'Do not be afraid of change'

Mr Nelson reminded those at the celebrations in Waringstown this year the Order has overcome many obstacles during its history and maintaining relevance to a new generation is just another challenge.

He said: “The young men who we want to join today have grown up in a very different world to the one I grew up in. They have not felt the effects of the terrorist campaign in the same way as many of us. But there are other changes in society, which have a bearing on our relevance to potential recruits. The young men we want to join are the mobile phone generation, the computer generation, the technology generation.”

He said it was necessary to change the way things are done so as not to alienate young people, adding: “The threat is that we become irrelevant and slowly wither away.”

However, he was very clear to point out that it was only the Order’s methods that needed updating, not “its two guiding and foundation principles of Protestantism and Fraternalism”.

He recognised some members would be resistant to change, but said: “We would be letting down both previous and future generations if we did not embrace change sufficiently to enable us to keep the torch of Orangeism not only alight but burning brightly in the province.”