August 1st 2026 - by Bro Edward Thompson

2026 was an unusual year for the Province of Yorkshire North & East Ridings (YNER) in that there were two Convocations rather than the standard one. The first, on May 9th was the Investiture of the new Right Worshipful Provincial Grandmaster Mark Iveson as well as his key Provincial Officers in both Craft and Chapter. The second was on August 1st, wherein Companions and Brethren were given honours and promotions by the Right Worshipful Provincial Grandmaster (RWPGM) Mark Iveson himself.

Before I divulge, I must apologise to readers who are not Technical unit members - I am largely writing up the Convocation from a Technical unit perspective...

I picked up W Bro Ian Parkinson and the drive to York from West Hull was simple and easy - setting off at 7.30am meant traffic was light, even in Central York. We eventually parked up at York Racecourse and joined the Companions, ready for the Royal Arch Chapter Convocation. Ian was particularly excited as he was about to be given his first Provincial Promotion - Provincial Chapter Steward. The designated room used for the Convocation was bustling with activity and I sat on the front row with other Technical Companions, namely: E Comps Rob Atkinson and Jonathan Sykes and Comp Allan McKay.

The meeting was smooth and it was a pleasure to see E Comp Ian Parkinson - 'Parki' - invested as a Steward by the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent (MEGS) Mark Iveson. Deputy Grand Superintendent (DGS) Hiten Thaker, another Technical Companion, warmly embraced 'Parki' with pride as he handed him his formal Certificate. He was then led back to his place by his guide Comp Dave Green (an outgoing Active Steward in Chapter and the current 'Joshua' in Technical Chapter). Another significant  joy was seeing E Comp Paul Hillary elected as Provincial Treasurer. "You can't escape it now!" the MEGS joked to E Comp Paul after his appointment was made. Paul gave a stoic nod. 

The MEGS gave his Address and after many perambulations, we left to change our regalia downstairs. 'Parki' showed us the Wand he was given for his upcoming year as Steward. "Don't break it!", I thought.

We headed for the bar before lunch and then took our drinks to our table, the York Racecourse providing a scenic backdrop. The lunch was light yet enjoyable and great conversation flowed on our table. After lunch was done and the toasts were given, we posed for a picture.

L to R: W Bro Ian Parkinson (new Chapter Steward), W Bro Paul Hillary (new Provincial Grand Treasurer), Deputy Grand Superintendent W Bro Hiten Thaker, W Bro Rob Atkinson (soon-to-be invested Craft Steward), Bro Edward Thompson, W Bro Jonathan Sykes, Bro Nandakumar Thekkootu Pisharam - please note W Bros Dave Green and Allan McKay were also in attendance but absent from the picture!

The afternoon was occupied with the Craft meeting. After another multi-staged parade of Distinguished Brethren, the meeting started and followed a similar pattern to the former Chapter meeting. Offices were given, promotions were made and notably for Technical, W Bro Robert Atkinson was invested as a Craft Provincial Steward. The Red and White apron of a Craft Steward that he now wears seemed written in the stars - it perfectly matched the colours of his beloved Hull KR as seen below:

W Bro Paul Hillary and W Bro Robert Atkinson (doing his best Red Robin impression)

In summary, it was a great day of companionship, tasty food, strong esprit de corps and Brotherly Love. All members of Technical enjoyed themselves and we look forward to meeting again soon. Furthermore, the Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings has a buzz to it - I am confident that all who attended the Convocation felt it too!

P.S. For a more comprehensive account please see W Bro Eddie Wildman's recent blog on Humber 57's Website: https://humber57.org.uk/?Blog-Page