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Chapter Eight:
The U.S. Coat of Arms, Seal, Flag and Motto
Why did the U.S. think it necessary even to have a national coat of arms? When did America adopt her present Great Seal?
At the time when the U.S. declared independence in 1776,it was the prevailing practice in much of the civilized world — in Europe especially — to have a national coat of arms.
Devising a Seal
On the very day the U.S. declared its independence, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee of three (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson), "to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America."
But the task of providing a suitable "Great Seal" proved to be a difficult one. For six weeks Franklin, Jefferson and Adams searched, discussed and debated what would make a suitable "seal" for their newborn country. They considered many different symbols, coats of arms and various devices. They even considered the national shields of England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and France.
They also looked at mythological symbolism, such as Hercules choosing between virtue and sloth. And they seriously considered biblical representations such as Moses crossing the Red Sea.
What, according to John Adams, America's second President, were some of the important details of this committee's attempt to arrive at a suitable coat of arms? Some of their suggestions are revealed in the Familiar Letters of John Adams to His Wife:
"For the seal he (Du Simitiere) proposes the arms of several nations from whence America has been peopled, as English, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, German, etc., each in a shield.
"On one side of them, Liberty with her pileus, on the other a rifler in his uniform, with his rifle-gun in one hand and his tomahawk in the other; this dress and these troops with the kind of armor being peculiar to America, unless the dress was known to the Romans .... Dr. F. proposes a device for a seal: Moses lifting up his hand dividing the Red. Sea, and Pharaoh in his chariot overwhelmed with the waters. This motto, 'Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.'
"Mr. Jefferson proposed the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; on the other side, Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs from whom we claim the honor of being descended, and whose political principles and form of government we have assumed.
"I proposed the choice of Hercules, as engraved by Gribelin, in some editions of Lord Shaftesbury's works. The hero resting on his club. Virtue pointing to her rugged mountains on one hand, and persuading him to ascend. Sloth, glancing at her flowery paths of pleasure, wantonly reclining on the ground displaying the charms both of her eloquence and person, to seduce him into vice. But," admitted John Adams, "this is too complicated a group for a seal or medal, and it is not original."
We find Thomas Jefferson telling us in his papers (now in the Library of Congress) what was proposed for the American Seal:
"Pharaoh sitting in an open chariot, a crown on his head and a sword in his hand passing thro' the divided waters of the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites: rays from a pillar of fire in the cloud, expressive of the divine presence and command, reaching to Moses who stands on the shore and, extending his hand over the sea, causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh. Motto, Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
Benjamin Franklin's note concerning the proposed seal reads as follows: "Moses standing on the shore, and extending his hand over the sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharaoh who is sitting in an open chariot, a crown on his head and a sword in his hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the clouds reaching to Moses to express that he acts by Command of the Deity. Motto, Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
Thus, we see that John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were all thinking seriously about using the main characters in the Red Sea episode, mentioned in the Scriptures, as the emblems on a picturesque seal for their infant nation.
They spent over six weeks debating various proposals, but could not agree on what form the seal should take. Their committee report to the Congress was finally tabled.
Congress appointed two further committees before a satisfactory Great Seal was devised and adopted — six full years later!
The final design which was presented to, and adopted by, the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782 incorporated the suggestions of several people. It was, however, primarily the creation of William Barton and Charles Thomson (both of Philadelphia).
The official description (or' blazon) of this coat of arms is still part of the law of this land, and reads as follows:
"ARMS. Paleways (vertical lines) of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure; the escutcheon (shield) on the breast of the American eagle displayed proper, holding in his dexter (right) talon an olive branch, and in his sinister (left) a bundle of thirteen arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll, inscribed with the motto, 'E Pluribus Unum.' "For the CREST. Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars, forming a constellation, argent, on an azure field.
"REVERSE. A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith, an eye in a triangle, surrounded with a glory proper. Over the eye these words 'Annuit Coeptis.' On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI. And underneath the following motto, 'Nouus Ordo Seclorum.'"
What does all this heraldic jargon mean? What does it symbolize?
The design on the "obverse" side (the face) of the Great Seal is, in the main, the work of the American heraldist, William Barton, and of the secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, who made certain modifications in Barton's plans.
This modified seal was presented to the third committee appointed to select a design for a U.S. Seal. They worked with Thomson to arrive at the final result. This final design of the Great Seal of the United States was then presented to, and approved by, the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782. Since that time the Great Seal has never been officially modified. It has, however, had certain unauthorized artistic variations made in it, which were later corrected.
A total of seven dies have been cut — for the purpose of making official imprints of this Great Seal. These dies were cut in 1782, 1825, 1841, 1854, 1877, 1885, and the last one in 1904. The first two dies were cut in brass, and the last five in steel.
The present die (cut in 1904) is an almost exact reproduction of the' 1885 die, and was corrected to conform to the legal design specifications of the 1782act of Congress.
Symbolism Explained
What is the true meaning of the symbolism which was designed into the Great Seal of the United States? Since William Barton was the main designer of the face of the Great Seal (Charles Thomson designed the reverse side of the seal), let us see his description of its symbolism.
The following description of the Great Seal is found in Charles Thomson's own handwriting, in his "Remarks and Explanation," and is — endorsed by him — showing its authenticity:
The Escutcheon (shield) is composed of the chief and pale, the two most honorable ordinaries. The pieces, paly, represent the Several States all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief, which united the whole and represents Congress. The Motto alludes to this union. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the chief depends on that Union and the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America and the preservation of the Union through Congress.
The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness and valour, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace and war which is exclusively vested in Congress. The Constellation denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers. The Escutcheon is borne on the breast of an American Eagle without any other supporters, to denote that the United States of America ought to rely on their own virtue.
On the bottom of the pyramids are the Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI — referring to 1776, the year in which America declared her independence, and began as a new nation.
The Bald Eagle
It should also be noticed that the "eagle" which appears on the, Great Seal is specified to be the American bald eagle, also called the white-headed eagle. Eagles are known for their strength, endurance, vision, grace, and their martial qualities. They are also known for their independence, and for the exemplary care which they bestow on their young.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the eagle clutches an olive branch (containing 13 leaves and 13 olives) in its right talon. And the face of the eagle is turned toward the olive branch — symbolizing that this "king of birds" desires peace rather than war.
In the left talon, this bald eagle on our Seal clutches thirteen arrows — symbolizing her power to make war. It is also significant that during a period of declared war, the official seal of the U.S. is altered in such a way that the eagle turns its head toward the arrows — showing that the nation is engaged in mortal combat.
The Eye of God
The following quote clearly explains the overall symbolism of the Great Seal: "The symbolism of the obverse (face) of the Great Seal is conventional and well known: the American bald eagle: the motto 'E Pluribus Unum' ('One from many'); the olive branch of peace and the arrows of war; and symbols of the 13 colonies. That of the reverse (back side) is less familiar. The design incorporates the date of the founding of the nation, 1776; an unfinished pyramid, suggesting the firm and durable building of the new nation, not complete, however, and having room for other states; a single eye surrounded by the sun's rays, suggesting the eye of providence surrounded by the light of the universe; and two mottoes, 'Annuit Coeptis' (He [i.e., God] has favoured our undertakings') and 'Nouus Ordo Seclorum' ('A new order of the ages'), both adapted from Virgil" (Ency. Brit. vol. 20, 1973 ed.)
It is of interest to understand the symbols which are on both sides of the Great Seal. When the original committee was appointed to devise a seal, its members, Franklin, Jefferson and Adams, all thought seriously about using the Red Sea episode, the biblical symbols of the cloud-and-pillar-of-fire which led the infant nation of Israel.
The Unfinished Pyramid
What do the symbols on the reverse side of the Great Seal Signify? Again, let Charles Thomson, one of the two main designers of the Seal, tell us in his own words:
"Reverse. The Pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye over it and the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause. The date underneath is that of the Declaration of Independence and the words under it signify the beginning of the new American Era, which commences from that date."
Seven dies have been cut of the face or obverse side of the Great Seal, but a die of the reverse side of the Seal has never been cut.
Both the obverse and reverse sides of the seal may be seen on the back of the one-dollar bill.
The pyramid (as an emblem of strength and durability) on the Great Seal has 13 courses of stone, symbolizing the original thirteen states of the Union.
Suspended over this unfinished pyramid is the ever-watchful "Eye of Providence" enclosed in its traditional triangle. The upper motto is comprised of the Latin words Annuit coeptis, meaning He (God) has favored our undertakings.
The lower motto has the words Novus ordo seclorum, meaning a new order of the ages (has begun) — referring to the year 1776.
Is it just a coincidence that the "glory," "golden radiance," or "breaking through a cloud," is on the face of the Great Seal? Did its designers associate these symbols with the "cloud" and the "pillar of fire" which led the infant nation of Israel out of tyrannical bondage of Egypt?
Why was the pyramid, the foremost monument in Egypt, used on the reverse side of the Great Seal?
Furthermore, what significance has the use of the "eagle" on our Seal? Was the eagle used because the Founding Fathers realized that Providence had watched over the forming of the United States? An eagle is known to gather its young on its wings, drop them from a high altitude, then (if need be) swoop down under the eaglets to catch them and carry them back up for another try. In this way the eagle exercises a watchful, providential ..like care over its young while they are learning to fly.
When the nation of Israel was released from its Egyptian bondage, was led into the wilderness of Sinai, and was on the eve of receiving the Ten Commandments at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the Eternal One told them: "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself" (Exodus 19:4).
Did the Founding Fathers — Franklin, Adams and Jefferson — influence the Continental Congress to adopt these symbols of the eagle, the cloud and the glory (or golden radiance) and the pyramid because of their having drawn a parallel between Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and their own deliverance from colonial bondage to Britain?
It is certainly a matter of the record, that men like Washington, Franklin and Jefferson .repeatedly acknowledged the Supreme Being, and appealed to Him for guidance and for His Providential care.
In Washington's farewell address to the Congress in 1783,he said:
"I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them to his holy keeping!"
There is certainly much more behind the artistic symbolism of the Great Seal of the United States of America than most Americans ever remotely dreamed of.
The Great Seal can only be used by the President of the United States, but numerous other seals and coats of arms are based on this Seal and have been used both by civil and military authorities, and have long appeared on flags, uniforms, in architectural motifs and on stationery. U.S. diplomats abroad use the coat of arms above the entrances to their offices.
The Great Seal is a work of art, of beauty — having great symbolical significance for our great nation!
Symbolism in "Old Glory"
Surely every patriotic American has been cheered by the majestic fluttering of "Old Glory"!
What is the symbolism behind this beautiful flag?
The original flag of the U.S. was adopted during the Revolutionary War. On June 14, 1777, John Adams introduced the following resolution to the Second Continental Congress:
"Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation."
His resolution was unanimously passed on that date by Congress.
From that day till now, there have been many alterations in the U.s. flag — as more states were added to the union. But the basic ideas and symbolism incorporated in that very first flag still remain in today's flag.
In 1776 there were only thirteen states in the union, so that flag had only thirteen stars, and stripes. Congress decided to keep the original number of stripes — symbolizing the beginning of our nation with only thirteen states — when any future additions were made to "Old Glory." Additional stars would then be added to the flag as more states joined the Union. Today, there are fifty states in the Union, and fifty stars in our national flag.
"In God We Trust"
What is the origin of our national motto: "In God We Trust"?
This motto originated during the Civil War, as an inscription for U.S. coins, but it was used by Francis Scott Key (in a slightly different form) when he composed "The Star Spangled Banner" in 1814.
During the dark days of the bloody Civil War, when brother fought against brother, Union morale had sunk pretty low because of numerous defeats on the battlefields.
Realizing the peril to the Union caused by these military reverses, a minister named M.R. Watkinson, of Didleyville, Pennsylvania, sent a written appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase: "From my heart," wrote the clergyman, "I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disaster."
"Recognition of The Almighty"
He then suggested "recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.
Shortly afterwards, Secretary Chase ordered designs prepared with the now — familiar words "In God We Trust." He then backed coinage legislation which authorized the use of this slogan.
"In God We Trust" first appeared on certain U.S. coins in 1864.This slogan later disappeared from U.S. coins, then reappeared and continued until 1955,at which time Congress ordered it placed henceforth on all coins and paper money.
That is how America came to adopt her "national motto."
Previous Chapter Eight Next


