On Saturday 6th July 2024, Worshipful Brother Gordon Craigs passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, at home.
Gordon had been a Freemason for 45 years, having been initiated in Lodge Palatine No 5345 on 17th April 1979. He first took the Chair of the Lodge in 1988, after which he continued to serve the Lodge in the capacity of Secretary for seventeen years, following which he was Lodge Treasurer for seven years, before reverting back to Secretary for the last two years until his death. During this time, he joined Portland Lodge No 6170 in 2021, becoming its Master the following year, and he was the reigning Master at the time of his death.
For his service to the Craft, he was first appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 1997, before promotion to Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2004. His first Grand Lodge appointment, to Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, followed in 2009.
In 2020, after he had completed a decade as the Provincial Grand Master of the Northumberland Lodge of Mark Master Masons, he was invited by our Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master to focus his considerable talents onto Craft Freemasonry by becoming one of our Assistant Provincial Grand Masters. He readily accepted the office, which he fulfilled with great distinction, taking on the role of Provincial Lead for Learning and Development, and for which he was promoted in Grand Lodge to the rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon.
His utter dedication to Freemasonry in Northumberland did not end there. In the Royal Arch, he was exalted in St Cuthbert Chapter No 1902 on 13th October 1981 and served as its First Principal in 1996.
He was also a joining member of the Northumbrian First Principals Chapter No 3477, and of Chapter De Sussex No 406.
His first appointment in Provincial Grand Chapter, in 2001, was to the Acting rank of Provincial Grand Registrar, followed by promotion to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah in 2007, and in 2014 he received his first Grand Chapter appointment to the rank of Past Grand Standard Bearer.
Such was his contribution to the Provincial Grand Lodge as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master he was, in 2022, invited by the Grand Superintendent to take on the office of Deputy Grand Superintendent of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Northumberland, leading to Grand Chapter promotion to the rank of Past Grand Sword Bearer just last year. His dedication to the Royal Arch was unparallelled and his innovations in encouraging uptake of the Royal Arch by Craft Freemasons have and continue to bear fruit to this day.
Outside the Craft and Royal Arch, he was a prolific servant to the Companion Orders of Freemasonry, most notably in the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, where he was the Provincial Grand Master for the Mark in Northumberland for ten years from 2009, as well as serving on the Grand Master’s Royal Ark Council from 2018.
He held Grand Rank in many other Orders in masonry, especially in the Great Priory of the Knights Templar; in the Grand Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees; and in the Grand Council of the Order of Royal and Select Masters.
His commitment, dedication and drive – together with his sheer love of masonry – were unmatched, and he will be sorely missed by all his Brethren and Companions throughout all the Orders of which he was a member.
Kevin Stannard; Deputy PGM