Provincial Profile
The Provincial Grand Master and the Executive have been delighted with the response from the members regarding the recent announcement of the two Provincial Grand Wardens, who will be invested at the Annual Meeting in May.
We thought you would all be interested to learn something about each of them.
Provincial Grand Senior Warden
W Bro Darren Sinclair
Darren was born in Taunton in 1962. The early years of his life centred around the Galmington area of Taunton where he was schooled at Parkfield Primary and then on to Castle School. Following that, he attended Somerset College of Arts and Technology.
Upon leaving college his first main job was as a Cartographer in the Hydrographic Department at Taunton with a view to moving into the Navy. However, having failed the eyesight test, he ended up somehow in the motor trade at W E Bishop & Son Taunton selling Saabs (this area is now a housing estate). Darren was subsequently head hunted and moved to Yeovil to help run a motor dealership and then after various other opportunities, eventually he took over his own garage (Lynx Garage) in Yeovil.
Darren married Gail in May 2013 which has meant for most years he has had to give apologies to the Provincial Mark AGM as it falls around their wedding anniversary (not this year though – he has a special dispensation from his lovely wife). They spent their early married life in a lovely house in Yeovil and have recently been fortunate enough to move to a new build property just a little further out of Yeovil with a bigger, sunnier south facing garden. They are both very keen to start their gardening journey together as gardening newbies and they have space for an allotment.
Where work time allows and outside of Freemasonry, Darren’s other passion is following Bath Rugby, attending home games at the Rec as often as he can.
He was initiated into Taunton Deane Lodge No. 5221 in 1995, went through the Chair in 2005 and has been fortunate enough to have had a couple of active roles within the Province including Membership Officer and Junior Warden. He is also a Past Master of Richard Huish Lodge No. 8518 in Taunton, and is currently PPrSGW in the Craft.
Darren’s Mark career started with Langdale Lodge No. 1615 in Taunton being the Master on two occasions. He was fortunate enough at that time to have had an active role as Junior Deacon for the Province. Currently the Junior Warden in the William De Irwin Mark Lodge No 162 in Yeovil, Darren is also the Worshipful Commander in Fidelity and Unanimity Royal Ark Mariners Lodge No. 348 in Taunton. He is also a member of numerous other side degrees in Somerset.
Provincial Grand Junior Warden
W Bro Sam Mayer
Sam was born in Surrey but grew up in rural South Devon. He studied history in Bristol and subsequently law, qualifying as a solicitor in 2013. He became a partner with Henriques Griffiths LLP in 2020.
He lives in Wiltshire with his partner Kate and has four children.
In the Masonic sphere, he was initiated into the Dartmoor Lodge 4604 in 2000, went through the chair of Gerard Lodge 8999 in 2007, was appointed ProvJGD in Somerset in 2013, and promoted to Grand Rank in 2020. He is currently a member and Past Master of Royal Sussex Lodge No. 53 and a member of Eldon Lodge No. 1755. Sam also co-founded the Adair Light Blue Club in 2014.
He was advanced into the Mark degree in Somerdale Lodge No. 1608 in 2004, being installed into the chair in 2013. He served as Provincial Grand Steward in 2015 and is currently DC of Somerdale Mark Lodge. He is also a member of Irwin Lodge No. 119 in the Royal Ark Mariner degree.
