WK News Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 6
ISSUE NO.10 SUMMER 2023 | WEST KENT NEWS
6
THE DEPUTY GRAND
SUPERINTENDENT: JAMES MARSH
Companions,
I do hope that you are enjoying the
summer recess and that you will be
refreshed and ready when the new
season begins in September. The
Provincial team are preparing for the
new season, and planning is already
underway for Provincial Grand Lodge
and Chapter in June 2024…
However, by far the most important
issue on my desk at the moment is the
Royal Arch Membership Challenge. As
you will all be aware, the Pro 1st
Grand Principal, Jonathan Spence has
stated that all Provinces are to make
membership a priority - we are to halt
the downward trend in members
numbers and within three years, he
wants the Craft membership to
increase by 1% per year, he has also
stated that he wants a significantly
improved membership within the
Royal Arch.Further, the Grand
Superintendent has charged me with
implementing his strategic plan of
increasing the current 42% of our
Craft members being Royal Arch
Companions to 50%.
It is obvious that to increase our RA
membership, we have to Exalt more
candidates; however, to sustain good
growth, it is vital that we also stem
the number of Companions leaving
our Order.
I have no doubt that with a little more
application,
both
the
Grand
Superintendent’s and the Pro 1st
Grand Principal’s challenges can be
achieved. For example, to have
realised the first part of the RA
Membership Challenge in West Ken
for last season (i.e. to stop the
downward trend in our RA numbers),
we needed only to have Exalted 10
more Companions, or had 10 fewer
resignations or cessations! Last
season’s RA membership challenge is
shown below.
With each Lodge now having
appointed a Royal Arch Liaison
Officer (RALO) who will encourage
their Lodge members to join the
Royal Arch, and each Chapter having
a Chapter Membership Officer (CMO)
who will encourage all their
Companions to source Exaltees, I am
confident we can achieve, and indeed
exceed
the
West
Kent
RA
Membership Challenge.
As you will know, we already have in
place a committed Royal Arch
Membership
Development
Team
headed up by Vince Lethbridge; he
and his team stand ready to assist
CMOs and RALOs to forge links –
furthermore,
the
Grand
Superintendent has authorised that
the names of our RALOs and CMOs to
be placed on the private side of our
website. With these new measures
now in place, there is no excuse for
our Chapters not to be able to source
new members, to assist in fulfilling the
RA Membership Challenge and, most
importantly, for many more of our
members to enjoy the fourth, and
most impressive element of the
masonic journey.
My challenge to the Royal Arch in
West Kent for this upcoming season
is twofold:
1. for every Chapter in the Province
to Exalt at least one Brother: and,
2. to reduce our resignation /
cessation / exclusion percentage
rates to the lowest they have ever
been.
Companions – I am confident you will
be able to fulfil these challenges!