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The Holmes Lodge room at Freemasons' Hall Leicester was host to over 100 people as new members plus their partners gathered to be welcomed into Freemasonry. The informal evening is now a regular occurrence, as the Provincial Team offer thoughts and insights into their own experiences of Freemasonry, plus give guidance and information on what lies ahead for our new members.  The Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. David Hagger welcomed everyone and thanked them for giving up their time to attend, before handing over to the Provincial Grand Orator, W.Bro. Professor David Hughes as he explained about some of the symbols of a Masonic Lodge, and in particular the splendour of the Holmes Lodge Room. With Charity being a key part of Freemasonry, W. Bro. Phil Caswell, the Chairman of the Leicestershire & Rutland Masonic Charity Association gave an introduction to how we raise money, and also where it goes and how each member can help.  The Deputy Provincial Grand Master V.W.Bro. Peter Kinder then gave his insights into why he joined Freemasonry, and what new members can expect form the coming years. The Provincial Grand Master then closed proceedings in the Lodge room, before leading all of the guests to the Oliver Dining room for a buffet and to continue the conversations.

The sun was out, the sunblock was on, as twenty cyclists from Leicestershire & Rutland, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire Freemasons gathered in Leicester on Saturday 29th June 2019 for this year’s 83 mile Charity Cycle Ride, in support of the Rainbows Children’s Hospice and the Masonic Charitable Foundation. To wish them good luck on their journey, Helen Lee-Smith, Head of Individual Giving from Rainbows said: “Thank you so much to all of those taking part today, yet again the support from the Freemasons is essential to Rainbows Children’s Hospice”. Also there to wave them off was the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, David Hagger who said: “We are all extremely proud of the work we do to support Rainbows and the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and thank all of those riders for raising such a fantastic amount today” On the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures well in excess of 33 degrees Celsius, twenty cyclists including Freemasons, friends and family set off from Freemasons’ Hall Leicester early in the morning before the sun was at its strongest.  The route took the four groups out from Leicester and on towards Loughborough before heading through Shepshed and onto Derby in the first leg of the journey of over 33 miles. The first stop was at the Masonic Hall in Derby, where tea, coffee, bacon sandwiches and much needed water were in abundance.  The break was very much appreciated as the day was beginning to warm up, however time was of the essence, and it was not long before the next leg out through Long Eaton and onto Nottingham. By now the temperatures were soaring, but that did not stop the determined cyclists to battle the searing heat and traffic as they arrived at the Masonic Hall in Nottingham for a rest in the shade and to restock with supplies. The afternoon sun meant that water stops were frequent, but with determination and hard work, the cyclists made their way from Nottingham back into Leicestershire, finally finishing at Freemasons’ Hall Leicester at around 6pm.

Freemasons’ Hall Leicester hosted a wide range of charities and good causes from all over Leicestershire and Rutland, as £28,510 was presented by the Freemasons’ to benefit the local community and those in need. The Ratby Co-operative Band which needed a new van to assist in the transportation of musical instruments to their venues, received a donation of £2,000 to finalise the purchase. Sheralyn Newman from the band said: “A big thank you to Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons for helping to support our bands” A relatively new charity, Help the Homeless Leicester received £580 to help drive down the number of homeless people on the streets of Leicester. Arif Voraji from the charity said: “This generous donation will help take people off the streets, a huge thank you to the Freemasons” The Truswell Trust, a national charity managing food banks with a Leicestershire base of operations in Oadby received £1,000.  Geoff Adams from the charity said: “This donation will help to fund a year's supply of cardboard boxes to deliver the food” Claire Robinson from Magic Milk, a group of volunteers who run breastfeeding support groups in North West Leicestershire, received a donation of £1,500 to help train an Ante Natal breastfeeding workshop group. Members of the 2nd 60th Leicester Scout Group were invited to receive a donation of £2,000 towards the replacement of a 25 year old minibus which is essential to deliver scouting activities to the group. Alison Lockley from Women’s Aid Leicestershire received a donation of £1,600 on behalf of the charity.  “This will help us save and change lives” The Provincial Grand Master, David Hagger summarised by praising the continued hard work carried out by all of the volunteers across the county who give up their valuable time to help others.

