THERE has been considerable activity among Herefordshire Freemasons. Malcolm Price installed David Shayler as the new Master of Arrow Lodge at Kington. In Hereford, at the senior Lodge Palladian, another large gathering witnessed Graham Millichip install his successor for the next 12 months. Delphis Lodge's popular Old English Night attracted its usual full house when John Wood, MBE from Aboretum Lodge in Derbyshire gave a lecture entitled "Rudyard Kipling, the Man and the Mason". Following traditional fare of roast beef, members and visitors were entertained by Mrs Kathy Murphy, soprano, accompanied by Mrs Tony Edmunds, and also by members of the Lodge before the now regular singalong which this year included an animated rendering of Swing Low Sweet Chariot in honour of the England Rugby XV World Cup winners. During the evening, £700 was raised for charity. An enjoyable annual lunch for the wives of former Freemasons was attended by 99 ladies and escorts from Lodges right across the county. In Vitruvian Lodge of Ross-on-Wye, now in its 192nd year, Phillip Lowther installed Jim Millar as Master, before members and guests dined at the Paddocks Hotel in Symonds Yat. The meeting was attended by the leader of Herefordshire Freemasons, Rodney Smallwood, who announced the appointment of Rev David Bowen as his new Deputy Provincial Grand Master following the untimely death of Eric Beasey JP last December. Coningsby Lodge of Hereford held an Initiation meeting after which members and visitors celebrated Burn's Night in time honoured fashion. The procession into the dining hall was led by the kilted piper, Kip Waistell, followed by the Haggis held aloft by the Chef and escorted by Sam Ferguson who later gave the address. All Lodges have now begun a five-year campaign to raise funds for Freemasonry's central charity known as the Grand Charity. This London-based organisation has recently donated £20,000 to the British Red Cross, on behalf of all the members in England and Wales, for the relief of distress following the earthquake in Iran. The Freemasons of Herefordshire and Hay-on-Wye have been given the honour and responsibility, of host Province for the Grand Charity Festival to be held in 2008. In seven months the 14 Lodges have so far raised £10,000 between them. The money will go to alleviate the distress caused by international disasters and other non-Masonic good causes like the Hospice movement throughout England and Wales.