Famous Masonic Sportsmen or subtly put “Notable Masonic Cox’s” Alternative Title – On Land Sea and Air – The Sportsmen of the District of South Africa North!
Brethren the inspiration for this presentation came from a presentation and exhibition in the Library and Museum of Freemasons Hall Great Queen Street. In December of 2011 this exhibition was in place and i was fascinated that I shared a bond of brotherhood with a number of notable sportsmen.
I formally acknowledge the Staff of the Museum in particular Diane Clements the Director of the Museum In addition i have had the support of a number of brethren in our district with information and anecdotes . I have also been a royal pain in the butt to our District Secretariat so David and Fern – Thank you for your patience and assistance !
The paper will reflect on the brethren who have passed to the Grand Lodge above and as such qualify to be listed in the records of the library and museum of Great Queen Street . Following this paper i will compile the list and submit it to the Museum for their consideration
Thereafter a list of brethren and their sporting CV’s who will in due time qualify for that list . Some of these brethren are here this evening and i thank them for their presence
Section One – the recognised List
The recognised list is held at Freemasons Hall in London and is periodically updated – it is however a catch 22 situation that due to personal privacy legislation in England the list cannot contain an entry of a person who is still alive . It was fascinating to me too read some of the entries in that list and just to consider their stories !
So who is on the list – just a brief introduction to whet your appetite and maybe even provoke further response – remember all of these sportsmen were members of English constitution Lodges . Some of these were familiar names to me and some i had never heard of !
1) Donald Campbell – motor racer died when his vehicle bluebird turned over at 300 miles per hour
2) Colin Cowdrey – Cricketer
3) Baron Ampthill who was not only the Pro Grand Master of English
Freemasonry from 1908 to 1935 but also a member of the original
International Olympic Committee
4) Sir Stanley Matthews – Footballer
5) Sir Alf Ramsey – Manager of the English football Team who won the world cup in 1966 – his claim to fame of course was that he played for Southampton !
6) Sir Alec Rose – who in 1967 at 60 years old in a yacht that was 30 years old sailed singlehandedly around the world
7) Matthew Webb who in 1875 became the first recorded person to swim the English Channel without artificial aids – he did the job in 22 hours. Incidentally he later died trying to swim across Niagara Falls - This excerpt from the website “Heroes of Swimming”
Today, Captain Matthew Webb is the answer to a pub quiz question – "Who was the first person to swim the English Channel?" But during Webb's lifetime he was a hero of the Victorian age, a man whose brand of manly, dogged persistence and self-belief captured the spirit of the times.
In 1873 news reached Webb that someone had tried – and failed – to swim the English Channel. He decided this was a swim he should make. Webb gave up his job as a ship's captain and began training at the Lambeth Baths in London. Soon he moved on to the Thames (and if swimming in the Victorian-era Thames didn't toughen you up, what would?), then the Channel. By 1875, Webb felt he was ready.
Webb's first attempt to cross the Channel, on 12 August, failed because a sudden storm blew up a few hours into his swim. On 24 August he tried again, diving in from the end of Dover Pier, smeared in porpoise oil and accompanied by three boats.
If the start from the end of a pier was an attempt to shorten the distance to
France, Webb needn't have worried. He zigged and zagged across the Channel, was stung by jellyfish (and revived by a medicinal dose of brandy) and held back by currents – but after almost 22 hours in the water, he waded ashore near Calais. He had swum 64 km, to complete a straight-line crossing of 34 km.
This tremendous feat made Webb a true Victorian celebrity. He was neither the first nor last to cash in on fame: soon you could buy pottery, a dinner service, books, boxes of matches and all sorts of other Webb-endorsed products. He took part in swimming exhibitions and various water-related stunts: one of the more peculiar was floating in a tank of water for 128 hours. If that sounds a bit David Blaine, bear in mind it won him £1,000.
Webb's final swim was a treacherous – some said suicidal – attempt to cross the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls in 1883. Onlookers crowded the vantage points as Webb set off strongly, only to see that "abruptly he threw up his arms and was drawn under".
His body was recovered downstream four days later, and Webb is buried in
Oakwood Cemetery, Niagara. His memorial in his home village of Dawley, Shropshire, reads: "Nothing great is easy."
8) I conclude this section with Sir Phillip Neame who won Olympic Gold for Shooting at the Paris Olympics. This Gold was added to the Victoria Cross he was awarded in the First World war – he later served as a Prisoner of war in Italy after being captured in North Africa in the Second world war ! . To this date he is the only Victoria Cross holder who has won Olympic Gold !
