Greetings - 29 December 2009

Greetings! Today is 29 December 2009, the Fifth of the Days of Christmas, the Feast Day of St Thomas Becket.

"Becket and Henry II: Select Ruminations" - an Address by The Hon. JJ Spigelman, Chief Justice of New South Wales, given to the St Thomas More Society, 27 October 1999 - to read the Address click HERE ...

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The next meeting of the Chapel of St Peter will be held on the morning of Saturday, 27 February, lunch to follow at the Prince Albert Hotel.


For more on Becket please see the entry on this blog for 29 December 2008.


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Our next meeting is on 22 August

Meeting of Chapel of St Peter No.73 at Hawthorn Masonic Hall, Lower Mitcham SA


followed by lunch at Prince Albert Hotel, Wright Street.


(at right, newly approved banner of the Chapel)
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New Acon Provinces; meetings in August

The Most Worthy Grand Master, Sir Brian of Littleover, Knight Humilitas, will be visiting Australia in August to consecrate two new Chapels – one each in Brisbane and Sydney – and also to devolve the Province of Australia and New Zealand into two new Provinces. He will thus also be consecrating the Province of Australia North (NSW and Qld) and the Province of Australia South and New Zealand (the rest of Australia plus NZ).

Thursday 13 August: Special Meeting of the Chapel of St. Paul, plus the Consecration of the Province of Australia South and New Zealand (Masonic Centre of Victoria, East Melbourne)

12.30pm Set up Temple
1.00pm Chapel of St Paul Rehearsal
2.00pm: Chapel of St Paul meets (two candidates)
3.30pm Afternoon Tea
4.15pm Grand Preceptor’s Council – Province of Australia and New Zealand (final meeting)
5.00pm Consecration of the Province of Australia South and New Zealand
6.30pm Dinner

Saturday 15 August: Consecration of the Chapel of St. Christopher (Masonic Centre, Cleveland St, Stones Corner, Brisbane NSW 4120)

Saturday 22 August: at Laurelbank Masonic Centre, 87 Penshurst St, Willoughby, Sydney NSW 2068.

2.00pm Consecration of the Chapel of St. David
4.00pm Consecration of the Province of Australia North
6.00pm Dinner

Saturday 22 August: Meeting of Chapel of St Peter No.73 (Hawthorn Masonic Hall, Lower Mitcham SA) followed by lunch

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Victorian Bushfires

Message from the Provincial Grand Secretary, Province of Australia and New Zealand (banner shown above), The Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon:

The Right Worthy Grand Preceptor, Sir Kent of Geelong KC and the Right Eminent Provincial Grand Prior, Sir Ian of Kingston GCel on behalf of the Sir Knight members of the Provincial Grand Council send their sympathy and express their concern to all of the Sir Knights in Victoria who are touched by the tragic fires now occurring. Our thoughts are with you and we wish you a speedy recovery.

Yours in humility and love

Sir Colin of Isleworth GCel

ProvGSec

Annual Pilgrimage 28 November 2009

The Annual Pilgrimage at Canterbury Cathedral (England) will be held Saturday 28 November 2009.

Every Master and Prior is encouraged to be present and every member of the Order should attend at least once during his membership. Afterwards he may wear the distinctive badge of the pilgrim.

Consult the Secretary of your Chapel for further information.

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And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke

—Geoffrey Chaucer

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Meeting of 17 January 2009

14 members attended our first "ordinary" meeting, which proved enjoyable and instructive.

Our next scheduled meeting will be held Saturday 22 August.


A booklet "An Introduction to the Commemorative Masonic Order of St.Thomas of Acon" by David Kibble-Rees (published 2008) is available - please see the Order's web site for further information.

He who would valiant be ...

Vivace Singers - from BBC Songs of Praise

Songs of Praise 1 March 2004


He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound - his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

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Words: John Bunyan, 1684;
as modified by Percy Dearmer, 1906

Monk's Gate - traditional English folk song

as arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams

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The original text from Bunyan's Pilgrim’s Progress:

Who would true valour see, Let him come hither;
One here will constant be, Come wind, come weather
There’s no discouragement Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent To be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round With dismal stories
Do but themselves confound; His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright, He’ll with a giant fight,
He will have a right To be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend Can daunt his spirit,
He knows he at the end Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away, He’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labor night and day To be a pilgrim.

see http://www.stpetersnottingham.org/hymns/truevalour.html

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