W.Bro. Simon Francis currently holds the position of Provincial Learning and Development Officer. An experienced Mason with over thirty years in the Craft, Royal Arch and several other orders, he became a member of Sketty Hall Lodge No. 8752 Swansea in 1992 and joined R. P. St John Charles Chapter No. 6466 Swansea in 1995. Throughout his Masonic journey, Simon has been actively involved in various capacities within the South Wales Province. He’s taken on roles of Sword Bearer, Mentor, and Junior Warden in Craft Masonry, and in the Royal Arch, he’s served as Standard Bearer, Deputy Director of Ceremonies, and Scribe Nehemiah. These roles have given him a chance to travel around the Province, connect with fellow brethren and companions, and form lasting friendships. The experience and knowledge he’s gained from these roles will be a huge asset in his new role as Provincial Learning and Development Officer.
Looking ahead to the new Masonic year, Simon has some plans in motion. He’s organising a series of training sessions that will focus on the key roles within lodges and chapters. The first session will cover the Secretary or Scribe’s responsibilities and is set to happen at Bridgend Masonic Hall on the morning of Saturday, September 16, 2023. Another session, this time about the Treasurer’s role, is planned for the morning of Saturday, November 11, 2023, also in Bridgend. Keep an eye out for more details and how to sign up.
Simon also has his sights on a session for Master Masons, where a range of topics will be discussed to help newer members with their questions and interests in Masonic learning. More specifics about this session will be shared later on.
Simon leads a dedicated team that’s ready to step in with presentations and lectures whenever lodges and chapters need them. The team has a group of orators and event planners, that offer a range of events and lectures to complement your Lodge and Chapter activities.
They encourage Lodges and Chapters to take the lead on learning activities using the Solomon repository from UGLE, which is a great learning tool that can be used by the Lodge Mentor to develop more inexperienced Masons along their journey into the Chair and beyond, Solomon is the go-to place for all your learning and development needs.
The Learning and Development team focuses on four main areas: presentations, events, research, and communications:
- If your Lodge wants a talk from the presentations team, they can email presentations@nullsouthwalesmason.com.
- The events team specializes in organizing Province-wide learning events, and you can reach them at events.pldt@nullgmail.com.
- The Provincial Research Group meets quarterly to discuss masonic research, and the Research Lead manages the Provincial Research Library based at Albert Edward Prince of Wales court, Porthcawl. You can Contact them at manager.swprl@nullyahoo.com.
- Lastly, the Communications Lead promotes talks, events, and other learning content through social media (facebook.com/SWMasonicEducation and @SWalesLearning).
If your query falls outside of the above areas, W.Bro. Simon can be contacted at learning@nullsouthwalesmason.com or on mobile 07967150892