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AbdulRazaq: My deputy staying in a rented apartment because Abdulfatah Ahmed sold his house | FlexyTunes
Home / Politics / AbdulRazaq: My deputy staying in a rented apartment because Abdulfatah Ahmed sold his house
AbdulRazaq: My deputy staying in a rented apartment because Abdulfatah Ahmed sold his house
January 16, 2020 KhalifaOzi0 commentsPoliticsAbdulRazaq: My deputy staying in a rented apartment because Abdulfatah Ahmed sold his house
Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, governor of Kwara state, says the government of Abdufatah Ahmed, his predecessor, sold 110 government properties, including the house meant for the deputy governor.
The governor said this on Monday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock.
Accusing his predecessor of mismanaging resources of the state, Abdulrasaq said his deputy now lives in a rented apartment.
"What we met was that, they have sold virtually about 110 government properties including the deputy governor's residence, our deputy governor is staying in rented accommodation, they just shared everything," he said.
"It's so painful, we have to develop alternative means of generating revenue and that is why we have to be enterprising in the way we do our things. I came to see the president to wish him good tidings for the new year and also with a shopping list because our state is in dire streaks. When we got in, there was a total collapse in the state start from education. Our four colleges of education were on strike for a year.
"The government was owing teachers about N750 million. Thank God we have been able to clear that. Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had blacklisted Kwara state since 2013. So, it shows you that there had not been any investment in the education sector.
"But we have been able to clear the liabilities. We paid UBEC N450 million which was misappropriated by the previous administration. We are good to go with UBEC. We need federal intervention, we need federal help. UNICEF has left Kwara, we are lagging behind in everything. We have to pay close to a billion in counterpart funding which the previous administration had not paid. Funding for polio, roll back malaria."
He said when he took over, there was no running water anywhere, but within two months, his government had fixed the problem.
He also said the state's civil service has been clearing backlog of debts because his predecessor stopped paying full salary since 2013.
The governor had in January ordered the demolition of Saraki political home known as Ile Arugbo in Ilorin, the state capital. The development had heightened the crisis between the governor and former Senate President Bukola Saraki who is Ahmed's political benefactor.
← Remembrance Day: Gov. Bello Promises More Support For Family Of Fallen Heroes Ex-Governor Ahmed: I sold Kwara govt properties legally →

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Mike's third and last release for Eclecto Groove Records.
Nominated for Rock Blues Album of the Year at the 2012 Blues Music Awards. The lead track "Roll On" was featured on the hit FX TV show "SONS OF ANARCHY" Produced by Anders Osborne.
"Greyhound" "Roll On" "Judgment Day" "Motel Blues"


text:
Abfüllwaagen (oder auch Dosierwaagen) sind selbsttätige Waagen, die zur Verwiegung trockener Rohstoffe / Produkte eingesetzt werden. Typische Anwendungsbereiche finden sich in der Lebensmittelindustrie, in der Pharmazie sowie in der Automobilindustrie.

Aufbau

Der generelle Aufbau einer Abfüllwaage unterscheidet sich von Hersteller zu Hersteller nur gering. In der Regel besteht eine Abfüllwaage aus folgenden Komponenten:
 Vorratstrichter – zur Bevorratung des abzufüllenden Produkts
 Vibrationsantrieb mit aufgesetzter Vibrationsrinne – zur Beförderung des Materials in die Lastschale
 Lastschale – hier findet der eigentliche Wiegevorgang statt
 Wägesystem – je nach Ausführung / Anforderung ein Dehnungsmessstreifen oder eine Wägezelle mit elektromagnetischer Kraftkompensation
 Auslauftrichter – Zuführung des abgewogenen Produkts in ein manuell zur Verfügung gestelltes Gebinde (z. B. Dosen oder Tüten)
 Maschinengestell / Maschinengehäuse – zur Unterbringung der Komponenten

Funktionsweise

Allgemein
Es gibt sowohl halbautomatische als auch vollautomatische Abfüllwaagen. Die Auslegung erfolgt nach den spezifischen Anforderungen des Produktionsprozesses und unterliegt keinen festen Regeln.
Zur Vereinfachung wird nachfolgend die Funktionsweise einer halbautomatischen Ausführung beschrieben.

Bevor eine Abfüllwaage in den Betrieb gehen kann, muss das Produkt in den Vorratstrichter gelangen. Dies kann entweder händisch geschehen, oder automatisch über ein entsprechendes Fördersystem (z. B. Vakuumförderer).
Anschließend wird über den Schieber am Vorratstrichter die Produkthöhe auf der Vibrationsrinne eingestellt. Im späteren Dosierprozess wird so ein gleichmäßiger Produktstrom erzeugt.
Über ein Bedienterminal müssen jetzt die Zielparameter vorgegeben werden. Welche das sind, variiert je nach Maschinenhersteller. Sie hängen im Wesentlichen von der Steuerung der Anlage ab. Möglich sind u. a.:
 Zielgewicht
 obere Toleranz
 untere Toleranz und
 der Durchsatz pro Minute.

Nach erfolgreicher Einstellung kann der eigentliche Abfüllprozess beginnen. Die Vibrationsrinne fördert das Produkt in die Lastschale, die an einem Wägesystem befestigt ist. Es wird solange Material gefördert, bis das Zielgewicht erreicht ist (unter Berücksichtigung der zulässigen Toleranzen). Jetzt gibt das Wägesystem eine Fertigmeldung an die Steuerung, sodass entweder der Bediener die fertige Füllung abrufen kann (z. B. über einen Fußschalter) oder sich die Lastschale automatisch öffnet. Nach erfolgtem Abruf gelangt das Produkt über den Auslauftrichter in das durch den Bediener bereitgestellte Gebinde. Sobald die Lastschale wieder geschlossen ist, beginnt der Dosierprozess von neuem.

Voraussetzungen
Um mit einer Abfüllwaage Produkte dosieren zu können, müssen diese bestimmte Voraussetzungen erfüllen. In der Regel lassen sich alle trockenen, fließ- und rieselfähigen Materialien abfüllen (s. Anwendungsbereiche). Lediglich klebrige oder klumpige Produkte würden einen inhomogenen Produktstrom verursachen und somit schlechte Dosierergebnisse liefern.
Vereinfacht kann man sagen, dass Pulver, Granulate und schüttfähige Materialien mit Hilfe dieser Technologie verlässlich abgewogen werden können.

