W Bro. Cdr Mike Goldthorpe RN, ProvGSuptWks(Middx), and member of Navy Lodge No. 2612 has been awarded the British Empire Medal in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.

Bro. Goldthorpe served in the Royal Navy from 1978 until 2010, attaining the rank of Commander.

His most recent activity has been as CEO of the Association of Royal Navy Officers, and the Royal Navy Officers Charity. The Association has some 5,000 members, who are able to attend regular functions such as Church and Carol services, lunches, etc. They are kept in touch with each other in a way similar to our own masonic communications, by both hard copy and email which serves to bind them together and foster comradeship. The Charity was founded in 1739, and is the second oldest RN charity, each year awarding grants to the value of £400K to cover things as diverse as educational costs to end of life care.

Unsurprisingly with such an interest in Charity, Welfare and Brotherly Love, Bro. Goldthorpe found himself attracted to Freemasonry. He was Initiated into Pinner Hill Lodge No. 6578 in the late 1990s becoming their WM during 2006-2008. Unfortunately, only two years after that Pinner Hill handed in its Warrant and he joined Fortitude Lodge No. 6503, where he is their current WM.

He is also a Member of United Services Lodge No. 3183 in Gibraltar, Goff’s Oak Lodge No. 7169 in Hertfordshire (where he served as WM in 2015) and Navy Lodge No. 2612 in London as well as a number of side orders.

He was appointed Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works (Middlesex) in 2018.

Congratulations to Bro. Goldthorpe – an honour well-deserved!