The Very Revd David Leaning,
Dean of Southwell, RW. Bro.
Robin Wilson, Provincial Grand
Master for Nottinghamshire
and Paul Hale, Rector Chori
RW Bro. Richard Anderson,
Provincial Grand Master for
Yorkshire North and East
Ridings, proudly displaying
the magnificent Festival total
Festival success: Andrew
Stebbings, RMTGB President
(left) with Richard Anderson,
PGM Yorkshire, North &
East Ridings and (right),
David Williamson, Assistant
Grand Master
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New Choral Bursary
for Southwell Minster
On 22 May the Province of Nottinghamshire
held its Annual Service at Southwell Minster,
during which the Provincial Grand Master,
RW Bro Robin Keith Wilson, presented a
cheque for £2,000 on behalf of the Royal
Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, to fund
the first year of a new Choral Bursary at
the Minster.
Presenting the cheque to the Dean, the
Very Revd David Leaning, Provincial Grand
Master, said:
In 1997 Southwell Minster launched an appeal to
raise a quarter of a million pounds to safeguard the
future of the Choir.
Following the withdrawal of funding by local
authorities and other institutions, the School
was forced to close its Boarding House where its
choristers lived during term time. At the same
time, the number of suitably talented young
people in the area diminished, and the Minster
was therefore obliged to look further afield for its
intake of choristers, each of whom would need to
make a lengthy journey to attend the School and
stay late for practice and the services, and at
weekends. It was quickly recognised that several
gifted singers were being prevented from taking
up their places in the Choir, because their parents
could not afford to meet the cost of travel, meals
and after-school supervision.
Southwell was not the only cathedral finding it
difficult to raise financial support for its choristers.
The RMTGB therefore resolved to assist, by
establishing a system of Choral Bursaries to cover
expenses and fees of those choristers in need, and
thus to play their part in preserving the wonderful
tradition of choral singing in our cathedrals, and
enabling the children to benefit from the unique
experience of a cathedral choral education.
Since its inception in 1997, the Choral
Bursary Scheme has contributed a total in excess
of one and a half million pounds spread among 22
cathedrals and collegiate churches throughout the
country. Southwell was one of the first to receive
a Bursary, and since 1997 six choristers have been
supported at a cost of more than £62,000. I am
delighted to announce that the Trust is very
pleased to be able to continue its support for the
Choir and the Minster, and it therefore gives
me the greatest possible pleasure on its behalf
to present this cheque for £2,000.
RMTGB Festival 2006
The Freemasons of Yorkshire, North and
East Ridings broke with tradition this year.
Instead of holding a Festival banquet at
which only a small percentage of members
of the Province would be able to attend,
the culmination of the 2006 Festival Appeal
took place at the Provincial Grand Lodge
meeting held on Saturday, 20 May 2006
at the University of York.
The meeting was presided over by RW
Bro Richard Anderson, Provincial Grand
Master (PGM) and the guest of honour
was RW Bro David Williamson, Assistant
Grand Master. Also present was RW Bro
Iain Bryce, Past Deputy Grand Master
and a former Provincial Grand Master for
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings, together
with other distinguished brethren.
The PGM, in true theatrical tradition,
kept everyone in suspense before two
members of the Province came forward with
a tightly-furled banner. At the given signal,
this was slowly unfurled and the PGM read
out the final result – a truly magnificent
total of £2,325,736, of which £2,087,056
came from the Province, with only 99
Lodges. London achieved £160,883,
other Provinces raised £73,655 and Districts
and Lodges Overseas realised £4,142.
In their addresses, both the Assistant
Grand Master and the PGM paid tribute
to the work of the Trust. In his response,
VW Bro Andrew Stebbings, President of the
RMTGB, said that the Trust was currently
looking after 23 children and young people
from Yorkshire, North and East Ridings.
He highlighted the progress of two
families and went on to say that over the
last five years the Trust had expended in
excess of £690,000 on the 23 cases from
this Province alone.
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