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Provincial and District Grand Lodges
Because there are some 8,500 lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England with some 350,000 members in total, it makes sense to have a local level of administration - the Provincial and District Grand Lodges. There are 47 Provincial Grand Lodges in England and Wales - mostly corresponding in area to the old counties - and 36 District Grand lodges which administer lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England which are based overseas.

As well as these there are five groups of lodges under Grand Inspectors, (usually where the number of lodges in the area is not enough to warrant a District Grand Lodge) and a handful of Lodges scattered around the world which are administered directly from Freemasons' Hall. The 1,600 or so lodges which meet in the London area are also administered directly from Freemasons' Hall in London.

In most cases Provincial and District Grand Lodges meet annually and the longest item of business is the appointment and investiture of officers. The actual form of the meeting is based on the procedure at the annual investiture and quarterly communications of Grand Lodge itself.

With the number of lodges in a Province or District varying from more than 500 to single figures there are great varieties in the methods of internal administration, but there are some basic principles which apply to all of them.

The Provincial Grand Master is appointed by the Grand Master and after his installation (for until then as Provincial Grand Master designate he has no powers except to summon a Provincial Grand Lodge meeting for his installation) he is in full control. He will have been asked to appoint or confirm the existing appointment of officers to the scale laid down in Rule 68, Book of Constitutions and to confirm with his approval the by-laws of his Province. He also has very considerable powers of masonic discipline subject only to the right of appeal from his decision to Grand Lodge.

In the great majority of cases Provincial Grand Officers are appointed for a year only and their ranks are honours conferred for work done or to be expected. Some offices, however, varying from Province to Province, are semi-permanent, and it is on the holders of such officers that the Provincial Grand Master will rely for the day-to-day government of his Province.

In respect of conferment of honours the power of the Provincial Grand Master is limited, but in this case by a comprehensive set of rules in the Book of Constitutions, designed to apply with the least possible inequity to Provinces both large and small.

Complete details of Provinces, Districts and so on are listed in the Masonic Year Book.

A few Provincial and District Grand Lodges have set up their own home pages which explain Freemasonry in their areas in more detail. Any new links will be regularly updated.

Provincial Grand Lodges

[o Jersey

[o Somerset

District Grand Lodges

[o Newfoundland

[o Hong Kong

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