Pro Grand Master & Brethren,
Today, I want to discuss a matter I think is of immense significance to our organisation—the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and the role we, as Freemasons, can play in upholding this commitment. The following commentary are my thoughts of how we can support those who have supported our nation.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a solemn pledge from our country to ensure that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, along with their families, are treated with fairness and respect. It acknowledges the unique sacrifices made by military personnel and seeks to mitigate the disadvantages they may face compared to other citizens.
This Covenant encompasses various support measures across healthcare, education, housing, employment and well-being and is upheld by the government, businesses, and community organisations like Freemasonry to honour and support the Armed Forces Community. We are one of 12,000 organisations who have made a similar commitment.
The Covenant is not just a document; it represents a moral commitment from our country to those who have served. It reinforces the principle that military personnel should not be disadvantaged due to their service.
By promoting understanding and support within the community, the Covenant helps integrate service personnel and their families into civilian life, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect. Supporting the Armed Forces community strengthens national unity and pride, acknowledging the essential role that military personnel play in national security and our well-being.
Freemasonry and the Armed Forces in the UK share a long and intertwined history, characterised by mutual respect, shared values, and significant overlapping membership. This relationship is founded on common principles such as discipline, loyalty, service, and fraternity.
Freemasonry has long-standing traditions deeply rooted in its principles and history. This relationship has evolved over centuries, reflecting our commitment to philanthropy and community support. Moreover, Freemasonry resonates deeply with the concept of "Brothers in Arms," a term that symbolises the enduring bond shared by millions of veterans. This connection highlights the profound commonality between Freemasons and the Armed Forces Community, a bond forged through shared values, experiences, and mutual respect.
Signing
On 20th October 2021, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
The signing of the partnership took place during a ceremony here at Freemasons' Hall led by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent.
During the ceremony, HRH said:
"It is my great pleasure to sign the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of the United Grand Lodge of England. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Armed Forces, and we will continue to promote their welfare, support, and respect amongst all our members."
In the last 3 years we have made great strides in supporting the Covenant and this has been acknowledged with their gold stand award from the Ministry of Defence. Much of the supports tends to been at a local level, individual Provinces following the Grand Masters example by signing the document.
But we need to ensure our support is not just a signature on a document. We as a whole organisation should pull together to maximise the commitment the Grand Master made three years ago that "we will continue to promote their welfare, support, and respect amongst all our members."
I think now is the time to take a breath and determine how we as an organisation wish to take this commitment further.
Currently our support is somewhat disconnected, with many Provinces and Regional Communication Groups working independently with little to no communication across our organisation, which is contrary to our organisational goals and how we have developed our strategy roll out.
We need to have all Provinces as signatories with a goal of forming a cohesive national structure so working together, we can maximise our support and impact.
Freemasonry's core values of integrity, friendship, respect, and service align perfectly with the ethos of the Armed Forces Covenant.
We should promote the fact that Freemasons are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation to our staff, membership and the wider public.
We should encourage our members who are employers to sign the Armed Forces Covenant supporting the employment of Veterans, Service spouses and partners.
I realise that few of our Provinces employ directly as most of our staff are volunteers, but we can influence those members who are employers.
I was an employer who signed the Covenant some years ago and benefited greatly from the employment of veterans. I now sit on the NE Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association, promoting the interests of the Armed Forces and building relationships with the local community and other employers. Our veterans have a great deal to offer both in their work and personal life.
Examples
Let me share some examples of how Provinces have already started supporting the Covenant.
In Durham, I created an Armed Forces Committee comprising veterans and serving personnel from all branches of the armed forces to establish and develop an effective support plan of how we can engage and support our Military. To date, this has been done with financial support, volunteering, discussions with the HM Lord Lieutenant, connecting with military charities and military organisations and supporting local acts of remembrance. Our armed forces committee have progressed and created an armed forces network within our Province.
This year Hampshire and Isle of Wight held a dinner to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and to celebrate the bond of 15 Military lodges in the area. Their annual dinner for the AF included the Lord Lt, The Royal British Legion, RAF Association and RN Association bringing together all branches of the forces at a Freemasons event .
Yorkshire, North and East Riding & the Masonic Charitable Foundation are supporting the national charity "The Not Forgotten" at a Summer garden party event in their Province next week, providing a day of entertainment for veterans and wounded serving personnel.
Cumberland and Westmoreland organised several activities supporting the D-Day landings anniversary, creating local media interest.
In Derbyshire they have had successful awards nights for all three cadet branches, this in turn has encouraged lodges to adopt a local cadet unit providing an opportunity to build relationships, strengthening the ties within the community.
Remember cadets stop being Cadets at 20/21 they may go off to university or into armed forces or even industry. Maybe there's an opportunity here to introduce them to Freemasonry .
And I believe The Province of Staffordshire are hosting Freemasonry Remembers on 2nd November at the National Arboretum.
Like I said, this is just a sample of the support given, and I'm sure other Provinces are engaging in a similar manner. We need to learn from the proactive Provinces to ensure we replicate this throughout the organisation. I appreciate that some Provinces will have a large military community within their borders and others will not. But I'm sure we all have veterans, reservists and serving personnel and their families in our Province that we can work with and support.
Strategic Objectives
Our strategic objectives moving forward need to align with our '2022 and Beyond' Strategy. Our overarching objective is to be a force for good in our communities and society at large and as a thriving organisation that people aspire to join.
This objective is underpinned by our three pillars , we want that thriving membership. It's about attracting new members and ensuring their experience keeps them in Freemasonry for life. Our commitment to the Covenant and the support we give to will be seen by potential members as an organisation they would be proud to be apart of.
We need to be a coherent organisation ensuring support both locally and nationally with a unified message.
Our community engagement is nothing new and has probably been practiced by you. We have the fundraising and the charitable financial support, but we also have the time, energy, and expertise that we can apply in support of the Covenant.
- We need to strengthen our bond with society by connecting with the Armed Forces community and key stakeholder organisations.
- We need to develop a proactive internal and external communications and engagement strategy promoting Freemasonry within the Armed Forces Community, in turn enhancing our reputation as a force for good within society
- Ultimately, we aim to be seen as an exemplar organisation in support of the Armed Forces community.
Short Term Goals
In the short term, we need to review our progress to date and determine:
- Where we stand with our commitment to the Covenant.
- This involves identifying which Provinces have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and support those who haven't.
- We need to determine the level of interaction with the AF Community in our individual Provinces, this could be determined by the size of the Province or the size of a serving and veteran community.
- We need a register identifying a specific point of contact for the Covenant in each Province; this could be a member of an existing committee or an individual Covenant Champion.
- Establishing local relationships with His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenants or any other senior military personnel in the Province.
- Formulating a register of Provincial involvement and actions taken to date, identifying good practices.
Long Term Goals
Looking ahead, our long-term aspirational goals could be:
- Establishing effective teams or committees in each Province to support the AFC, with representatives on a national group
- Collaborating with fellow RCGs and our military lodges to support larger events and create a greater impact by scaling up.
- We should maximise the visibility of Freemasonry within the serving and veteran community.
- Developing a strategy for national impact, especially at national events or acts of remembrance, with an effective communication strategy.
- We should explore options for our charities to support veterans charities through dedicated fundraising efforts and by encouraging member participation in volunteer activities.
- Let's follow Derbyshire's example and Consider adopting local military and cadet units to provide focused assistance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Armed Forces Covenant represents a significant moral and social commitment. As Freemasons, our values of integrity, friendship, respect and service align with the ethos of the AFC. Masonry and the Armed Forces share a common set of values and standards, but masonry also provides an identity, structure, and a team ethos which members of the AF Community are so familiar with and which, for some, can be lost when leaving the services. Let us fill that gap!
Pro Grand Master and Brethren, I don't for one minute claim to be an expert on this subject and I have not walked in the boots of our armed forces personnel.
But I represent many citizens of this country who have a deep affection and overwhelming gratitude to our Armed Services, both serving and retired.
By strengthening our support for the Covenant, we can enhance our reputation as a force for good within society and honour the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families.
Our strength like in any organisation is our members and I'm sure we have many members who are veterans or indeed currently serve who would welcome this review and I would like to think they will be our champions and will drive this forward.
Together, let us work towards a cohesive, effective, and impactful support system for the Armed Forces Community within Freemasonry.