Steuerung
Ausschlaggebend für die Geschwindigkeit und die Genauigkeit einer Abfüllwaage sind sowohl das verwendete Wägesystem als auch die Steuerung der Dosierung. Neben der klassischen Zweipunkt-Regelung für den Grob – und Feinstrom
gibt es computergestützte Systeme, die die nötigen Geschwindigkeiten für den Grob- und Feinstrom der Vibrationsrinne permanent ermitteln. Der Einstellungsaufwand wird dadurch erheblich reduziert, da die Anlage selbst bei unterschiedlichsten Produkten sich die notwendigen Parameter selber sucht.
Bei der Zweipunkt-Regelung werden dagegen die beiden Geschwindigkeiten in der Regel manuell über Potentiometer eingestellt. Der Abfüllwaage wird lediglich vorgegeben bis zu welchem Gewicht die Geschwindigkeit für den Grobstrom herangezogen werden soll. Anschließend folgt der Feinstrom bis zur Erreichung des Zielgewichts.

Anwendungsbereiche
Die folgenden Materialien / Produkte lassen sich mit einer Abfüllwaage verwiegen. Der tatsächliche Anwendungsbereich ist deutlich größer und erstreckt sich über viele Themengebiete hinweg.

Lebensmittelindustrie
 Kaffee
 Gewürze
 Müsli
 Tee

Pulver
 Metallpulver
 Farbstoffe
 Pharmazeutische Wirkstoffe
 Nahrungsergänzungsmittel

Stückige Produkte
 Kapseln und Tabletten
 Metallteile
 Kunststoffteile
 Korken

Literatur
 Manfred Kochsiek (Hrsg.): Handbuch des Wägens, 2. bearbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, Braunschweig 1989, ISBN 978-3-322-90574-1
 Dr.-Ing. Dirk Dreschel und Dipl.-Ing. Franz Vetter: Wäge-, Abfüll- und Verpackungsprozesse, 2., völlig überarbeitete Auflage, Oldenbourg Industrieverlag München, München 2008 ISBN 978-3-8356-3131-1

Waage

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Much like any significant document, it's sensible to create a duplicate of your letter of intent and keep it with yourself. According to your subject of research, you will need to agree the specific format by means of your thesis supervisor. If you would rather have a free-form template, then that one might not be for you.
Your main motive needs to be to convince the readers your actions were necessary. In the procedure for creating a thesis, it is the duty of the grad student to follow along with the guidelines below. Hence, our company is attempting to make people conscious of their plight and prerequisites. The thesis advisory committee also functions as the thesis examination committee. The thesis proposal should be ready at a format that is in accord with the area of research involved. Although building a strategy isn't that hard, acquiring a great dissertation outline illustration before your eyes is a wonderful thing as it will make everything easier and offer you a crystal clear comprehension of what you have to do.
Regardless of what level of writing skill you've got, Article Templates can significantly enhance the idea generation phase while at precisely the exact same time speeding up the composing procedure. Writing down the steps that are essential for making a project in a comprehensive manner is needed. The tips given below should assist in the job of writing an obit.
The letter needs to be formal, respectful, and comprehensible in order to have the point across and encourage management to follow your own concerns. It is crucial to categorize the letters based on the kind of reader. The majority of the moment, writing that letter includes very little danger. The sales letter is easily the most personal, one-to-one kind of marketing there is. In the end, format your letter so it's simple to scan. There are lots of people who are looking for great, totally free sample letters to customer complaints that they could use for this purpose.
The sole thing they care about is whether your goods satisfy their needs. There is no need to incorporate the recipient's first name unless you are not sure of someone's gender. Apart from knowing an perfect time, taking under consideration the day and date is also important. One of the very important things to keep in mind while composing the letter is your structure. You could end up at a worst-case situation if you sublease into a company which can not cover the lease or fulfill the conditions of your agreement.
Whether it is an issue about customer care, employee, airline or car, restaurant, product and solutions, or some other conditions, a nice and well-presented letter will make a much better approach to tackle a problem and certainly resolve a problem. The issue with business cards is that everyone will get thema lot of these, in reality. You have issues with a few establishments as a result of bad customer care, misconduct, defective goods, and also a lot of different reasons that disturbs or frustrate you just one of those numerous scenarios.
Don't allow it to be problematic for individuals to read your brochure. To receive their focus, your brochure should concentrate on the benefits they will enjoy by creating a purchase from you. Assuming you are using business letterhead, your whole address will already be on the webpage. Despite variations in design and style, the basic sections of a business letter stay standard throughout most business correspondence. It's not compulsary that you present your landlord a letter in writing telling him that your rent will be late, but you need to do it for numerous factors.
You are simply giving folks a no-risk method of experiencing what your business must provide to find out if it is the best thing in their opinion. Whoever is related to the business has to be conscious of the final of services and the subsequent alterations. Once again, be certain that everyone connected to the business is educated about the industry closed. The business must treat the consequent policy for a living document. To determine the appropriate strategy it has to develop specific plans and policies geared toward its own intellectual property and strategic initiative. You're telling your story to a person who understands nothing about you, your company and your goods or service.
Direct mail can be very cost effective but there's no question your front-end prices will probably be higher. It gives you the distance you need to tell the entire story. Emails and newsletters must be crafted in a way that you recipients become engaged and interested in what you need to say or give. Personalizing your mails to satisfy your client's interests and reading tastes is just one particular strategy to obtain their clicks. The message is the whole ball game.
All info is left warranted for practically any letterhead style. You might need to give extra info to finish the cancelation of your coverage. In a formal letter you're normally writing to acquire or provide info about company, school, occupation, etc..
If you'd like to achieve a large number of people and should you have access to some good, opt-in list, do it. Good email lists aren't simple to find. As a result, you will break a number of formal grammatical principles. There are plenty of explanations for why a business may choose to sublease office space to some other firm.


text:
Beware of Phishing Scams this Holiday Season
It's been a whirlwind year. Many of us are probably ready to bring 2020 to a close, and eager about the prospects of 2021. However, as the holiday season picks up and online shopping increases, so will cyber scams, which means we all need to keep our guard up.
Phishing attacks have been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of slowing down. According to Barracuda Networks, phishing scams spiked by over 600% from February to March. And the FBI recently released a statement warning people about phishing scams associated with COVID-19 charities.
Below are some of the different types of phishing attacks to look out for:
Email phishing: This is the most basic form of phishing, in which hackers send emails that look like they are from trustworthy sources. For example, you might get an email that looks like it's from your bank, letting you know that there is a problem with your account or asking you to validate something, and asking you to click on a link. If you click on that link, it will direct you to a landing page that asks you to enter some personal information, such as your first and last name, email address, phone number and password, which the hackers will then steal.
Spear phishing: Spear phishing occurs when hackers target specific individuals. For example, if you've booked holiday travel recently, you might receive an email that looks like it's from an airline. The email might thank you for booking an airline ticket and include a link to a landing page, where you will be asked to enter your username and password to view or adjust your travel plan. If you enter any personal information, the hackers will steal it.
Whaling: Whaling refers to phishing schemes that target high-level executives or officials. It's very easy for hackers to identify high-ranking executives, such as the president, CEO or financial officer, at a company on LinkedIn, and then target those folks with phishing attacks.
Vishing: Vishing attacks are voice-based phishing attacks. For example, a hacker might call you and try to trick you into sharing your credentials. The recent high-profile Twitter hack actually started with a hacker calling a Twitter employee, convincing that person that he was a colleague, and tricking them into sharing user credentials. The hacker might have said that he was having trouble working from home and getting access to Twitter's systems, and then convinced the employee to hand over credentials so he would be able to get in and get his work done.
Smishing: Smishing attacks arrive via SMS or text messages. For example, you might get a text message that says your FedEx delivery is delayed and includes a link to a landing page that asks you to enter some personal information to track your package. If you enter any information, the hackers can then steal it.
Smishing attacks the fastest-growing type of phishing attacks because they are relatively easy for hackers to execute, and they tend to have very high success rates. According to Verizon's 2020 Mobile Security Index, smishing attacks have increased from 2% to 13% in the past year. And unfortunately, I expect we'll continue to see a rise in smishing attacks, especially as we move into the holiday season.
Smishing attacks are highly effective because people make spur-of-the-moment decisions on their mobile devices; people don't dissect SMS or text messages as closely as they dissect emails or messages on traditional devices. That's because the mobile user interface makes it difficult to access and view key information, while prompting users to make fast decisions. Plus, it's very hard to verify the authenticity of links on mobile devices.
So, what can be done to avoid these scams? The good news is that MobileIron recently announced multi-vector mobile phishing protection for iOS and Android devices to holistically protect against these attacks. MobileIron Threat Defense (MTD) now offers on-device and cloud-based phishing URL database lookup to detect and remediate phishing attacks across all mobile threat vectors, including text and SMS messages, instant messages, social media and other modes of communication, beyond just corporate email.
This means that if you are targeted by a phishing attack and click on a malicious link, our software will stop you from getting to that site and doing something that's potentially detrimental. This is critical because a successful phishing attack on your personal mobile device could result in that your personal information being compromised or financial resources being depleted, as well as sensitive corporate data being leaked.
To learn more, contact a MobileIron sales representative. And be sure to listen to the full MobileIron Musings episode with Alex below and subscribe for more.
Alex Mosher
Global Vice President of Solutions
Alex Mosher, is Global Vice President, Solutions, at MobileIron. In his role, Mosher is responsible for MobileIron's go-to-market plan and aligning mobile, security, and cloud solution strategy with execution.
Before joining MobileIron he spent 12 years at CA Technologies – responsible for CA's $1.4B+ cybersecurity business strategy and go-to-market plan. In his last role with CA Technologies, Alex was a global vice president responsible for all sales and go-to-market integration of CA's $612 million acquisition of Veracode, which was sold to Thoma Bravo just 16 months later for $965M.
Today, Alex leads a global team that works to develop and implement action plans that enable customers to take control of security, identities, access, and information across platforms and devices. As a 20-year information technology industry veteran, he has amassed hands-on experience in virtually every aspect of the business, including sales and marketing, development, and deployment services.


