Provincial Grand Almoner’s Report September 2023

Provincial Grand Almoner’s Report September 2023,

Dear Sir Knights,

I am pleased to report that the knight who has over the past several months had numerous procedures, is making a good recovery, as is the knight’s wife who recently had a somewhat traumatic surgical experience. With that I am happy to say “that I have nothing more to report”

Another month and a change in weather; the usual August changeable weather of “sun and rain” for the school holidays and now it seems that we may have an Indian Summer if the forecasters are correct. There will be no excuse, for neither my grandson nor myself, not to get out and start some late summer tidying in the garden before the autumn and winter sets in.; I must admit I have been a little lazy about this for the past few weeks. However, the wildlife continues to flourish, particularly the badgers!

84 years ago, on Sunday 3" September 1939 at 11 am, Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, announced that “-----We are consequently at War with Germany.” I remember that morning so well. About 10 minutes after this announcement, my father and I were getting the car out when the sirens sounded and the local ARP Warden cycled around the vicinity blowing his whistle; I ran to my mother crying “we are going to be bombed,” but she reassured me that this was only “a practice alert” and so we then sombrely drove to the family farm for lunch with my uncle and aunt. And thus began “the Phoney War” as it came to be called in those last months of 1939 and the beginning of 1940. Then came “Blitzkrieg.”

The summer break is now ending and Masonic activities are again getting underway. I trust that you have had a restful break and are “raring to go.” I am looking forward to the coming season and the diary is filling quickly; and so- 

Until we meet again,

Yours in Humilitas et Caritas

Sir Sydney of Belchamp Walter,

Provincial Grand Almoner 3" September 2023