Brethren and friends,

Welcome to Arena 52 – as your new editor, it is a privilege to be getting my feet under the desk.

My first pleasure is to extend my thanks to my predecessor, Seb Giroux, who has steered Arena to represent London Freemasonry through the pandemic with such poise. Seb, we wish you every happiness in your new life in the South West, and there will always be a welcome at our Festive Board when you visit the City.

So what do I want for Arena? To me, there are two purposes. Firstly, I want it to be the record of truth for London Freemasonry and the events and people who make it happen. I hope you enjoy seeing your names and achievements in print: it is a pleasure to give credit to the manifold activities of our Brethren; and the Craft and Royal Arch Digests remain jewels in our crown. The fact that this issue features both the presentation of 60th Certificates and the Initiation of a Lewis of 18-years-and-the-merest-few-days should be a joy for all.

Second, it is a way for us all to learn about each other and the Craft – our shared endeavours and experiences. To that end, I intend Arena to connect further with our social media activity and feature more comment from more people.

That said, without a core team of committed volunteers, Arena simply would not be. I am indebted to the talents of the Met Comms team and the writers and photographers who make this magazine happen. It is a pleasure to be working with you. Any magic you see in print is their fine work. Any errors, bloopers and factual inconsistencies are undoubtedly mine.

If you would like to contribute to Arena’s continuing success, we currently need assistance with design and sales – please do get in touch with me if those are your skillsets. And above all, please keep the news coming – I can be found at arena@metgl.com.

I hope you enjoy this issue – your feedback and comments are also always welcome. 

Sincerely, fraternally, and always inquisitively,

Nick

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons - Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.