Film4 FrightFest 2014 has moved to the prestigious Vue West End for its annual five-day horror extravaganza, which will let it show even more films and special events while keeping that feeling of its famed communal spirit in the heart of London.
Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, said today: "Re-locating to Vue Leicester Square for this year's event will allow us to be even more creative and ambitious, whilst still retaining our unique blend of inclusiveness and great value for money. The beauty of the horror fantasy genre is it consistently reinvents itself to stay a fresh and vital part of the cinema-going experience. Event festivals like ours that are now an acknowledged part of the global genre fabric must lead by example to stay relevant and ahead of the game".
Previously the festival spent four years at the Odeon West End and the last five at the Empire Cinema.
This year's event will be spread over a larger number of screens, but the popular festival and day passes plus individual tickets are staying. In addition, there are planned special events in the West End in the days leading up to the start of the festival, which begins on Thursday August 21st.


text:
package org.kiji.schema.impl.hbase;

import java.util.Comparator;

import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HColumnDescriptor;
import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HTableDescriptor;

import org.kiji.annotations.ApiAudience;
import org.kiji.schema.hbase.KijiManagedHBaseTableName;

/**
 * Compares {@link org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HTableDescriptor}s.  They
 * are equal if they have the same HTable name, same max file size,
 * memstore flushsize with the same column families.
 */
@ApiAudience.Private
public final class HTableDescriptorComparator implements Comparator<HTableDescriptor> {
  @Override
  public int compare(HTableDescriptor o1, HTableDescriptor o2) {
    int nameResult = o1.getNameAsString().compareTo(o2.getNameAsString());
    if (nameResult != 0) {
      return nameResult;
    }
    int maxFileSizeResult = Long.valueOf(o1.getMaxFileSize()).compareTo(o2.getMaxFileSize());
    if (maxFileSizeResult != 0) {
          return maxFileSizeResult;
    }
    int memstoreFlushSizeResult =
            Long.valueOf(o1.getMemStoreFlushSize()).compareTo(o2.getMemStoreFlushSize());
    if (memstoreFlushSizeResult != 0) {
        return memstoreFlushSizeResult;
    }
    HColumnDescriptor[] families1 = o1.getColumnFamilies();
    HColumnDescriptor[] families2 = o2.getColumnFamilies();
    int familiesResult = Integer.valueOf(families1.length).compareTo(families2.length);
    if (familiesResult != 0) {
      return familiesResult;
    }

    HColumnDescriptorComparator columnComparator = new HColumnDescriptorComparator();
    for (int i = 0; i < families1.length; i++) {
      int result = columnComparator.compare(families1[i], families2[i]);
      if (result != 0) {
        return result;
      }
    }
    return 0;
  }

  /**
   * Creates an HTableDescriptor that looks "empty" from the perspective of
   * HTableDescriptorComparator and KijiAdmin.setTableLayout().
   *
   * @param hbaseTableName the HBase table name being represented by this "empty table."
   * @return an HTableDescriptor that represents a table with no column families.
   */
  public static HTableDescriptor makeEmptyTableDescriptor(
      final KijiManagedHBaseTableName hbaseTableName) {
    return new HTableDescriptor() {
      @Override
      public String getNameAsString() {
        return hbaseTableName.toString();
      }

      @Override
      public HColumnDescriptor[] getColumnFamilies() {
        return new HColumnDescriptor[0];
      }

      @Override
      public HColumnDescriptor getFamily(byte[] name) {
        return null;
      }
    };
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Dr. Emerson graduated from Louisiana State University. He has practiced in Winston-Salem for over 25 years. Dr. Emerson enjoys both medical and surgical cases, and internal medicine of special interest.
Dr. Emerson and his wife Pam have two grown children, Lauren and Sara, with two dogs, two cats, three horses and chickens.


text:
Franchise Magazine
Scaling up
Tech City
Startup Diaries
UK is exit capital of Europe for startups
Written by Eric Johansson on Wednesday, 13 September 2017. Posted in Growth, Finance
New research from Crunchbase, Mind the Bridge and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe shows that while the US has the most exits the UK comes a close second
Britain has a strong track record when it comes to tech startups. Not only has the country functioned as a successful launch pad for unicorns such as Improbable but it is also the European leader in startup exits. That's according to new research from Mind the Bridge, the advisory firm, Crunchbase, the startup database, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, the global law firm.
Having tracked over 15,500 startup exits across the world since 2010, the study revealed that the UK has seen 1,234 exits completed in that time, making the country second only to the US, which has seen 8,704. While the volume of British exits was only a seventh of the US's exits, it was still way above Germany, which came third with 434 deals. Angela Merkel's stomping grounds was followed by France, which has seen 321 exits since 2010, and the Netherlands with 186.
And while the US is leading the exit league, Europe is closing in. Between July 2016 and June 2017, 4,217 startups around the world secured exits to the tune of £367bn. Of those deals, 52% were American and 27% were European, marking a respective 30% and 61% year-on-year increase in the volume of exits. Overall, the global volume grew by 42%, meaning 2017 saw the highest year-on-year growth of the number of deals since 2011.
The report also noted that Europe and the US seemingly dominate when it comes to acquisitions. US companies were the buyer in 9,176 deals since 2010, while 2,789 acquisitions were performed by European companies in the same period. Unsurprisingly, the tech giants Facebook, Google and Apple were the three biggest buyers of startups, having acquired more companies in the past seven years than the top 20 European companies combined.
Commenting on the research, Alberto Onetti, chairman of Mind the Bridge, said: "US companies have acquired approximately over three times more startups than [their]European counterparts. Europe is catching up but the gap remains huge and is not going to be closed in the near future."
But even if Europe is still the runner-up, it's encouraging to see the number of successful exits grow on the continent.
As web editor and resident Viking, Johansson ensures EB is filled with engaging and eclectic entrepreneurial stories. While one of our most prolific tech writers, he has sharpened his editorial teeth by writing about entertainment and fitness. Follow him on Twitter at @EricJohanssonLJ to catch up with his stream of consciousness.
Managing your SEO can boost the traffic to your business as well as your revenue
SMEs need more than government help to bring an end to late payments
Why open APIs are vital for modern communication
Three things your company must learn right now to survive a hard Brexit
Is it even possible to thrive as an exporter today?
Tweets by @elitebizmag
Event Media Partners


text:
#ifndef __BGW_DESENSE_H_
#define __BGW_DESENSE_H_

#ifdef MSG
#undef MSG
#endif

#ifdef ERR
#undef ERR
#endif

#define PFX                         "[BWG] "
#define MSG(fmt, arg ...) pr_debug(PFX "[D]%s: "  fmt, __func__ , ##arg)
#define ERR(fmt, arg ...) pr_err(PFX "[E]%s: "  fmt, __func__ , ##arg)

#ifdef NETLINK_TEST
#undef NETLINK_TEST
#endif

#define NETLINK_TEST 17

#ifdef MAX_NL_MSG_LEN
#undef MAX_NL_MSG_LEN
#endif

#define MAX_NL_MSG_LEN 1024

#ifdef ON
#undef ON
#endif
#ifdef OFF
#undef OFF
#endif
#ifdef ACK
#undef ACK
#endif

#define ON 1
#define OFF 0
#define ACK 2

/*
used send command to native process

parameter: command could be macro ON: enable co-exist; OFF: disable co-exist; ACK: after get native process init message send ACK

*/
extern void send_command_to_daemon(const int command);

/*
before use kernel socket, please call init socket first
return value: 0: ok; -1: fail
*/
extern int bgw_init_socket(void);

extern void bgw_destory_netlink_kernel(void);

#endif


text:
Q: mui autocomplete with react-hook-form: defaultValue in formData I'm setting the defaultValue of the Autocopmlete component as below:
<Controller
  control={control}
  name={name}
  render={({field: {onChange, value}}) => (
    <Autocomplete
      freeSolo={freeSolo}
      options={options}
      renderInput={params => {
        return <TextField {...params} label={label} margin="normal" variant="outlined" onChange={onChange} />
      }}
      onChange={(event, values, reason) => onChange(values)}
      defaultValue={defaultValue}
    />
  )}
/>

the value is well displayed based on the defaultValue.
However when I click on the submit button, the value of the Autocomplete field is always undefined if I don't use the autocomplete component.
Here are how I register the hook and component (simplified code)
const customerSchema = yup.object().shape({
  route: yup.string().nullable()
})

const {control, handleSubmit} = useForm({
    resolver: yupResolver(customerSchema)
  })

  const onSubmit = formData => {
    console.log(formData) // autocomplete is undefined if no action on the autocomplete
  }

<form noValidate autoComplete="off" onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
 <AutoCompleteInput
        control={control}
        name="route"
        label="route"
        options={customers_routes.map(option => option.route_name)}
        defaultValue={customer.route}
        freeSolo={false}
      />
  <Button type="submit">
        Update
      </Button>
  </form>

What should I do to have the route field always available in the form data when I click on submit?

