As 7th May 2007 will be remembered as the start of a new era so 31st January 2018 will be remembered as the day the curtain came down on the tenure of E Comp Wayne Edward Williams as the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent in and over the Royal Arch Province of Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire. He was only the 12th Grand Superintendent of this Province.
By his own admission, his Royal Arch career prior to May 2007 had been somewhat less than spectacular – his focus had invariably been on his Craft involvements as Assistant Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Grand Secretary. By contrast, during his tenure as Grand Superintendent, his achievements have been more than spectacular. In those early days when speaking to Craft Masons who were not Companions, he would often remind them that he knew who they were and where they lived; the phrase has become embedded in the Province and that there are few who would not associate the expression with the Grand Superintendent.
As leader of the Royal Arch Province, he brought his inimitable energy and enthusiasm to bear in everything that he did for the Order, keeping his promise from his Installation that he would take the Royal Arch forward by a process of evolution rather than revolution and that “What you see is what you get!”
Memorable moments, there have been quite a few…
In May 2011, our Grand Superintendent was appointed as one of two sitting Grand Superintendents to the Committee of General Purposes of Supreme Grand Chapter which was a tremendous honour both for him and the Province.
At the Convocation of Installed First Principals, the Province was able to present a cheque for £65,000 to the Second Grand Principal, E Comp George Francis, as part of the Royal College of Surgeons appeal during the Royal Arch Bicentenary. This was a fundraising effort that our Grand Superintendent spearheaded with his usual passion which was instrumental in securing such an outstanding achievement.
His excellent relationship with his counterpart in the Province of Bristol, E Comp Alan Vaughan, was central to bring a very memorable demonstration of the Ceremony of the Veils to this Province for what was a memorable evening for all those in attendance - it qualified under the daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.
Piscator Chapter moved from London during his time in charge, following the move of Piscator Lodge a few years earlier. He has ensured that they have been made to feel at home from the start and his faith has been repaid by the manner in which the Chapter is moving from strength to strength.
On a personal note, he was honoured to become the First Principal of Probity Chapter Chapter of Probity in the Province of Cambridgeshire – membership of this prestigious Chapter is restricted to Grand Superintendents , their Deputies and other senior Royal Arch Masons predominantly based in the Eastern Provinces. He is currently First Principal of the Peace and Harmony Chapter in the Province of Warwickshire which serves a similar purpose for the Royal Arch Provinces in the West Midlands and beyond.
Technology has held no fear for our Grand Superintendent as he has taken to Twitter or as he prefers to call it Intertwit to spread the Royal Arch message.
One of his major achievements, is rewriting and producing a Welcome To Royal Arch Brochure which is given to all Exaltees; this took many rewrites but it is so good at helping the new Exaltee start to understand the Royal Arch that it has been adopted by other Provinces. This brochure is coupled with the informative Next Step For A Master Mason leaflet which helps to explain to the Master Mason why the Royal Arch is the completion of their journey in Pure Antient Masonry.
He has been served by 2 Deputy Grand Superintendents (E Comp David Jackson and E Comp Michael Coleman), 4 Second Provincial Grand Principals (E Comp Terry Roy, E Comp Michael Coleman, E Comp George Clayton and E Comp Jim Boughton) and 5 Third Provincial Grand Principals (E Comp Trevor Cooke, E Comp Roger Wood, E Comp John Phillips, E Comp George Clayton and E Comp Mark Constant). To them all, he expresses his sincere thanks for their help, commitment and support throughout. Without them, the journey would not have been so enjoyable
The Royal Arch Province will be forever grateful and appreciative of the tremendous contribution and efforts of E Comp Wayne Williams as its Grand Superintendent. We wish you a very enjoyable retirement and thank you once again.