Your Committee

KIM PARKYN was initiated into Freemasonry in St. Marks Lodge No. 118 and has served as its Worshipful Master as well as servicing as its Secretary-Treasurer. He is also a Charter member of Internet Lodge of Research in Calgary and served as Worshipful Master in 2007–8, He is a 32° Scottish Rite Mason and served as the Thrice Puissant Grand Master in 2007. Kim has worked in the corporate and public Information Technology sectors for over thirty years and brings his years of solution development and technical understanding to lodge related activities.

Kim’s theme for 2012 is (tentatively) Back to the Future — Just about everybody knows some version of what George Santayana (1863–1952) said in The Life of Reason: Volume 1, Reason In Common Sense, “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.” What he was actually talking about was how one sets direction in one's life — sort of if you don't know where you've been, you can't know where you are going. It's the enlightened approach to becoming that better man. Indeed, that is what Santayana was really getting at:

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

At the 47th Masonic Spring Workshop on 20 to 22 April 2012, we'll be looking at our past so we can plot our path for the future.

2011 Chairman

Stay tuned to these spaces as we will have much more to tell you about this exciting weekend.

BTW, just in case you wondered, our 2008 Keynote Speaker, Christopher Hodapp, was impressed with the Premier Masonic Conference for Rank and File Masons. You can read about it here.

RANDY WILLIAMS attended his first Masonic Spring Workshop as a Fellowcraft and soon became enthusiastically involved in many aspects of a full Masonic career. He is now a subscribing member of and contributor to Fiat Lux Lodge of Research No. 1980 and a subscribing member of Internet Lodge of Research, American Lodge of Research and Louisiana Lodge of Research. He was a session presenter at the Workshop in 2008, 2009 and 2011 and served on the Masonic Spring Workshop Committee as Sessions Chair in 2009-2011. He took on the role of 1st Vice Chairman this year and will be Chairman in 2013.

Brother Williams is a keen student of Freemasonry and related subjects. He is a Fellow of the Masonic Society (www.themasonicsociety.com), an international research body. He is also a member of the Masonic Society's Board of Directors, and is Assistant Editor of – and frequent contributor to – the quarterly Journal of the Masonic Society (former MSW keynote speaker Christopher Hodapp is Editor in Chief). In Spring 2010, Cornerstone Book Publishers released Esoteric Odyssey: Thomas Marryat's Philosophy of Masons, which was edited and featured a new introduction by Williams and Stephen Dafoe. He has been a professional writer and editor for two decades, and currently serves in that capacity for the Government of Alberta. Brother Williams lives in Edmonton with his wife, novelist Janice MacDonald, and their two daughters.

WBro John Hayes became a Freemason in 2002. He is a Past Master of Highlands-Unity Lodge No. 168 in Edmonton, Past First Principal of Capital City Chapter No. 13 and Past Sovereign Master of Yellowhead Council No. 220 of the AMD of Canada. He is Junior Warden of Alberta’s Fiat Lux Lodge of Research No. 1980, and a Past Master Councillor of Edmonton Chapter, Order of DeMolay. He is a highly regarded speaker, panellist and moderator, both within the Craft and outside of it. He received his BA (Honours) at the University of Alberta in English, Psychology and Classics, and his MA in English. He has been a freelance writer for more than 30 years, and has written approximately 3,000 articles, including dozens of book reviews. Widely regarded as an expert on science fiction, fantasy and early mystery fiction, he has been a guest panelist at the World Mystery Convention, and frequently speaks on reading, writing and criticism, and on spirituality in modern life. He taught writing for many years in Edmonton. He was a multi-sport athlete in his younger days, competing at a national level in several sports, and is now an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He has been a professional and amateur referee in soccer, hockey and ball hockey since the 1970s, and continues in a leadership position in soccer. He was a founder of the sport of ball hockey in Edmonton, Alberta and Canada, and was involved as a minor official and coach in Junior A and ACAC college hockey for years. He now volunteers as a member of the Edmonton Transit Advisory Board, and chaired the Town of Devon’s Parks Recreation and Culture Board for several years.

GARTH COCHRAN has been involved with the Workshop since 1988, first as a presenter and then as typesetter of conference materials and of Alberta Workshop, the 25th Anniversary book. Garth formally joined the committee in 1989 as Registrar. He was the 1994 Chairman and continued as an advisor until 1999 when he took over as Secretary-Treasurer from Doug Sherris (who he had understudied for several years).

WBro Garth was initiated into Masonry in Calgary Lodge No. 23 in 1983 and served as its Master in 1991; affiliated with Fiat Lux Lodge of Research No. 180, served as its Master in 1995–6, and has been its Secretary-Treasurer since 2000; founding SW of Internet Lodge of Research, serving as Master in 1991. He has been:
• Recording Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Alberta Masonic Education Committee, 1986–89
• Chairman of District Six Masonic Education and Research, 1988–89
• Member of the Masonic Education Committee, Grand Lodge of Alberta 1989/90, 1991-95
• Chairman of the Masonic Education Committee, Grand Lodge of Alberta 1989–91
• Chairman of Masonic Renewal, Grand Lodge of Alberta 1992–94
• Member of the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America 1993/94
• Authored Alberta Trestleboard 1994/95 for Masonic Renewal Committee
• Typeset & Layout Grand Lodge Bulletin 1989–present
• Typeset & Layout Vox Lucis 1993–present
• Author of several Masonic articles and presentations

Garth was presented at the 2007 Workshop with membership in the Masonic Brotherhood of The Blue Forget-Me-Not, an honour accorded only 3 Albertans.

Garth has a BSc (Hons) (Manitoba) and an MSc (McGill). He spent four years as a research officer with the Federal Forestry Service in Newfoundland (where he met and married Frances); became a broadcaster/journalist (Fishermens Broadcast, St John's and Wildrose Country, Calgary); and now has his own publishing consultant business providing writing, editing, typesetting, publication design and printing management services.

Archived MSW Sites
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2009 — 2008
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2003