A: Why don't you use defaultValues option with useForm:
const {control, handleSubmit} = useForm({
  resolver: yupResolver(customerSchema),
  defaultValues: { route: customer.route },
});

and instead of sending defaultValue prop to AutoComplete you can use value prop, like this:
<Controller
  control={control}
  name={name}
  render={({ field: { onChange, value } }) => (
      <Autocomplete
        freeSolo={freeSolo}
        options={options}
        renderInput={(params) => {
          return (
            <TextField
              {...params}
              label={label}
              margin="normal"
              variant="outlined"
              onChange={onChange}
            />
          );
        }}
        onChange={(event, values, reason) => onChange(values)}
        value={value}
      />
  )}
/>

A: Here is a simplest way to use an Autocomplete with react hook from , render your Autocomplete component inside Controller from react hook from, use onChange and value from the render function  to control the value
<Controller
control={control}
name="type"
rules={{
  required: 'Veuillez choisir une réponse',
}}
render={({ field: { onChange, value } }) => (
  <Autocomplete
    freeSolo
    options={['field', 'select', 'multiple', 'date']}
    onChange={(event, values) => onChange(values)}
    value={value}
    renderInput={(params) => (
      <TextField
        {...params}
        label="type"
        variant="outlined"
        onChange={onChange}
      />
    )}
  />
)}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
* 2.1.1 (2013-04-29)
  * Fixed NIL bug in `Uuid::isValid()` method, reported by @ocubom in PR #11
* 2.1.0 (2013-04-15)
  * Added static `Uuid::isValid()` method for checking whether a string is a valid UUID
* 2.0.0 (2013-02-11)
  * Break: `Uuid` class is now marked as "final"
  * Break: `Uuid::getLeastSignificantBits()` no longer returns an integer on 64-bit platforms; it requires `moontoast/math`
  * Break: `Uuid::getMostSignificantBits()` no longer returns an integer on 64-bit platforms; it requires `moontoast/math`
  * Break: Moved `UnsupportedOperationException` to the `Exception` subnamespace
  * Added support for 32-bit platforms
  * Added generated API documentation to the repository
* 1.1.2 (2012-11-29)
  * Relaxed Doctrine type conversion rules
* 1.1.1 (2012-08-27)
  * Removed `final` keyword from `Uuid` class
* 1.1.0 (2012-08-06)
  * Added `Doctrine\UuidType` as a field mapping type for the Doctrine Database Abstraction Layer (DBAL)
  * Improved tests and code coverage
* 1.0.0 (2012-07-19)
  * Initial release


text:
Certyfikat CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician) – pierwszy stopień certyfikacji przyznawany przez firmę Cisco. Został wprowadzony 29 czerwca 2007 roku. Wcześniej pierwszym stopniem był stopień CCNA.

Certyfikat ten potwierdza wiedzę potrzebną do instalacji i weryfikacji prostych sieci komputerowych wyposażonych w routery i przełączniki, w tym rozwiązania zagadnień z adresowaniem IP, podstawową ochroną sieci oraz zastosowaniami transmisji bezprzewodowej. Egzamin certyfikacyjny o oznaczeniu ICND1 #100-105 (do 2013 roku 640-822 ICND1) trwa 90 min i składa się z 45-55 pytań.

Po wprowadzeniu przez CISCO zmian w certyfikacji w roku 2013, certyfikat CCENT jest teraz podstawą do uzyskania niektórych wersji poziomu CCNA, np. aby otrzymać certyfikat CCNA Security nie trzeba już mieć certyfikatu CCNA, wystarczy CCENT i zdany egzamin na wersję Security.

Administracja sieciowa
Uprawnienia i certyfikaty zawodowe


text:
David Francis
Partner, Employment, Pensions & Incentives
dfrancis@algoodbody.com
David Francis has more than 15 years' experience of advising on pensions-related matters. He advises companies and trustees on all legal issues affecting their defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. His expertise ranges from the establishment of plans (including plan design, documentation, administration, compliance, investment and cross-border pension issues) through to advising on funding, merging, pension benefit changes, liability management exercises, restructuring and winding up.
David also advises on trust law aspects and pension adjustment orders, as well as pension disputes, mediation and litigation. He has considerable expertise in advising on the pension aspects of corporate mergers, acquisitions, re-organisations, flotations, outsourcing and privatisations.
Employment, Pensions & Incentives/Pensions
Experience Advising:
Employers and trustees of large defined benefit schemes on changes to scheme benefits, including stopping defined benefit accrual and providing defined contribution benefits for the future.
Employers and trustees on liability reduction exercises, including enhanced transfer value exercises, scheme mergers, contingent assets and section 50 orders.
Trustees of a large industry-wide defined benefit scheme with over 250 participating employers and in particular in relation to funding obligations.
Employers and trustees in relation to cross-border issues for IORPS in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere and recently in relation to BREXIT and HMRC requirements.
The trustees of the Irish Airlines General Staff and Pilots Superannuation schemes.
Davy as principal underwriter to the proposed sale of 25% the Irish State's share in AIB by IPO, the largest IPO in Europe in 2017.
CPP Investment Board (Canada Pension Plan) on its strategic partnership in the Corrib Natural Gas Field in Ireland.
Carlyle Group on the pensions aspects of its acquisition of Sam McAuley Chemists.
AIG on the pension aspects of its acquisition of Laya Healthcare.
Nestec S.A. on the pensions aspects of its purchase of Pfizer's nutritional foods business.
"Incredibly responsive service from David Francis. He always has best interests of client in focus and is available at all times" (Legal 500 2021)
"His responsiveness is incredible and his attention to detail absolutely invaluable."(Chambers Europe 2021)
"His advice, which is valued greatly by clients, is always very clear and thorough – every angle is covered." (Legal 500 2020)
"Brilliant advice that has proven to be absolutely spot on." (Chambers Europe 2019)
David has featured in the Irish pensions trade press on a number of occasions and enjoys training and speaking on pensions matters. He is a member of the Council of the Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland and the Pensions Management Institute in the UK.
LLM, University of London, Queen Mary and Westfield College
LLB, National University of Ireland, Galway
BA, National University of Ireland, Galway


text:
using System;
using System.Threading;
using Thrift.Protocol;
using Thrift.Transport;
using Thrift.Processor;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;

namespace Thrift.Server
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Server that uses C# built-in ThreadPool to spawn threads when handling requests.
    /// </summary>
    public class TThreadPoolAsyncServer : TServer
    {
        private const int DEFAULT_MIN_THREADS = -1;  // use .NET ThreadPool defaults
        private const int DEFAULT_MAX_THREADS = -1;  // use .NET ThreadPool defaults
        private volatile bool stop = false;

        private CancellationToken ServerCancellationToken;

        public struct Configuration
        {
            public int MinWorkerThreads;
            public int MaxWorkerThreads;
            public int MinIOThreads;
            public int MaxIOThreads;

            public Configuration(int min = DEFAULT_MIN_THREADS, int max = DEFAULT_MAX_THREADS)
            {
                MinWorkerThreads = min;
                MaxWorkerThreads = max;
                MinIOThreads = min;
                MaxIOThreads = max;
            }

            public Configuration(int minWork, int maxWork, int minIO, int maxIO)
            {
                MinWorkerThreads = minWork;
                MaxWorkerThreads = maxWork;
                MinIOThreads = minIO;
                MaxIOThreads = maxIO;
            }
        }

        public TThreadPoolAsyncServer(ITAsyncProcessor processor, TServerTransport serverTransport, ILogger logger = null)
            : this(new TSingletonProcessorFactory(processor), serverTransport,
             null, null, // defaults to TTransportFactory()
             new TBinaryProtocol.Factory(), new TBinaryProtocol.Factory(),
             new Configuration(), logger)
        {
        }

        public TThreadPoolAsyncServer(ITAsyncProcessor processor,
         TServerTransport serverTransport,
         TTransportFactory transportFactory,
         TProtocolFactory protocolFactory)
            : this(new TSingletonProcessorFactory(processor), serverTransport,
               transportFactory, transportFactory,
               protocolFactory, protocolFactory,
               new Configuration())
        {
        }

        public TThreadPoolAsyncServer(ITProcessorFactory processorFactory,
                     TServerTransport serverTransport,
                     TTransportFactory transportFactory,
                     TProtocolFactory protocolFactory)
            : this(processorFactory, serverTransport,
             transportFactory, transportFactory,
             protocolFactory, protocolFactory,
             new Configuration())
        {
        }