On Friday 7th June 2019, the Knighton Lodge No.4711 of Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons presented a classical music recital by renowned pianist Vicky Yannoula. Vicky, who is of Greek origin and now lives in London performed a repertoire of classical music which included popular classics from Mozart, Clementi, Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn. As a well-known musician, Vicky has also performed at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kings Place, Sherbourne Abbey and many others. The setting for the evening was in Leicester Cathedral which was perfect for the occasion, offering the splendour and beauty of the architecture to complement the delightful musical arrangement. The mastermind of the evening was Dennis McCauley, who introduced Vicky whom he had met whilst on a cruise with his wife Christine in 2018. The audience was captivated by Vicky’s talent, style and expressions whilst delivering her performance, which also included entertaining and amazing the attending children as she played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Grateful thanks go to the Dean of Leicester Cathedral David Monteith​ ​and his team for assisting with the organisation of this event. W.Bro. Dennis, who is the Master of Knighton Lodge, organised the evening as part of his drive to raise funds for the Leicester Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre and also the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons 2022 Festival in support of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.​

Lifelites Chief Executive Simone Enefer-Doy visits the National Space Centre in Leicester as part of the 3,000 mile relay for the charity who give life-limited and disabled children in hospices opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have. Freemasons from Leicestershire & Rutland recently took part in a charity fundraiser to support Lifelites, the charity which donates life-changing technology for children in hospices across the British Isles. The challenge saw the Chief Executive visiting a landmark in every area of England and Wales in just 15 days. The route covered nearly 3,000 miles and the weird and wonderful varieties of transport for each leg of the journey was all provided by local Freemasons. On Monday 13th May it was the turn of Leicester to play host to the Lift for Lifelites challenge, on her arrival at the National Space Centre, Simone was greeted by Ian Nesbitt, Phil Caswell, and David Highton from Leicestershire Freemasons' who, after a quick stop for a photoshoot, escorted Simone in a luxury Bentley to her next stop along the journey. Ian Nesbitt, the Charity Officer for Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons said: "LifeLites provide such a wonderful service to those children in need around the country, we are only too happy to support in whatever way we can" Lift for Lifelites took place for the first time last year and was a huge success, thanks to the support of Freemasons across the British Isles. It helped Lifelites to provide life changing technology to every children’s hospice service across the British Isles.

On Saturday 18th May 2019, the Master of Knighton Lodge, Dennis McCauley, and his wife Christine, invited the widows and elderly relatives of Lodge members to afternoon tea at their home. Throughout the afternoon, it was lovely to see the ladies enjoying each other's company and reminiscing about old times - as well as thoroughly enjoying the lovely tea which had been prepared by the Lodge friends and families. The guests were most appreciative of the invitation, and graciously thanked their hosts and the rest of the helpers for their hard work and for the hospitality provided.  Other members of the Lodge, together with their partners, attended the most enjoyable 'cheese and wine' evening which took place later that day, in which a raffle, quiz, a Eurovision sweepstake, and finally a 'guess the number of pasta shells' took place. An excellent day was had by all, and a total of £200 was raised which will be put towards the Lodge Almoner's fund.

After months of hard work by the Founding Brethren of the Hinckley Lodge of Installed Masters No.9972, and also the Provincial Executive, the Lodge consecration was held at Freemasons' Hall Leicester on Thursday 23rd May 2019. Over 130 Brethren took their seats in the Oliver Lodge Room as the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. Dr Andrew Green took the chair and appointed the Consecrating Officers to the various positions around the Lodge.  The Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. David Hagger then entered the room to preside over the consecration ceremony, ably assisted by the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies W.Bro. Geoff Searson, the Provincial Grand Chaplain R.W.Bro. Rev. Canon Michael Wilson, and other members of the consecrating team. After the conclusion of the consecration ceremony, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, V.W.Bro. Peter Kinder assumed the chair to direct the Installation ceremony, as the Worshipful Master Designate, W.Bro. David Fell was installed as the first Master of the Lodge. The Provincial Grand Master was delighted to present Founders Jewels to all of the Founders present, The first duty of W.Bro. David was to appoint and invest his officers for the year, starting with his two Wardens, W.Bro. Michael Kennedy and W.Bro. John Reilly. As a most welcome surprise, the Provincial Grand Master, before the evenings' proceedings were concluded, presented a promotion to Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden to the new Master, who was left speechless at such a kind gesture. The Consecration was followed by a festive board with a packed dining hall, as Founders, guests, and visitors celebrated this rare but special occasion.  W.Bro. David Fell concluded the evening by thanking all of those present for their hard work and dedication, and finally presented a cheque for £250 to the Provincial Grand Master for the 2022 Festival.