Section two – The future inclusions.
I have organised this section along the lines of those brethren who have passed away and whose details i will communicate to the Museum for immediate inclusion in the next update of the list , thereafter i have selected a number of brethren who thankfully are still with us who in time would qualify to be included in the list . Incidentally if any of you have possible inclusions to add to my list I would be more than willing to add on to the list before submission
Des Sinclair - Jeppe boys high , Wits University , Transvaal rugby and
Doornfontein lodge , A member of the South African Rugby Touring Squad in 1951 and was capped for the Springboks playing centre for the Springbok rugby side vs the British Lions in 1955 . Des was a chiropractor, a pilot and also the holder of a South African Ball room dancing championship – this was an activity he took up to strengthen his ankles for rugby . Des Passed away in 1996 . His Partner Tom Von Vollenhoven later moved to the wing in the same team – more on Tom later
Ken McArthur – King Edward Lodge 3004 EC Potchefstroom (WM 1957) . Ken in his early days was a postman in Ireland before immigrating to South Africa and taking up a career in the Transvaal Police. He only ran six marathons but won all of them . Gold Medallist for South Africa at the Stockholm Olympics , New Olympic record of 2hs 36 . Passed away in 1960.
Okey Geffen – Hillbrow Lodge – Rugby Springbok and Maccabi Games Lawn
Bowls . Seven Caps for South Africa including four in the 1949 inward tour of
New Zealand that South Africa won 4/ 0
Travis Penrose – PJGD – PM Clifton Lodge - South African Ice Skating Dance
Champion 1949 for five years
Basil Penrose – PDistGSwdBr – PM Clifton Lodge – South African Ice skating speed and dance champion 1940-1949.
Nick Turvey - Nick Turvey earned his flying wings in the South African Air Force in 1955. He later became Chief Instructor of the Johannesburg Light Plane Club, a popular flying club of that era. He was awarded Springbok Colours for aerobatics in 1965 and represented South Africa at the World Aerobatic Championships four times. In 1981, Turvey survived a crash in his red Pitts Special, ZS-ZAP at the Aviation Africa airshow at Lanseria , using his skills to avoid crashing into cars and spectators. I was at that airshow and after that swore that i would never go to another . Nick won the National Aerobatic
Championships eight times . Passed away 2006 Nick was a member of Corona Lodge in our District
Captain Laurie Kay – a SAA pilot who scared the living daylights out of many of us when he flew his 747 over the Ellis park Stadium at the 1995 World Cup Final and again at the African Cup of nations Final in 1996 – on both occasions i was at the game . Laurie was a member of Aviation Lodge until his death in 2013
Representative Masons
Ok so from the past onto the future of our sportsman’s list , I have purposely selected a number of Brethren to focus on and who best to start with but a Senior member of our District who has excelled in his chosen sport , he has put back into his sport more than he got out of it and also used his talents to the benefits of Freemasonry in our District
So lets look at the credentials of this brother . Born in London and moved to
South Africa in 1935 with his parents , Johannes settled with his family in
Johannesburg . He was a keen football player and played for 17 years for the Ramblers club in Johannesburg . Of course in the off season he needed to keep fit so he joined his brother Pat and a friend Johnny at the Troyeville Boxing Club .
This was the start of an involvement that lasts to this day and it is clear that when you have heard what Kit Markotter has accomplished you would be hard pressed to imagine someone who could have put more into his chosen sport.
Kit at age 25 had his first bought – this was in November of 1958. He had a stormy first two rounds but prevailed and knocked his opponent out in the third round. Over a period stretching until 1967 (with a short break from 1962 to 1967 ) he fought 61 times and won 47 of those encounters picking up a number of titles along the way . Fighting in the Featherweight Division he was the JHB and Districts champion in 1960 and 61 . In 1962 he was the JHB champ , the Transvaal champ and the Border champion . He also was runner up in the TVL Champs in 60 and 61 and the Southern Transvaal Champs in 1967.
His career as a manager and trainer was about to start and over the following years he took offices as trainer , treasurer , chairman , secretary of clubs such as Yeoville , Malvern Boxing club , Southern Transvaal Boxing Ass , and from
1982 he has remained as Secretary and Chairman of the Southern Transvaal Association – a joint position that he has held ever since in excess of 33 years !
