Page 22 - Essex Mason (Issue 91)

Eight Days A Week
By Tony Hales
Provincial Communications Team

Eight days a week is not enough for Gary Hostler, the new Provincial Grand
Almoner (PGA) of Essex Freemasons, to show he cares for the 9,000 plus
Brethren, Companions and their families in the UGLE’s second largest
Province. “It’s a seven day a week job” said Gary “there are emails and
telephone calls coming in all the time”. Gary’s wife Gill is understanding
and supportive. Married for 38 years, with a son and a daughter who are
both married and two grandchildren, they have themselves faced anxiety
and loss so helping and caring for others in diffi cult times comes naturally.
It was on the playing fi elds of Essex that Gary fi rst became aware of
Freemasonry. Listening to other team members at a local hockey club he
gathered they were Masons. Liking what they did to help other people and
the community he asked how to join. “Ask you father-in-law” was the reply
to a much-surprised Gary! Gill’s father, the late WBro Joe Stannett, made
sure his candidate understood what Masonry was about, proposed Gary
into Janus Lodge No 4456 in 1987, encouraged him to attend Lodge of
Instruction, became his mentor and guided Gary forward. “Joe was old-
school - even his wife did not know there was a blue book until I told her,”
said Gary. If WBro Joe could look down from Grand Lodge Above he would
have every reason to be proud of his protégé.

Janus Lodge is tee-total, and still is, but in 1995 when Gary was Worshipful Master a vote was proposed in open Lodge for this
to end. The vote could have gone either way but, being in the Chair, Gary had the casting vote and thought long and hard as
to which way he would cast, if necessary, but it did not come to that as the ratio was 5:1 to remain. The only casting Gary now
enjoys is when freshwater fi shing if time permits. Gary and Gill are also the Festival Secretaries of Janus Lodge so are busy
planning the next Ladies Festival at Five Lakes Resort for Saturday 20th November 2021 at which all are welcome.

Other Masonic highlights include: his Royal Arch (RA) exaltation into Danehurst Chapter No 4541 also in 1995, where he has
since been Ist Principal three times; becoming a Provincial Grand Steward when E Comp Paul Reeves was responsible for the
RA Stewards and his Craft promotion to Past Provincial Assistant Grand Registrar in 2001. Gary’s advice to any newly initiated
Brother or exalted Companion is to enjoy becoming a member and do what you can without over stretching.
Gary understood there were two nominations for PGA when he received a call from the Provincial Grand Secretary, Phil
Lovelock, asking if he would accept the appointment if it were offered him and he was delighted three weeks later to receive
confi rmation of his promotion. With the experience of being the Deputy PGA for the last fi ve years Gary is well qualifi ed to
take on the challenges ahead, the biggest of which he sees as making sure we do not lose too many members as we return to
the new normal. “Everyone in the PGA Team will be encouraging all Almoners to establish how Lodge and Chapter members
have managed during the pandemic and whether we can provide more support as we return to meetings”.
Gary explained that through the ‘Call to Action’ campaign, which ran from March 2020 to the end of June 2021, the Province
had made 380 grants so far totalling over £73,000 to Essex Masons and widows and then directed them to the Masonic
Charitable Association (MCA) for longer term support, adding “My grateful thanks go to the 159 brethren who donated over
£77,500. Of course, we are continuing with new claims but not under the ‘Call to Action’ banner.”
Loyalty is important to Gary who recalls joining Paul Cohen’s PGA team in July 2015 and was the newest member of the team
when Nick Clarke became PGA, so he immediately agreed to stay on the team to help. Born in Romford in 1955, Gary joined
Midland Bank before it became part of HSBC. Having specialised in IT he held a number of senior project management roles
in the IT department looking after non-UK clients during his 40 years at the bank.
This fi nancial project management experience has proved valuable for his favourite charity since it was registered in March
2019. Because of suffering and loss in the family he has donated to cancer research but Gary is a huge supporter of the Essex
Provincial Almoners Fund (EPAF), pointing out that it exists to help all Essex Masons, their dependants and widows. He said
“We aim to give relief to those suffering with health or fi nancial problems, often within 24 hours of a request. Just £100 from
each Lodge in the Province every year would help make such a signifi cant difference to so many Brethren in their hour of need.”
The Provincial Grand Master (PGM) Designate, Paul Tarrant joined the recent EPAF Annual General Meeting.

The Assistant Provincial Grand Master (APGM) on the Provincial Executive Team with responsibility for Welfare which includes
the PGA and his team is Tony White. Gary is looking forward to getting to know Tony better whilst working hard for Essex to
have one of the most successful PGA teams in the UGLE. Gary’s defi nition of success is “Achieving what you aim to do” and in
his own words Gary wants to prove success by:

Provincial Grand Almoner

W.Bro Gary Hostler Gary.Hostler@EssexPGL.org.uk
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