GRAND INSTALLATION
Meet the new leaders
William Driver
We congratulate the hard-working masons who have been appointed to these roles, and present the opportunity to get to know the new officers as they take up their duties. Antoine Georges
ANTOINE GEORGES Deputy Grand Master
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ntoine has enjoyed the full support of his wife Margarita and children Sara, Christina and Moussa, throughout his masonic career, to his present appointment as Deputy Grand Master. He was born in Lebanon and came to Australia in 1975 to take a position as a community youth worker. He then worked in the public welfare sector, where he served for 24 years in various positions. Antoine has supported several com munity groups, and served on committees and boards at the Marrickville Legal Centre, Marrickville and Newtown Neigh bourhood Centres, Centre for Human Services, the Arabic Community Welfare Council and assisted people from non-English speaking backgrounds. He was initiated into Lodge Punchbowl
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FREEMASON SEPTEMBER 2015
on 11 January 1996 and affiliated with Lodge Kilwinning, Lodge Hellenic Arcadia and the Grand Stewards Lodge. He is also a member and the Foundation Installing Master of The Cedars Lodge and a member of other Associated Orders. As his ritual ability grew, so did his progress. After moving through various offices, he became the WM of Lodge Punchbowl in 2002. He continues to support the Lodge and is one of its Caring Officers. He is currently the WM of Lodge Kilwinning and the Director of Cere monies and Team Mentor for The Cedars Lodge. His Grand Lodge career began when he joined the Ceremonial Team as a Grand Steward in August 2004. He was elected as Grand Pursuivant in 2005 and moved on to the roles of Grand Standard Bearer, Senior Grand Deacon, Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies and finally as the Grand Director from 2010–12. He was appointed Senior Grand Warden in 2012 to complete a nine year run of continuous service. During his last year in the Ceremonial Team, he was invested and served for two years as a Grand Visitor for Area 2, in the Order of the Secret Monitors. Antoine also served on the Grand Officers Committee for three years and participated in the Demonstration Team Preceptors Course.
WILLIAM DRIVER Assistant Grand Master
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iversity has been a key word for RW William Driver during his working career and as a Freemason.
The newly appointed Assistant Grand Master can boast of interests ranging from transport, community work, offshore fishing and Masonry. Bill was raised in the Hills District, was a member of the local Boy Scouts including Scout Leader, educated at Westmead Technical College and joined the NSW Government Railways in 1954 as an apprentice fitter. He studied mechanical engineering at Sydney Technical College and held a number of senior engineering/man agement positions in the NSW Railways mechanical and workshop branches. In 1989 he transferred to the Bus/Ferry division of the NSW Transport Authority to occupy various senior positions until his retirement in April 2000. He was involved in community activities from 1985 as a volunteer to the Hills Family Centre, St Michaels Family Centre, Baptist Community Services bus driving, Angli care Village work and Uniting Care. From July 2005 he co-ordinated the Hills Seniors Day Club caring for the senior residents of the District. He was initiated in Lodge Burnside in 1975, installed as WM in 2007 and re-installed in 2011. He became the Masonicare Caring Officer for the lodge and the Masonicare representative for Districts 32 and 25 where he co-ordinated fundraising for charity, families in need and a sausage sizzle program. He affiliated to Lodge Baden Powell in 1978, inducted into the Order of the Secret Monitor in 2003, perfected in Macquarie