The Inspector General and the District Recorder send all the Princes and their families their sincere wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
2020 will be an exciting year for the Order, and the District of Buckinghamshire in particular, with the celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales and its Districts and Chapters Overseas.
The District will mark this occasion with a special event which is currently being planned and details will be forwarded in the New Year. However, the best way to mark and celebrate such an event would be to introduce as many candidates as we can to this wonderful Order. We should all endeavour to find quality candidates from our Lodges and Chapters who profess a belief in the Trinitarian Christian Faith and we must then ensure that they enjoy their Rose Croix membership and that those of us already here will enjoy having them with us.
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, we wish goodwill to you all along with good health and prosperity. God bless you!
NOVEMBER 2019 - Merlaue Chapter received E&P Bro. Roger Hagan as its newest Perfectee at a vibrant meeting at Marlow. The ceremony was performed by the MWS, E&P Bro. Paul Lear assisted by other members of the Chapter.
The photograph shows the MWS congratulating Roger (second left) with his proposers, E&P Bro. Peter Bennett (far left) and E&P Bro. Nick Wilson (far right).
Roger is a Master Mason of Temple Manor Lodge No. 8143 and is also a member of Cliveden Lodge No. 7944. We all wish him many happy and successful years in our wonderful Order.
NOVEMBER 2019 - At a very
vibrant meeting, Robert De
Turnham Chapter No.917 managed
to perfect a new prince, ballot and
receive a joining member, enthrone
the new MWS and then present two
Supreme Council Certificates to two
of its members.
The meeting in Bletchley on 8 November
started with the MWS, Ill∴Bro Mike
Clanfield 30º (centre) and his officers
perfecting E&P Bro. Ian Knight 18º (far right)
and then receive Ill∴Bro Colin Piper 30º
(second from the left next to the Inspector
General) as a joining member.
E&P Bro. Ian is a Master Mason of Watling
Street Lodge and Ill∴Bro Colin is a member
of Serenity Chapter as well as the
Sovereigns Chapter, both in Middlesex.
We wish our new members many happy and successful years in our wonderful Order and in the District of Buckinghamshire.
The meeting continued with the enthronement of the new MWS, Ill∴Bro Aleksander Muncan 30º (second from the right) and the presentation of two Supreme Council Certificates by the District Recorder.
We all wish Ill∴Bro Aleksander a most rewarding year as MWS of the Chapter and congratulate the Recorder and members on an extremely well-organised and enjoyable meeting.
NOVEMBER 2019 - Ill∴Bro Charles Anstead 30º (pictured on the left) was proclaimed as the MWS for the second year running at a meeting of Seventh Circle Chapter in Olney on 20 November.
Ill∴Bro Charles, very ably assisted by Ill∴Bro Mike Jolley 32º (pictured on the right) then perfected E&P Bro. Gregory Bagniuk (pictured in the centre) in a wonderful ceremony which was enjoyed by all. E&P Bro. Gregory is a Master Mason of Palmer Lodge No. 8995 and we all wish him many happy and successful years in our wonderful Order.
The meeting also included the presentation of a Supreme Council Certificate by the District Recorder, Ill∴Bro Peter Moody 31º to E&P Bro. Martin Whitehouse and the successful ballot for a candidate to be perfected at the next meeting on 19 February next year. Visitors would be most welcome to attend.
OCTOBER 2019 - It was a busy meeting in Beaconsfield at Via Phari Chapter No. 1060 on 25 October 2019 when the agenda included the perfection of a new Prince and the enthronement of a new MWS.....
...In an excellent ceremony conducted by the MWS, Ill∴Bro Harry Hunter 30º (far right) assisted by the Inspector General and other members, the Chapter welcomed E&P Bro. Dr Mark Jones (second from the left) as the latest Perfectee of the Chapter. Mark is a Master Mason of Queensway Paddington Lodge and is also a member of the Sons of the Soil Lodge of the Scottish Constitution. Mark was proposed by E&P Bro Marco Capobianco 18º and seconded by E&P Bro Vijaya Ragawan 18º, both of whom joined the Chapter in 2018.
