District Grand Prior Report

On the 18th November 2008 at the half yearly Muster of the Great Priory of Scotland I was honoured to be appointed as the District Grand Prior of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde.

My Installation as District Grand Prior took place on the 24th January 2009 in the Sir John Wilson Town Hall in Airdrie with the Ceremony of Installation being conducted by The Most Eminent and Reverend Grand Master, Kenneth Donald Kennedy, SBSt.J, KLJ, MA, FSA Scot, PP, GCT. assisted by the Grand Officers of The Great Priory of Scotland in a very friendly and most dignified manner.

I was delighted that the majority of the installing officers were also members of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde with two of them, The Grand Master and the Grand Seneschal, R.E. Fr. John Holmes Lawrie, being Past District Grand Priors of Strathclyde, the Grand Prior, R.E. Fr. J. Stewart Wood, a Past District Grand Secretary, with the Grand Prelate, R. E. Fr. Rev. John K. Clark M.B.E., Grand Organist, R.E. Fr. John Hay, the Grand Herald, V.E. Fr. Peter Brown and the Assistant Grand Secretary V.E. Fr. Pringle Johnstone, all being members of Preceptories within the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde.

The above short account of the Installation could never express the honour I feel has been conferred upon me and to make it even more special, if that were possible, is the knowledge that it will be a long time before another District Grand Prior of Strathclyde is installed by a Grand Master, along with high ranking and highly respected Grand Officers, all being members of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde, this I feel made it just that little bit more personal, and I express my gratitude to the Grand Master and his Grand Officers for the excellent manner in which they conducted the installation.

With all sixteen Preceptories being well represented and a good number of travelling Knights present, the number of Fraters who attended the installation was approximately 250 to 260 and with 165 remaining to join in the refectory made it a very special day not to be forgotten. I thank the travelling Knights who turned up in large numbers and hope that they enjoyed their day in the company of the Fraters of the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde.

To the Fratres of the District of Strathclyde, my thanks to the Preceptories for their nomination of myself to be District Grand Prior and having been installed as such, I assure you that I will do everything I can to promote the harmony, welfare and prosperity of every Preceptory within the District Grand Priory of Strathclyde.

Being acutely aware of the duties I have taken upon myself, I have commissioned an excellent team of Officers to assist me with the management of the District, and while it would be naive to believe that everything is running smoothly and no alterations are necessary, we do have Preceptories where assistance from District Grand Priory is going to be required. There is a great deal work ahead concerning the District Centenary celebrations about which the District Grand Secretary will be contacting each Preceptory in due time.

I am looking forward to the first annual visitation to each Preceptory and renewing the friendships I have formed over many years, and hopefully making some new ones. You will have noticed on the District Kalendar, we have altered the visitations and spread them over a three month period; this has been done to end the occasions of three or four consecutive visits in the one week.

It is my intention to pay a personal visit to your Preceptory out with the normal Annual and Installation visits, this will be of a casual nature and therefore no official notification will be given, you will however be informed by myself when I will be attending and if I will be accompanied by other District Grand Officers.

Rt. Em. Fra James M. Pettigrew,
District Grand Prior,
25th January 2009

List of the articles and reports

• Articles and Reports
  • Visit to the Provincial Priory of Northumberland
    by Rt. Em. Fr. James M. Pettigrew
    29th November 2009
    
  • Casino Night Winners
    by Em. Fra. Tom Wilson
    31st May 2009
    
  • Provincial Priory of Northumberland Visit
    by Rt. Em. Fr. James M. Pettigrew
    7th January 2009
    
  • ODE
    by Em. Fra. John Milgrew
    26th January 2008
    
  • The Templars Tale
    by Em. Fra. John Milgrew
    26th January 2008
    
  • Prize Winners from the District Centenary Bond
    by Em. Fra. Tom Wilson
    6th Feb 2008