Freemasonry isn’t just about our regular meetings and ceremonies; it’s also about our individual masonic learning and development. At the annual investiture of Provincial Grand Lodge in June, the RW Provincial Grand Master appointed W.Bro. Merrick Jones as Provincial Grand Orator, and asked him to take forward the masonic education and training for the Province.
“My goal is to make masonic learning and development tools more available and simpler to use so we can perform our roles better, achieve our daily advancement in masonic knowledge and ultimately enhance our enjoyment of Freemasonry,” explained W.Bro. Merrick.
“This means masonic learning needs to become more joined-up, more bite-sized, more accessible and more digital. That’s why I’m developing “PROGRESS”, a new online learning and development portal for the Province.”
“PROGRESS” will put all our masonic training and development needs in one place. It will be simple to use and will host a learning catalogue, guidance on creating personal masonic development plans, help and support along our individual development pathways, advice from some of our senior Provincial Executive officers and much more.
The learning catalogue will include access to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) system being developed by the United Grand Lodge of England’s Improvement Delivery Group (IDG) Education Project. The Education Project was started by the UGLE Membership Focus Group and is now a formal project of the IDG, of which our RW Provincial Grand Master and Third Grand Principal is Deputy Chair.
The aims of this online resource are to create a database of learning materials that may be openly accessible to brethren; and to collect and disseminate examples of good practice that have enabled brethren to advance their knowledge and understanding of Pure Antient Masonry.
RW. Bro. Stuart Hadler PGM, Project Chairman, explains further, “The learning content will focus on what we have termed the “Masonic Journey”, which seeks to expand the horizons and stimulate the interest of all members regardless of experience or seniority. Of necessity, it must establish the fundamentals, offer the building blocks and create the opportunity to establish a firm foundation from which a brother might continue his own journey in a direction that interests and satisfies him.”
In addition to the VLE, PROGRESS will also provide access to the Provincial Oration team, enabling Lodges to book the team to deliver masonic talks to meet the Provincial Grand Master’s challenge that every Lodge should devote one of their annual meetings to advancing their masonic knowledge. Some of that material will have been developed by the Research Group of the Albert Edward Court Lodge of Research, also now chaired by the Provincial Orator. It will also encompass a calendar of seminars for lodge roles and offices and links to the Mentoring framework led by the Provincial Grand Mentor, W.Bro. Neil Evans.
While the online portal will take some months to develop, these resources will also be available via more traditional methods. You can book a lodge talk at goo.gl/nF3uMB. For further details contact orator@nullsouthwalesmason.com