Ill∴Bro Harry then enthroned his successor, E&P Bro. Peter Stinson 18º (far left) in another excellent ceremony in which the Address to the Princes was delivered by the Inspector General.
We wish Mark many happy and successful years in our wonderful Order and Peter a most rewarding year as MWS of the Chapter.
OCTOBER 2019 - At Fides Chapter Rose Croix No 596 at Bicester on Monday 14th October, Most Puissant Brother Alan Englefield, Sovereign Grand Commander of Supreme Council, re-presented V⸫ Ill⸫Bro Peter Jones with his patent on his being re-appointed as Inspector General for Oxfordshire for a further 5 years.
V⸫ Ill⸫Bro Peter is centre front in the photograph with the Sovereign Grand Commander on his right and Ill⸫Bro James Hilditch, Craft Provincial Grand Master for Oxfordshire behind his right shoulder. MWS Peter Lindfield is on the Inspector General’s left with Newly-Perfected Prince Richard Rodgers behind him and the Inspectors General for Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire, Francis Wakem and Peter Harborne, also in the picture.
OCTOBER 2019 - The District had a double reason to celebrate when our District Recorder, Ill∴Bro Peter Moody received his 31º and Ill∴Bro Mark Davis (next to the Inspector General) received his 30º in ceremonies at the Grand East in Duke Street, St James’s on 21 October 2019.
The ceremonies were conducted by the Supreme Council 33º and were followed by an excellent dinner at the Royal Over-Seas League. The photograph shows them celebrating with the Inspector General and Ill∴Bro Peter Corbett 31º (on the right).
Mark is a member of Chandos Chapter and Peter is a member of the Merlaue and Buckinghamshire Higher Degrees Chapters and we all wish them our heartiest congratulations on their preferment.
SEPTEMBER 2019 - Hope Chapter welcomed a new Perfectee, E&P Bro Ellick Taylor in an excellent ceremony at Aylesbury on Monday, 23 September 2019.....
...The ritual was performed by the Most Wise Sovereign, E&P Bro Michael Power, assisted by other Officers of the Chapter in the presence of the Inspector General and the District Recorder.
E&P Bro Ellick is a Master Mason of Hampden Lodge and also a member of Bromley St Leonard. The photograph shows him stood next to the Inspector General with his proposer, Ill∴Bro Tony Bromage 30º on the far left and seconder, Ill∴Bro Bernard Frow 32º next to him.
We all wish E&P Bro Ellick many happy and successful years in this wonderful Order.
JULY 2019 - Ill⸫Bro Peter N Carter 32°
As most will now have heard, we lost Ill⸫Bro Peter N Carter 32° to the Grand Chapter above on Tuesday 9th July. He had seemed very well at Bucks Masters on the previous Friday, but he suffered heart complications on Monday evening and though he was taken quickly to Milton Keynes hospital, he died in the early hours of Tuesday. Our deepest sympathy goes to Linda, to Nick and Suzie and to James, his son-in-law and Bobbie, his daughter-in-law - and 5 grandchildren.
Peter was well known to all in Buckinghamshire District Rose Croix as well as many adjoining Districts having served as District Recorder for V⸫Ill⸫Bro David Sawyer for 7 years and V⸫Ill⸫Bro Peter Harborne for another 2.
Peter joined Robert de Turnham Chapter No 917 in 1985 and was MWS in 1992. He was a member of Thames & Chilterns Chapter No 1075, our Higher Degrees Chapter in the District of Berks, Bucks and Oxon, and was their MWS in 2016. He was also the founding Recorder for our single-district Buckinghamshire Higher Degrees Chapter No 1176 in March 2006 and Sovereign in 2015.
