Holy Rood Conclave No. 319

The Conclave was consecrated on 11th March 1977 and met at Chandler’s Ford where the Conclave still meets. It was inspired by a number of like-minded members of the Order. It was consecrated by the Intendant-General R.Ill.Kt. Chandos John Washington. Two of the Founders were Donald Jones who had previously been a Founder of Forest Rose Conclave No 265 and went on to be a Founder of St. Peter and St. Paul Conclave No 450; the names of the other Founders are not available. The name of Holy Rood was chosen, as the Order being of Christian legend it was considered. The Holyrood or Holy Rood is a Christian relic alleged to be part of the True Cross on which Jesus died. The word derives from the Old English rood, meaning a pole and the cross, via Middle English, or the Scots haly ruid (“holy cross”). Several relics venerated as part of the True Cross are known by this name, in England, Ireland and Scotland. To this day it is the only Conclave in our Order to have that name. The Conclave now meet on 4th Tuesday in January, April, and November, having in 2019 dropped the September meeting because of costs for a small membership. The current membership is 21. Keystone Data base shows that there have been 123 members but that is incomplete as it only lists the two Founders, mentioned above. Sovereigns of the Conclave from 1980 (where known)

1980 O. Williams	1998 John Smith	2012 Ron Bentley
1981 Ron Champion	1999 William Lucas Brown	2013 Derek Radford
1985 John Hall	2000 William Lucas Brown	2014 George Deacon
1988 Brian Barfoot	2001 Frank Evans	2015 Alan Paxton
1989 John Hedger	2002 Tony Digweed	2016 Trevor Franks
1990 John Platts	2003 George Allan	2017 Alan Cousins
1991 Bernard Miles	2004 Angus Hannigan	2018 Brian Lambert
1992 John Sara	2005 Robert Francis	2019 Ian Buckett
1993 John Pell	2006 Trevor Offord	2020 Nigel Wilkinson
1994 Peter Howell	2007 Charles Aspinell	2021 Nigel Wilkinson
1995 Reg Gardner	2008 Richard Leach
1996 William Salter	2009 John Simmons
1997 George Allan	2010 Peter Gilham

  Recorders of the Conclave since 1994

1994 Bernard Miles	2005 Angus Hannigan	2020 Ian Buckett
1998 George Allan	2006 Ron Bentley
2003 Larry Porter	2010 Ian Buckett
2004 Frank Evans	2018 Ron Bentley

  Treasurers since 1994

1994 Anthony Ayres	2005 Peter Gilham
1999 Angus Hannigan	2009 Alex Ward
2002 Charles Aspinell	2023 Roger Curtis

  Distinguished RCC Members of the Conclave

R.Ill.Kt. Ron Champion, Divisional Intendant-General 1987-1993

R.Ill.Kt. Gerald Southwell, Divisional Intendant-General 1993-2010