From the Grand Secretary

Welcome to this Tercentenary souvenir edition of Freemasonry Today, which celebrates the achievements of 2017 while looking to the future with a quiet confidence. I say that in the knowledge that I will retire at the April Investiture and hand over to David Staples, our current dynamic CEO, which will bring back together all of the departments within Freemasons’ Hall under one head.

Clearly the Sky TV programme and the many events organised across the Provinces and Districts last year, which are commemorated in this special edition, considerably raised the profile of Freemasonry. It is now important that we maintain that momentum by promoting our values and relevance to society at every appropriate opportunity.

In this unique issue, we feature the events that helped make the Tercentenary so remarkable – from the especial meeting at the Royal Albert Hall to the teddy bears’ picnics, cathedral services and masonic parades held. These celebrations not only show what Freemasonry has achieved in its long history, but also demonstrate its ongoing commitment to communities and causes, both at home and overseas.

With this in mind, we draw from the masons we’ve interviewed in Freemasonry Today whom we feel represent the core values of Freemasonry. From Wayne Ingram, the mason who has been raising money in order to fund facial reconstructive surgery for a child he met in Bosnia, through to Sean Gaffney, who lost his leg in an accident only to win gold at the Invictus Games – these are the type of individuals taking Freemasonry forward for the next 300 years.

FATHERS OF FREEMASONRY

We also feature inspirational masons from history who have helped make the Tercentenary an anniversary worth celebrating. These are masons who worked tirelessly in their local communities, broke down social barriers and challenged the status quo in order to improve the lives of those about them – from the Duke of Sussex, who helped shape modern Freemasonry, through to Augustus John Smith, who brought education and hope to the residents of the Isles of Scilly. Reflecting the spirit of the Tercentenary as an ongoing journey, we call this issue Past, Present & Future.

Brethren, it has been a great privilege and pleasure to have been your Grand Secretary for the last two years, and I wish you well for what I know will be a bright future.

Willie Shackell
Grand Secretary

‘It is important that we maintain momentum by promoting our values and relevance to society’

Growth

‘I was hoping for three golds on the first day,’ deadpans Sean Gaffney, when asked if he was happy with the two golds, one silver and a bronze that he won in the 2016 Invictus Games, the international Paralympic-style event

During a practice run for a tournament while he was serving in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in 1999, there was ‘a bit of an accident’ when a 1,500lb field gun ended up on top of Sean’s foot, crushing it. Since suffering that life-changing injury, in which he lost the lower part of his left leg, Sean Gaffney has pushed his body to the limits of physical endurance. 

He spent three months in hospital undergoing about 26 surgeries before contracting life-threatening septicaemia and having his leg amputated below the knee. Back at the gym within a month of being released from hospital, Sean started entering triathlons and began raising money for charities such as Help for Heroes, which led to him being asked to take part in the Invictus Games. 

It’s his charity work that made Sean interested in Freemasonry. ‘Since 2006 I’ve done one or two physically challenging charity events a year,’ he says. ‘So when that side of Freemasonry was explained to me, I thought that was the best thing about it.’

Sean was initiated into the Royal Naval Lodge, No. 2761, in Yeovil in 2013, and feels that Freemasonry fits well into his life. ‘I can go off to a lodge meeting or a charity meal, or say that I’ll help out a fellow brother at the weekend lifting and shifting,’ he says. ‘It’s opened up a network of friends. Being a mason is not just about being a good man today, but having the desire to be a better man tomorrow.’

What does the Tercentenary mean to you?

‘How proud I am to be part of an organisation that for 300 years has sought to bring out the best in people. To be a member of a fraternity that does so much good in the world and asks for so little in return.’

Championing the cause

Freemason Sean Gaffney has competed at the Invictus Games, runs in obstacle courses for fun and is a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy. Emilee Tombs finds out how he hasn’t let a life-changing injury break his stride

‘I was hoping for three golds on the first day,’ deadpans Sean Gaffney, when asked if he was happy with the two golds, one silver and a bronze that he won in this year’s Invictus Games. Watched by thousands all over the world in the international Paralympic-style event held in America, Sean adds, ‘I’m not exactly disappointed in myself, but if I can qualify for next year’s games I’ll put a bit more training in.’

Since suffering a life-changing injury in 1999, in which he lost the lower part of his left leg, Sean has pushed his body to the limits of physical endurance, the mere thought of which would make most of us shudder. Yet the 45-year-old is modest about his achievements and matter-of-fact about his injury. 

It happened while he was serving in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, during the then-annual Field Gun competition in the Royal Tournament. The Field Gun was a superior test of strength, agility and endurance in which sailors would race to get a 1,500lb field gun and limber over a series of obstacles. It was during a practice run for the tournament that there was, in Sean’s words, ‘a bit of an accident’, during which the gun ended up on top of his foot, crushing it. 

Sean spent three months in hospital undergoing about 26 surgeries before contracting life-threatening septicaemia and having his leg amputated below the knee. ‘Because we’d spent so long trying to save the foot, I knew that there was less and less chance of saving the leg. Doctors were cutting into scar tissue and my body was wearing out, so I knew that with every subsequent operation there was less chance of success.’

When Sean ended up with septicaemia, it was a simple choice: ‘The options were that they either cut my leg off or I’d be dead within two hours. So that was decision made, really.’ This no-nonsense approach was to see Sean fitted with a prosthetic and walking out of hospital without crutches within a month. He even drove himself home.

