Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons


Welcome

The Mark Province of Oxfordshire was constituted in 1994, when it was split from the joint province with Berkshire and consists of 13 Mark Lodges and 10 Royal Ark Mariner Lodges with a total Mark membership of approximately 450. Although it is one of the smaller provinces, it does mean that members know each other well, creating a very happy Province.

The aim of this website is to provide information about the Mark and Royal Ark Mariner degrees to our members, to the Masonic world who are not members of the Mark degree and to the rest of the world who are not Masons.

The website shows the locations and dates of the meetings of our Lodges as well as upcoming social events and our charitable side.

I am sure you will find this site helpful and informative but if you want further information about the Mark and Royal Ark Mariner degrees, the Province or any of our Lodges please contact us.

I hope you will find our website both interesting and informative.


R.W.Bro. Ian W. Wright
Provincial Grand Master



Provincial Grand Lodge has been postponed until 23rd October which is the date that we were expecting to hold a Mark Summer Dinner at Heythrop. If possible, I will hold a business Annual General Meeting prior to the dinner. Of course, this is my intention and a nasty little bug might have other ideas.
We have missed out on our Henley boat trip through which we intended to support the Craft Festival. We have missed the Newbury race day; the clay shoot and the Golf day. I had planned to have a Mark weekend in Bournemouth this year but sadly that has also been postponed. All of these activities would have raised money towards our Festival in 2025, I do hope that you can support us when normal service is resumed.
The MBF Festival is very much in my thoughts and I would particularly like to thank the committee chaired by W. Bro. Graham McGowan-Smyth for their commitment and hard work. We now have a Festival tie which will go into production soon and you may have seen the new Oxfordshire Mark Token which is to be used at all Advancements in the Province. Proceeds of which will go to this worthy cause.
Since May last year I have been visiting various Provinces; representing Oxfordshire on your behalf. This is a particularly enjoyable duty. This can involve long journeys to other Provinces and Districts; and I was due to witness the formation of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Italy towards the end of this month. I am proud to be your Provincial Grand Master and I will continue to promote this exceptional and remarkable Province of Oxfordshire.
I would like to thank the Provincial Officers of 2019/2020; I have been impressed with the way they have conducted themselves in office and The Province has benefited from their skills.
I have had a happy year working with V.W. Bro. Barry; he has been an excellent Deputy and I am fortunate to be able to benefit from his sound advice but especially from his friendship. I most certainly have great pleasure in reappointing him as Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire. Congratulations Barry.
Today I would have had the pleasure of investing the new Provincial Officers; although I cannot physically do that; they are appointed and take up their offices immediately. I would hope to physically invest them as we meet up around The Province. Please remember that they have earned these offices by merit alone. This is a principal that I will continue uphold. Provincial Office is a reward for the hard work and commitment that they have shown to The Province and I congratulate you all.
The world has suffered significant changes and disruption in the past three months, and Freemasonry has had great losses. Sadly, our age profile does not help; underlying health issues can often be avoided. I would like to have a healthier membership and your daily walk is a beginning; I am not asking for 100 laps of your garden but perhaps you could work towards it. With all the free time! I am sure you have been brushing up with your ritual; the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies is there to help and will set up video conferencing groups for masonic discussions. Freemasonry will have to adapt, and changes will have to be made to our practices. There is certainly a need to address the Almoner's role in our organisation. Video conferencing is a useful tool that will be used more for masonic business meetings; it is a way forward. We all love our Masonry and we need to learn from this pandemic and better prepare ourselves for the future.
Seventy-Five years ago, Masonry suffered losses in the second world war, but we survived, and our numbers flourished; largely because of the comradery; stability and order that freemasonry gave to society. Let us seize the opportunity that presents itself and portray all of our beautiful Orders with pride and dignity.
It was my intention to hold a Provincial Church Service on Sunday 19th July in Witney with a buffet lunch afterwards in the Witney Masonic Hall. This date was set before the current Grand Lodges lockdown and before the Church lockdown. If possible, the church service will still occur, and it would be a fitting time to remember our lost brethren.
May the Great Overseer of the Universe bless you all and keep you in his care.

R.W. Bro. Ian W. Wright
Provincial Grand Master


The Newsletter for the Mark Master Masons of Oxfordshire

 Updated 8th Jul 2024
Click on the pages below to read the newsletters.

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July 2024

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March 2024

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December 2023

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October 2023

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June 2023

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March 2023

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December 2022

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October 2022

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April 2022

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January 2022


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Oxfordshire Festival 2025 website
(click to open in new window)


Launch of MBF Annual Festival 2025, Oxfordshire

Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons

  Updated 1st Jun 2020
On Sunday 19th August, the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. His Honour Ian Alexander K.C. and his wife Mrs Rosemary Alexander hosted a Garden Party at The Folly Fifield, their home in North Oxfordshire. The PGM thanks all who came. The event was well-attended by nearly 60 Mark Master Masons, their partners and guests from around the Province, including the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. Ian Wright PGSD and his wife Wendy and Past Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Geoffrey Redman-Brown with his wife Jean. We were delighted that the Provincial Grand Master for Berkshire, R.W.Bro. Richard Olliver (who gave a generous response to the Toast the guests) and his wife Margaret were able to attend.
The Provincial Grand Master used the occasion to have a "soft launch" of the Mark Benevolent Fund (MBF) Oxfordshire 2025 Festival. The event itself raised over £5,000 in part due to the generous donations before and immediately after. This has given a tremendous kick start to the Festival. Since when, monies have already started to be raised and pledged by Lodges and individuals. The Provincial Grand Master spoke of the wonderful work that the MBF does and the PGM for the Mark Province of Berkshire, who hosted the 2017 MBF Festival, offered his Province's full support to Oxfordshire. There will be hard, but rewarding, work ahead over the next 7 years leading up to the Festival in 2025.

