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City Grand Master takes part in Imperial Conference in Belfast
THE only member of the Loyal Orders to take part in the Imperial Conference of the Orange Order, City Grand Master, Victor Wray, described the weekend's gathering of brethren as "an amazing and worthwhile experience".
It was fantastic to hear all the different views of all the Orangemen around the world and and to represent the Brethren from the City of Londonderry, " he said of the three-day conference.
Mr Wray stayed in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast along with the hundreds of other delegates and said he found the comradeship "incredible".
"We were able to discuss what way to take the orange Order forward world-wide and one thing we are doing is setting up a 'www' address for the Orange Institution that will be a portal of information and data on the movement across the globe. A full-time member of staff is to be appointed to oversee the website, and he will be based in Belfast, at Schomberg House under the auspieces of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland," Mr Wray revealed.
"We were able to raise the issues of parading and I asked questions about how we can raise the profile of the Order in a positive way using PR techniques so that we make the Orange Order more acceptible to the whole community. We want to make the Institution more interesting to the Brethren as well, we want to keep in touch with our Brethen here in the Island of Ireland as well as keeping in touch with our Brethren across the world," he said.
The next Imperial Conference, which is held every three years, will be in Australia, in Melbourne, in April 2011.
At the conference a new strata of officers was elected for the incoming three years, and the new Grand President is none other than the Grand Master of England, Rod Bather. The new Imperial Grand Secretary is the Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, Mervyn Bishop. Rev David Reid, from Co Tyrone, who is the Country Grand Chaplain, was appointed as Assistant Imperial Grand Chaplain.
"I would rate the conference very highly. There was a lot of useful information I was able to bring back and will be able to put to good use here in our own Institution. I also made a lot of very good frineds.
"While I was there I was able to present the new Imperial Grand President with a copy of of the City Grand Lodge's 175th Anniversary Book, and I sold a lot of badges and a few commemorative medals as well," added Mr Wray.
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Weather for Londonderry
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
