W.Bro. Merrick Jones AGPurs, Prov G Orator
A third-generation Freemason, Merrick was initiated into Wenallt Lodge No.
9082 in 1994, where he is currently Director of Ceremonies. He is Senior
Warden of the Albert Edward Court Lodge of Research No. 9908, a member of
Hendre Lodge No. 3250 and Lodge of Benevolence No. 7305 and a member of the
Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle. He is Treasurer of Hiraeth Chapter
No. 8834 and Director of Ceremonies of Colonnade Chapter No. 7305. He is
also a member of Cambria Mark and Royal Ark Mariners Lodges and The St
Augustine Council of the Order of Royal and Select Masters. In 2015 he was
appointed Past Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies and took a
fully-active role in the Province. In 2017 he was appointed Provincial
Grand Orator and Learning & Development Officer. In that role he also
chairs the Provincial Research Group. In 2018 he was appointed Assistant
Grand Pursuivant in UGLE. He is also a Subject Manager for the Solomon
learning system. He works for Aviva where he is the Supplier Management
Lead for the Group’s Global Investment Operations. He lives in Newport and
is married to Julie, with four children and two grandchildren between them.
W.Bro. Simon Daniel PAGDC, PGStB
W Bro Simon was initiated, A Lewis, by his late father into Meridian Lodge No9603 on 17th April 2001.He then became the first initiate to attain the chair and became its Master in May 2006. A joining member of Ystrad Mynach Lodge No8567 in November 2007 and its Master in May 2010. Since May 2011 he has served as its Charity Steward. In June 2012, his first Provincial appointment was Acting Provincial Junior Grand Deacon. In 2017 he was promoted to PPrGSuptWks and in 2019 was appointed Provincial Junior Grand Warden. He is a Joining Member of Hendre Lodge No3250. In April 2021 he was promoted to PAGDC in Grand Lodge.
He is proud to be a Trustee of the Masonic Benevolent Fund of South wales since 2019 and now heads the committee on Masonic Grants. He is also joint lead of the Provincial Learning and Development Department and a Solomon Lead.
He serves as a member of the Membership & Communication working group from the Committee of General Purposes at UGLE and Supreme Grand Chapter.
E. Comp. Simon K.S. Daniel has been appointed to Past Grand Standard Bearer. He was Exalted into Afan Chapter No. 833 in 2004, became a Joining Member of Gelligaer Chapter No. 6298 in 2007 and became its First Principal in 2011. He also became a Joining Member of Hendre Chapter No. 3250 in 2019. He was appointed to Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer in 2014, promoted to Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer in 2019. He is The Provincial Royal Arch Membership officer. In April 2021 he was promoted to Supreme Grand Chapter as PGStB
In Mark Masonry he was advanced into Trinity Mark Lodge No1845 in May 2013 and is its Master Elect. He was Elevated in the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariners Caerffili Lodge No1348 in May 2016.
He is also a member of Fforest Preceptory of Knights Templar No582 and was its Eminent Preceptor in 2014. He has the Provincial rank of Past Provincial Standard Bearer (VB).
W.Bro. Michael Baker
Mike was initiated into Harmony Lodge No. 8414 in Cardiff on 1st March 1993 and has served in that Lodge in each office, having been through the chair three times. He is currently IPZ and Principal Sojourner of Friendship and Justice Chapter No. 5830 and Junior Warden of Principality Mark Lodge No. 1057. He is also a member of the Blue Lamp Lodge No. 9840 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. He has been honoured in the past with active roles as Provincial Grand Steward in the Craft and Provincial Grand Deputy DC in Holy Royal Arch, and is currently a Past Provincial Deputy Grand Registrar and Past Provincial Grand Sojourner, respectively. 68 years of age and living in Cardiff, Mike is a retired Police Officer and latterly a retired Higher Rights Solicitor.
Bro. John Davies
John is currently Senior Warden of Margam Abbey Lodge no. 5257. He is semi-retired theatre technician and sometimes still acts as MC for local theatre events. He is also a freelance VoiceOver Artist and has recorded voiceovers for various companies in the USA.
