200 Anniversary Celebration
WM's Address
Meet & Greet
55-Year Bars
Parade to Monument
Unveiling the Monument
Footsteps Presentation
Free Time
Dinner & Dance
Monument Installation

200 Anniversary Celebration Saturday, May 29, 2010 Program
11:00 - 13:00	Meet and Greet at the DeCoste Centre
13:00 - 15:00	Masonic Walk and Dedication of Monument The dress will be Tux or Business Suit with Regalia. The walk will be about 300 m from the DeCoste Centre to the Monument led by a piper - Weather permitting
15:00 - 17:00	Free Time During free time you are invited to walk along the scenic Pictou Harbour and visit the Hector Key, the Fisheries Museum and the Lobster Hatchery. The DeCoste Centre will remain open.
17:00 - 18:00	Reception at the DeCoste Centre
18:00 - 24:00	Supper and Dance Dress will be casual. In lieu of a ticket, all participants are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable goods for the Pictou Food Bank. (Cash donations to the Food Bank are also welcome). There will also be a 50-50 draw with the proceeds donated to the C.H.A.D. bus service in Pictou County.

WM's Address

Address of Worshipful Master Brad MacCallum
at the unveiling of the Monument
May 29, 2010

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS PAST & PRESENT
DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER
RULING MASTERS
BRETHERN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN………………………………………. WELCOME

Welcome to the town of Pictou on this fine day in May

Welcome to the corner of Coleraine Street and Cladah Avenue. A location that we have confidence will become a beacon to all present and future Pictou County masons and will serve as a constant reminder of the valuable and lasting principles and landmarks of our fraternity…. Also, we trust that this location will serve as an appropriate and proper memorial to those generations of masons that have passed this way before us.

And, welcome to the 200th Anniversary celebration, of New Caledonia Lodge, #11 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia.

The town of Pictou has enjoyed a long and shared relationship with freemasonry.

But not only the Town of Pictou, but also Pictou County which today within its eight craft lodges and concordant bodies is home to 10% of all Nova Scotia’s masons.

200 years ago a group of Master Masons petitioned the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia on January 3, 1810 to erect a lodge in what was then the District of Pictou, to be called the New Caledonian Lodge. On January 26 of that same year, Warrant # 35 was granted to the New Caledonian Lodge. Subsequently the Warrant was changed to

Warrant No. 826 , on October 15, 1849. And thence to Warrant No. 565, in 1863 when New Caledonian Joined the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia as New Caledonia No. 11, in 1863.

A 200 year anniversary is a significant milestone. What has happened in the world during that time: THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT – NC #11 began in 1810:

57 years before Canada became a nation

5 years before Sir John A MacDonald was born

6 years after Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France

And according to recorded information, warrant #35 was issued from the GLNS in the “Town” of Halifax.

The records and archival information of New Caledonia lodge pre-dates the records of the country of Canada. How’s that for impressive?

Our lodge has much to be proud of – the accomplishments of and the contributions made by its brethren not only to the town of Pictou, but the Province of Nova Scotia, the Country of Canada and beyond its borders.

Also, we need to be ever mindful of the sacrifices and sorrows of its brethren in times of war and times of peace-keeping.

New Caledonia has seen this country being born and grow from its infancy into a world renowned nation and I and the officers and brethren of New Caledonia are both honoured and humbled to be here today to carry on this tradition.

Ladies and gentlemen today does not mark the end of, nor the decline of NC#11 but the continuance of and the beginning of the next 200 years.

On behalf of the officers and brethren of New Caledonia I want to thank you all for honouring us with your presence here today. We greatly appreciate your consideration and participation in celebrating with us and we know many of you have travelled a considerable distance to be here and we thank you.

All of today’s activities and festivities did not come about without some herculean effort and I want to thank all the committee members, brethren and individuals that put in countless hours over the past year in preparations for today, all thanks, credit and recognition are yours.

And finally I want to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Don Gunning for providing the location for our monument. Its positioning affords excellent visibility and is in a high traffic area for both vehicles and pedestrians and will continue to keep masonry prominent in Pictou on this beautiful waterfront. Thank you Don.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the rest of today and this evening’s festivity. Please feel free to explore our town and experience Pictou’s renowned hospitality.

Thank you!