Annual Report 2018-19

This year has seen many changes in the Preceptory of Improvement in particular in relation to the Management and Organisation.

In order to carryout the wishes of the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master, to standardise the ritual procedure, letters were sent to all the Provincial Priors urging them to think of creating their own Provincial Preceptories of Improvement, if they had not done so already. They were requested to nominate one of their Knights to attend King Edward VII Preceptory of Improvement in order to receive tuition with a view to passing the Preceptor Instructors Test. Arrangements are on going to accommodate these Knights and to this end we have increased, by two, the number of meetings during the year. The fourth Monday in April and the first Wednesday in October are now included in our diary.

The Instructor Preceptor’s Test has now been formalised, by E.Kt. Terry Jones P.Gt.Std.B. (V.B), so that every part of the ritual and rubric test is assessed with a ‘box tick’. This is a fairer way of assessment and the candidate can be given positive ‘feed back’ should he fail.

Additionally, the annual subscription for the affiliated Preceptories has been raised to £5, which is a £2 increase on previous years. This is to enable members of the Demonstration Team to provide more visits to the Provinces for requested workshops and/or assistance. Following this appeal for the increased levy, the Treasurer has had some success insofar that 17 new Preceptories have become subscribers. This makes 208 Preceptories affiliated out of a total of 458 Preceptories. However, many are still in the process of updating their bank mandates.

The Annual Dinner for the members of the Preceptory of Improvement was again held at Mark Mason’s Hall in February. There was a good turn out from all over the country to welcome as guests the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master – Paul Raymond Clement, and the Very High and Right Eminent Great Seneschal – Malcolm Ernest Slater. A delicious Carvery meal, with the appropriate wine, was enjoyed by all in a convivial atmosphere.

During the year the Preceptory gained nine new members but lost three by resignation. Although there have been over a hundred Knights who have paid their life subscription of £2, there are only about twenty Knights who regularly attend the Preceptory of Improvement and these are mainly from the South East Provinces. We would like to remind all Knights that the King Edward VII Preceptory of Improvement is open to all Knights regardless of their rank.

The dates for 2019 - 2020 King Edward VII POI are on an information card situated in the Mark Mason’s Hall lobby. They can also be found on the website – www.kingepoi.org or via the link on the Knights Templar website – https://markmasonshall.org/orders/knights-templar.

Any Province wishing to be provided with assistance by way of a ‘workshop’ or ‘demonstration’ from King Edward VII Preceptory of Improvement need only to contact the Registrar, Eminent Knight Harry J Randell P.Dep.Gt.Mar., on e-mail: harryrandell@btinternet.com or telephone 01437 766524.

Yours in the Bonds of the Order

R E Knight Tim Wheeler K.C.T. Gt. Mar.
Chairman
86 St. James's St. London SW1A 1PL