Page 3313 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 16 August 2011
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Sister Josephine, who taught me maths, not all that successfully, though it was not her fault; Sister Margaret, Sister Scholastica and Sister Damien; a range of music teachers and all of those people who contributed to the cultural life of many young women in Lismore. I pay tribute to them.
Freemasons Association
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.17): Earlier this month I was honoured to be invited to attend the grand installation of the right worshipful brother Mr Derek Robson AM as the new grand master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the ACT of ancient, free and accepted masons and the investiture of grand officers. Derek Robson is the 37th grand master to be installed since 1888 and holds the position after 33 years of service to the Freemasons in the ACT. Some of the past grand masters for the United Grand Lodge include Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, Lord Gowrie, Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott and, most recently, Dr Gregory Levenston. The event was held in Sydney at the Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour; they hosted grand masters and delegations of Freemasons along with their friends and family from across Australia.
Freemasonry is steeped in history and is one of the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organisations. The Freemasons Association of the ACT and New South Wales facilitates all of the activities of Freemasons in New South Wales and the ACT and is the social wing of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the ACT. The association conducts various social events, promoting support for and contributions to the community. It holds charity activities on a regular basis and has been responsible for donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthy causes, including the Victorian bushfire appeal and the Queensland flood appeal. The organisation is also running a campaign entitled “Men’s health—no more secrets”, which was described in detail by the past grand master at the National Press Club in February 2007.
The organisation’s new grand master is the National Secretary of the Returned and Services League of Australia. In addition to his role at the RSL, Derek is the Executive Director of the Australian Forces Overseas Fund, is Chairman of the National RSL Clubs and Licensed Sub-Branch Forum and represents Australia on the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, providing assistance to all veterans of the commonwealth. Derek has already contributed much to the community through service in the Navy, the RSL, Rotary, the Freemasons and other organisations.
I would like to put on the record my support for the grand officers for 2011-12. Derek Robson will be supported by Deputy Grand Master the Right Worshipful Brother JR Melville, and the Assistant Grand Master, the Right Worshipful Brother W Mehanna. He will be supported by the right worshipful brothers E Maniago, F Pamplona, Reverend Dr JF Hely, Reverend PW Kilkeary, Rabbi Dr SH Tov-Lev, RK Collins, JE Armfield, WS Whitby, IR Newbery, GC Redfern, K McGlinn, CJ Craven, KC Taylor, A Georges, CF Sillince and J Baldwin; the very worshipful brothers LP Carter, AG Ebert, WV Sinclair, PE Robinson, PM Ratcliff, JR Angeles, JJ Begbie, CI Wattle, IN Cox, FJ Dunster and PL Miller; the worshipful brothers RK Murray, PA Howlett, N Mannoun, AV Owen and GW Singleton; and Brother ARB Slater.
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