From the District Grand Prior

I was highly honoured to be installed as District Grand Prior in January 2004. In that capacity it is a great pleasure for me to contribute an article for the launch of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde's own website, and I extend warm and fraternal greetings to all our Fraters and Visitors.

The start of my fourth year as District Grand Prior gives an opportunity to reflect on and to access what progress, if any, has been made during that time.

The past three years have been eventful and rewarding, and I am delighted to reiterate the deep appreciation I have for the District as a whole.

Of course we must reflect on what our predecessors left us to work on: they deserve the respect, admiration and thanks of all of us for their dedicated services, so freely given, and now the duty falls on us to build on the foundations laid by them in the past; the task will not be easy, and will demand a full commitment from all of us.

My profound gratitude is due to those District Grand Officers who make great personal sacrifices to attend in great numbers, and to assist in the further development of this District.

We have been able during my tenure of office to build on and establish relationships with Fraters and Officers within the Preceptories of the District, and equally important, with Fraters of many other Districts within Scotland, and indeed countries with whom we have visited, such as the Great Priory of Germany, the District Grand Priories of Italy, South and East Ulster, Durham and Northumberland, amongst others. It is my hope that we will continue to build on these relationships to the mutual benefit of the Order of the Temple.

As I visited the Preceptories and Priories within the District over the past three years, I was deeply grateful for the warmth and friendship with which I was received, especially at a time of a personal low: the friendship and support shown to me at that time gave me a great strength to carry on.

Our latest endeavour is to prepare the District financially for that important milestone: the celebration of one hundred years of existence as a District. To this end we are organising fund raising activities in the form of a Centenary Bond, a Casino Night and various other events. I am confident that the Fraters of the District will give these ventures their whole-hearted support; this will, we hope, enable us to do justice to, and to celebrate, such an occasion in a manner befitting the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde.

I will close my remarks by reminding you of the new challenges and new opportunities that lie ahead; I hope that, like me, you will embrace them with enthusiasm, thus ensuring the continuing success of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde and the advancement of the Order of the Temple.

Rt. Em. Fra John McKee HGP,
District Grand Prior.
8th February 2007

List of the articles and reports