At one stage Kit was active on 12 different Boxing committees of which he chaired 8 . He has been Secretary of the SA Boxing Federation and Chairman of the SA Amateur Boxing Federation. He has in the course of his boxing career travelled to 23 different countries and has been awarded more Life memberships than any decent cat with nine lives could handle
He is the only Official to simultaneously Chair a Region, a province and the National association and has been awarded Springbok and Protea colours five times as manager of the National Boxing team.
His track record as manager reflects in the number of World champions who were members of his teams at different times – there were nine of them including Phillip Holliday, Hawk Makapula and Brian Mitchell. He also was involved with Johnny du Plooy, Pierre Coetzer , Dingaan Thobela and Baby Jake Matlala at various times.
But thats not all – from 1979 and for the next 35 years until today Kit has been involved in one of our Districts most prominent charity functions – The Corona lodge Box n Dine . After being exposed to the guys from Corona from 1979 he still took the step and was initiated into Corona Lodge in 1988. He is modest when he says that his involvement has been just one of the spokes in a very large wheel that turns the function around on the last Friday of June every year , and is gratified to see how many of the current judges , coaches and doctors were once upon a time participants in the early years of the event
I asked Kit to be here with us this evening – please can we give him a round of applause in appreciation of how he has used his talents and energy to the benefit of our District .
Our next Sportsman is a Professional Footballer whose first transfer fee allowed him to buy a brand new Volkswagen Beetle in 1975 for R2600 . Rory
Jones at age 15 tried out for Chelsea, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers . At age 17 he played for Berea against Jewish Guild in a National Football league game – the youngest player to play in the NFL . Rory moved to Highland park and at age 19 was rated the best left wing in the country . During his stay at Highlands they won the treble in 1975
Little did he know that his pro football career was going to cause him to get a red card in another sense - although he was a left wing so he should have expected it !
In 1977 he was the first White player to sign for a black club in South Africa, namely Pretoria Bantu Callies. This was considered outrageous at the time. After several secret meetings with the club’s owners he signed on the dotted line, not knowing then that he was making history. This was totally unheard of, considering the country was at the height of Apartheid. Pik Botha who was the
Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time phoned the team coach, Trevor MacMillan ( first white coach ) and threatened to put them in Jail for contravening the Immorality Act and for mixing and associating with other races and of course playing and training in the black townships. The clubs home ground was in the West of Pretoria, Attridgeville. Branded as
Communists they were constantly watched by BOSS, the Governments Bureau of State Security. Boss would visit his work place and follow him to the training grounds on a regular basis . On one occasion they were detained for 4 hours at the Pretoria Central Police Station and released. Certainly the “left wing “ position was fitting !
The up side to this was that he had a huge black African township following !
In 1978 he moved on to Pretoria Callies for 3 years playing in the newly formed “ National Professional Soccer League” . Rory was selected for the South African team to play against Rhodesia in 1978 at the Rand Stadium.
In 1978, he was offered but declined a 2 year contract to play for Sacramento
Gold in California, USA with 2 other South Africans, in the newly formed Major League Soccer League, but decided to play in SA instead, due to meeting his future wife.
In 1981, he made the full circle and rejoined his old club, Berea Park in the Transvaal Football League for 3 years and then “retired” ( only 27 years old, ) from soccer to concentrate on his business prospects
Rory of Orphic Lodge is with us this evening – Thanks Rory for your attendance
Phil Waudby – extreme athlete . Boksburg St John Lodge Phil has run the Augrabies Extreme Marathon 250 km race three times, He is a man who has coupled his running pastime , sport , hobby , obsession with an ability to raise moneys for various charities . In fact he has run from his home in Benoni to the start of the race at Augrabies. This is a distance of 933km over 12 days and then ran the 250km race . He is training to run from his home to Durban and then do comrades on the up run in 2015 . He has raised money for the Sunflower foundation , Red Cross Childrens Hospital , The Starfish Foundation and is currently raising fund for CHOC . In Total he has raised over R230,000 Comrades Green Number and multiple other permanent Numbers .
Chris King – Hillbrow Lodge - World Champion Rowing Gold medallist or a notable Masonic cox !
All started in 1980 at St Martins in Rosettenvile JHB.
I started coxing senior rowers when I was around 14. I coxed the Old Eds Senior A and B `crews between 5 and 7 every evening. I used to do my homework between 4 and 5 in the boathouse and then start their warm ups.
