Twelfth 2020: Royal Black chief praises handling of loyal order parades around the Twelfth

Rev William Anderson, the Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution, said the Twelfth 2020 had succeeded “superbly”.

He was speaking to the News Letter following on from Monday’s Twelfth celebrations (which took place on July 13, due to the Sabbath falling on July 12).

Monday saw virtually no Orange presence in the parades, which were instead just single-band processions close to each band’s home instead of massed ranks of musicians and loyal brethren in co-ordinated displays.

Rev Anderson said that the Twelfth this year, and the absence of the usual Sham Fight in Scarva yesterday, was “very strange and surreal”.

It was the first time in at least half a century that the 67-year-old recalls the Sham Fight (which can draw crowds of perhaps 100,000 or more) being cancelled.

The Parades Commission listed no marches taking place anywhere yesterday.

When it comes to how the Twelfth has been handled overall, he told the News Letter: “I have to say the Orange Institution has set the bar very high.

“I was very impressed by the quality of Radio Boyne, by how the Orangemen themselves were marking the occasion with acts of remembranceand drive-in services and things like that.”

He added that “the response in adhering to social distancing guidelines was fantastic... it’s very hard to get into the mindset of half-a-million people and get them following, but I think they did superbly well”.

There had been “the odd one or two” rule breakers he said, but “there is always going to the odd rotten apple in the barrel”.

The traditional Last Saturday parades in August by the Royal Black Institution have been cancelled for this year, but Rev Anderson said they will think of alternative ways to mark it.

Instead of the Sham Fight in Scarva yesterday, the institution put together a video on its social media accounts, showing previous scenes from the village and including an address from Rev Anderson.

In it, he said: “This institution is Bible-based and Christ-centred.

“We therefore make no apology for standing in the reformed Christian faith – a faith that is displayted by the Biblical scenes on our banners.

“Today we’re unable to have those banners here in Scarva.

“But we can still proclaim that message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“But of course in order to proclaim a message you must have an understanding of that message ytourself.

“That is why in the teachings of our institution we spend a lot of time studying Holy Scripture and its impact on our lives.

“The reason we do so is made bery clear, each time we read God’s Word; the Bible reminds each and every one of us we will indeed give an acount to God, how we proclaimed that message in our lives here on Earth.

“That’s the challenge for all of us today, especially in this crisis.”

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