Since 1892 the Leicestershire and Rutland Lodge of Research No.2429 has published in a continuous sequence an annual volume of "Transactions" containing papers and shorter items on matters of Masonic Research. Some have been historical, others have examined issues concerning ritual and ceremonial, while yet others have considered Masonic artefacts, particularly those in the Museum at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester. Many papers over the years have been contributed by distinguished Masonic scholars as visitors to the Lodge, including a number of presentations of the Annual Prestonian Lecture, in which context it must be remembered that the Lodge has two "Prestonians" to its credit, W.Bros. Walter Bunney and Aubrey Newman. Visiting brethren have contributed material on, inter alia, the growth and development of Freemasonry in jurisdictions other than England, including France, Southern Africa, India and the United States, so that there is a wealth of matter dealing with "Masonry Universal" as well as our own domestic concerns. Indeed it may justly be claimed that the "Transactions" rank only second to those of Lodge Quatuor Coronati as a source of masonic scholarship delivered on a yearly basis. Since the beginning of the series it has always been available to members of the Lodge and to its Correspondence Circle, which has included institutional members, such as overseas Grand Lodges, Provincial and District Grand Lodges, and Masonic research circles, as well as individuals on a local, national and world wide basis. Now, with the launch of the "Solomon" resource by the United Grand Lodge of England, the time has come to make the invaluable storehouse of the "Transactions" available to all, save with some exceptions relating to whatever in any given year constitutes the last five years of issues, though as the years progress those issues will be made available on a rolling basis. The Transactions have been painstakingly digitised by Microform Imaging Ltd and uploaded onto our website with a linked index by our webmaster W.Bro. Dr. Andrew Green assisted by W.Bros. David Sharpe and Derek Andrews. The digitised Transactions can be accessed here (https://research2429.org.uk/transactions-index/) It is hoped that all those with any interest in Masonic research, history, ritual and ceremonial, as well as the place of Freemasonry in the wider life of the nation and the world will find this new resource a timely and welcome addition to the material available to them.

It is an annual tradition that all Lodges with the name of “Friendship” traverse the country taking it in turns to host the event. The 2019 gathering was held on Saturday 18th May, in the Province of Cumberland & Westmorland at Cleator Moor, where the Lodge of Friendship No.8275 meet. It was attended by 80 brethren from 9 different Lodges of Friendship, including No.7168 from Leicestershire & Rutland. The hosts for the day delivered a most interesting talk entitled "The Romans in Cumbria" detailing some of the historical events of the surrounding areas. It was also a celebration for one of the Past Masters of the Lodge traveling from Leicestershire, as W.Bro. Gordon Richardson and his wife Barbara were marking their 50th wedding anniversary, they were presented with a card and present from the Brethren. Gordon also has another 50th celebration just around the corner, as he celebrates his 50th year in Freemasonry in February 2020. Next year The Lodge of Friendship No.135 from Bridgwater in Somerset will host the annual gathering.

The pursuit of friendship has often brought people from all walks of life together, this is true for a group of friends with a common interest in both Motor Bikes and Freemasonry. The East Midlands Chapter of the Widows Sons Masonic Bikers Association, who represent the Province of Leicestershire & Rutland have been out and about recently to promote both Freemasonry and Biking, as well as to help out local good causes. Two such organisations who have benefited from a visit of the Widows Sons are the Melton Mowbray Scouts, and the Peter Le Marchant Trust, both of who received generous donations of £200 each.  Earlier this year, the Widows Sons also visited Devonshire Court, the retirement home in Oadby, Leicestershire to distribute Easter Eggs and bring fun and entertainment to the residents. The recent Loughborough Bike & Trike Festival held at the Market Place in Loughborough was one event where the Widows Sons visited to chat with visitors about all things bike related and to discuss where the Widows Sons originated, and the connection to Freemasonry.

On Saturday 13th April a rare and memorable event took place in Oxford, namely an emergency meeting of the Apollo Lodge No.357 at the beautiful and ancient Sheldonian Theatre, in this their bicentenary year.  On this occasion, the Lodge was pleased to receive the Grand Master, HRH Duke of Kent. Leicestershire & Rutland were represented by W.Bro. Daniel Hayward who is also a subscribing member of the Apollo Lodge, our Assistant Provincial Grand Master W.Bro. Andrew Green, and Bro. Dennis Crommentuijn.  In all, over two hundred Brethren were in attendance at the meeting. The Grand Master, HRH Duke of Kent issued a special warrant to commemorate the bicentenary, which was preceded by a history of the Apollo Lodge and an informative and entertaining overview of its famous Brethren. The meeting was followed by a convivial reception at the Ashmolean Museum, which was well attended by familiar faces from previous Light Blue Club visits.

Local Charities gathered at Freemasons’ Hall Leicester on Saturday 6th April 2019 to tell their story, and receive generous donations from Lodges, Chapters, and the Leicestershire & Rutland Masonic Charity Association. The Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’, David Hagger opened proceedings by welcoming all and introducing the assembled Charities to the work of the Leicestershire & Rutland Masonic Charity Association in the community. The first guest to be introduced was the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Michael Kapur OBE, who was not only present to receive £1,000 for his Charity Award for Young People, but to also assist in presenting donations to other well deserving organisations. Michael said: “This award scheme helps to shine a light on our brave young people in Leicestershire”. Noel Manby, the Grand Superintendent of the Leicestershire & Rutland Royal Arch Masons was on hand to present £3,900 to local Charities including Bloodwise, Hope Against Cancer, Mesothelioma UK, and Shopmobility Melton Mowbray. After the presentation, Noel Manby said: "Royal Arch Masons of Leicestershire & Rutland are proud to be able to support you, the hard working volunteers of local charities and good causes"