How nice it is to meet like minded people. Last week was no exception, as it marked the occasion of the Annual AGM of the MGO & PGO Club (Middlesex Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers’) and where almost a full capacity of 280 members attended.
The club meets twice a year and enables Provincial Officers (Past & Present) to informally get together over a drink and an exceptionally good meal and where on that evening we had the pleasure of the company of a number of representatives of non masonic Middlesex charities in order to present them with a substantial amount of money.

The AGM was subsequently opened and the usual procedures and appointments were made and approved. This was followed by an enlightening and entertaining address from Roger Croome, our Pro Provincial Grand Master and club President.
Then to mark the 10 years of the Middlesex Provincial Relief Fund ( See below for more details of the fund) and the Royal Jubilee, the trustees decided to ask each of the Lodges in Middlesex to nominate a charity of their choice for a £500 grant from the fund and then 3 of the best nominations would then receive a further £15,000 and 2 lots of £7,000. This would make a potential total of £160,000 . However, we were amazed to be told at the meeting that 38 Lodges in the Province couldn’t be bothered and had failed to nominate any charity, which meant that £19,000 would not be claimed. The Trustees decided that this money would not be lost and would therefore give and extra 19 charities £1000. This is what Freemasonry does best…
The winners of the extra money were the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, nominated by John Gunner and Roy Constable of Parsifal Lodge no 5655 & Amanda Heaton and Anne Constable from the Oak Centre for children & young people at the Royal Marsden and they were presented with the cheque for £15,000. The charity we had nominated along with 2 other Lodges was Kids can Achieve, based in Harrow Weald, who had already been presented with cheques totalling £1,500the previous week were pleased to have been presented with a further cheque for £7,000 on the night. A great evening of Fun, Fellowship and Giving was had by all present.
About the Middlesex Provincial Relief Fund
This fund was set up in 2003 with the proceeds from the sale of the Princess Alexandra Home. An application form is available on the Provincial Web Site or can by emailed or posted to you on application on request. The Trustees of the Charity are able to reach a decision about grants very quickly and often a grant is made to relieve severe financial distress whilst an application is being made to the Grand Charity for a Masonic Relief Grant. Requests for Grants for non-Masonic requests received through the Provincial Almoner are also considered by the Trustees and three applications made during the year resulted in grants to worthy causes.
The Trustees will consider applications for assistance with living expenses for undergraduates with Middlesex connections. One of the young people that the MPRF was assisting at Trinity College Dublin graduated during the year and ere are now no such assistance grants being made. The number of applications has fallen again during the past year and Freemasons or their dependants are urged to make applications through the Provincial Grand Almoner.