WK News - Issue 13 (2) - Flipbook - Page 21
ISSUE NO.13 SUMMER 2024 | WEST KENT NEWS 22
PROVINCIAL GRAND DIRECTOR
OF CEREMONIES:
DANIEL UNTHANK
Celebration of Craft Provincial
Investitures Friday 14 June
2024
I am writing this a few days after
800 of us sat in the Grand Temple at
Great Queen Street for a joyous
Provincial celebration. Friday 14th
June saw those that have received
active appointments, promotions and
first appointments congratulated by
the RW PGM and DPGM. We also
celebrated those who have gone
above and beyond in their efforts
receive
thoroughly
deserved
recognition with the Invicta Award,
Jonathan Winpenny Award and gold
ties.
The day itself is the culmination of
months of work by the Provincial
administration
team
and
the
ceremonial team. Beginning with the
collating of returns from those
receiving Honours, there is then the
invitations to honoured guests,
arrangements for lunch, seating
plans for the Temple, organisation of
the processions, planning for the
carousel and arrangements for the
multitude of duties required on the
day. None of this would be possible
without the unwavering assistance
of those that volunteer each year to
help. Thank you to you all.
From a ceremonial perspective, it is
a huge pleasure to work in the
Grand Temple. The atmosphere is
always electric and entering Grand
Temple with 50 active Provincial
Officers in the PGM’s procession
always makes the hair on the back
of my neck stand up. Each year the
current active Provincial Grand
Stewards form the carousel to escort
those receiving honours. This is one
of
the
most
anticipated
and
enjoyable parts of their role as
Stewards.
The method they use to form the
carousel changes each year and
becomes personal to them as a
group. This requires a lot of
rehearsal to make sure it looks good
in front of 800 people, but the end
result is always worth the effort. The
Provincial Directors of Ceremonies
also practise their floorwork weeks
in advance of the meeting. This
ensures that those receiving
honours and those attending as
spectators get the best show
possible.
This celebratory meeting is the
highlight of the year. It gives us as a
Province the opportunity to salute
those that have been awarded
Provincial honours and recognise
those that deserve special mention
for the work they do. It is also the
PGM’s opportunity to address the
Province as a whole and convey his
pride in what we do and stand for.
To the regular attenders amongst
you, I look forward to seeing you
again next year. To anyone who
hasn’t experienced the meeting
before, or hasn’t been for a while, I
can only recommend that you put
the 13th June in your diary and join
us.
It is truly a magnificent event for
you, family and friends and I look
forward to seeing you there.