The order must change over time, says Gibson

Reverend Mervyn Gibson, Senior Orangeman, urged the Order to change over time in order to meet the challenges which he is facing today.

Speaking at the event in Newcastle, the grand secretary said the institution should be "geared to the needs of the present generation and future generations".

He said: "The world in which the Orange Institution exists today is different from the world where our ancestors lived when they formed this Institution in 1795.

" C & # 39; different from Ireland in 1912 where our grandparents lived. signed the Pact of Ulster. It is different from Northern Ireland that we knew growing up before the troubles of 1969.

"The political reality of this country today would have been unthinkable 30 years ago, but we are where we live and work in the world today, not yesterday, our future begins here. "

Abbot Gibson described as" futile the use of strategies and tactics that we used in the past to face the difficulties and the opposition we face today. "

" The Orange Institution must be an organization that is adapted to the needs of the present generation and future generations – able to defend and promote all that is dear to us Our faith, our heritage and our British citizenship "

others to set the agenda and we answered – and there were good reasons for our response e.

"However, the time has come to accept the challenges that change has brought about, this is not a change that we necessarily love, but it is where we are. We must face the realities and not as we would like.

Abbot Gibson revealed that he had had his breakfast before the parade with the Irish Tourism Minister, Brendan Griffin, and that he had "an excellent opportunity to promote the Institution as a tourist badet "

. our place in society, nor what we believe, but create opportunities that allow us to share what we are and articulate the economic benefits of what we do.Just this morning I took breakfast with the Minister of Tourism of the Republic "

" When people visit the Boyne, they learn about William's victory, they will hear about the Glorious Revolution and all the freedoms that flow from it. They will be informed of what is the Orange Institution and what we are defending. "

Meanwhile, the head of the Orange Order in Scotland criticized Arlene Foster during a parade in Fife last month

.The Scottish grandmaster Jim McHarg, on the occasion of the July 12 Belfast parade, said that Mrs. Foster had received an "enthusiastic response."

A number of Scottish politicians have questioned the presence of the DUP's leader at the time. I heard about the ridiculous fact about Arlene Foster's presence at the Cowdenbeath parade. "

" In fact, she was the main speaker, something that seemed to bother many of our Scottish politicians

.I'm afraid some of their comments only confirm what we already knew – too many of them are ignorant and prejudiced in their vision of the Order. "[19659023] Belfast Telegraph