OFFICE OF THE GRAND SOVEREIGN
GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE OF CANADA
MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GRAND SOVEREIGN CHARLES E. RUTT G.C.C.
2020 – 2021 ADDRESS
M.I.P.G. SOVEREIGNS, RT. ILL. & V. ILL KTS. COMPANIONS, DISTINGUISHED VISITORS AND GUESTS, KTS. COMPANION ALL:
WELCOME!
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS OUR 86TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION, OUR SECOND BY ELECTRONIC MEANS BEING HELD IN THE NORTH BRAMALEA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BRAMPTON, ONT. THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF KT. COMP. JAMES LEUTRI AND HIS LOVELY WIFE WHO HAVE ARRANGED THE USE OF THEIR CHURCH FACILITIES, WITH KT. COMP. JAMES LEUTRI ACTING AS FACILITATOR. AS USUAL OUR THANKS TO MIC ERIC SHAW AND RIC DAVID WALKER, CO-CHAIRS OF THE FUTURE PLACES COMMITTEE AND ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENTS AND THE MANY WORKERS IN BOTH THE GRAND CONCLAVE AND SOVEREIGN GREAT PRIORY WHO MADE IT HAPPEN.
THE GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE IS NO DIFFERENT IN ITS DIFFICULITIES TO BUILD ITS MEMBERSHIP. ITS EVEN A PROBLEM IN OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS . BUT IT IS HERE WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE. WE CHOOSE AND SELECT THOSE WE WANT TO JOIN US. SO IF WE SELECT WELL; INDUCT THEM IMPRESSIVELY; EDUCATE THEM IN OUR HISTORICAL BACKGROUND; BE UP FRONT AS TO WHAT WE EXPECT OF THEM AS MEMBERS AND MOST OF ALL THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR ATTENDANCE TO AND PARTICIPATION IN OR MEETINGS WE WILL MAINTAIN VERY ACTIVE CONCLAVES ACROSS CANADA.
LEADERSHIP
FIRST OF ALL, NOT ALL MEN ARE LEADERS, IN FACT MOST FALL INTO THE “DOER” CATEGORY. ONCE A MAN DECIDES THAT HE WANTS TO LEAD, HE HAS TO DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK. HE MUST DEVELOP HIS PLAN TO HAVE THIS DESIRE SATISFIED. TO BE COMPLETE, THIS PLAN MUST INCLUDE THOSE WHO HE WISHES TO HAVE ON HIS TEAM OF ADVISORS. HE MUST DEVELOP HIS PLAN, ESTABLISH A TIMETABLE FOR ITS COMPLETION, ISSUE HIS ORDERS AND THEREFORE PUT HIS PLAN TO WORK.
NOW IN BEGINNING THIS JOURNEY, I HAD TO ASK MYSELF SOME QUESTIONS, THE MAIN ONE BEING, DO I AGREE WITH THIS CONCEPT AND AM I WILLING TO WORK TO THIS END.
MY ANSWER WAS YES, I AGREE WITH THE TEAM CONCEPT ALTHOUGH CERTAINLY I AM NOT AFRAID TO PUT MY OWN IDEAS FORWARD WHEN THAT MAY BE NECESSARY AND RELEVENT. ONE SHOULD ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT THE GOOD OF THE ORDER AND NOT PERSONAL GAIN SHOULD BE THE AIM GOING FORWARD.
ROYAL ARCH MASONRY –PERSONAL OBSERVATION
MY KNIGHT COMPANIONS, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO MAKE A REQUEST FOR A PERSONAL FAVOR ON THIS SUBJECT. FIRST OF ALL, SINCE THE GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE IS AN INVITATIONAL BODY, WE MUST SELECT OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE COMPANIONS FROM THE ROYAL ARCH. THE QUALITY OF THOSE YOU CHOOSE RESTS ON YOUR SHOULDERS.
NOW THE PERSONAL FAVOR – FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE, ATTEND YOUR ROYAL ARCH CHAPTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS, ASSIST THEM IN BUILDING A STRONG MEMBERSHIP AND BY DOING THIS THEY WILL PROVIDE US THE STRONG MEMBERSHIP THE GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE DESIRES.
MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GRAND SOVEREIGN’S REPORT
WHILE 2020 – 21 HAS SEEN COVID 19 STILL RUNNING RAMPANT IN MOST PROVINCES IN OUR JURISDICTIONS, IT SEEMS THAT IT IS BEING SUCCESSFULLY CONTROLLED BY PROVINCIAL AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THINGS ARE CLOSING IN ON NORMAL. IN SPITE OF NOT HAVING IN-PERSON MEETINGS WE STILL HAVE HAD AN EXTREMELY BUSY YEAR.
ALONG CAME THAT WONDERFUL INVENTION “ZOOM”. WITH OUR GRAND RECORDER ACTING AS HOST FOR THE ZOOM PROCESS WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD DISTRICT MEETINGS WITH THE GIG OR HIS DEPUTY BEING THE MODERATOR. MUCH INFORMATION WAS SHARED BETWEEN DISTRICTS AS TO HOW THEY WERE DEALING WITH THE COVID 19 SITUATION.
WHEN WE FINISHED OUR ROUND OF DISTRICT MEETINGS, WHICH BECAME VERY POPULAR AND SEEING THERE WAS A NEED FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, I CONTINUED THEM BY HOLDING MONTHLY ZOOM MEETINGS. THE AGENDA WAS LIGHT WITH GRAND CONCLAVE BUSINESS FIRST AND FOREMOST, SPECIAL TALKS BY GUEST SPEAKERS AND THEN JUST A PLAIN OLD FASHIONED GAB SESSION.
THE FUTURE PLACES OF MEETING COMMITTEE WERE HELD JOINTLY WITH THE SOVEREGIN GREAT PRIORY AND I THINK THIS COMING YEAR’S ASSEMBLIES WILL BRING TO BEAR THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOURS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS GRAND IMPERIAL HELD A CHRISTMAS SERVICE UNDER THE AUSPICIES OF MOORE CONCLAVE. WELL PLANNED – WELL EXECUTED. WE FOLLOWED THAT US WITH AN OPEN HOUSE SESSION ON ZOOM ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THIS WAS WELL ATTENDED AS MANY DROPPED BY BRINGING THEIR BEST WISHES FOR THE SEASON BUT ALSO STAYED FOR A WHILE TO GAB.
THANKS TO OUR GRAND PRELATE, V. ILL. KT. COMP. ALAN AKEHURST AND RT. ILL. KT. COMP. DEMETRI PAPAVRAMADIS, A DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE REGARDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EASTER OBSERVANCE METHODOLOGY BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND THE GREEK ORTHODOX RELIGION . THIS LED TO US HOLDING TWO ZOOM SERVICES, COMPLETE WITH THE CHURCH BELLS RINGING FROM SASKATCHEWAN, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OUR KT. COMPANION AND HIS APPRENTICES.
I CALLED TWO SPECIAL MEETINGS OF GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE. THE FIRST TO CONFER THE RANK OF G.C.C. ON RT. ILL. COMPS. GARY PATTERSON AND NORMAND LAVOIE. THE SECOND WAS TO CONFER THE RANK OF K.C.C. ON RT. ILL. COM. ROBERT KEAY.
ZOOM WAS ALSO USED TO PLACE V. ILL. LARRY GRANDY OF CHARLES MOORES CONCLAVE IN HIS OFFICE AS GRAND CHAPLAIN.
IN MARCH 2021 WE HELD OUR ANNUAL EXECUTIVE MEETING BY ZOOM WHICH WAS NECESSARY TO FUFILL THE REQUIREMENT OF THE STATUTES.
ZOOM HAS PROVED A WELCOMED ADDITION TO THE MASONIC FAMILY. WE HAVE REACHED THE 75 MEMBER MEETING THRESHOLD AND HAVE ISSUED EDICTS AS TO THEIR APPROVED USAGES BY CONCLAVES.
