an alternative working of the Symbolic
and Mystical Lectures were circulated
for comment in January.
A very large number of comments and
suggestions were received in response, and
the Strategic Working Party was pleased
to incorporate many of these in the course
of its further deliberations.
The proposals placed before Supreme
Grand Chapter now are significantly
different from those originally suggested,
and the Strategic Working Party would
like to record its gratitude to all those who
submitted comments, some of which were
substantive and were clearly the product
of much consideration and care.
If the proposals are approved by the
Grand Chapter, the Strategic Working
Party will have completed its work, and
it is not envisaged that further changes
will be brought before the Grand Chapter
in the foreseeable future.
The working of the changes will be kept
under regular review, and it is anticipated
that a major assessment will be appropriate
in ten years' time to consider the progress
and the effects of the present proposals.
Committee of General Purposes
Meetings in 2005: The Committee of
General Purposes will meet in 2005 on
22 March, 27 September and 6 December.
Mystical Lecture
The Annex to the Paper of Business includes:
(a) a recommendation that the R or
H sign should no longer be given before
addressing the Principals for the first time;
and
(b) in the explanation of the plate of
gold the words "...hereafter when we
hope to enjoy eternal life" in substitution
for the traditional wording "...hereafter
when we hope to enjoy endless life and
everlasting bliss".
The Committee considers that the
reasons for the changes given in the Annex
are compelling and apply with equal force
to existing versions of the Royal Arch
ritual. It accordingly recommends to Grand
Chapter that corresponding changes should
be made in the traditional version of the
Mystical Lecture.
Charter of Confirmation
The Committee has received a petition for
a Charter of Confirmation from Central
Streatham Chapter No 4573 (London),
the original having been lost.
The petition was approved.
Petitions for New Chapters
The Committee has received the following
petitions for new Chapters:
(a) That a new Chapter to be attached
to Athelstan Lodge No. 1333, to be called
Athelstan Chapter and to meet at Dordon
Village Hall, Browns Lane, Dordon,
Tamworth (Warwickshire);
(b) That a new Chapter to be attached
to Lodge St George No. 3072, to be called St
George Chapter and to meet at the Masonic
Rooms, 1 Hillsborough Street,
St George's, Grenada (Barbados and the
Eastern Caribbean);
(c) That a new Chapter to be attached
to East Africa Millennium Lodge No. 9701,
to be called East African First Principals'
Chapter and to meet at Freemasons' Hall,
Nairobi, Kenya (East Africa).
The petitions were approved.
Centenary Charters
The Committee has received Memorials
from the following Chapters, praying
for Charters authorising the members
to wear the Centenary Jewel:
Chapter
From
(a) Perseverance No. 573 (Worcestershire)
19 July 2005
(b) Walden No 1280 (Essex)
14 June 2005
(c) Carnarvon No 1684 (Natal)
6 April 2005
(d) Benevolentia No 2549 (London)
2 March 2005
(e) Baring No 2602 (Norfolk)
23 March 2005
The memorials were approved.
Transfers
The Committee has received the following
Memorials:
(a) From Caledonian Chapter No. 134
(London) to be detached from Caledonian
Lodge and attached to St Catherine's
Lodge No. 3743 (London), and that with
permission of the ME The First Grand
Principal it be known as St Catherine's
Caledonian Chapter No. 3743.
(b) From Royal and Loyal Chapter
No. 2952 (London) to be detached from
Royal and Loyal Lodge and attached to
Anglo Sierra Leone Lodge No. 9416
(London), and that with permission
of the ME The First Grand Principal
it be known as Anglo Sierra Leone Royal
and Loyal Chapter No. 9416.
(c) From Southall-Norwood Chapter
No. 4868 (Middlesex) praying that following
the closure of Southall-Norwood Lodge it be attached to Justicia Lodge No. 2563 (Middlesex), and it be known as the Justicia Chapter No. 2563.
The memorials were approved (subject in the cases of Caledonian Chapter and Royal and Loyal Chapter to the permission of the ME The First Grand Principal to keep a reference to their existing names).
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