In his address the PGM took up the words of the Grand Secretary at the recent presentation of Blood Bikes at Birmingham "we should all be proud to be Mark Master Masons". The PGM pointed out the amount of money raised for the MBF through our Festivals, and otherwise, enables us to do an enormous amount of real good, not only in supporting our own members and dependants when needed, but also playing a vital part in the community at large. The PGM said he was proud to be a Mark Master Mason and proud to be your PGM. No target figure has been set but he said he is confident that the Oxfordshire Province will by 2025 have raised an amount which we enable us to be excited and proud of our joint efforts.
All who attended the Garden Party had a thoroughly good time. The Great Overseer of the Universe was kind enough to give as good weather. The cost was kept to a minimum by obtaining tents, tables and chairs from the local village halls and churches for a modest amount. Thanks must go to Tony Judd and his team of helpers who attended on Saturday afternoon to erect the tents tables and chairs and indeed to take them back after the event. Thanks are also due to those who helped on the day in many various ways. However the biggest saving was made by Rosemary, her daughter Victoria, and several other ladies who supplied and served a top class lunch which if done by outside caterers would not have been so good and would have wiped out the profits. A huge dollop of thanks is owed to them as is also owed to Brother John Grout who supplied magnificent prizes for a raffle which raised £500.



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Charity

The Oxfordshire Mark Masonic Benevolent Assocation (OMMBA)

  Updated 19th Jul 2021
The Oxfordshire Mark Masonic Benevolent Assocation, perhaps better known by its acronym, OMMBA, is a charity serving the members and families of the Mark Masonic Province of Oxfordshire. It has full accreditation with the Charity Commission as registered charity number 1122908.
Its origins may be found in 1971 when the Mark Masonic Province of Berkshire and Oxfordshire founded the Berkshire and Oxfordshire Mark Benevolent Association better known as BOMBA. The dual Mark province of Berkshire and Oxfordshire separated into individual provinces in 1994 with BOMBA eventually following suit by separating into two provincial charities in 2008. This was the point at which OMMBA was founded as the "stand alone" Oxfordshire Mark Masonic charity.
The Association currently has seven Trustees approved by the Charity Commission who fill the duties of officers of the Charity. The balance of the management committee is filled by the Charity Steward and the Almoner of each Mark and RAM Lodge in the Province who serve during their period in Lodge office.
The Association's funds are raised entirely from the membership within the Mark Masonic Province of Oxfordshire and grants are made to those members of the Province, and their family members and widows, who find themselves in necessitous circumstances.
It must be remembered that OMMBA is, in effect, a "first aid" charitable organisation which is able to respond very speedily to urgent situations of distress. In instances where it is anticipated that a grant will need to exceed OMMBA's financial capacity the Association will sponsor an application to the Mark Benevolent Fund which has the capability to respond when greater financial outlay proves necessary.
Examples of assistance given by OMMBA since 2008 include payment for numerous instances of respite care, supply of mobility equipment including a number of stair lifts, and a number of immediate financial grants. OMMBA also, on behalf of all Oxfordshire Mark and RAM masons maintains contact with widows of deceased members via an annual letter and Xmas greetings card enclosing a small cheque.
Applications for assistance should, in the first instance, be made to the Almoner of the Mark or RAM brother's Lodge. Confidentiality is always respected with detail of the application disclosed to the minimum circulation. If an applicant wishes maximum confidentiality he/ she may directly contact any one of the Trustees of OMMBA for the application to be carried forward.

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Click on the picture above to visit Mark Masons Hall's website (in new window)

Mark Grand Lodge Newsetter - Freemasonry @86

  Updated 14th Feb 2021
Click on the picture on the left, or go to the Mark Grand Lodge website and look for the newsletter section.
There is an option to sign up for notification when a new edition has been released.

Travelling Keystone

  Updated 3rd Jan 2021

"To the want of a keystone to complete the arch"

The Keystone is an architectural stone that is produced by the use of the square and compasses in its design.
The Travelling Keystone is intended to be a rallying point and symbol of fraternal goodwill.
Richly rewarded shall be who succeeds in finding it, and richly rewarded will be the Lodge that holds the Travelling Keystone of the Mark Master Masons Province of Oxfordshire.

