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THE PROVINCIAL CRAFT EXECUTIVE TEAM

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L to R
Dr Andrew Wright (APGM Area 3),  Ian N E Lewis (APGM Area 5),  John Boyington, CBE (The Deputy Provincial Grand Master) , Robert I G Cole  (APGM Area 2) 
James Henry Newman, OBE (The Provincial Grand Master), A Michael Dyson  (APGM Area 1),  Brian Duncan Littlejohn  (APGM Area 4)

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James H. Newman, OBE

Provincial Grand Master

James is South Yorkshire born and bred but now lives near York. He trained as a Chartered Accountant but spent most of his executive career in industry as Finance Director of a number of public companies.

Just under 20 years ago, he began to build a portfolio of non-executive and advisory roles, as Chairman and a director of public companies, charities and other business organisations, plus Sheffield Hallam University, from whom he received an Honorary Doctorate in 2012. He was Master Cutler in 2010 and was awarded an OBE for services to business, the economy and charity in Yorkshire in 2017.
 
Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a Freemason in 1974 and for many years held senior positions in the national Masonic charities as President of the RMBI and was heavily involved in the creation of the Masonic Charitable Foundation, as its first Deputy President and Chairman of the Trustees, from which he retired in April 2021. He is married to Lesley and has three sons, the two elder ones being Freemasons.

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John Boyington, CBE

Deputy Provincial Grand Master

John lives in Sheffield and has been a freemason since 1994. He initially trained as a nurse in the city before moving into healthcare management, working as a chief executive of NHS trusts and as a senior civil servant. In various roles, he gained experience at local, national and international levels leading organisations through significant periods of change.

​John received the CBE in 2007 for services to health. Now retired, John is Chairman of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Company, which provides residential care for up to 1,100 people across England and Wales. He is also a trustee of the Masonic Charitable Foundation and a Member of The Supreme Council for the Ancient & Accepted Rite (Rose Croix) for England and Wales.

​ John and his grandsons are keen supporters and season ticket holders of Sheffield United FC.  ​

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Mick Dyson

Assistant Provincial Grand Master (Area 1)

Mick was born and lives in Huddersfield with his wife, Jackie. They have two children and seven grandchildren.
Mick joined Freemasonry in 1982. 

As a retired Police Officer, Mick reflects on a career spanning 30 years in the West Yorkshire Police Force in various roles, mainly the CID, those being in the Regional & National Crime Squads and Financial Investigations Unit. 
After retirement, Mick became the Provincial Office Manager in 2007 and remained there until being appointed Provincial Grand Secretary in 2018 and then APGM in 2021.
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Mick  played Rugby League and Cricket at a high standard in his younger years but is now confined to being a supporter.

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Robert Cole

Assistant Provincial Grand Master (Area 2)

Robert lives in Huddersfield with his wife Tonya; they have two sons, Thomas & Oliver. He works as a barrister, specialising in financial remedy cases (money claims in divorce) and is Head of the Family Team in his chambers. He also sits as an arbitrator and private FDR judge. He joined the Lodge in February 1995 and met his wife at a Lodge Ladies Night the following year, as his father-in-law-to-be was the Master. 
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Robert was Provincial Registrar for three years from 2008, Provincial Senior Warden in 2011 and received his first Grand Lodge honours in 2013. He acted as co-opted legal advisor to WRMC from 2015 to 2020 and was appointed to the Commission of Appeals Court at Grand Lodge from 2013 to 2021 before being appointed APGM in February 2020.If he didn’t have to work, he would like to write fiction. He enjoys history, going for a curry with his boys on a Friday evening and walks with Tonya. They enjoy holidaying together, particularly in Italy. His other passion is Huddersfield Town, where he shares a box with his brother Andrew.  

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Andrew Wright

Assistant Provincial Grand Master (Area 3)

A Yorkshireman through and through, Andrew was born in Castleford and spent his early years living in Ferrybridge. He was educated at Wakefield Grammar School and went to Leeds University Medical School, graduating in 1981. After training to become a General Practitioner, he joined the Guiseley and Yeadon Practice as a Partner in 1988, remaining until retirement in 2017.
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Initiated into Freemasonry in 1993, he became Master of Chevin Lodge in 2002. In addition to the Craft and Royal Arch, he is active in Mark and the Royal Ark Mariners. Andrew served as a Trustee of the Cleeves and Whitehead Trust for nine years and was Chairman of Trustees for three of those years.
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Away from Freemasonry, his interests include Classic Cars, Caravanning, Cookery and all things DIY (which began as a young child dismantling his clockwork train! Sadly, rebuilding it was more of a challenge, and it never worked again!!)

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Brian Littlejohn

Assistant Provincial Grand Master (Area 4)

Brian lives in Sheffield. In 2004 he joined Royal Brunswick Lodge, although he was initiated in Lodge Grange No. 1073 (Monifieth, Scotland) in 1989. He initially trained as an architectural technician in Dundee moving into civil engineering and wastewater management with Scottish Water before transferring to University research support roles, firstly at Sheffield Hallam University and currently at the University of Sheffield, Faculty of Engineering.

​In sport, Brian represented Great Britain in Water Polo, initially as a goalkeeper before qualifying as an International referee, travelling the world to officiate at many competitions, including numerous World Championships and the Beijing and London Olympic Games. Although retired from refereeing, he still enjoys travelling with his partner, Charlotte, to explore new countries and cultures. 

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Ian Lewis

Assistant Provincial Grand Master (Area 5)

Ian now lives in Nunthorpe, North Yorkshire and has been a Freemason since 1992, following the “Lewis” family tradition.
His entire working life has been in the financial sector, initially with Standard Chartered Bank dealing with corporate finance and the finance of international trade. Then latterly, financing businesses through asset-based finance and receivable finance facilities, with several companies, including one of the largest providers in the UK.

Ian gained his Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers qualification in 1992 and, even in retirement, still regularly delivers seminars and training courses for the asset-based industry body - UK Finance on Relationship Management.
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Born in Castleford, he is a devoted Castleford Tigers supporter but played the other code to a senior level. His other interests are Leeds United, Yorkshire County Cricket and Scuba Diving, where he has gained the professional Divemaster Accreditation.