Where there’s a will...

Sean thinks that his naval training may have had something to do with his attitude. ‘Everything is supposed to run as a well-oiled military machine, but unfortunately it never does. As they say, “no plan survives contact”, which means that you should never rely on plan A because it’s never going to work – you’ve always got to have a few backups.’

Back at the gym within a month, Sean began rebuilding his strength and preparing for his Royal Navy fitness tests, but the real turning point was when his sister Kerry challenged him to a 10km run – after which the pair went ‘a bit daft’ with their challenges. Support from Kerry and his wife Fiona spurred Sean on, and he added swimming, cycling and rowing to his arsenal, started entering more events such as triathlons and began raising money for charities such as Help for Heroes, which led him to being asked to take part in the Invictus Games. 

‘The Invictus Games uses the power of sport to help people to recover. It’s getting people off their behinds to show that they’ve still got the will to compete. Hopefully through participating you’ll get the comradeship that comes with it – being part of such an inspirational crowd of people can uplift you and further your recovery,’ says Sean. 

‘The options were that they cut my leg off or I’d be dead within two hours.’ Sean Gaffney

It was through his charity work that Sean came to be interested in Freemasonry, after a friend and former naval colleague recommended he get involved. ‘Charity was definitely one of the best things about Freemasonry for me’, he says. ‘Since 2006 I’ve done one or two physically challenging charity events a year, so when that side of Freemasonry was explained to me I thought that was possibly the best thing about it.’

With the charitable focus combined with the camaraderie and a strong emphasis on good moral standards of conduct, Sean thought Freemasonry might be a good fit for him and applied to join. He was initiated into the Royal Naval Lodge, No. 2761, in Yeovil in 2013, quickly moving up to take on the role of Dining Steward, though most of his first couple of years have been about training for the games. ‘Make sure you thank Ed Cole,’ he pleads, citing a fellow mason who took over his duties while he was training, ‘I owe him big time.’ 

Common bond

Scott Gibbons, Secretary of the Royal Naval Unit at which Sean is a member, speaks fondly of his colleague and friend. ‘Sean has a quiet, steely determination,’ says Scott with a chuckle. ‘I’m laughing because I don’t know anyone who would describe him as quiet. In fact, Sean is never lost for words. He’s a larger-than-life character, but in his initiation he showed a humble side, which is important in Freemasonry.’

With the fraternity creating a common bond and understanding between members, Scott notes the importance of the support network it offers to masons’ families: ‘I could tell just how much it meant to Sean to be a part of it all.’

Freemasonry fits well into Sean’s life. ‘I can go off to a lodge meeting or a charity meal or say that I’ll help out a fellow brother at the weekend lifting and shifting,’ he says. ‘It’s opened up a network of friends that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I know that five times a year we’ll all get together, have a chat and put the world to rights.’

Sean has already started his training for next year’s Invictus Games, to be held in Toronto in April. But he’s also looking forward to having more time for his masonic duties, and the celebratory dinner being held in his honour by his lodge. ‘Being a mason is not just about being a good man today,’ he says, ‘but having the desire to be a better man tomorrow.’ 

‘The Invictus Games uses the power of sport to help people to recover.’ Sean Gaffney

From the Grand Secretary

Since emerging from the basement of Freemasons’ Hall, where I have been a charity president for the past nine years, to assume the appointment as Grand Secretary, I have felt very humbled by the numerous letters, emails and tweets of support and encouragement that I have received. I am most fortunate in having taken over a splendid team who are doing their best to train me and get me up to speed so that we can continue to provide you all with the help and support you both need and deserve.

As you will see in this issue of Freemasonry Today, preparations for our 300th anniversary are gathering momentum. The in-depth and extensive work of the Membership Focus Group will soon be rolled out under the guidance of the Improvement Delivery Group. This is all producing a real feeling of excitement and anticipation that bodes well for our future – it is a great opportunity for us and I feel most privileged to be involved at this important time in our history. 

In the build-up to 2017, it is crucial also that we recognise and celebrate the contribution being made by masons at a local level. Our feature on London’s Air Ambulance describes how Metropolitan masons have helped to put a second air ambulance in the air with a £2 million pledge. Able to reach any location in the city within 10 minutes, London’s Air Ambulance says that the masonic donation has completely changed the scale and resilience of its service. 

With Londoners of every age and in every borough benefiting, Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward Tony Shields explains that the decision to help the service was a ‘no-brainer’ in the run-up to the Tercentenary. But it’s not just organisations who are getting our help. When Julian Elcock’s business hit problems, Freemasonry was on hand for advice and support. Thanks to funding from the masonic charities, his daughter Jasmine was able to continue music lessons and reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent. We interview Jasmine about realising her ambitions and find out from Julian why his decision to join the masons in 2008 was one of the best he ever made. 

Over in Somerset, Sean Gaffney’s story reveals a Freemason who, after losing his lower left leg, pushed himself to compete at the 2016 Invictus Games and brought home two golds, one silver and a bronze. While he was initially drawn to the Craft by the fundraising aspects, it was the camaraderie and strong moral standards of conduct that were to prove a winning combination. I think Sean speaks for us all when he says that being a mason is not just about being a good man today but having the desire to be a better man tomorrow. 

Willie Shackell
Grand Secretary

‘I feel most privileged to be involved at this important time in our history.’