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Hermes and Essex Province

New web-based application for Secretaries and Scribe E’s.
UGLE has wanted for some time to move away from paper-based systems and this will
happen with the launch of Hermes which is currently planned for the second half of 2021.
Paul Harris, head of Hermes deployment in Essex answers your questions.
Q. I thought Hermes delivered parcels, what's that got to do with our Province?

A. Yes, they do deliver parcels and no doubt will continue to do so. But the Hermes I am referring to is the new

Q. system which has been developed by Grand Lodge for use by Lodge Secretaries and Scribes E.

What was wrong with the old paper system?

A. There was nothing wrong with it, indeed it has worked perfectly well for many years. However, as we all
know, especially over the last year, many of the tasks we all did in person or on paper have been moved to
online systems. I am thinking here of Banking, shopping, buying goods and even meeting up with friends
and Brethren during Lockdown. So rather than paper forms and returns, Grand Lodge are moving to doing
Q. these online.

OK so how will it work?
A. Each Secretary and Scribe E. will have access to their Lodge or Chapter details online. If a Brother changes

address or phone number for instance, this can be done immediately and the details held by Grand Lodge
and Province will also be updated. All those details will be saved and can be accessed anywhere and at any
Q. time, via desktop, laptop, iPad or smartphone.

Does this mean that everything will be online?
A. No, there is still the requirement to write

minutes and produce summonses which
are still an important and a great part of
our Freemasonry however the majority of
these are now also prepared and distributed
Q. electronically.

Sounds as if it maybe complicated.
A. It really is not, I am confident that every

Secretary and Scribe E. will be able to continue
in their Office and use the new system. To help
in that regard Neil Beverley, APGM, and I
have formed a Steering Group whose first
task was to put together a team of trainers.
This has been done and these trainers will
be available on a group or one-one basis as
needed by each individual. A support line will
also be set up in due course for those urgent
enquiries.
Q. Sounds interesting, when will we get to

see it?
A. We hope that Essex will go live on this in the

last quarter of 2021. Prior to that training
programmes will be rolled out. There are other
time saving features of Hermes which I shall
lay out another time. However, this really is
an exciting development for Grand Lodge and
Essex. We are moving to the paperless office.

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