During Hotel School, an exception was made by WITS to allow me to cox their crews, which was a slightly different type of structure and rowing. University rowing is structured around lectures and the social calendar and the Boat Race, which is held on the Cowey River each year. This was my first exposure to Head racing which meanders with the river over much longer distances and requires an entirely different approach and training regime. I spent a lot of time with most of the key members of the Barcelona Olympics 8 and although I never sat in the seat at Barcelona, I had spent most of their training time in the seat. This is something that has always disappointed and saddened me about rowing…. The politics of who is contributing financially is the backdrop of every selection process.
I rowed as much as I could during my Navy diving years and I spent most of that time in a double with my brother, as it was more convenient to train at odd times. We won silver in the senior lightweight doubles in 1991.
I then moved to Oxford to do my MBA where I coached Pembroke College and the Oxford lightweights and girls crews for a while. I coxed for a bunch of renegade pit bulls that challenge everything in rowing and win everything they enter, namely Oxford Brookes headed up by a coach named Richard Spratley.
I was then asked to join the GB National Squad coxing the eight and the coxed pair. I lived above Henley Boat House that is the centre of excellence especially for heavyweights. I made good friends with legends of the sport like, Stephen Redgrave, Mathew Pin sent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster and we travelled all over Europe stealing the silver and gold from every event we entered. We raced at some of the great events like Ghent, Lucerne, Paris, Hazewinkel and also won the head of the eights and fours in London, which is a huge achievement in any rowers books.
During this period I was still able to race for Oxford Brookes and we won the Temple Cup, Britannia Cup and the Ladies plate in three consecutive years. Henley is truly the Mecca of English rowing and they take it more seriously than any international event. At Munich in 1997 I recommended that a protégé of mine from Oxford Brookes cox the 8 so I could focus on the coxed pair event that is a very unique animal. The chaps are big, normally above 6 foot 4 and well over 115Kg and because they have to carry a 55Kg Cox s well as the boat they need to maintain a very high rate. Normally heavyweights cruise at about 32 / 34 strokes per minute but these chaps have to sit at above 36 strokes per minute to keep the momentum of the boat moving efficiently. It is an insane pace to maintain for 2,000m. We beat the Russians, who started 9 lengths up by 3 clear lengths at a cruising stroke rate of 37 and a sprint finish at 42 strokes per minute. For big lads this is almost impossible. It was a great day to take the World Cup Gold and something that nobody can ever take from you.
Returning to SA around Jan 2000 I was asked by Tom Price to assist with rebuilding the Mondeor High Rowing Club and for the next 2 years I reworked the training schedules, selection criteria and processes, beefed up the equipment and hired and trained new coaches. We started winning SA champs in the 1st double event in year one and the 1st Quad event in the following year where Mondeor High still produces great results even though they are 1 tenth the size of the other clubs. Many top Olympic and international rowers like Lawrence Ndlovu (Olympic Gold medallist lightweight fours).
In 2002 I was asked to be the head coach of KES as they were considering closing the rowing programme down due to a lack of participation and rising costs. Again, I turned it on it’s head and realising that most of the costs were around traveling to and from Roodeplaat dam, where the only Olympic course is, I created a virtual rowing environment in the gym and was able to turn most of the physiology training in this lab environment and only use Roodeplaat once a week for technique training and cohesion. This strategy worked really well and we started winning across all age groups on a lower budget. This lead to ROWSA selecting me as the Junior National Squad sculling coach in 2004, which I did for two years Incidentally, three of the gents that rowed to gold in the SA lightweight four at the last Olympics were in this Junior National Squad (Lawrence Ndlovu was the fourth). I am very proud of all of them all. Incidentally Brethren I was at Eton Dorney on the day that the SA crew won that Gold – it was a very proud moment !
Over the last 5 years I have coached Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Shiplake College on a clinical intervention basis on technique and efficiencies, something that still remains my holy grail.
Chris is in attendance this evening
David Whitfield – Deputy District Grand Master – Springbok colours for Sky diving . David by his own admission has never had much of an interest in Sport
, however during his sojourn at Natal University he discovered a passion for Skydiving and received Springbok colours on two occasions . I have been informed that David has in excess of 1000 jumps under his belt
Adam Simcox - British Cross country Skier Selected for Calgary in 1988 –
Clifton Lodge
Adam Joined the British Army in 1983. Become the ‘Assault Course Champion’ in basic training and then went onto win ‘Regimental Champion Athlete’ 1st Armoured Division in 1984 and was selected to represent the Royal Corps of Transport at Cross Country Skiing in the 1984/5 season. He had never skied before but as we know – nothing stops Adam and he won the title of ‘British Novice Champion’ at the 1985 British Championships.
