More than 500 Freemasons from Warwickshire gathered for this year’s Annual Meetings of the Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter, held at the Birmingham Conference Centre, located at the National Motorcycle Museum in Bickenhill, Solihull.

Royal Arch Convocation
The day began with the morning Royal Arch Convocation, attended by 380 Companions. During the convocation, Michael Morris was appointed as Second Provincial Grand Principal, and Michael Ball as Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals. Following the formal investiture of the remaining officers, the head of Royal Arch Freemasonry in Warwickshire, Philip Hall, expressed his satisfaction at the growing number of Freemasons completing their journey in Pure and Antient Freemasonry by joining the Royal Arch.

In his address, Philip Hall remarked:
“We are a dynamic and enthusiastic organisation and to survive as long as we have, we have always embraced change and must continue to do so.”

He went on to announce a new initiative—the introduction of a ‘Contextual Narrative’ in Lodges across Warwickshire. These are three concise paragraphs to be read to candidates after each Craft ceremony, designed to reinforce their journey and lead naturally to exaltation into the Royal Arch.

In a significant charitable announcement, Philip Hall revealed that the Warwickshire Royal Arch Benevolent Fund would be donating £10,000 to provide a new gym and recreational facility at Reading Court Masonic Housing Association in Stratford-upon-Avon. The facility will be named The Richard Wallis Suite, in recognition of the fund’s founder and his enduring legacy.

Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting

The Provincial Grand Lodge meeting commenced at 3:15 p.m., during which Philip Hall, the Provincial Grand Master, was pleased to appoint and invest John Kisbey as Assistant Provincial Grand Master. After installing his new team of officers, Philip Hall highlighted how Warwickshire is embracing modern communication methods, particularly social media, to address the membership challenge.

Over the past six months, the coordinated efforts of the membership and communications teams have generated more than 800 enquiries. These are now being processed and matched with individual Lodges. However, Philip Hall acknowledged that additional support is urgently needed to manage this influx of interest:

He said “Therein lies a problem, as those 800 enquiries need following up, and the membership team, specifically the enquirer engagement team, is small. So I start my address with an appeal for help, brethren. Many hands make light work. If you have the time and would enjoy engaging with men curious about Freemasonry, please consider joining the team. You’ll receive full training and support and only be asked to help at a level that suits your availability.”

He went on to say “The results of the incredible work done by the membership team are directly impacting the membership challenge each Lodge faces. We now have Lodges who are attracting significant numbers of candidates and by necessity are reverting to the historic practice of multiple ceremonies. ‘Historic’ I hear you question – well yes, brethren. 100 years ago there was a significant growth in members following the First World War, and most Lodges would then regularly perform multiple candidate ceremonies. So those brethren within your lodge who dislike the idea and think it a modern innovation should be reminded of its ancient usage, and that when questioned no brother who took part in a multiple ceremony has ever said they would have preferred it if they had done it alone.”

A Remarkable Year of Charity

One of the most inspiring moments of the day came when the Provincial Grand Master announced that, thanks to the generosity of Warwickshire Freemasons over the past year, £250,000 has so far been donated to Fisher House, a home away from home for military families.

This donation marks the beginning of Warwickshire’s contribution to the 2028 Tercentenary Appeal. Philip Hall acknowledged the role of the newly operational Warwickshire Freemasons Charitable Foundation in helping achieve this milestone:

“The streamlined management and dedicated board of trustees have made an outstanding impact. I am proud to share that projected donations across 2025 are expected to exceed £600,000 – a truly remarkable figure that all Freemasons in Warwickshire should take immense pride in.”