As many of my regular blog readers will know, I am a Freemason. In fact I am Hertfordshire’s Provincial Grand Orator, and part of my role is to deliver talks about aspects of Freemasonry to Lodge meetings and White Table gatherings, (The latter are meetings where non-Masonic guests are present.) I was booked to give a talk about the Halsey family to a White Table meeting in St Albans, Hertfordshire, last night and one about Freemasonry in the British Army to a Lodge meeting in Hutton, Essex, this evening … but both have had to be cancelled due to the present upsurge in COVID infections.
Needless to say, I am disappointed not to be doing these talks, but the risk of people being infected by the COVID Omicron is too high to ignore, and the decision by the Lodges to cancel these meetings is very understandable. With luck I will be able to give these talks at some time during 2022.
An aside: The Halsey family have been prominent in Hertfordshire (and the United States) for over four centuries, and besides providing three Provincial Grand Masters and several MPs, the family has produced two admirals; Admiral William (Bill) Halsey USN and Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey RN.
Another aside: The official abbreviation of my Masonic rank is ProvGOrat … which makes me sound as if I deal with infestations of rats!
Shame you can't give you talk Bob, but a wise move to cancel for the reasons mentioned. Fingers crossed 2022 gets back to a more even keel...
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI understand from the news headlines that the government is thinking about a short 'fire break' lockdown after Christmas. In the meantime, people seem to be pre-empting it by cancelling all but essential gatherings.
With luck, 2022 should be better than 2021, but I suspect that it will be some years before things begin to settle down to anything approaching a per-COVID normal.
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
ProvGOrat sounds to me like one of those Soviet agencies.
ReplyDelete“ProvGOrat has announced a 20% increase in wheat yields in the Turkmenistan SSR”.
Nundanket,
DeleteFunny that you should write that, but I understand that one wargaming friend of mine has used it as the surname of a Russian character who has been featured in a wargame!
General Provgorat at your service!
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
DeleteThe General seems to have in my mind the forename 'Igor' and patronymic 'Grigorevitch', the whole, especially as the Russian for 'General' is pronounced with (I believe) a hard 'G'. General Igor Grigorevitch Provgorat - obviously a commander to reckon with.
This COVID thing, even when reasonably well handled, as it has been so far in this country (by and large), is starting I think to cause society in general to fray at the edges. Not a good outlook, methinks. But maybe I'm just being pessimistic.
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteIf I ever get around to creating a FUNNY LITTLE WARS/PORTABLE WARGAME ‘Russian’ army, I will have to include General Igor Grigorevitch Provgorat in its ranks!
What concerns me about the current pandemic is the seeming inability of those in power in the UK to accept that we are essentially ‘at war’ with the virus, and that we need to put the country on a war footing. This would mean that we would have to accept limitations being placed on our ‘freedoms’ for the greater good and to beat the virus.
Furthermore, we need to find a whole world solution, because until we do, further variants will evolve and spread from areas where the population is unvaccinated, endangering us all. The Omicron variant is more transmissible but less deadly than the Delta variant, but the next one might be as equally transmissible but deadlier.
Sorry to sound so gloomy about the situation, but I am getting a bit fed up being told that I’m silly for wearing a mask, testing myself every other day, and being vaccinated by people who see it as an affront to their ‘freedom’ … and then having to listen to their whinging when they catch the virus and get ill. I’ve know enough people who have been hospitalised to know that this isn’t just a bad cold or flu; it kills or seriously incapacitates.
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
"but I am getting a bit fed up being told that I’m silly for wearing a mask, testing myself every other day, and being vaccinated by people who see it as an affront to their ‘freedom’ … and then having to listen to their whinging when they catch the virus and get ill. I’ve know enough people who have been hospitalised to know that this isn’t just a bad cold or flu; it kills or seriously incapacitates."
ReplyDeleteYeah, same here.
Admiral Halsey (the UK one?) is mentioned in a Beatles song, so that always comes to my mind when I hear the name.
Best wishes for the holidays to you and everyone who comes by here!
Fitz-Badger,
DeleteIt sometimes seems that the concept that with rights comes responsibilities has been forgotten. I don't like having to wear a mask or take regular tests, and I resent the fact that I cannot do many of the things that I want to do ... but I recognise that at times like this, I have to accept those restrictions in order to protect myself and others. It is a pity that so many other people don't share this attitude.
According to Wikipedia (so it may well be wrong!) the Paul McCartney song UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY refers to the US Admiral not the UK one. Apparently, McCartney regarded Halsey as an authoritarian figure who should be ignored ... a point of view that I don't agree with.
Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year,
All the best,
Bob
One of my duties in the past has been Assessments Coordinator. The main test we used was called a Wide Ranging Attainment Test - WRAT - so I got called the Ratman...
ReplyDeleteRob Young,
DeleteFrom one Ratman to another … have a great Christmas and New Year!
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
And to you and yours.
DeleteWe had our KT meeting last night with 33 there. All tested before hand, masks on throughout, no singing and windows open (it was bit brisk in there!) Only 2 pulled out before the meeting citing health concerns. I was surprised there were not more. Actually everyone being v sensible and pretty stress free.
ReplyDeleteMy guest was v concerned for his craft installation in early January as he is going into the chair for the first time. He has guests flying down from Scotland for the event. It will go ahead unless Boris decrees otherwise.
Regards,
Guy
Guy,
DeleteI was supposed to be going to a White Table meeting of my London Lodge last night, but my wife was unwilling to travel on the Underground, so we didn’t go.
You did well to manage to get so many at your KT meeting, and it sounds as if you all took sensible precautions. I suspect that your guest is right to be worried about his Installation meeting. Having read the latest SAGE meeting minutes, predictions of increased infection rates indicates that the future doesn’t look very good.
All the best,
Bob