Knights Templar Annual Chapter of Great Priory
Wednesday the 18th of May 2022 marked the return of the Knights Templar Annual Chapter of Great priory to Freemasons' Hall after the long break due to Covid, since May 2019; although we had been fortunate enough to enjoy the Great Priory of Malta meeting in November of 2021
There were several Surrey Knights attending to support those being honoured today.
V.Em.Kt. Ray S H Hussey was appointed ar Great Registrar…
…and V.Em.Kt. Chris Eley was promoted to Past Great Registrar.
The meeting was tinged with sadness as only days previously, we had received the news of the passing of our Immediate Past Grand Master, Most Eminent and Supreme Knight Timothy John Lewis, G.C.T. Brother Knights of the K.T., along with Brethren of the Allied Masonic Degrees (the two Orders of which Tim, as he was affectionately known, had been the Grand Master), had received instructions to wear black ties at their meetings as a mark of respect, with further instructions for members of Preceptories and Councils of which he was a member.
The Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master, Paul Raymond Clement, G.C.T., opened the meeting with a touching tribute, recalling the effort his predecessor had made to attend Great Priory in 2017 in order to Install Paul as his successor.
After the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master had been re-elected, he then re-appointed Very High and Right Eminent Knight Andrew Christopher Rainbow, G.C.T., as Great Seneschal.
And went on to appoint Right Eminent Knights Anthony John Helliar, Prov.Prior for Essex, and Malcolm Frederick Bilton, Prov.Prior for Lincolnshire, to the honour and dignity of Knight Commander of the Temple.
There followed the appointment and investiture of the active Great Priory Officers of the year, and investiture of those receiving first appointments and promotions in Great Rank. These included E.Kts. Angus Cameron, Angus Rhodes and Jim Smith.
The Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master then invited E.Kt. Jamie Ingham Clark, the newly invested Deputy Great Sword Bearer and trustee of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital, to join him on the dais to receive a cheque for £80,677. This was the magnificent total raised for the Eye Hospital by the "20 for 2020" appeal and it was very pleasing to see so many swift lapel pins on display at the meeting, worn as tokens of appreciation by those who had made a contribution.
This is a milestone year for the Eye Hospital as it is the 140th anniversary of its founding, and the centenary of its reopening after World War One. The Knights Templar raised approximately one quarter of the funding needed for the reopening! There is due to be a published history of the Hospital to mark this special occasion.
In his address, the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master was pleased to congratulate the two Provincial Priors who had been appointed this Masonic year, R.E.Kt. Colin Birkbeck, Provincial Prior for East Anglia, and R.E.Kt. Peter Burrows, Provincial Prior for Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
He then welcomed visitors from sister Great Priories; Scotland, Greece, Germany, Finland, France, Netherlands, and the Great Priory of CBCS of Belgium; as well a Brother Knights from our own Provinces of Southeast Asia, and Far East; and a host of Heads of Order from other UK Masonic Orders.
We were then reminded of the Knights Templar Church Service being held at Wells Cathedral in the K.T. Province of Somerset, on Saturday, 24 September this year.
In closing, the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master expressed his pleasure at the reports of the good number of Candidates waiting to be installed as Knights of our Order and he commented that this is a golden opportunity to grow the Order by attracting quality Knights through quality ceremonies.
The meeting ended with the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master wishing the Brother Knights, their families and loved ones, to keep safe and well.
Present at the meeting was our Provincial Prior, seen here with R.Em.Kt. John Roberts, Provincial Prior of Middlesex, and R.Em.Kt. David Jordan, Provincial Prior of Kent.
Afterwards our Provincial Prior joined the Surrey Knights for a group photo…
…before retiring for refreshments.
To view all the photos of the day – click here
Article by Dan Heath and Chris Eley and photos by Chris Eley
Wednesday the 18th of May 2022 marked the return of the Knights Templar Annual Chapter of Great priory to Freemasons' Hall after the long break due to Covid, since May 2019; although we had been fortunate enough to enjoy the Great Priory of Malta meeting in November of 2021
There were several Surrey Knights attending to support those being honoured today.
V.Em.Kt. Ray S H Hussey was appointed ar Great Registrar…
…and V.Em.Kt. Chris Eley was promoted to Past Great Registrar.
The meeting was tinged with sadness as only days previously, we had received the news of the passing of our Immediate Past Grand Master, Most Eminent and Supreme Knight Timothy John Lewis, G.C.T. Brother Knights of the K.T., along with Brethren of the Allied Masonic Degrees (the two Orders of which Tim, as he was affectionately known, had been the Grand Master), had received instructions to wear black ties at their meetings as a mark of respect, with further instructions for members of Preceptories and Councils of which he was a member.
The Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master, Paul Raymond Clement, G.C.T., opened the meeting with a touching tribute, recalling the effort his predecessor had made to attend Great Priory in 2017 in order to Install Paul as his successor.
After the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master had been re-elected, he then re-appointed Very High and Right Eminent Knight Andrew Christopher Rainbow, G.C.T., as Great Seneschal.
And went on to appoint Right Eminent Knights Anthony John Helliar, Prov.Prior for Essex, and Malcolm Frederick Bilton, Prov.Prior for Lincolnshire, to the honour and dignity of Knight Commander of the Temple.
There followed the appointment and investiture of the active Great Priory Officers of the year, and investiture of those receiving first appointments and promotions in Great Rank. These included E.Kts. Angus Cameron, Angus Rhodes and Jim Smith.
The Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master then invited E.Kt. Jamie Ingham Clark, the newly invested Deputy Great Sword Bearer and trustee of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital, to join him on the dais to receive a cheque for £80,677. This was the magnificent total raised for the Eye Hospital by the "20 for 2020" appeal and it was very pleasing to see so many swift lapel pins on display at the meeting, worn as tokens of appreciation by those who had made a contribution.
This is a milestone year for the Eye Hospital as it is the 140th anniversary of its founding, and the centenary of its reopening after World War One. The Knights Templar raised approximately one quarter of the funding needed for the reopening! There is due to be a published history of the Hospital to mark this special occasion.
In his address, the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master was pleased to congratulate the two Provincial Priors who had been appointed this Masonic year, R.E.Kt. Colin Birkbeck, Provincial Prior for East Anglia, and R.E.Kt. Peter Burrows, Provincial Prior for Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
He then welcomed visitors from sister Great Priories; Scotland, Greece, Germany, Finland, France, Netherlands, and the Great Priory of CBCS of Belgium; as well a Brother Knights from our own Provinces of Southeast Asia, and Far East; and a host of Heads of Order from other UK Masonic Orders.
We were then reminded of the Knights Templar Church Service being held at Wells Cathedral in the K.T. Province of Somerset, on Saturday, 24 September this year.
In closing, the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master expressed his pleasure at the reports of the good number of Candidates waiting to be installed as Knights of our Order and he commented that this is a golden opportunity to grow the Order by attracting quality Knights through quality ceremonies.
The meeting ended with the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master wishing the Brother Knights, their families and loved ones, to keep safe and well.
Present at the meeting was our Provincial Prior, seen here with R.Em.Kt. John Roberts, Provincial Prior of Middlesex, and R.Em.Kt. David Jordan, Provincial Prior of Kent.
Afterwards our Provincial Prior joined the Surrey Knights for a group photo…
…before retiring for refreshments.
To view all the photos of the day – click here
Article by Dan Heath and Chris Eley and photos by Chris Eley