        public TThreadPoolAsyncServer(ITProcessorFactory processorFactory,
                     TServerTransport serverTransport,
                     TTransportFactory inputTransportFactory,
                     TTransportFactory outputTransportFactory,
                     TProtocolFactory inputProtocolFactory,
                     TProtocolFactory outputProtocolFactory,
                     int minThreadPoolThreads, int maxThreadPoolThreads, ILogger logger= null)
            : this(processorFactory, serverTransport, inputTransportFactory, outputTransportFactory,
             inputProtocolFactory, outputProtocolFactory,
             new Configuration(minThreadPoolThreads, maxThreadPoolThreads),
             logger)
        {
        }

        public TThreadPoolAsyncServer(ITProcessorFactory processorFactory,
                     TServerTransport serverTransport,
                     TTransportFactory inputTransportFactory,
                     TTransportFactory outputTransportFactory,
                     TProtocolFactory inputProtocolFactory,
                     TProtocolFactory outputProtocolFactory,
                     Configuration threadConfig,
                     ILogger logger = null)
            : base(processorFactory, serverTransport, inputTransportFactory, outputTransportFactory,
            inputProtocolFactory, outputProtocolFactory, logger)
        {
            lock (typeof(TThreadPoolAsyncServer))
            {
                if ((threadConfig.MaxWorkerThreads > 0) || (threadConfig.MaxIOThreads > 0))
                {
                    int work, comm;
                    ThreadPool.GetMaxThreads(out work, out comm);
                    if (threadConfig.MaxWorkerThreads > 0)
                        work = threadConfig.MaxWorkerThreads;
                    if (threadConfig.MaxIOThreads > 0)
                        comm = threadConfig.MaxIOThreads;
                    if (!ThreadPool.SetMaxThreads(work, comm))
                        throw new Exception("Error: could not SetMaxThreads in ThreadPool");
                }

                if ((threadConfig.MinWorkerThreads > 0) || (threadConfig.MinIOThreads > 0))
                {
                    int work, comm;
                    ThreadPool.GetMinThreads(out work, out comm);
                    if (threadConfig.MinWorkerThreads > 0)
                        work = threadConfig.MinWorkerThreads;
                    if (threadConfig.MinIOThreads > 0)
                        comm = threadConfig.MinIOThreads;
                    if (!ThreadPool.SetMinThreads(work, comm))
                        throw new Exception("Error: could not SetMinThreads in ThreadPool");
                }
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Use new ThreadPool thread for each new client connection.
        /// </summary>
        public override async Task ServeAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
        {
            ServerCancellationToken = cancellationToken;
            try
            {
                try
                {
                    ServerTransport.Listen();
                }
                catch (TTransportException ttx)
                {
                    LogError("Error, could not listen on ServerTransport: " + ttx);
                    return;
                }

                //Fire the preServe server event when server is up but before any client connections
                if (ServerEventHandler != null)
                    await ServerEventHandler.PreServeAsync(cancellationToken);

                while (!stop)
                {
                    int failureCount = 0;
                    try
                    {
                        TTransport client = await ServerTransport.AcceptAsync(cancellationToken);
                        ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(this.Execute, client);
                    }
                    catch (TTransportException ttx)
                    {
                        if (!stop || ttx.Type != TTransportException.ExceptionType.Interrupted)
                        {
                            ++failureCount;
                            LogError(ttx.ToString());
                        }

                    }
                }

                if (stop)
                {
                    try
                    {
                        ServerTransport.Close();
                    }
                    catch (TTransportException ttx)
                    {
                        LogError("TServerTransport failed on close: " + ttx.Message);
                    }
                    stop = false;
                }

            }
            finally
            {
                ServerCancellationToken = default(CancellationToken);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Loops on processing a client forever
        /// threadContext will be a TTransport instance
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="threadContext"></param>
        private void Execute(object threadContext)
        {
            var cancellationToken = ServerCancellationToken;

            using (TTransport client = (TTransport)threadContext)
            {
                ITAsyncProcessor processor = ProcessorFactory.GetAsyncProcessor(client, this);
                TTransport inputTransport = null;
                TTransport outputTransport = null;
                TProtocol inputProtocol = null;
                TProtocol outputProtocol = null;
                object connectionContext = null;
                try
                {
                    try
                    {
                        inputTransport = InputTransportFactory.GetTransport(client);
                        outputTransport = OutputTransportFactory.GetTransport(client);
                        inputProtocol = InputProtocolFactory.GetProtocol(inputTransport);
                        outputProtocol = OutputProtocolFactory.GetProtocol(outputTransport);

                        //Recover event handler (if any) and fire createContext server event when a client connects
                        if (ServerEventHandler != null)
                            connectionContext = ServerEventHandler.CreateContextAsync(inputProtocol, outputProtocol, cancellationToken).Result;

                        //Process client requests until client disconnects
                        while (!stop)
                        {
                            if (! inputTransport.PeekAsync(cancellationToken).Result)
                                break;

                            //Fire processContext server event
                            //N.B. This is the pattern implemented in C++ and the event fires provisionally.
                            //That is to say it may be many minutes between the event firing and the client request
                            //actually arriving or the client may hang up without ever makeing a request.
                            if (ServerEventHandler != null)
                                ServerEventHandler.ProcessContextAsync(connectionContext, inputTransport, cancellationToken).Wait();
                            //Process client request (blocks until transport is readable)
                            if (!processor.ProcessAsync(inputProtocol, outputProtocol, cancellationToken).Result)
                                break;
                        }
                    }
                    catch (TTransportException)
                    {
                        //Usually a client disconnect, expected
                    }
                    catch (Exception x)
                    {
                        //Unexpected
                        LogError("Error: " + x);
                    }

                    //Fire deleteContext server event after client disconnects
                    if (ServerEventHandler != null)
                        ServerEventHandler.DeleteContextAsync(connectionContext, inputProtocol, outputProtocol, cancellationToken).Wait();

                }
                finally
                {
                    //Close transports
                    inputTransport?.Close();
                    outputTransport?.Close();

                    // disposable stuff should be disposed
                    inputProtocol?.Dispose();
                    outputProtocol?.Dispose();
                    inputTransport?.Dispose();
                    outputTransport?.Dispose();
                }
            }
        }

        public override void Stop()
        {
            stop = true;
            ServerTransport?.Close();
        }
    }
}


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Advancing therapy-oriented telemedicine – Does Europe have an answer?
Swiss Medical Weekly, 2015 Jan 14;145:w14077.
Journal of Telemedicine and ehealth, 2015 Jan 8.
Body weight telemetry is useful to reduce interdialytic weight gain in patients with end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis.
Telemed J E Health. 2013 Jun;19(6):480-6. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2012.0188.
Medical online consultation regarding hypertension.
Gewicht- und Blutdruck-Telemonitoring bei Hämodialysepatienten: Eine neue Strategie zur Optimierung der Hämodynamik und des Volumen-Managements.