AD HOC COMMITTEES
DURING THE YEAR I HAVE APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE MAKEUP OF THE STRUCTURE OF GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE, ITS OFFICERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ARM. THIS COMMITTEE HAS MET, COMPLETED ITS WORK AND THEIR REPORT FORWARDED TO THE JURISPRUDENCE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR OBSERVATIONS AS TO CONSTITUTIONALLY AND WAS FORWARDED TO ALL CONCLAVES AND PRESENTED TO GRAND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BY THE GRAND RECORDER.\
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MIPGS DAVID HARDIE (CHAIRMAN), MIPGS THOMAS MORTLOCK, MIPGS GERRY RILEY.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE REVAMPING OF THE WEB SITE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MIPGS THOMAS MORTLOCK HAS NOT YET COMPLETED ITS DELIBERATIONS.
NOTICE RECEIVED FOR MINOR CHANGE CHANGE TO STATUTE REGARDING TRUSTEES.
MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GRAND SOVEREIGN’S RECOMMENDATIONS
GRAND REPRESENTATIVES
DUE TO ILL HEALTH AND HIS INABILITY TO TRAVEL, MIPGS CLARK RESIGNED HIS POST TO THE USA AND MIPGS DAVID HARDIE WAS NOMINATED TO BE HIS REPLACEMENT. THE NOMINATION WAS ACCEPTED AND HE WAS NAMED TO THIS POST.
THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE CORRESPONDENCE IS NOT YET COMPLETE:
| MIPGS THOMAS MORTLOCK | GRAND CONCLAVE OF ENGLAND |
| MIPGS JOHN DOLLIMOUNT | GRAND CONCLAVE OF MAINE |
| RIC DAVID G. WALKER | GRAND CONCLAVE FINLAND |
| RIC DEMETRI PAPAVRAMIDIS | GRAND CONCLAVE OF GREECE |
VISITATION RECEIVED AND HONORED
I HAVE BEEN INVITED AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST TO THE FOLLOWING TO WHICH I ATTENDED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GRAND CONCLAVES OF ENGLAND AND ITALY, AS I REQUIRED MORE COMPUTER SKILLS.
GRAND CHAPTERS: N.S. & P.E.I; NFLD & LAB; ONT; ALTA; B.C.; CONNECTICUT, USA
GRAND COUNCILS: WESTERN CANADA; ONTARIO; EASTERN CANADA; CONNECTICUT, USA.
2020 – 2021 OFFICERS
TO THE OFFICERS OF THE GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE OF CANADA, I HAVE THE UPMOST OF THANK YOU FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU HAVE ALL PERFORMED YOUR DUTIES UNDER THESE TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES. JOB WELL DONE.
RT. ILL. COMP. PETER WHITEHEAD – GRAND VICEROY THANK YOU PETER FOR YOUR HELP AND FRIENDSHIP. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. BE SAFE AND WELL.
TO THE RETIRING GRAND GENERALS. BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE JOURNEYS. AS THE OLD COMMERCIAL SAYS “YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY”
TO THE GRAND GENERALS ELECTED AND ABOUT TO BE INSTALLED. GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO WAIT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WHILE WAITING.
TO OUR GRAND RECORDER. WHAT CAN ANYONE SAY ABOUT ONE WHO IS EXCEPTIONAL AT WHAT HE DOES AND HAS ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AT HIS FINGERTIPS TO DO SO. HE MANAGES AN EXTREMELY BUSY OFFICE AT THE BEST OF TIMES, THROW IN COVID 19, 75 OR SO ZOOM MEETINGS TO HOST, PLUS ANSWERING MY CALLS, (ALTHOUGH I THINK HE MAY HAVE SCREENED SOME). ERIC, MY FRIEND AND BROTHER I WISH YOU WELL AND BE SAFE AND IF YOU FEEL YOU MAY NEED SOME TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE JUST ASK IT WILL BE PROVIDED.
