BELFAST RB BOOKLET 2020 - Flipbook - Page 16
Ci t y of Belf ast Grand Bl ack Chapt er - Dem onst rat i on Bookl et 2020
FROM THE PEN OF OUR CITY GRAND REGISTRAR
SIR KNIGHT CHRISTOPHER CUNNINGHAM
Dear Fellow Sir Knights, Bands Personnel and Friends All, once
again it is an honour and privilege to address you through the
medium of our Annual Publication having just entered my
seventh, and now last, term in office as your City Grand Registrar.
My first message back in 2014 outlined the City and that has
three areas that we would use our certainly helped to address
endeavours to address namely; Recruitment, the fraternal area.
Support and Fraternal.
With those areas now
Whilst we are addressing recruitment it is progressing we have next turned our
an ongoing issue and will continue to be so.
attention to the various Committees.
It is therefore important that you
Graciously, we have managed to get the
encourage your Orange Lodges and Royal Chaplains and Demonstration Committees up
Arch Purple Chapters to continue to and running as well as slowly working on
process the candidates through their some others, each showing success and
Degrees so we can gain from this.
again it demonstrates there are Sir Knights at
I know on many an occasion a Brother has grassroots level who have the hidden talent
had to wait for a considerable time to have that can be utilised to the full.
either the Purple Order or RAP Degrees
I would therefore encourage any Sir
conferred and in turn any delay has a knock- Knight not greatly involved in their private
on effect in relation to the his future Black Preceptory or District, but possess such
membership and I would encourage you to attributes that could be focused, or even
work at improving this situation.
assist, within one of those Committees
The number of sad bereavements, as well then please get in touch; we would be only
as membership suspension etc is increasing too glad to have you on board.
and whilst we cannot prevent the former, the
Our administration is beginning to become
latter however needs to be addressed at available in digital proforma formats and both
grassroots level.
No 3 and No 6 District Chapters are currently
In relation to those invaluable Sir trialling this; and if successful, these can then
Knights resigning their membership be further rolled out for future use.
because they can no longer attend, and in
With
next
year's
forthcoming
several cases, after many years of long Centennial Anniversary of the founding
service; then this however, IS very of Northern Ireland as an integral state
preventative. Let us remember that we are within the United Kingdom back in
a Fraternal and Christian Institution and 1921, the City Grand Chapter is well
we should be aware and care, for advanced in arranging suitable events
such individuals.
to mark this historic occasion.
I believe from the support
The Centenary Committee has already
perspective, many District Chapters been working full-out on the arrangements
are assisting each other and with and several of those plans, including the
added encouragement from the commissioning of a special jewel, are further
City Grand Officers most organised outlined within our Booklet and I would
events have since increased their encourage your active support throughout this
attendance which has also been a iconic year in our Country's long history.
positive step. Indeed we now see
Let us show the world that this
more of our social events and Institution, which has been here for longer
activities being arranged across than our wee Country's one hundred years
IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN - 14 - AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING