© 2021 Provincial Grand Court of Wessex
The address to Brethren on the Banner Dedication.
Presented by :
The Most Worshipful GRAND MASTER:
Michael H Roalfe, PGHCh, GCSM
Opening Address.
R.W.Provincial
Grand
Master
before
addressing
the
Brethren
generally
may
I
thank
you
most
sincerely
for
the
honour
accorded
to
me
in
asking
that
I
act
as
officiating
officer
for
the
ceremony of dedicating the new banner to be used in your Province of Wessex.
Brethren,
you
may
be
interested
to
know
that
when
I
became
Grand
Master
there
was
a
great
debate
as
to
whether
the
term
‘banner’
of
‘standard
should
be
adopted
for
its
title
and
that
of
its
bearer.
Boutell
in
his
book
‘Heraldry’
states
that
a
banner
is
a
square
or
oblong
amorial
flag
hung
by
one
of
its
sides.
The
Oxford
dictionary
describes
a
banner
as
a
square
flag
on
a
pole
used
in
a
procession and for those who serve under the banner.
We
thought,
perhaps
in
ignorance,
that
the
term
‘standard’
had
more
relevance
to
battles
and
its
use
as
a
rallying
point
for
troops
but
there
is
no
doubt
that
Assyrians,
Egyptians,
Greeks
and
Romans
all
fought
under
their
’banners’
and
we
can
therefore
assume
that
the
early
Saxons
did
the
same.
In
the
Order
of
the
Red
Cross
of
Constantine
the
two
flags
are
referred
to
as
‘standards’
and
the
red
cross
was
adopted
by
Constantine
as
his
‘standard’
to
be
used
at
the
battle
of
Milvian
Bridge.
So
not
just
ignorance
but
also
confusion.
In
the
end
it
was
decided
to
adopt the Oxford dictionary definition and ‘Banner’ it became.
Today
the
most
notable
use
of
a
standard
or
banner
is
at
the
annual
parade
of
Trooping
the
Colour
on
Horse
Guards’
Parade
ground
where
the
standards
of
the
regiments
are
paraded
before the troops so that in the heat of battle they may know their rallying point.
Address before Dedication
Today,
is
an
historic
occasion
Brethren,
you
represent
the
present
and
future
members
of
this
Province.
Later
they,
and
hopefully
you,
will
for
many
years
to
come
observe
your
banner
borne
by
a
Provincial
Grand
Banner
Bearer
following
the
Provincial
Grand
Master
prior
to him opening the Provincial Grand Court of Wessex.
The
shield
on
the
banner
about
to
be
unfurled
is
headed
by
an
inscription
written
in
Anglo-Saxon
that
translates
as
Athelstan
King
of
Wessex.
The
letters
you
will
observe
as
A
and
E
when
conjoined
as
a
dipthong
form
the
letter
that
was
known
as
‘ash’.
The
next
letter,
a
conjoined ‘b’ and ‘p’ was originally known as ‘porn’ but as its pronunciation was ‘th’ it became known as ‘thorn’.
The
shield
bears
upon
it
a
replica
of
a
Wyvern.
A
two
headed
dragon
with
erect
wings
and
a
forked
tail.
Henry
of
Huntingdon
and
Matthew
of
Westminster
both
write
of
a
banner
depicting
a
golden
dragon
being
raised
by
the
West
Saxons
at
the
battle
of
Burford
in
752.
The
Bayeux
Tapestry
depicts
a
golden
dragon
(fallen)
and
a
red/golden/white
dragon
at
the
death
of
Harold
an
earlier
Earl
of
Wessex in 1066.
The
Wyvern
is
shown
placed
on
a
star
studded
chequered
carpet,
symbolising
masonic
stability
and
therefore
a
symbolic
safe
haven.
The
blue
bands
of
truth
connect
the
different
areas
of
the
Province
–
North,
South,
East
and
West
and
at
the
bottom
the
cross
patance
of the Wessex kings. The suspension loops and scroll are identical to the colours of the Provincial badge and collar."
The
Province
is
greatly
indebted
to
V.W.Bro.
Brian
G.
Wright
the
Deputy
Provincial
Grand
Master
of
the
Province
for
its
splendid
design.
I
congratulate
him
and
the
Province
on
the
originality,
not
only
of
the
design
chosen
for
the
banner,
but
also
its
shape.
Both
are
unique
within the Order. Long may you range under its protection in true Brotherly love, harmony and unity.
Brethren
it
gives
me
great
pleasure
to
dedicate
this
Banner
to
the
glory
of
the
Supreme
Being
and
Creator
of
all
Things
and
the
Province
of Wessex.
© 2021 Provincial Grand Court of Wessex
The address to Brethren on the Banner Dedication.
Presented by :
The Most Worshipful GRAND MASTER:
Michael H Roalfe, PGHCh, GCSM
Opening Address.
R.W.Provincial
Grand
Master
before
addressing
the
Brethren
generally
may
I
thank
you
most sincerely for the honour accorded to me in asking that I act
as officiating officer for the ceremony of dedicating the new
banner to be used in your Province of Wessex.
Brethren, you may be interested to know that when I became
Grand Master there was a great debate as to whether the term
‘banner’ of ‘standard should be adopted for its title and that of
its bearer.
Boutell in his book ‘Heraldry’ states that a banner is a square
or oblong amorial flag hung by one of its sides. The Oxford
dictionary
describes
a
banner
as
a
square
flag
on
a
pole
used
in
a
procession
and
for
those who serve under the banner.
We
thought,
perhaps
in
ignorance,
that
the
term
‘standard’
had
more
relevance
to
battles
and
its
use
as
a
rallying
point
for
troops
but
there
is
no
doubt
that
Assyrians,
Egyptians,
Greeks
and
Romans
all
fought
under
their
’banners’
and
we
can
therefore
assume
that
the
early
Saxons
did
the
same.
In
the
Order
of
the
Red
Cross
of
Constantine
the
two
flags
are
referred
to
as
‘standards’
and
the
red
cross
was
adopted
by
Constantine
as
his
‘standard’
to
be
used
at
the
battle
of
Milvian
Bridge.
So
not
just
ignorance
but
also
confusion.
In
the
end
it
was
decided
to
adopt
the
Oxford
dictionary
definition
and
‘Banner’
it became.
Today
the
most
notable
use
of
a
standard
or
banner
is
at
the
annual
parade
of
Trooping
the
Colour
on
Horse
Guards’
Parade
ground
where
the
standards
of
the
regiments
are
paraded before the troops so that in the heat of battle they may know their rallying point.
Address before Dedication
Today,
is
an
historic
occasion
Brethren,
you
represent
the
present
and
future
members
of
this
Province.
Later
they,
and
hopefully
you,
will
for
many
years
to
come
observe
your
banner
borne
by
a
Provincial
Grand
Banner
Bearer
following
the
Provincial
Grand
Master prior to him opening the Provincial Grand Court of Wessex.
The
shield
on
the
banner
about
to
be
unfurled
is
headed
by
an
inscription
written
in
Anglo-Saxon
that
translates
as
Athelstan
King
of
Wessex.
The
letters
you
will
observe
as
A
and
E
when
conjoined
as
a
dipthong
form
the
letter
that
was
known
as
‘ash’.
The
next
letter,
a
conjoined
‘b’
and
‘p’
was
originally
known
as
‘porn’
but
as
its
pronunciation
was ‘th’ it became known as ‘thorn’.
The
shield
bears
upon
it
a
replica
of
a
Wyvern.
A
two
headed
dragon
with
erect
wings
and
a
forked
tail.
Henry
of
Huntingdon
and
Matthew
of
Westminster
both
write
of
a
banner
depicting
a
golden
dragon
being
raised
by
the
West
Saxons
at
the
battle
of
Burford
in
752.
The
Bayeux
Tapestry
depicts
a
golden
dragon
(fallen)
and
a
red/golden/white dragon at the death of Harold an earlier Earl of Wessex in 1066.
The
Wyvern
is
shown
placed
on
a
star
studded
chequered
carpet,
symbolising
masonic
stability
and
therefore
a
symbolic
safe
haven.
The
blue
bands
of
truth
connect
the
different
areas
of
the
Province
–
North,
South,
East
and
West
and
at
the
bottom
the
cross
patance
of
the
Wessex
kings.
The
suspension
loops
and
scroll
are
identical
to
the
colours of the Provincial badge and collar."
The
Province
is
greatly
indebted
to
V.W.Bro.
Brian
G.
Wright
the
Deputy
Provincial
Grand
Master
of
the
Province
for
its
splendid
design.
I
congratulate
him
and
the
Province
on
the
originality,
not
only
of
the
design
chosen
for
the
banner,
but
also
its
shape.
Both
are
unique
within
the
Order.
Long
may
you
range
under
its
protection
in
true Brotherly love, harmony and unity.
Brethren
it
gives
me
great
pleasure
to
dedicate
this
Banner
to
the
glory
of
the
Supreme
Being and Creator of all Things and the Province of Wessex.
T