Bruce Etherington PPrJGD
Bruce was initiated into Dinas Llandaf Lodge in 2002 and became Master in 2010. He has always enjoyed the ritual side of Masonry and, having worked as a lecturer, also enjoys finding out more about the meaning and history of the order.
He joined the Royal Arch through DInas Llandaf Chapter becoming First Principal in 2015.
Outside of Freemasonry, Bruce works at Cardiff University helping researchers to improve society through their research.
W.Bro John Williams
W.Bro John Williams is a later starter when it comes to Freemasonry, having been initiated into Llynfi Lodge 2965 in December 2009. He was installed into the chair of King Solomon in 2018.
John is active in a number of side degrees and was installed as 1st Principle of the Llynfi Royal Arch Chapter in 2019 and he is currently progressing in Maesteg Rose Croix.
John is well known for his like and understanding of the ceremony and in particular his delivery of the ‘Explanation of the Tracing Boards’ in the 1st and 2nd Degree.
W.Bro. Colin Morgan
Colin was initiated into the Lodge of Endurance No. 6729 in 2007. He is the Principle Sojourner of Edgar Rutter Chapter No. 7196 and a member of Colonnade Chapter No. 7305. In 2015 Colin was integral in helping to establish the Colonnade Club , a social club for new and young masons in the Province of South Wales he served as the founding Treasurer for two years. Together with Gareth Williams he has been planning and organising the Officers’ seminars event in Treharris this Spring. Colin lives in Abercarn with his wife Camilla and their two daughters, he works in Marketing and Student Recruitment for the University of South Wales.
W.Bro. Mark Nicholls PPrJGD
Mark was initiated into Oeconomia Lodge No. 5457, London in February 1999, having served with the Army and finding employment in the Metropolitan Police.
Mark moved to the Land of his Fathers in 2005, settling in the Swansea Valley. He became a joining member of Gnoll Lodge No. 5057 in 2006. He was Installed into the Chair of King Solomon in 2009. He has since held the position of Master of the Lodge a further two times, in 2014 & 2015. He was appointed to acting Provincial Grand Rank as PJGD in 2015.
In 2001, Mark was Exhalted into Crusaders Chapter No.1677 meeting at Duke Street St. James. Following the move to Wales, he became a joining member of Gnoll Chapter No. 5057. He was Installed as First Principle of the Chapter in 2014. He is also a member of the Lord Swansea Chapter No. 8364 and the Founding Janitor of Colonnade Chapter No. 7305. He is a PPrAGSoj.
Advanced into Mark Masonry in Sussex in 2003, he was Installed as Master of Earl of Courtown Lodge No. 1241 in 2012. He was Elevated in the Royal Ark Mariner degree in 2005. He became a joining member of Neath Mark Lodge and Neath RAM Lodge No. 1125. He is a member of the South Wales Installed Mark Masters Lodge No. 1201.
In 2006, Mark was Installed as a Knight of the Castell Nedd Preceptory of Knights Templar in Neath, and is currently the incumbent Preceptor. He was Installed as a member of Knights Malta the following year.
Mark was accepted as a Cryptic Mason into the Order of Royal & Select Masters in 2007. A member of Cartref Council No.169 which meets in Swansea, he is a Past Thrice Illustrious Master of that Council, a recipient of the Order of the Silver Trowel and the Acting District Grand Steward.
Lastly and by no means least, he was Perfected into the Ancient and Accepted Rite (Rose Croix) in 2008. In that order he is a member of Groeswen Chapter No. 1036 meeting at Pontyclun. He became Sovereign of that Chapter in 2010 and is due to receive appointment to the 30° at Duke Street St. James in May 2018.
He is a Founding Member of the ‘Masonic RMP’ Facebook Group which is a social and support organization for members of the Craft who are serving or who have served with the Royal Military Police. He travels all over the UK to support those members. He is the Founder of the Gnoll Masonic Social Club (aka ‘The Goatriders’) which gives support to young and new Masons in Neath through an informal Masonic environment to talk Masonry, seek advice and to extend their charitable giving. He is also an active member of the Province’s Colonnade Club.
