At a packed Hertfordshire 1st Principals Chapter meeting our Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, David Hampton, announced changes to the Provincial Executive and Leadership teams that would become effective next November at the Annual Provincial Convocation. Firstly, he was appointing E.Comp. Kevin Gould as 3rd Provincial Grand Principal in succession to E.Comp. John Linley who was standing down from that office. The Grand Superintendent thanked E.Comp. John for the significant contribution he had made to the Province in his roles as the Provincial Assistant Grand Scribe E, the Provincial Grand Scribe E and as 3rd Provincial Grand Principal. A change to the ceremonial department of the Province was announced in the appointment of E.Comp. Jason Roberts as Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, in succession to E.Comp. James Angus. As a consequence of E.Comp. Jason’s promotion, E.Comp. Ali Osman is to be appointed as Deputy Provincial GDC. The position of Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals made vacant by the promotion of E.Comp. Kevin Gould would be filled by E.Comp. Peter Young and his current office of Provincial Membership Officer would be filled by E.Comp. Nick Tessier.
The announcements were received with warm applause, but the Grand Superintendent had one more surprise in store. Moving to the Scribe E’s desk he asked the Chapter DC to escort our Deputy Grand Superintendent, E.Comp. Robert Asser to him. A bemused looking Deputy Grand Supt. was duly escorted to our Grand Supt. who gave a detailed résumé of E.Comp. Robert’s Masonic career. There was spontaneous laughter from the Companions present when our Grand Supt. described E.Comp. Robert as quiet and un-assuming, apparently two words not usually associated with him! He described how their friendship had been forged from when they were Deputy GDC’s of the Province together 15 years ago, and that he was delighted that E.Comp. Robert had accepted his offer of becoming his Deputy in the Province. At this point E.Comp, Robert still had no idea what this was all leading up to until the Grand Supt. explained that when he had been invested as Deputy Grand Supt. at the installation meeting, he should have been presented with his Patent of Office. That not being able to be done at the time, he was about to right that wrong. Our Grand Supt. then proceeded to read the Patent to the Companions and formally presented it to E.Comp. Robert who was visibly moved by the gesture and the Companions reception to it. E.Comp Robert thanked our Grand Supt. and all the Companions for the way his appointment had been received throughout the Province, expressing the enjoyment and great privilege he felt in being appointed to such high office within the Order.
Footnote : Apparently, it was entirely co-incidental that the Deputy Grand Supt. won 1st prize in the raffle drawn by our Grand Supt. at the festive board!