A busy two days in the Scarlet Cord at Mark Masons’ Hall on Thursday 29^th and Friday 30^th May, with the Most Distinguished Grand Summus and his Grand team engaged in Thursday’s conferrals of the 4th and 5th Grades, followed on Friday by the Annual Convocation of Grand Senatus.

First up was the 5th Grade Conferral with many Candidates in attendance to receive the Grade in a splendid ceremony. These included Distinguished Companions Barry Antony Jones, Trevor Howard Sturt, and Tracey Ivor Williams from the Midland Counties in recognition of their significant service to the Order.

This was followed by 65 Candidates receiving their 4^th Grade, including Distinguished Companion Ian Pritchard Bennett, our Provincial Grand Recorder, Narinder Sharma, our Provincial Grand Lecturer, and Cedric Frank Stiles, our Provincial Grand Herald receiving their 4^th Grade. Unfortunately, Distinguished Companion David Christopher John Ore was unable to travel due to a recent knee operation and will receive his 4^th Grade next year.

These two ceremonies having been successfully completed, we quickly turned our attentions to Friday’s meeting of Grand Senatus. The Grand Temple at Mark Masons’ Hall was filled to capacity to witness the Grand Summus, M.Dist.Comp. Ian Stanley Currans, appoint and invest the active Grand Officers of the year, together with those receiving promotion in, or appointment to, Grand Rank.

From the Midland Counties these included the reappointment of R.Dist.Comp. Francis Charles Spencer, as Deputy Grand Summus; R.Dist.Comp. Charles Jonathan Aspinell, as Grand Episcopus; Dist.Comp. Andrew Timothy Morris, as Deputy Grand Organist; and Dist. Comp. Simon David Evans, appointed to the Active Rank of Grand Standard Bearer. Also receiving his first Grand Rank was Dist.Comp. George Henry Steele, as Past Grand Sword Bearer.

Distinguished Companions Michael James Butterworth and Reginald Albert Francis Willsher, who were both promoted to Past Grand Lecturer, and are now styled as Very Distinguished Companions.

Following the Grand Summus address to Grand Senatus we then had a welcome surprise for an Honorary Members of our Province. The Grand Summus announced he had some special appointments to make, and he proceeded to appoint and Invest R.Dist.Comp. Roy William Leavers, Grand Regent Vicarious to the rank of Past Assistant Grand Summus.

We retired to a very enjoyable Festive Board and the long journey home.