RETIRING GRAND INTENDANT GENERALS
TO THOSE RETIRING, WHICH INCIDENTLY IS ALL, MANY WHO HAVE SERVED THE REQUIRED TWO YEARS AND SOME WHO SERVED THREE AT MY REQUEST, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. YOU HAVE PERFORMED YOUR DUTIES AS THEY SAY MASONICALLY TO THE BEST OF YOUR SKILL AND ABILITY. AS SUCH YOU ALL WILL BE AWARDED THE RANK AND TITLE OF RT. ILL. PAST GRAND INTENDANT GENERAL AND THE APPLAUSE OF YOUR KTS. COMPANION.
INCOMING GRAND INTENDANTS GENERALS
BY NOW YOU WILL HAVE YOUR FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPOINTMENT FROM THE GRAND RECORDER AND I KNOW IT IS FAR BETTER THAN TO INTERFERE. WHEN I LOOK AT ALL YOUR CREDENTIALS AND TO THOSE OF YOUR DEPUTIES; WOW I DON’T HAVE TO INSTRUCT YOU! THERE ARE MANY PAST GRAND MASTERS, PAST GRAND HIGH PRIEST , GRAND FIRSTS AND FIRST GRANDS, PROV. GRAND PRIORS, MST. ILL. GRAND MASTERS. THE GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE OF CANADA IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU AND NOW GET TO WORK.
PAST MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GRAND SOVEREIGNS
WELL WHAT CAN BE SAID TO OR ABOUT YOU THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN SAID. ITS LIFE IN GENERAL, IF YOU NEED ADVICE GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR IT, WHETHER YOU ACCEPT IT IS UP TO YOU. WHEN I WAS FIRST INSTALLLED IN THIS OFFICE, MY CONCERN WAS, “CAN I FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS?” THE ANSWER THEN WAS NO, AND IS STILL NO. BUT IF I TRY HARD ENOUGH AND KEEP ON WALKING FAST ENOUGH MAYBE I COULD CATCH UP. PLEASE DO NOT WALK TOO FAST MY COMPANIONS.
NECROLOGY
ON THURSDAY EVENING WE WILL HAVE HELD OUR VESPER SERVICE, JOINTLY WITH S.G.P., UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OUR GRAND PRELATE ALAN AKEHERST ASST BY EM. KT. COMP. JAMES LEUTRI. WHAT A MOVING SERVICE THIS WILL BE. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME OF THE SESSIONS, A TIME FOR REMEMBERING FRIENDSHIPS MADE, LIVES WELL SPENT, AT WHICH TIME WE HONOUR THEIR HAVING PASSED TO THAT HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HUMAN HANDS, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS.
PMIGS SYDNEY JAMES MADDOCK
PMIGS FREDERICK DOUGLAS DRAKAR
PMIGS WALTER JOB PARSONS
A FULL LIST OF DEPARTED MEMBERS MADE BY AND ON BEHALF OF THE GRAND SOVEREIGN WILL BE ADDED TO AND FORM PART OF THIS ADDRESS.
CONCLUSION
FINALLY, A WORD THAT I AM SURE WILL MAKE YOU ALL HAPPY, AND I MAKE NO APPOLOGIES FOR ITS LENGTH. THIS MY COMPANIONS HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE OF MY 44 YEARS IN MASONRY. WHAT IT MEANS TO ME , MOST OF WHICH CANNOT BE PUT INTO WORDS. MOM, DAD, PAT, MY CHILDREN ALL, I LOVE YOU ALL BEYOND WORDS. MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN PART OF THE MASONIC FAMILY SINCE HAVING ACCEPTED LANDS GRANTS TO SETTLE IN THE PARRSBORO AREA OF NOVA SCOTIA AND BEYOND. THE HOMESTEAD STILL EXISTS TODAY ONLY WITH NEW OWNERS. THE ORIGINAL ROAD NAMED “COME STREET” ON WHICH IT WAS LOCATED WAS NAMED BY PAPA BROWN “TEMPLAR STREET” AND BEARS THE SAME NAME TO THIS DAY.
“MAY THE LORD KEEP YOU ALL SAFE AND WELL IN THESE TRYING TIMES”
MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GRAND SOVEREIGN CHARLES E. RUTT, G.C.C
2020-2021