Currently an Police Officer at Heathrow Police Station, he is due to retire from the Force in August 2018. That may leave him some more time for some more Freemasonry… who knows ?
W. Bro. Gareth J.R. Williams
Gareth is a first generation Freemason and was was initiated in Opthalmos Lodge No. 4633 which met in Great Queen Street, London. There he served in the majority of Offices and was installed into the Chair of King Solomon. Sadly, in 2015 Opthalmos Lodge surrendered its warrant and Gareth immediately joined Bute Lodge No. 960. In February 2018 Gareth was proud to be installed as Master of the Lodge.
At the first meeting of Athenaeum Chapter No. 1491 after being raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, he was Exhalted where he rose to the role of Haggai. However, due to demanding work commitments Gareth resigned from the Chapter and immediately joined Sir George Elliott Chapter No.960, also in Cardiff.
Gareth is also a member of Stability Mark Lodge No. 758 where he is currently the Inner Guard.
Gareth spent his working life as a Police Officer in various stations in the South Wales area. On retiring from the Force in October 2013 spent a year working on a self employed basis for various local solicitors. He was then approached to work as a self employed consultant to various Police Force, including the Metropolitan Police, South Yorkshire Police and Cleveland Police as a training consultant covering such things as communications, custody software and firearms licensing software. Over the last couple of years he decided that working away from home was no good and so spent a number of years working as a supply teacher specialising in Mathematics and Information technology. In July 2017 he decided that it was time to finally retire.
He now spends the majority of his space time attempting to improve his photography.
W.Bro. Colin Morgan PAGDC
Colin was initiated into the Lodge of Endurance No. 6729 in Cardiff in February 2007 and was installed as Worshipful Master and went onto serve as Master for two consecutive years over 2017 and 2018. Appointed to the rank of Provincial Grand Steward in 2018 and was later promoted to Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 2020
Outside of the craft degrees. Colin moved into the Holy Royal Arch when he was exhalted into Edgar Rutter Chapter No. 7196 in 2009 and later became a joining member of Colonnade Chapter No. 7305 in 2017.
In 2015 Colin was integral in helping to establish the Colonnade Club, a social club for new and young masons in the Province of South Wales. He served as the founding Treasurer for two years and went on to serve as Deputy chairman in 2018 and progress to the office of club chairman for 2019.
Colin currently serves on the Learning & Development team as our events lead and is responsible for organising and arranging Learning & Development events across the Province of South Wales.
Colin currently lives in Abercarn with his wife Camilla and their two daughters and works in Marketing and Student Recruitment for the University of South Wales.
W.Bro. William John Charles Thomas PAGDC
A fourth generation mason, initiated in Harlequins Lodge in 1982 by W. Bro Rees Evans. A joining member of Oriel Lodge 9023 where he served as WM 1993; 1998; 2001 and Treasurer for 10 years. The founding Charity Steward and 3 times WM of the Lodge of Round Table No 9549. A joining member of the Hendre Lodge No 3250. Honorary Member of and Mandated Grand Officer in Penarth Lodge No 4113. Appointed Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in United Grand Lodge in 2012.
Exalted in Llanfair Chapter No 7353, currently progressing 1AGSoj. Founding PrinSoj in Chapter of Round Table No 9549, First Principal 2000; Joining Member and Second Principal of Penarth Chapter No 4113; Joining Companion of Hendre Chapter No 3250; Joining Companion of the Chapter of Rectitude No 335 in the Province of Wiltshire. Honorary Member of Chapters: 6608, 8334, 8364, 8991, 9059 and 9520. Past Provincial Grand Scribe E., Past Prov GJ and Past Prov GH in the Province of South Wales. Appointed Past Grand Standard Bearer in Supreme Grand Chapter in 2008 and promoted to Past Assistant Grand Sojourner in 2017. Librarian in CMH since 2004. Regular contributor to Y Dalaith. Collecting, compiling, and composing 50 short talks for Royal Arch Masons. Now 72, a retired Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, has been married to Rosaleen for 49 wonderful years, their three children have provided them with seven grandchildren and five grand dogs, and a hamster.