Travelling Keystone Guidelines     Travelling Keystone Ritual


Provincial Officers 2024 - 2025

 Updated 10th May 2024
The Provincial Grand Master has been pleased to appoint or re-appoint the following brethren:
DepPGM
Senior Warden
Junior Warden
Master Overseer
Senior Overseer
Junior Overseer
Chaplain
Treasurer
Registrar
Secretary
Director of Ceremonies
   W Bro A.H. Barlow P.Prov.G.J.W. (1242)
   W Bro R. Cochrane P.Prov.G.M.O. (1305)
   W Bro D.A. Cumming P.Prov.G.M.O. (1183)
   W Bro V. Ramraj (55)
   W Bro P.D. Hurd P.Prov.G.S.O. (1242)
   W Bro G.H. Penny P.Prov.G.J.D. (55)
RW Bro D. Aspinwall P.G.J.W. (55)
   W Bro S.N. Pope (247)
   W Bro M.P. Griffin P.Prov.G.J.O. (225)
   W Bro E.M. Gratwohl Prov.A.G.D.C. (980)
   W Bro R.G. Harrison P.A.G.D.C. (1305, 1838)
Almoner
Charity Steward
Inspector of Works
Sword Bearer
Deputy Chaplain
Deputy Secretary
Deputy DC
Senior Deacon
Junior Deacon
Assistant Charity Steward
Assistant DC
Organist
Standard Bearer
Inner Guard
Steward
Steward
Steward
Steward
Tyler

Provincial Communications Officer
   W Bro B.J. Watts P.Prov.G.J.W. (1242)
   W Bro D.J. Brown (1183, 1838)
   W Bro K.J. Akroyd (225)
        Bro S.D. Purnell Prov.G.Swd.B
   W Bro G.T. Goodman Prov.Asst.G.Chap (1443)
   W Bro S.L. Bentall Prov.G.Swd.B. (1443)
   W Bro A.N. Dishington P.A.G.D.C. (1183, 1838)
   W Bro S.L. Crooks P.Prov.I.G. (1183)
   W Bro M.E. Genner P.Prov.G.Stwd. (847)
   W Bro N.P. Turner (847)
   W Bro A. McGahan P.Prov.Asst.G.D.C. (1242)
   W Bro A.J. Dyer P.Prov.G.S.W. (247)
   W Bro M. Khan P.Prov.G.Stwd (225)
   W Bro S.P. Weston (1546)
        Bro T.N. Grier (1546)
   W Bro A. Backer-Holst (1655)
        Bro T.M. Moss (847)
        Bro L.H. Waller (1655)
   W Bro A.P. Judd P.G.J.D. (247, 1838)

   W Bro M. Khan P.Prov.G.Stwd (225)

Promotions to Past Rank:
P.Prov.G.S.W.
P.Prov.G.J.W.
P.Prov.G.J.W.
P.Prov.G.M.O.
P.Prov.G.S.O.
P.Prov.G.J.D.
   W Bro J. Rose (247, 1838)
   W Bro M.A. Alcott (1838)
   W Bro K. Horswill (1386, 1838)
   W Bro C. Woodward (847)
   W Bro W. Butcher (980)
   W Bro V. Humphries (55)

First Appointment to Past Rank:
P.Prov.G.J.D.
P.Prov.G.St.B.
   W Bro G. Scothern (1546)
   W Bro E. Glasby (847)


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Class of Improvement - Mark and Royal Ark Mariners
   Monday 21st March 2022  7.30pm via Zoom

 All Mark & RAM Masons are invited to the next Zoom Class of Improvement. The dress code is casual, please remember your books and of course, no regalia is to be worn and no masonic secrets to be spoken or signalled (salutes).

 We will be undertaking the ceremony of Advancement and using the approved slides showing the floor movements to assist in the positioning of Officers and the delivery of the words. This will be an excellent opportunity to dust off the Ritual Books and continue the familiarisation process. Please note that it is not permitted to deliver the Obligation or the explanation of the signs etc.

 The zoom meeting link has now been placed on the Mark Members webpage.

 Tuesday 26th April 2022  7.00pm at Weyland Hall, Bicester Masonic Centre

 Details TBC








Launch of the Bonus Ball Competition

  Updated 1st Aug 2021
At the Menatschim Lodge of Mark Master Masons Installation on 1st September 2014 the Provincial Grand Charity Steward, WBro. Ken Jones, announced the launch of a bonus ball to supplement the income of the Almoners fund.
The fund is mainly used to support our Widows with their Xmas gifts.

Rules/ Terms & Conditions     Bonus Ball Game Application Form





GameDateWinnerNumber
803/07/21Steve P23
810/07/21Richard S01
817/07/21Richard S01
824/07/21Stephen P59
831/07/21Bill K48
807/08/21Wendy W58
814/08/21Wendy W58
821/08/21-51
828/08/21Patrick B41
804/09/21Brian P34
#DescriptionQtyPrice
1.Full Dress Collar2?
2.Past Grand Standard Bearer Collar Jewel2?
3.Past Grand Standard Bearer Full Dress Apron2?
4.Past Grand Standard Bearer Undress Apron2?
5.Provincial Grand Junior Warden Collar Jewel (Oxfordshire)1?
6.Undress Collar1?









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