text:
Regular Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter
An address by the ME Pro First Grand Principal Peter Lowndes
Companions, for a long time we have been trying to come up with good reasons why all Brethren should join the Royal Arch and I think between us we have had some success and the percentage of brethren who are members has increased almost everywhere over the last few years.
Today I want to turn the question round and ask, 'Why don't all our Brethren join the Royal Arch'.
It seems to me that there are five main reasons (but I am sure others will come up with many more).
Firstly, they don't know anything about it. If this were to be the main reason, I would be very depressed, which I am not. However, I am sure that there will be some who fall into this category and that is a real condemnation of those who appoint the Royal Arch Representatives in Lodges. They must clearly be failing in their duties. Where there are no Royal Arch representatives then senior Brethren and particularly Mentors as well as Proposers and Seconders must step up.
Secondly, they have heard about it, but have been put off by some aspect. Frequently I have heard people talking about how difficult the ritual is to learn. Surely our Brethren should be able to make up their own minds about that and not have seeds of doubt sewn in their minds without having tried it. Let them find out for themselves and if they are reluctant to join the ladder they can watch from the side until they feel ready. The exaltation ceremony is one of the best to sit and watch.
Personally, I don't consider it any more difficult than any other ritual and the main long sector delivered by the Principal Sojourner is a good story which I have always found sticks in the mind reasonably well. Also, Companions, the Principal Sojourner has two assistants. Why should they not live up to their names and assist in the ceremony. The work splits naturally and gives the Assistant Sojourners good reason to attend.
With the fairly recent changes to the ritual the 1st Principal's task has been considerably eased by sharing much of it with the other Principals.
Thirdly, cost. This is clearly relevant, and it is imperative that any candidates are fully briefed on this just as they should have been when joining the Craft. In part this can be considered in the same way as my fourth reason, time. Again, extremely relevant. Many Chapters only meet three times a year, but that is still an added burden for working people to manage. Do our Lodges, perhaps meet too often. Many meet 10+ times a year and along with Lodges of Instruction and rehearsals this is an enormous time burden on the young working brother. I know I shall be unpopular with many, but if Lodges that meet that often considered reducing the number of their meetings, it could possibly invigorate their Chapters, by saving the Brethren both time and money.
Fifthly, they have joined other orders already and have reached the limit of the involvement in Freemasonry that they want. If this is the case, we have again failed in our duties as Craft Masons. There can be no logical masonic reason for a craft mason to join any other order before joining the Royal Arch, unless they don't know about the Royal Arch or the reasons for joining have been poorly explained.
I must add that I am all for our craft brethren joining whatever other legitimate order that they want, but strongly believe that the Royal Arch should come first.
Companions, the Royal Arch is a wonderful order as everyone here this morning knows, I am extremely proud of being the Pro First Grand Principal and look forward to the day when we can boast that more than 50% of Craft masons have joined the Order and we can then move upwards from there.
Companions, it is a great pleasure to see so many of you here this morning, and I wish to particularly welcome those of you who are attending Supreme Grand Chapter for the first time.
Our journey through Masonry can be thought of as a series of 'First times'. Of course, we all remember our initiation, but this is followed by a number of other masonic milestones. One learns and delivers the first piece of ritual, visits another Lodge or Chapter for the first time, gains a first office, and passes through a first chair. For some, other offices beckon whilst others are content to direct and, on occasions, 'tut' from the back benches.
One 'First Time' that all of us here this morning have shared is the moment in the Royal Arch ceremony where the blindfold comes off and the vault is revealed. We find ourselves surrounded, more often than not, by our friends and the banners of the Tribes of Israel. That is a truly unique moment in Freemasonry and one which candidates frequently comment on later in the evening.
The ability to think back and re-live that moment, and all the other moments we have enjoyed in our lives is one of the wonders of being human. The desire to share those experiences we value, and pass them on to others, so that they too might experience them in the same fashion, is something we value enormously. Our masonic experiences are, of course, no different. We invite people to join those chapters whose membership we have enjoyed and we ask people into those Orders that we value.
We won't always get this right and I urge you, think hard about why that might be. What might we have been able to do to improve things for those we ask to join us to ensure that they get the most from their membership? Were we perhaps more interested in ensuring that there was another candidate for Exaltation rather than thinking whether we were prepared to be as welcoming as we ought?
Just as could be said for the Craft, it is an undoubted truth that the Royal Arch is not for everybody. Our detractors, even within the masonic community speak of impenetrable ritual and overly long lectures. This need not be the case and with a little imagination the work is easily shared and, as I have often said in the past, a change of voice can reinvigorate both the candidate and the ceremony.
I have often wondered, and, indeed, spoken about why quite so many masons, after their third degree, fail to seek those further explanations offered by the Holy Royal Arch, yet it appears that many still do not. We should not be shy about explaining to those who are not yet our Companions the benefit of ensuring that they have as complete a picture as possible of the masonic journey.
In a world ever more willing to draw conclusions from a paucity of evidence, from unsubstantiated opinion or from the salacious gossip of others, something which teaches us the importance of seeking more of the 'Whole Picture' should never be underestimated.
With the upcoming launch of Solomon, another first for UGLE, and its numerous articles on the Royal Arch, its origins, ceremonies and splendour, we have begun to address the lack of understanding that puts some candidates off as they pass through unfamiliar territory. Solomon, of course, is a large learning resource and it covers not only the Royal Arch but the three Craft degrees as well. It is quite right that those whose curiosity is aroused, and who have chosen to complete their Craft journey should be able to explore the thoughts and meaning behind such a wonderful legacy of fundamental truths.
It is a great sadness to me that in some parts of the world, and even in some parts of our own constitution, the Craft and Royal Arch are uncomfortable bedfellows. However, I also derive great pleasure from seeing the large number of instances where this is clearly not the case and Royal Arch membership is actively promoted throughout the Constitution as I strongly feel it should be.
The Craft and the Royal Arch should get on together not because the Book of Constitutions tells us that they must, but rather because there is an obvious synergy between the two. The Royal Arch completes Craft Masonry and it is the obvious and right next step in the masonic journey. For me, it has provided great enjoyment over the years and I know that there are thousands of Brethren out there for whom the same could be true. Let us all consider what we can best do about this.
Pro First Grand Principal Peter Lowndes on the progress being made converting members in the Craft to Royal Arch
Our public position
Following the Annual Investiture of Supreme Grand Chapter, Pro First Grand Principal Peter Lowndes hails the progress made in converting members in the Craft to Royal Arch
Grand Rank in the Royal Arch is both a senior and, in many cases, a public position within the organisation. I would hope that you all feel willing to communicate the pride you now feel to those you meet, and to act as ambassadors for the Royal Arch not only to those within your lodges and chapters, but also to the general public at large. I do appreciate that the general public might not understand the relevance of the Royal Arch, but it clearly demonstrates your seniority within Freemasonry as a whole.
I have heard it said that the Royal Arch might have been somewhat eclipsed by the Tercentenary celebrations in the Craft, but far from it. The Royal Arch completes the Craft degrees, and increased interest and membership in the Craft can only be to the good of our Order.
A new injection of pride and confidence in Freemasonry – in what we do, and in our relevance to the wider community from which we herald – can only result in a strong, confident and successful future.
WE ARE WINNING
We must be careful to maximise the momentum, energy and enthusiasm that surrounds Freemasonry at the moment as well as ensure that it is neither wasted nor neglected. We must make the effort and spare the time to explain who we are and what we do, and also ask ourselves why some of those brethren in our lodges have not taken that extra step to become our companions. We must listen to them and think hard on the answers they give.
I believe we are winning. If we turn the clock back 10 years, we were experiencing a 30 per cent conversion rate from Craft to Royal Arch. Now there are very few Provinces or Districts where the ratio is under 40 per cent, and some are considerably higher.
May I take this opportunity to bid a fond farewell to Excellent Companion Willie Shackell, Grand Scribe Ezra, who has served in a number of senior appointments over the last 11 years. We all wish him well in his fourth, and what I am sure he hopes will be his final, retirement.
Companions, I look forward to hearing of and reading about your exploits over the summer, and also to welcoming you back in the autumn.
'A new injection of pride and confidence in Freemasonry can only result in a strong, confident and successful future'
Published in SGC
Pro First Grand Principal's address - April 2018
Annual Investiture of Supreme Grand Chapter
Companions, this meeting is always a very happy occasion and I do congratulate all those of you whom I have invested today. It both recognises your past endeavours but is also a clear indicator that we expect more from you in the future. Grand Rank in the Royal Arch is both a senior, and in many cases, a public position within the organisation, and I would hope that you all feel willing to communicate the pride you now feel to those you meet, and to act as ambassadors for the Royal Arch not only to those within your lodges and chapters, but also to the general public at large. However, I do appreciate that the general public would not understand the relevance of the Royal Arch, but it clearly demonstrates your seniority within Freemasonry as a whole.
I have heard it said that the Royal Arch might have been somewhat eclipsed by the Tercentenary celebrations this year in the Craft, but far from it. The Royal Arch completes the craft degrees and increased interest and membership for the Craft can only be to the good for our Order. A new injection of pride and confidence in Freemasonry – in what we do, and in our relevance to the wider community from which we herald can only result in a strong, confident and successful future.
We must be careful to maximise the momentum, energy and enthusiasm that surrounds Freemasonry at the moment and ensure that it is neither wasted nor neglected. We must make the effort, and spare the time to explain who we are and what we do, and also ask ourselves why some of those brethren in our lodges have not taken that extra step to become our companions. We must listen to, and think hard on the answers they give. I believe we are winning. If we turn the clock back 10 years we were experiencing a 30% conversion rate from Craft to Royal Arch, now there are very few Provinces or Districts where the ratio is under 40% and some are considerably higher.
May I take this opportunity to bid a fond farewell to Excellent Companion Willie Shackell, Grand Scribe Ezra, who has served in a number of senior appointments over the last 11 years. We all wish him well in his fourth, and what I am sure he hopes will be his final retirement.
