Brethren, Sisters and Friends –

This all seems very unreal. Instead of delivering a speech from the platform on Monday 13 July in Ballymoney , I am recording this in June in our Headquarters ,socially distancing off course, as we prepare to celebrate the Twelfth 2020 in a very different way. 

If someone had said at the start of the year that the Twelfth would be cancelled because of a coronavirus pandemic, few, if any of us, would have thought such a thing possible.

But not only has Twelfth been cancelled, life, as we have known it has come to an almost total standstill since the end of March when the lockdown began.

The last few months have been unreal. We will talk about this for years to come. Even when we get back to normal, it will be a new normal, and I suspect life might never be quite the same again.

I want to take this opportunity to thank NHS staff and all key workers for their dedication and heroism during this pandemic. They have worked tirelessly in often very stressful conditions. They have put themselves on the line for us, and we owe them a massive debt of gratitude. 

It has been a privilege to join with others every Thursday evening at 8pm as a token of our appreciation. Apart from hand clapping, I think a few lambeg drums, flutes and pipes got in on the act!  

It is vital that in the months to come, the NHS is properly organized and funded, and its staff properly rewarded by those in power. 

I want to congratulate the members of this Institution and the band members who have gone the extra mile in support of NHS workers and other key workers – and also the elderly and the vulnerable who have been impacted by the lockdown. We have been able to supply food, sanitisers and other vital items to , hospitals and care homes. Well done to all involved.

It has been very encouraging to see the whole community coming together at this time, but, as always, there are those who are determined to put their narrow sectarian agenda ahead of everything else. Our friends in Dunloy LOL496 erected a banner in support of NHS on the wall of the Orange Hall, but it was defaced and the Union Jack removed from it. I wonder if those who removed it needed medical help would they use the NHS which is funded by that flag. I’m fairly sure they would.  

I want to take this opportunity to express my sympathy with all who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. For them, it has been a horrendous experience and the pain will never go away. 

I also want to commend Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA, for his leadership throughout this crisis. When he took on the job in January, he could not have foreseen the challenges that lay ahead.  But he has led from the front. His approach – and that of his key advisers – has ensured that fewer people have contracted the virus and fewer people have died as a result. For that we are very thankful. He deserves our continued support.  

It’s a great pity – but no great surprise – that Sinn Fein have done their best to play politics with the coronavirus crisis at every opportunity. Instead of standing by Robin Swann, Michelle O’Neill has publicly undermined him on several occasions. Totally disgraceful, but what else can we expect?

And then we had Conor Murphy’s botched cross-border PPE order from China which came to nothing. Another example of playing politics with the lives and safety of health workers. PPE supplies were eventually obtained within the UK via the efforts of Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.

Of course Mary Lou McDonald has made it clear that in the view of Sinn Fein the pandemic strengthens the case for a united Ireland. Did ever you hear such nonsense?! 

I have no problem with all-Ireland co-operation – but that does not mean that I want a united Ireland. Far from it.

I have a message for Sinn Fein. From this Institution the coronavirus will eventually go, and when it does, Northern Ireland will still be here as part of the UK – and we will be celebrating the centenary of its creation.

In my speeches on Twelfth platforms in recent years, I have addressed the issue of Brexit.  I want to touch upon it once again – for it hasn’t gone away you know! In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we have now left the EU – and details of future arrangements are now being negotiated.

I am glad that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recovered from Covid-19 – for he was gravely ill – and on that personal level we wish him well. 

But we cannot easily forgive him for the way in which he betrayed Northern Ireland in order to get his Brexit deal through. We have been left in an entirely invidious position, half in and half out of the EU, and with a border down the Irish Sea separating us from the rest of the UK. 

This is completely unacceptable, and I urge all involved in the negotiations and all our elected representatives, to fight to ensure that this great wrong is put right.  

This is a year of significant anniversaries, and these are highlighted in the resolutions. Two key events associated with World War Two must never be forgotten. We have marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the 80th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. As time passes, very few will have any personal memories of these things, so it is up to us to ensure that future generations do not forget.

This year also marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers who set sail from England to North America on the Mayflower in September 1620. They left their homeland because they were being denied the right to worship God according to conscience. They left the comforts of home to secure civil and religious liberty in the New World, and, under God, they laid the foundations of what would become the United States of America. We salute their memory. 

Finally, I want to thank all who are involved in the preparation and delivery of our first (and hopefully our only!) virtual Twelfth. As churches have shown in the lockdown, it’s possible to make good use of modern technology to proclaim our message even when we can’t meet physically. Thanks to the skills of some of our brethren, we had a good virtual VE celebration, and I am confident we can have an even better virtual Twelfth. 

By God’s grace, we will be back out on the roads again to celebrate our heritage in our traditional manner. 

If you are not a member of our Institution, can I encourage you to join? We need fresh blood and fresh ideas. We would love young folk to come on board. You’ll be made more than welcome. And you’ll be playing an important part in securing our legacy for future generations.

And, as we slowly but surely emerge from lockdown, let us exercise common sense and restrain, and let us pray for wisdom to be given to those who are making the key decisions. 

I close with the words of Isaiah 26 verse 3 – “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”.

In these worrying times, may you know that peace in your hearts.