Meet the 2019 / 2020 Wardens
The Provincial Grand Master has been pleased to appoint W Bro Gary Macauley, PProvGSuptWks, of Orion Lodge No 4993 as Provincial Senior Grand Warden and W Bro Avtar S Panesar, PProvGReg, of Fraternity Lodge No 4032 as Provincial Junior Grand Warden for 2019/2020.
The Provincial Grand Master will be pleased to invest them at the Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge on 18th May 2019.
Provincial Senior Grand Warden, W Bro Gary Macauley, PProvGSuptWks
Gary was born in 1961 in the North west of England in a little place called Salford (in a chippy, no his mother wasn’t waiting for a fish supper when she gave birth its where they lived)
Educated at Salford Grammar school, which changed to a comprehensive after Gary's first year (according to Gary, this was not his fault) he was heavily into Skiing and Gymnastics, he was part of the 1st North West Gymnastics team.
After becoming an apprentice joiner and completing a City & Guilds, Gary worked through various roles at a fastener company all the way up to operations manager.
In 1989 Gary relocated to the West Midlands (married with two children then divorced)
he then re-married in 1993 to Kate (whose real name is Phillippa, but this is a secret ... ) Between Gary and Kate they had four children, Carly, Tom, Jamie and Simon, which was then upped to five when their son Jack came along.Gary now has three grandchildren, Travis, Marcella and Rex.
Gary joined Orion Lodge No 4993 in 1996 and went through the chair in 2004, 2005 & 2016, he is also a member of Warwickshire Installed Masters. He joined Loyal Travellers Chapter in 2013, but their warrant was handed back (again allegedly not Gary's fault) most members joined on mass Athol No 74. He joined Industry No 5123 in 2015 and is currently in the chair.
After relocation to the West Midlands Gary was promoted to operations Director. Left in 2000 to join Martyn Price Bolts & Nuts. This was sold in 2006 and Gary was given the job to manage the business for the new shareholders. In November 2018 he decided to buy the business (who wants to retire anyway?)
Provincial Junior Grand Warden, W Bro Avtar Panesar, PProvGReg
Avtar was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1952 to Mr Bhagat and Mrs Sukhjit Panesar. Both of his parents migrated to Kenya from India in the 1940s and set up home there. He has four brothers and three sisters.
His father was in the building trade and had a very large home in Nairobi. He branched out into building hospitals for the Uganda government and in 1972 got expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin and as a family arrived in the UK in July 1972. A total of around 30,000 Asians, mainly of Indian origin, were expelled.
Avtar went to school in Nairobi, Kenya, A levels in Croydon and to university in London (Chelsea College). He obtained a BSc (Hons) reading Chemistry and then worked in the pharmaceutical industry for a number of years.
At university he enjoyed playing hockey and squash and represented both sports for the university team.
In 1979 Avtar married Kipi and they have three daughters, Sandeep, Sharda and Kavita. They now have three grandchildren, Sandeep has two children (a 5 year old son and a 2 year old daughter) and Sharda has a one (a two year old son).
In 1983 Avtar and Kipi started a new pharmacy in Shirley, Surrey and established within a short time a very thriving business expanding to Birmingham in 1985. They sold the Shirley business as they had decided to live in Birmingham after 1986. They now live in Harborne, moving from Handsworth in 1988.
Avtar then branched out in Lighting design and sales and had a lighting showroom in Constitution Hill, Birmingham which he ran for about 10 years before moving in to the more specialised sector of providing lighting design and installation services for the hotel and leisure industry.
Avtar has always been involved in the voluntary sector and in 1993 he formed a community organisation with four other friends dedicated to raising funds for children in cities. He is also active in his Sikh Temple.
Initiated into Freemasonry in 1994, he has been master of Fraternity Lodge No 4032 and also of Lodge of East and West No 9785. He is currently master of Michael Price Lodge No 9853. He will install his successor on 11th May 2019.
Avtar was appointed as Provincial AGDC in 2009 by RW Bro Michael J Price, CBE and reappointed as Prov AGDC in 2010 by RW Bro David F Macey. He was then appointed Deputy Prov GDC in 2012 for a term of two years.
Avtar thoroughly enjoyed his time as an acting provincial officer and afterwards was appointed as a Visiting Officer. He has since been appointed as a Senior Visiting officer.
Avtar is also active in Royal Arch and Mark Masonry, having has active rank in both.