Companions, events like this do not just happen and I would like, on your behalf, to congratulate the Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team for once again arranging such an impressive ceremony and the Grand Scribe Ezra and his team for ensuring all the other arrangements have gone so smoothly.
Companions, I look forward to hearing of, and reading about your exploits over the summer, and also to welcoming you back in the autumn.
Pro First Grand Principal present for the Consecration of new Chapter in the Bahamas
Pro First Grand Principal Peter Lowndes enjoyed a special visit to the Bahamas for the Consecration of Chapter of Unity No. 8760
Companions in Nassau petitioned to Supreme Grand Chapter to form a new Royal Arch Chapter to be attached to Lodge of Unity No. 8760 and were granted a Warrant in November 2017. The Consecration was scheduled to be part of the visit of the Pro Grand Master to the Bahamas for the Regional District Grand Masters' Conference and the Installation of the new District Grand Master and Grand Superintendent for Bahamas & Turks.
Before the Chapter was opened, the Grand Director of Ceremonies, E Comp Oliver Lodge, announced to the Companions assembled that it was a special event that had not happened for almost 15 years. The Companions were also informed that this would be the first Royal Arch Consecration that ME Comp Peter Lowndes, Pro First Grand Principal, had performed as the Consecrating Officer.
The Consecrating Team included:
ME Comp Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, Pro1stGPrincipal - Zerubbabel
E Comp James R. Bain, BEM, JP, GSupt (Bahamas & Turks) - Haggai
E Comp Walter H. Scott, QC, GSupt (Jamaica & Cayman Islands) - Joshua
E Comp William E. Shackell, CBE, GSE - Grand Scribe Ezra
E Comp Robert W. Rego, GInsp (Bermuda) - Grand Scribe Nehemiah
E Comp Oliver A. W. Lodge, TD, PGSN, GDC - Grand Director of Ceremonies
E Comp Sebastian C. E. A. Madden, PDepGDC - Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies
E Comp Peter D. Cole, PGSupt (Bahamas & Turks) - Grand Janitor
The Founding Principals are E Comp Carl W. Z. Bethel, QC, PGStB – MEZ; E Comp Duane H. E. Murray, PGStB, DistGDC – H, and E Comp Gerald A. Sawyer – J. This was also the last official function for E Comp James R. Bain before retiring as Grand Superintendent in and over Bahamas & Turks, as his successor, E Comp Robert C. Deal, was installed two days thereafter on 24 March 2018.
This was the third new Chapter consecrated during his term as Grand Superintendent – one each in Abaco, Providenciales and Nassau, thereby increasing the number to seven overall.
The Consecration and Festive Board were joyous, seeing over 100 Companions from England, Bahamas, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Guyana, Barbados, Anguilla, Canada and more – celebrating the consecration of a new Royal Arch Chapter.
Published in Lodges, Chapters & Individuals
Fifty years of service in the Royal Arch for HRH The Duke of Kent
First Grand Principal HRH The Duke of Kent and Pro First Grand Principal Peter Lowndes recognise the progress that is being made in the Royal Arch
I was delighted to be able to appoint and promote so many of you to celebrate my 50 years as First Grand Principal. This, of course, is in recognition for all you have done for the Royal Arch – but it is also, you may not be surprised to hear, in expectation of further services.
Although smaller than the Craft, there is no doubt that the Royal Arch holds a very warm and special place in our affections. Over the course of the last 50 years we have adapted our ritual to make it easier to understand, to remove some of the anomalies and to ensure a greater involvement from the companions. I am very pleased to see the progress that has been made.
While this year has been a great celebration for the Craft, I have no doubt that we too will benefit from the great success it has achieved, and I know that there are measures in hand that will ensure that Freemasonry has a prominent place in society for many years to come. Companions, I am greatly encouraged by all that I have seen this year and I thank you all for all of your hard work.
First Grand Principal
HRH The Duke of Kent
'Freemasonry will have a place in society for many years to come' HRH The Duke of Kent
Companions, I had the privilege of speaking at the Royal Albert Hall about the 50 years' service our Grand Master had given to the United Grand Lodge of England. Those of you who were there, or have seen that remarkable event online, might have noticed that what I said seemed to go down reasonably well.
That took no account of the fact that the job of First Grand Principal and Grand Master run concurrently, and therefore any mathematician could work out that the First Grand Principal has also been head of our order for the same 50 years. I mentioned it as a remarkable achievement; it is even more remarkable when you look at it in that light.
Pro First Grand Principal
Peter Lowndes
First Grand Principal celebrates his Golden Jubilee
Last Wednesday's Regular Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter was a special meeting as HRH The Duke of Kent celebrated his Golden Jubilee as First Grand Principal with a special investiture of Grand Ranks
Afterwards HRH The Duke of Kent was photographed with the Pro First Grand Principal, Second Grand Principal and Third Grand Principal to mark the occasion.
Read the First Grand Principal's address here.
Read the Pro First Grand Principal's address here.
ME First Grand Principal, companions, over a week ago, I had the privilege of speaking at the Royal Albert Hall about the 50 years' service our Grand Master had given to the United Grand Lodge of England. Companions, those of you who were there, or have seen that remarkable event online, might have noticed that what I said seemed to go down reasonably well.
Companions, that took no notice of the fact that the job of First Grand Principal and Grand Master run concurrently, and therefore any mathematician can work out that the First Grand Principal has also been head of our Order for the same fifty years. It is quite remarkable. I mentioned it as a remarkable achievement; it is even more remarkable when you look at it in that light.
Companions, in a moment I shall ask you to show your appreciation of the service the First Grand Principal has given to this wonderful Order. But I am going to challenge you companions to make it slightly shorter than in the Albert Hall, but I know it will be no less heartfelt companions.
Companions, may I start by congratulating all those whom I have invested today and remind you that, whilst it recognises all that you have done so far, there is an expectation placed upon you for further endeavours to promote our Holy Royal Arch, thus ensuring its continued success in the future.
You can be forgiven for thinking that this year is all about the Craft – it is its Tercentenary year – but I am sure you all recognise that, the more successful the Craft is in attracting new members, so the greater is our opportunity for capitalising on this success for the benefit of the Royal Arch. It is not all that long ago that we seemed satisfied with 30% of Craft masons joining the Royal Arch. This never seemed anywhere near sufficient and we should be aiming for nearer 50%. We are undoubtedly making progress in that respect. It is a unique opportunity so let us all enjoy the year and use it to promote our Order.
For us in the Royal Arch it is the 50th anniversary of our First Grand Principal, HRH The Duke of Kent being installed as such and he has asked me to let you know that, in recognition of this milestone, he wishes to award a number of extra Grand Ranks. The details of how these will be awarded will be made known in due course but we very much hope that His Royal Highness will be able to carry out that Investiture in November this year.
Companions, we all know that our Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team are very accomplished at organising these events but on your behalf I must congratulate them on another splendid performance. Similarly, our Grand Scribe Ezra and his staff have once again put a tremendous effort into ensuring that you all enjoy the proceedings and so well done to them.
Finally, my sincere thanks to you all for coming along to support your friends who I have invested today.
Companions, I am very pleased to see so many of you here both from our Districts overseas and from our Provinces, including sixty companions from Cambridgeshire. Since our last meeting in April the Most Excellent First Grand Principal has been pleased to appoint Comp Willie Shackell as Grand Scribe Ezra and we wish him well. He was, of course, formally invested as Grand Secretary at the June Quarterly Communication.
This meeting, companions, always falls near to 11th November, Armistice Day, and as you are well aware this marvellous building is a peace memorial to all those who gave their lives for us during the First World War. It is worth, therefore, drawing your attention to two events taking place next year.
The first is on 18th April 2017 at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, when the newly constructed Masonic Memorial Garden in memory of all those masons who gave their lives during conflict in the service of our country will be opened. You are all invited.
The second is the unveiling of the Victoria Cross Memorial by the Grand Master on 25th April 2017. It will be placed on the pavement in front of the Tower Entrance of this building and will take the form of a number of paving stones with the names of the 63 Victoria Cross holders who were awarded the Victoria Cross in World War I and who were members of UGLE. Of these, 17 were also companions in the Royal Arch.
Companions, this seems to be an appropriate time to say a few words about Comp Denis Beckett who was one of the companions we stood in memory of earlier in the meeting. Comp Beckett was a very remarkable man and I had the good fortune to know him well. Indeed he was President of the Committee of General Purposes when I joined it in 1987. He was a Craft mason for 71 years and a Royal Arch mason for 59 years. He was initiated immediately after World War 2 in which he served with such distinction. He was awarded the DSO for his extraordinary courage during the battle of Monte Cassino. There were those who felt a VC would have been more appropriate.
Companions, we were privileged to have him as a member and particularly so that he presided over the Committee of General Purposes for 7 years.
Companions, whilst it is clearly important to remember the past, we must also look to the future. I am therefore very pleased that the successor to the Membership Focus Group, the Improvement Delivery Group, is composed of both Provincial Grand Masters and Grand Superintendents, with our Third Grand Principal, Gareth Jones, as its Deputy Chairman. It will be designing and delivering the future direction of both the Craft and Royal Arch.
Companions, you may have seen that, after my address at Quarterly Communications in June, I have been accused in the national media of suggesting that masons are all grumpy and boring – a misrepresentation, companions. At least I consider it to be a misrepresentation, but, if any of you think otherwise, I apologise. I said that if an amusing incident occurs at one of our meetings, it should not be frowned upon as had sometimes been the case in the past. It is not a capital offence to smile during meetings. Whilst I was not suggesting we should turn our meetings into a pantomime, there is no harm in us being seen to enjoy ourselves.
I believe this to be particularly so in the Royal Arch, as our Exaltation Ceremony is one of the finest and, in my experience, candidates derive great enjoyment from it. I think this is particularly so when the new format of the ritual is used which involves more of the companions and has the benefit of changing the voice that the candidate hears which I always feel refreshes his interest.
Finally, since Supreme Grand Chapter arranged the refurbishment of our magnificent organ, we have been treated to a number of superb concerts in this temple and I congratulate the Organ Committee on its achievements to date. I am very keen to draw your attention to the next concert at 5.00 pm, on 14th December, after the Quarterly Communication, to be given by the international concert artist, Jane Parker-Smith. The concerts are free, companions, and, so far, they have been wonderfully entertaining, and I am quite certain that this will be no exception.
Companions, I have no doubt that after our closing, you will enjoy listening to a team from the Royal College of Surgeons led by Professor Neil Mortensen, RCS Research Board Chairman at Oxford University, who will enlighten us on what has been achieved through your most generous support.
Thank you, companions.
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