An Extract from the Grand Superintendent's Address

I am delighted to be with you this evening to present a long service award to E Comp Donald Richard Mallams to mark 50 years continuous service to Royal Arch Freemasonry.

Before I say a few words about E Comp Don’s illustrious masonic career, I would just like to comment on how unusual this evening’s presentation is. I am in my sixth year as the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent in and over the Province of West Wales and this is the first 50-year certificate I have presented in the Royal Arch.

E Comp Don, you were Initiated in the Liddel Lodge no 3616 in the Province of Durham on the 27th of June 1968. I was two years old. You were Passed the following month on the 25th of July 1968 and Raised exactly a year after your Initiation on the 26th of June 1969. Your masonic career in Durham was cut short when you moved to Shropshire in 1973. You joined the Sabrina Lodge no 4158 on 5th of February 1973 and finally became Master of that Lodge on 5th of November 1984.

You remained a member of the Sabrina Lodge until the end of 2008, but you joined your beloved Tenby Lodge on the 2nd of October 1985. You served the Tenby Lodge as Worshipful Master in 1991 and you have also held several other offices including Mentor, Tyler and of course Almoner. You became a joining member of the Kensington Lodge of Installed Masters in 2001, and you served that lodge as Almoner in 2012.

Your provincial career started long before computerisation, but to give a flavour of what you have achieved over the last 56 years, you were appointed as Acting Provincial Grand Standard Bearer in the Province of Shropshire in 1991. In the Province of West Wales, you were appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Grand Almoner in 1996. You held the rank of Acting Provincial Grand Almoner between 2000 and 2009, and you were promoted to the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden in 2001 to reflect the importance which the province places on the position of Almoner.

In the United Grand Lodge of England, you were appointed to the rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 2002 and promoted to the rank of Past Junior Grand Deacon in 2011.

In the Holy Royal Arch you were Exalted into Pengwerne Chapter no 3229 on 28th October 1974. And Joined the Dinbych Chapter on 27th January 1986. You served Dinbych Chapter as Most Excellent Zerubbabel in 1990. You served the Chapter as MEZ again in 2006 and for a third time in 2014. You served in all three chairs on each occasion you served as MEZ, which means you have spent a total of 9 years in the Chairs of the Dinbych Chapter. Since 2022 you have served the Chapter as Janitor.

E Comp Don, the records of your Royal Arch Provincial career predate the computer age, but you must have held at least one Provincial rank prior to being appointed as Provincial Grand Almoner in the year 2000, a position which, as in the Craft you held until 2009. In 2002 you were promoted to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah.

In Supreme Grand Chapter, you were appointed to the rank of Past Assistant Grand Standard Bearer in 2008.

E Comp Don, in the real world you were born on 24th April 1935 in Whickham, County Durham. You have one younger brother, Gordon, who still lives in the Northeast. You attended school in the Northeast and went on to train as a Joiner. You later went to Night School and ultimately became a Civil Servant. The Civil Service posted you to Bahrain where you met your wife of 52 years, LaDonna. LaDonna was from the USA, and you got married in Wisconsin in 1968. You have two children, James and Sara and three grandchildren, Tom, Chris and Ellie.

You are a keen gardener and for many years the Tenby Lodge Summer BBQ was held in your lovely garden. You have also raised a considerable amount of money over the years by decorating your house with Christmas Lights during the Festive Season. For many years you helped with the Tools for Africa Scheme, collecting unwanted hand tools locally and transporting them by the trailer load to a central collection point from where they were shipped to those in need of tools in Africa.

E Comp Don, congratulations on 50 wonderful years’ service to the Holy Royal Arch, to your family and to your local community. It is a privilege to know you and I am delighted to present you with your certificate and badge. I hope you continue to have good health, and you continue to enjoy your freemasonry for many years to come.

Many congratulations