A Great Future Begins: The Investiture of the Provincial Grand Master & Grand Superintendent
Report: Derek Lindars Photos: Mark Howells and Phil Nacci.
One Province. One Journey. One Great Future.
An early start and persistent rain could not dampen the spirits of more than 500 Freemasons travelling to Freemasons Hall in Great Queen Street for what would be a memorable day. Despite challenging traffic, companions and brethren arrived in good humour, enjoying coffee, friendly greetings and lively conversation before taking their seats in the magnificent Grand Temple.
A sense of pride filled the Temple as the Provincial Grand Chapter was opened with due solemnity by the Pro Grand First Principal, Jonathan Spence DL. He spoke warmly of his connections with the Province of East Kent and explained why Excellent Companion Trevor Carter is the right leader to take the Province of East Kent forward. A brief delay occurred when the Patent could not immediately be found, but this was handled adeptly and with humour by the Pro Grand First Principal before the document was presented, examined and confirmed.
Excellent Companion Trevor Carter then entered in procession, accompanied by senior officers and the First Principals of eight East Kent Chapters. Following the reading of the Patent, the solemn prayer and Obligation, he was invested as Provincial Grand Superintendent, after which he appointed his Officers. In a moving address, our Provincial Grand Superintendent spoke of his pride, humility and deep sense of responsibility.
Afterwards, the companions and brethren gathered for a delicious lunch and sincere toasts prior to the exchange of gifts between our Provincial Grand Superintendent and Pro Grand First Principal.
The afternoon continued with a further impressive ceremony in Grand Lodge, where Worshipful Brother Trevor Carter was appointed, obligated and installed as Provincial Grand Master of East Kent, following which he installed and confirmed his Officers. It was a day of grandeur, friendship and shared optimism, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Province of East Kent.
Following his installation and confirmation, Right Worshipful Brother Trevor Carter thanked the Pro Grand Master, the United Grand Lodge of England’s investing team, the Provincial Officers, and all brethren and companions for their professionalism, attendance, participation and continued commitment. He gave particular recognition to Worshipful Brother Andrew Berry for his role in the organisation of this magnificent Investiture.
Right Worshipful Brother Trevor also paid tribute to his predecessor, Right Worshipful Brother Neil Hamilton Johnstone. He acknowledged that through his leadership, dedication and hard work the Province had been left in a strong position, with firm foundations for future development.
Describing his vision as the beginning of a new chapter and a shared journey, he introduced the guiding ambition: One Province. One Journey. One Great Future. He emphasised that achieving this would require the contribution of every member, building on East Kent’s proud traditions while embracing new opportunities.
His ambitious objective is to double the Province’s membership over the next eight years through three key initiatives.
- Reducing the group structure from eight groups to four, to improve support, communication and collaboration while addressing local membership challenges.
- On 1st January 2027, to launch the East Kent Membership Festival to encourage every Lodge and Chapter to take responsibility for membership growth.
- Opening the East Kent Light Blues Club, automatically and free of charge, to all members who are not Provincial or Grand Officers, including Companions, and introducing a ‘harmonised’ badge representing unity.
Right Worshipful Brother Trevor concluded with four guiding principles: Fun, High Standards, Stability and Longevity. Without doubt, his address presented a hopeful call to unity and action, as our East Kent Province begins its shared journey towards a stronger future for the generations of brethren and companions to come.