Peter was a keen and enthusiastic member of all the Orders of which he was a member, attained Grand Rank in Craft and Royal Arch, was elected to the 32° of the Ancient and Accepted Rite in 2007 and was also a member in the Mark, Royal Ark Mariner and Royal&Select Masters Degrees. He was a friendly, gregarious and generous man who was always a pleasure to be with and we shall all miss his company as we attend the many units of which he was such a strong supporter.
Requiescat in Pace Peter!
The funeral was held at Crownhill Crematorium on 22 July and was attended by our current and past Inspectors General, together with a large number of Princes, friends and family.
JULY 2019 - Cygnet Chapter at Slough welcomed E&P Bro Vince Peacock to the Order.....
...on Tuesday 2nd July in an excellent ceremony which was conducted by our Inspector General, our District Recorder and Ill Bros Peter Roe and Paul Smallman of the Chapter. They were ably assisted by the Officers of Cygnet Chapter and everyone enjoyed a very hospitable Festive Board afterwards.
E&P Bro Vince is a Master Mason who was raised in Industria Lodge and was proposed by the MWS, E&P Bro Clifford Waugh, who was unavoidably absent, and Ill Bro Peter Cole shown to the right of our new Perfectee in the photograph. We all wish him many happy and successful years in this wonderful Order.
JUNE 2019 - The District Recorder, Ill∴Bro Peter Moody 30º (on the left) and the MWS, E&P Bro Michael Power (on the right) welcome our latest Perfectee, E&P Bro Steve Adamek (centre) to the District and to the Hope Chapter in Aylesbury.
Steve is a Master Mason of a number of Craft Lodges including Aylesbury Lodge and was perfected in an excellent ceremony on Monday, 24 June 2019.
We all wish him many happy and successful years in this wonderful Order.
JUNE 2019 - St Nicholas at Kimble welcomed E&P Bro John Stranks to the Order on Thursday 20th June.
John is second from the right with Dick Bird, MWS, in the centre and the Inspector General on Dick's right.
John is a Master Mason of Saxon Lodge No. 9735 and was proposed by the Chapter Recorder, David Eeles (shown far right) and seconded by Frank Duncan (shown far left).
We wish John many happy and successful years in our wonderful Order.
MAY 2019 - The Inspector General and the District Recorder celebrate with Ill∴Bro Graham Perry on the occasion of him receiving his 31º.
The ceremony was conducted by the Supreme Council 33º at the Grand East in Duke Street, St James’s on 21 May 2019 and was followed by a dinner at the Royal Over-Seas League.
Graham is a member of the Robert De Turnham, Signum Lucis and Buckinghamshire Higher Degrees Chapters and also mentors on the Chapter of Improvement sessions held at Winslow. We all wish him our heartiest congratulations on his preferment.
MAY 2019 - The Inspector General and the Most Wise Sovereign, Ill∴Bro Mike Clanfield 30º welcome our two newest Perfectees to the District and to the Robert De Turnham Chapter in Bletchley.
E&P Bros. Albert Griffith, a Master Mason of Longueville Lodge and Brian Guest, a Master Mason of Redbourn Lodge are also members of Oliver Chapter in the Royal Arch.
They were perfected in an excellent ceremony on Friday, 17 May 2019 in the presence of over thirty members and guests. We all wish them both many happy and successful years in this wonderful Order.
MAY 2019 - The photograph shows Ill∴Bro David Gregory 30º presenting a bouquet of flowers to Sheila Hankins for all her hard work in producing excellent embroidered items for the St Nicholas at Kimble Chapter.
About three years ago, the members found that their altar cloth had been the substantial diet of mice which had got into the storeroom. Sheila took this to pieces and remade it, complete with frills, as it was not possible to buy a replacement.
When Ill∴Bro David Eeles 30º took over as the Chapter Recorder, he thought it would be fitting to have a cloth with a Rose Croix apron on it to cover the Recorder’s table at their meetings. As he had such an apron, Sheila very kindly took it to pieces and attached the front section to the cloth producing the wonderful cover on which her flowers are displayed.