Page 6 - Essex Mason Spring Special Edition

Provincial

Supporting Care Homes and Hospitals

By VW.Bro Paul George Reeves
DepPGM

Essex Provincial Almoner’s
COVID-19 Appeal
Thank you to all those who supported the Provincial Grand Almoner’s Appeal, which started with a £10,000 grant from
the Essex Freemasons’ Community Fund but to which Essex Lodges, Chapters and individual brethren have added
almost £40,000 more, allowing W.Bro Nick Clarke and his team to support a number of brethren in financial crisis as
a result of the coronavirus and a big thank goes to him and his team for what they are doing to look after us in these
difficult times. See page 18 for more details.

3D Printed PPE
Our thanks are also due to W.Bro Paul McGuinness of Sibelius Lodge No. 9448 and his non-
mason cousin Lee McGuinness, who are producing thousands of head bands on their 3D
printers (used to relieve discomfort caused to NHS staff wearing face masks with bands that
clip over the ears for prolonged periods). W.Bro Paul has also purchased a second 3D printer
to increase production of the bands, which are in great demand. Well done also to his fellow
lodge member, W.Bro Steve Drury and W.Bro Jack Saunders who have been delivering them.

Facial Visors to Support NHS Staff, Care Home Workers and Hospice Staff
Supported by a further £30,000 in grants from the Essex Freemasons’ Community Fund W.Bro Lee Taylor, APGM has been doing a
sterling job of coordinating the procurement and supply of facial visors and other essential PPE equipment urgently required in 35
Essex Care Homes that currently have coronavirus outbreaks in their home and in 270 other Essex Care Homes fighting to prevent
infection taking hold, as well as some NHS hospital coronavirus wards and Community Nurse Teams across Essex. So far 5,000 visors
have been delivered with a further 10,000 still on order and individual hand sanitisers (with refills) for every Care Home worker in the 49
Essex Care Homes identified as most at risk. Plans are also in hand to provide similar assistance to Essex hospices following a public
appeal by St Francis’ Hospice in Havering-atte-Bower asking for visors.
Special thanks are also due to the brethren who have
volunteered to deliver the PPE equipment as outlined in
W.Bro Lee’s article on page 8.
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Ladies Nights
Freemason. #essexfreemasonscare
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And finally……. Ladies Nights
At midday on 17th March 2020, six days before HM
Government put the country into lockdown due to the
Coronavirus pandemic, the MW The Grand Master, HRH The
Duke of Kent, took the sensible precaution of suspending all
masonic meetings for a period of four months; but there is every
possibility that will have to be extended. As a consequence
the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting on 26th March and the
annual Investiture meetings of UGLE and Supreme Grand Band on the Run
Chapter on the 29th & 30th April were cancelled.
is a popular, versatile
In Essex the following significant meetings have, or will, also
be cancelled but the RW ProvGM and his Executive will ensure
they support the lodges concerned to help them celebrate 5 piece band
later this year:
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17th April Tuscan Lodge No. 6067 - 75th Anniversary
18th April Consecration of Chapter of XV No. 9944
6th May United Chapter No. 697 - Centenary types of functions
14th May Iceni Lodge No. 6066 - 75th Anniversary
27th June Thames Estuary Lodge No. 4043 - Centenary
4th July Ixion Chapter No. 2501 - 125th Anniversary
24th July West Essex Lodge No. 2561 - 125th Anniversary
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Visit our website for more details or contact isit our website for more details or contact
When this is over it is our intention to ask the Dean of Chelmsford
Cathedral to hold a Remembrance Service for us to honour the Ian Rice for a demo CD
brethren and their families lost to the Coronavirus so please
ensure the death of any Brother or, with their permission, a
member of their family, related to this pandemic is promptly www.bandontherun.co.uk
reported to the Provincial Office and, where possible, please
provide an unedited photograph of the Brother that can be Tel: 01621 817 320 or 07802 858843
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used on The Cube and for that service. Toastmaster Also Availableoastmaster Also Available
Be safe brethren.
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