In 1986 at the British Championships, he was selected into the 1988 Calgary Olympic Squad for Cross Country Skiing. Trained all year (at the Army’s expense!) and became extremely fit! During the summer months, he ran for the Army at 800m and clocked a time of 1min, 51 sec. Bear in mind that you had to break 1’50 to get a GB vest!!
Disaster struck during training with the National Ski Team in 1986 and he ended up in hospital in a wheel chair! He went to various hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centres from September 1986 through until July 1987. Missing the 86/87 season completely. The ski team went off to Calgary and he went onto the British Championships coming a respectable 9th overall. He re-joined the National Team after the retirement of most of the team in Calgary in early 1988
His long term goal is to compete at the European Masters Athletics in Lyon France in 2015 in the 800 meters -50 – 55 year age group and he has started training again!
Adam is with us this evening
Tom von Vollenhoven – Rugby Springbok - He was born in Bethlehem in the Free State .He played for Pretoria Police, Northern Transvaal and he was selected for the 1955 Springboks versus the touring British Lions side at age 20. He played at centre for the first Test at Ellis Park and his centre partner was the late Des Sinclair For the second test Tom was selected on the wing where he scored three tries and had an illustrious career until he changed to the professional code and famously played Rugby League for the St Helens’ club in the Uk
He enjoyed a prolific rugby league career with English club St. Helens after switching codes from rugby union in the 1950s. Vollenhoven became a rugby league sensation with the club in a career spanning ten seasons from the 1957 to the 1967–68 season. During this time he amassed a club record 392 tries in 408 appearances.[2] This includes a record 62 in the 1958–59 Northern Rugby
Football League season. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.[3]
• A 7 inch vinyl called "The Greatest of Them All" was released to celebrate Vollenhoven's time at Saints. This light hearted calypso was released to coincide with his testimonial season in 1967–68. Issued by Chart Records (CR 367) and recorded at Chart Studios, Liverpool, England.
• Vollenhoven retains his cult status in St. Helens to this day. He returned to England to front the club's centenary celebrations in 1990, and spent nearly three hours the day before signing autographs.
• For a spell, Saints had South African wingers on both flanks, with Jan
Prinsloo also joining the club from Western Province RU in 1958
• Tom van Vollenhoven guested for Wakefield Trinity during their South African tour in June and July 1962.
• Van Vollenhoven is one of four to hold the joint top scoring record in a single match for St. Helens with six against Wakefield Trinity in 1957 and Blackpool Borough in 1962 and is only one of two to achieve the feat twice (the other being Steve Llewellyn).
Tom is a regular members of Springs lodge and we welcome him here this evening
Rob McFie – Clifton Lodge - SA Microlight Rep ( Protea colours ) – World
Microlight Championship 2005 France : Czech Republic 2007 : World Powered
Paragliding Championship 2012 Spain
Rob Gooch – SA Microlight Rep (Protea colours and team captain ) – Starting his flying career in 1999 at age 45 he was Gauteng class champ five times and National champion twice . He captained the team to the 10th world
championships in France in 2005 and again to the 11th World champs in Czech
Republic in 2007 – Clifton lodge
Dave Kitchen – Springbok yachtsman – Barcelona Olympics – Comrades – Dave started sailing with his father W Bro. Bill Kitchen of Golden Harvest Lodge when he was about 9 in the South of England. At the time he was in the British
Army Sailing Team, and he went on to win the UK National Sailing Championships in 1969 in the Bosun Class in Stokes Bay in the Solent.
He attended University at Southampton in the UK and sailed at University level locally in the Solent.
In 1972 he raced regularly in Europe crewing for some of the top European squad
Having been based in South Africa since 1975 and won Provincial and National Championships in various classes from the ‘Single Hander Contender Trapeze dinghy’ to the Dufour Wing racing sailboard, the Fireball Dinghy, the Five O Five dinghy, and the Flying Dutchman. Furthermore in keelboats he put a team together to sail the Soling National Championships at the Vaal Dam and won the championship in gale force winds.
This resulted in his being awarded Transvaal Colours on three occasions.
