Extract from the Gradn Superintendent's Address

it is a great pleasure to be here this evening to present a Royal Arch Long Service award to one of the giants of West Wales Freemasonry, Excellent Companion Gerald Malcolm Colvin Taylor.

Excellent Companion Gerald, you were initiated on 2nd January 1969 into the Langley Lodge no 3989 which meets in Middleton, Manchester in the Province of East Lancashire.

When you became a freemason, you were serving as a seagoing engineer with the BP Tanker Company, which obviously meant that you were initially unable to accept an office. I will say a little more about your career later, but you did serve as Worshipful Master of Langley Lodge in 1993.

In 1977 you became a joining member of Avon Lodge no 3569 which meets in Evesham in the province of Worcestershire. You served that lodge as Worshipful Master in 1992 and Charity Steward between 1994 and 1996.

E Comp Gerald you retired in 1990 and moved to Pembrokeshire in 1995. In June 1996 you became a joining member of Neyland Lodge no 990 where you have held several offices, most notably, Worshipful Master in 2005 and 2014. You are also a member of the Peter Drewett Daylight Lodge of Progress no 9426.

In the Province of Worcestershire, you were appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer in 1997. In the Province of West Wales, you were appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon in 2010, promoted to the acting rank of Provincial Grand Registrar in 2017 and further promoted to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2024.

E Comp Gerald, in the Royal Arch, you were Exalted into the Avon Chapter no 3569 in the Province of Worcestershire on 24th April 1985 and in April 2026, they elected you as an honorary member.

You became a joining member of the Loyal Welsh Chapter in 1996 and served that Chapter as Most Excellent Zerubbabel in 2007 and Scribe Nehemiah in 2017.

In Provincial Grand Chapter you were appointed as Provincial 2nd Assistant Grand Sojourner in 2009 and promoted to the rank of Provincial Grand Registrar in 2016.

E Comp Gerald, in the real world you were born on Sunday 17th March 1940. You moved to Germany with your family to Germany in 1946 where you remained until 1953.

You joined the BP Tanker Company in 1957 as an engineer cadet. You married your lovely wife Ann in 1966 and carried on sailing with BP until 1977 when you transferred to BP Exploration. You spent 14 years working in Abu Dhabi and the final four years of your career were spent on Das Island.

E Comp Gerald, I really enjoy doing long service awards and it is especially enjoyable when I do presentations to someone who I know well enough to tease! I am delighted to present you with this certificate and badge as a memento of 40 wonderful years’ service to Royal Arch Masonry. I wish you the health and strength to continue to enjoy RA Masonry for many years to come.

Many Congratulations