Chapter Chat: Tom Elliott reflects on his time as Fermanagh Royal Black county grand master

He said: “With the onset of Covid, I led an emergency fund through the County Royal Black Institution that was supported by other loyal orders in Fermanagh, the Orange Order, Women’s Loyal Orange Institution and Apprentice Boys of Derry, to put together the emergency fund to access PPE equipment and get it onto the ground, to health centres, GPs, district nurse centres, domiciliary carers, and care homes.

“In the first few weeks of the start of Covid, we had distributed more than 2,000 items of PPE equipment to 28 different health support locations, and more in the following month.”

Elsewhere, Mr Elliott recalled the vigil and service hosted by the county chapter officers at Enniskillen Castle as part of the National Moment of Reflection to mark the death of Her Majesty the Queen, in September 2022.

“The event was attended by hundreds of members and the public, and was featured the next day on BBC NI news,” added Mr Elliott.

Another achievement during his term as CGM was the production, this year, of a souvenir booklet for the annual commemoration of the 1689 Battle of Newtownbutler.

“The Royal Black Institution has a great history and tradition in the county, and this was the first production of an information booklet which was timed to coincide with the Fermanagh August commemoration,” he said.

The 59-year-old sir knight, who is married to Anne and has a daughter Chloe, 21, and son Adam, 18, is the Ulster Unionist Party MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and served as MP for the constituency from 2015 to 2017.

Outside of the loyal orders, Mr Elliott plays an active role in farming, and in the life of the community: he is a lifelong member of Magheracross Parish Church of Ireland and is currently chairman of Ballinamallard United football club.

He has been a member of the loyal orders for more than 40 years, joining the Orange Order as an 18-year-old.

“It was a family tradition, with my father, uncles and relatives all in the institution,” he said.

“The Royal Black was different, as none of my family were members of the institution.”

He explained that he was “good friends with the late Robbie Elliott (no relation), who was registrar of the local preceptory, and he persuaded me to join, in 1991”.

As a member of Ballinamallard Crimson Heroes RBP 272, Enniskillen District No 1, he is the third member of the preceptory to hold the position of county grand master, the others being: Samuel Armstrong, 1885-1888, and Henry A Burke, 1954-1972.

Regarding the latter, Mr Elliott said, “there was no maximum five-year rule then”, pointing out that CGMs in Fermanagh normally serve for five years, “but due to Covid, and a change in the deputy county grand master, I have been CGM for six years”.

He will continue in the Royal Black roles of imperial deputy grand master and assistant sovereign grand master.

He believes the institution has a positive role in the modern world.

“It is an organisation of members that have strong principles,” he said.

“They support the monarchy of the United Kingdom; they have a dedicated Christian conviction, a long and proud history, and a commitment to community and charitable outreach that we want to continue and enhance.”

He added: “Christian and community outreach and charity support are extremely valuable assets and attributes; these are key elements of the ethos of the Royal Black Institution.”

As to what advice he would give a young Orangeman thinking about joining the Royal Black, he said: “The rich, historic and cultural heritage, along with the ongoing Christian and community outreach and charity support, is what encouraged me to join the institution, and that is what should encourage current members of the Orange Order to be part of the Royal Black Institution experience.”