Grand Master Mason’s Message By Brother William Ramsay McGhee

As we enter the New Year, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very happy, healthy, and successful 2025. I am looking forward to meeting many of you throughout the year as we travel across Scotland. Currently, I am scheduled to visit 17 of our Provinces for either Craft or Royal Arch meetings. Additionally, I will be travelling to at least four of our Districts, including attending the 5th International Scottish Masonic Conference in Zambia this May. It promises to be a busy year, but I am confident that we will make significant progress. Our Grand Secretary has been working tirelessly behind the scenes on our ongoing strategy. His dedication and efforts are beginning to yield results, with several Standing Committees and Working Parties producing actionable reports. We will start to implement these reports, focusing on IT procurement, recruitment, retention, re-engagement, and new promotional initiatives from the Information and Communications Committee. However, the success of these initiatives depends on our collective willingness to embrace and act on the recommendations. This process will begin with the Provincial and District Grand Masters, who will receive detailed reports and guidance on how to implement them during the forthcoming Leadership Programme. They will then lead these initiatives in their respective Districts and Provinces, providing us all with the opportunity to advance Scottish Freemasonry positively. To support our ambitious goals, there will be further staff recruitment at Grand Lodge this year. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and hard-working team at 96 George Street, but they require additional support due to their substantial workloads. The Grand Secretary is currently assessing the skill sets needed to build a team capable of supporting each other and providing first-class service to the Craft. I want to acknowledge and thank our staff for their tremendous work, dedication, and commitment. Finally, I intend to be at Grand Lodge every week, although not necessarily every Thursday due to my numerous commitments. The reception staff will be aware of my schedule. In the meantime, I hope that 2025 brings you all that you wish for.

Kindest regards, Ramsay McGhee Grand Master Mason

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Grand Secretary’s Message By Brother William M. S. Semple

Welcome to this edition of the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland Newsletter, which I trust will inform you regarding some of the business ongoing throughout the Scottish Constitution. As we look forward to the approaching springtime, there is a sense of renewal and optimism in the air. This season of growth and new beginnings is the perfect time to reflect on our achievements and set our sights on the exciting opportunities ahead. 

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DEVELOPING A PROGRAMME OF MASONIC EDUCATION

As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, the importance of Masonic education has never been more evident. Our commitment to lifelong learning and personal development is a cornerstone of our fraternity, and we continue to emphasise this to our members. Masonic education provides us with the tools to better understand our principles, history, and the values that bind us together. It equips us to engage thoughtfully with the challenges of contemporary society, fostering a deeper sense of purpose and direction. Moreover, it enhances our ability to contribute meaningfully to our communities, promoting the virtues of brotherly love, relief and truth. The Chairman of our Information & Communication Committee has recently restructured the group to include a newly appointed lead for Masonic Education. In the coming months, we will be reviewing our approach with the aim of developing a programme designed to deepen our understanding of Masonic principles and practices. This initiative will provide valuable opportunities for both personal and collective enrichment. As this project is still in its early stages, we will share further information as it becomes available. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, it is important that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. By prioritising Masonic education, we not only honour our traditions but also ensure that our members are well-prepared to lead with insight and compassion.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DAY – SATURDAY 26th APRIL 2025

This April, we will be hosting a Leadership Development Day at Freemasons’ Hall, initially tailored for our Provincial Grand Masters, and subsequently rolled out to District Grand Masters and Grand Superintendents around the world. This event is designed to enhance the already strong leadership skills and capabilities of our Provincial Grand Masters. The day will include a focus on the strategic vision and priorities of the Scottish Constitution. Following the initial session for Provincial Grand Masters, we will extend this valuable personal development to our District Grand Masters and Grand Superintendents globally. We believe that investing in the development of our leaders is crucial for the continued success and growth of our fraternity. We look forward to this Leadership Development Day which will be a rewarding and enriching experience for all. IT

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DEVELOPMENTS AT GRAND LODGE

We are pleased to share some positive updates on our ongoing IT development initiatives. • Workshop with Freemasons’ Hall Staff on 23rd January 2025, Grand Lodge was closed in order to host an extremely productive one-day workshop led by a subject matter expert. The workshop included three key sessions: introductions and role discussions, a review of the existing membership database with and a plenary discussion on next steps to fix current issues in conjunction with the Scottish Constitution IT strategy. All work in progress but heading in a very positive direction. • Grand Lodge Website Update We are delighted to announce that, following a critical analysis, essential maintenance and a refresh of the Grand Lodge website has been completed. The updated and refreshed site is scheduled to go live imminently, offering an improved user experience and enhanced functionality. Further enhancements are planned in line with our comprehensive IT strategy, ensuring our digital presence remains robust and user-friendly.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

