These are exciting times for the Royal Arch, as increased focus is being given to communications as well as the narrative around it.
A key cornerstone of our work around the Royal Arch is the new Pro Grand Master Jonathan Spence’s determination that the Craft and Royal Arch work in tandem with one and other. As you will read in his article in this magazine (p40), he says:
‘The Craft and Royal Arch need to work seamlessly together. We must get better at explaining why the Royal Arch enriches the Craft experience of members, how valuable it is and how it is the natural next stage after becoming a Master Mason.’
To achieve this, a new Working Party, the Membership and Communications Working Party (MCWP), has been created under the guidance of the Committee of General Purposes to meet these challenges, with one question at the forefront of its thinking: how can we ensure the Royal Arch thrives in these challenging times?
The team (see below) provides support to the Committee of General Purposes on all matters relating to membership and communications. This is obviously a huge task and so comprises a group of experienced Royal Arch Masons from across the Constitution, with additional support from UGLE Deputy Director of Communications, Shaun Butler.
The team is currently working on four projects:
1) How is the Royal Arch doing nationally in terms of its membership profile?
2) Archway – a Royal Arch equivalent of the Members’ Pathway.
3) The narrative about how the Royal Arch adds value to Craft Freemasonry.
4) Enhancing our communications strategy across all the many available channels.
It has been a busy start for the Working Party, with plenty of work already completed. This includes pulling data, surveying Freemasons who are not currently members of the Royal Arch and those who have recently joined, as well as connecting with Grand Superintendents throughout the Constitution.
Right now, there’s a lot of information available and the team are letting the evidence lead the work.
Progress so far is starting to show, with more Royal Arch content being shared across all existing channels to raise awareness. Work is also continuing on Archway, the Royal Arch equivalent of the Members’ Pathway, and a consistent narrative is being developed.
Overall, the message is clear. There is now a real determination at all levels to promote the ‘indissoluble link’ created more than 200 years ago between the Craft and the Royal Arch and to communicate the many ways in which the Order enriches our experience of Craft masonry.
You can help too. Speak to the Royal Arch representative in your lodge and share your views on what makes it so special.
John Reid
A passionate Royal Arch Companion of 31 years, John joined the Chapter two years after being raised. An active member of the Wiltshire Executive for the past 16 years, he is now in his eighth year as Grand Superintendent and was more recently appointed Provincial Grand Master (Designate) for Wiltshire. John is currently a member of the Committee of General Purposes for the Royal Arch and a member of the UGLE Audit Committee, and he still finds time to take an active office in Rose Croix. He recently retired as a chartered construction manager, having worked on the Crown Estate for the past 47 years and is interested in all things equestrian, as well as sports in general.
Elliott Chevin
Elliott Chevin is the Deputy Grand Superintendent in Essex. He was initiated nearly 25 years ago by his father. His late maternal grandfather was a Freemason, his sister has since joined Freemasonry and he hopes his son might one day follow in their footsteps. Elliott lives in Essex with his wife and two children. He’s a keen runner, guitarist and whisky enthusiast. Professionally, Elliott has worked for Apple Inc for nearly 15 years.
Simon Daniel
A proud Welshman and Lewis from Swansea, Simon has been a Freemason since 2001 and is now Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals, Provincial Grand Membership Officer for Craft and Royal Arch. He’s also Joint Provincial Head of Learning and Development for Craft and Royal Arch, and the Chair of the Masonic Grants committee for the Masonic Benevolent Foundation of South Wales. He’s also a member of four other Orders. Simon works as a hotelier, running two spa hotels in Usk and Brecon Beacons and is married with three children and three grandchildren. He’s a keen vegetable gardener, avid England cricket fan and, of course, Welsh rugby runs in his blood.
Paul Renton
Chairman of the Membership and Communication Working Party, Paul has been a Freemason since 1984 and a member of the Royal Arch Cabinet in the Province of West Lancashire for the past nine years. Paul is currently the Deputy Grand Superintendent and a member of 10 other Orders. His professional life has been spent as an educator, first in secondary schools, then as a school adviser/inspector and then working for the Rugby Football Union as a referee educator.
Shaun Butler
Shaun is the Deputy Director of Communications and Marketing at UGLE and Supreme Grand Chapter. He was initiated in 2015 and was exalted into the Royal Arch in 2018 in Letchworth Chapter, No. 3505. Shaun lives in Surrey with his family and his English Bulldog, Winston, and is a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United and the England rugby team.
Mike Rix
Born in a mining village in Yorkshire, Mike attended the local grammar school and is a graduate of Bradford and Nottingham Universities. He has been a company director for 30 or so years with different companies, including his own. Married with four children, he has lived with his family in Lincolnshire for 40 years. Mike was initiated into Hallcross Lodge, No. 5744 in 1991 in Doncaster and has been Master twice. Exalted into Isle of Axholme Chapter in 1998, he became MEZ in 2011. He was appointed Active Provincial Standard Bearer and now has Supreme Grand Chapter Grand Rank as Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies. Michael became Provincial Second Grand Principal in May 2019.