There are several upcoming events at Freemasons Hall, Edinburgh, that promise to be both enriching and enjoyable: • New & Young Masons Degree: Join us on Saturday, 28th June 2025, for a special degree ceremony dedicated to our new and young Masons. This event will be a wonderful opportunity to welcome and support the newest members of our fraternity. Read more about it here - Apprentice Pillars Degree • Burns Supper: Mark your calendars for Saturday, 12th July 2025, as we gather to celebrate the life and works of Scotland’s beloved poet, Robert Burns. The Burns Supper will feature traditional Scottish fare, recitations of Burns’ poetry, and an evening of fellowship and camaraderie. More details, including booking options, will be circulated nearer the time – watch this space! • Royal Highland Show: We are excited to announce that we will have a presence at the Royal Highland Show, which will take place from Thursday, 19th June to Sunday, 22nd June 2025. This event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our fraternity and engage with the wider community. We look forward to seeing you there!

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TO CONCLUDE As we embrace the spirit of spring, let us continue to uphold the values of our fraternity and work together to make a positive impact in our communities. Most of all, enjoy your association with Scottish Freemasonry, life is too short to do otherwise! WILLIAM M.S. SEMPLE GRAND SECRETARY EDINBURGH

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Grand Almoner’s Message By Brother Thomas Davidson

As we enter the new year and we embrace the projects we pursue to deliver Relief, which is a fundamental principle to us as Freemasons, I thank all Lodge Almoners for their diligence but ask all brethren to ensure that their Lodge Almoner is assisted by you keeping him aware of brethren who are ill or in need. He holds the office, but we are all responsible as almoners, your almoner needs your support. We continue to place our priorities on masonic benevolence and training support for young persons and we thank Mrs. Dawn Oliff and staff for their work in this area. Beyond this Grand Lodge with the active support of many brethren are pursuing a number of projects on behalf of the brethren of the Craft and our communities: -

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Prostate Champions – We have just completed the first full year of this project, and our team of Prostate Champions are making a difference and raising awareness for brethren and the community. Initially all presentations were to masonic groups, this will continue but we are now reaching out to other community groups, organisations and sports clubs. We carried out a survey over the New Year to assess how we were doing. Although not all Prostate Champions made a return, we know that those who reported carried out - over 186 presentations all over Scotland - addressed over 4050 people including 250 women. You can help us if you are involved in other community groups in Scotland where the members could benefit from an awareness presentation, contact Helen Fleming at Prostate Scotland and she will co-ordinate a speaker from your local area (Helen Fleming email helen.fleming@prostatescotland.org.uk). Internationally, I addressed a recent meeting of our District Grand Masters and Grand Superintendents on the training documents sent to them in September 2024 and I am greatly encouraged to say that some of the districts are already engaging with their local cancer charities and developing programmes to raise the awareness of prostate disease and prostate cancer. Some districts are bringing forward innovative initiatives which will be reported in future quarterly newsletters. The critical message as always is, if you recognise the symptoms - get the information - don’t hesitate - get to your GP for guidance and testing – early detection is the key to better outcomes. Information at https://www.prostatescotland.org.uk/resources .

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Prospacks Project - It is a year since the project launched and is gradually extending itsreach across Scotland. Hundreds of men undergoing surgical procedures throughout Scotland are receiving the benefit from the scheme. We expect the Inverclyde area to be the next area to benefit from the scheme. Funds continue to come in from lodges and provinces for this scheme and is greatly appreciated and makes a real difference. Armed Forces Covenant – Work continues to progress on our journey to attain the Gold Award accreditation in 2026. We will be hosting a function at Freemasons’ Hall in April for between ten and twenty companies involved in the Armed Forces Covenant where some of the charities we are seeking to support (Prostate Scotland, National Literacy Trust and a number of military charities) will have the opportunity to display to the companies attending. This demonstrates our support and appreciation for members of our armed forces both as Regulars leaving the forces or Reserves working in civilian posts. We encourage brethren who are in business to investigate the benefits to their business of signing up for the Armed Forces Covenant and discover the skills that veterans and reservists can bring to your company. Thanks go to Grand Secretary and Mrs Dawn Oliff for their sterling work in this area

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Masonic Literacy Project – Training materials are now in place, volunteers are ready, and the training sessions will commence in February to deliver the pilot programmes in the provinces of Fife & Kinross, Forfarshire and Perthshire East and West over the ensuing months. We will report later in the year. Other Projects and support visits – a number of other initiatives are in the early stages and will be brought forward as things develop. I again encourage all brethren to keep up the good work that you have been doing in projects to support your local communities both in Scotland and overseas.

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