During this period he was selected to represent South Africa at the World Championships on 8 occasions in the following classes from 1980 to 1992 where he sailed in the Barcelona Olympics
1980 Contender Class Takapuna New Zealand -Did not attend- lack of finance
1981 505 Class San Francisco USA -Did not attend –lack of finance
1982 Dufour Wing Troia Portugal
1983 Fireball Class Neuchatal Switzerland -Several first places, finishing 2nd Overall
1984 Fireball Class San Fransisco USA
1985 Fireball Class Diano Marina Italy
1992 Flying Dutchman Cadiz Spain
1992 Flying Dutchman Barcelona Spain- Olympic Games
He received Springbok Colours in 1983 and 1984 and National sailing Colours in 1992.
In 1994 he did a Ocean Race from Mauritius to Durban setting a new record of 7 days and 7 hours on a Sovereign 54 footer Cruiser/Racer
He also regularly raced the infamous Vasco da Gama Ocean Race from Durban to East London during the 1990’s with some exciting and thrilling sailing off the Wild coast in 6 meter waves.
In addition, whilst based in the UK from 1997 to 2000 he qualified and took part in the Contender World Championships also for the UK team- GBR in Pwllheli Wales in 1998
When asked what he considered his greatest sense of achievement in sailing its would probably be crossing the line 5th in the first race of the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. The Olympics are such an experience. It is not the winning that matters but the taking part which is the great achievement. In some respects it’s the thrill of the chase, it’s the excitement of a three year focussed campaign. Perhaps in the sense it’s a reality that some time later in life you achieve your childhood dream of one day passing down the road of struggle and achievement in sport to the highest stage on earth.
Sport makes you competitive, but also develops team skills. Sailing is a technical sport that require excellence in equipment, racing tactics and physical fitness.
Indeed during 1990-1991 in preparation for the Olympics in addition to sailing hard and attending gym regularly, he ran 17 full Marathons , 9 Ultra Marathons and over 30 shorter road races to keep fit for sailing. He also did two Comrades for fun. The 1990 Up-run finishing in 10:15, and the 1991 down run finishing in 9:57.
All this was done whilst keeping my weight up at 92Kg all the time for the Olympic Campaign for the Flying Dutchman.
At an International level it introduces dynamics of project management, financial planning and integration with other aspects of life like work, homelife and even Lodge. Priorities have to be juggled and balanced. You simply cant do it all. I found that sport has been a great way to add the neutral dimension outside of a work environment.
You learn that life is not about taking but giving back what you can through giving of your time and finance to help others develop.
I am currently the sponsor of a fully funded boat for Junior Sailing at Pretoria Sailing Club, and Coach Sailing for free for anyone who needs assistance.
Over recent years I am still active competing in Provincial and National Championships in South Africa, I enjoy sailing and will continue for as long as I can, its not about the medals any more…. Incidentally Dave is featured on this months cover of SA Sailing Magazine
Dave is with us this evening
Jan Botha – Hillbrow lodge
I was awarded my springbok colours in 1993 for Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do.
Our team was one of the last sporting teams allowed to use the Springbok. In 1994, our colours were converted and we were awarded Protea colors. The teams were co-sponsored and sanctioned with the Tae Kwan Do federation of SA. I competed in the 1993 in events co-sponsored by the World Tae Kwan Do
Federation. In 1994, I competed in the British Open Championships in Tang Soo Do. I was awarded 1st place in Forms and 3rd place in fighting in my weight class and rank.
Jan Has apologised this evening his wife is unwell
From a Lyceum Perspective i have managed to include two of our current members . WBros Tom Cloete and Warren Flynn
Warren at age 16 received Springbok Colours for Windsurfing and represented
South Africa at the World championships in Australia in 1993 where he came 20th . He was the South African Windsurfer Champion in the Freestyle division in 1994 , He also competed in a further Worlds in Port Elizabeth where he was placed 19th
Tom Cloete
1965 Captain, St Andrews College; Individual Champion at Eastern Province
Cadet Bisley; Captain of Eastern Province team that won the SA Inter Provincial Cadet Bisley; Tom is described in the History of St Andrews college as one of their most distinguished Old Boys
1966 to 1969, Eastern Province and Rhodes University colours and Captain,
Rhodes University 1969;
1972, Captain, Oxford University (half Blue) – we shot the prone match against Cambridge in the Baker Street Underground Station, at an indoor range used to train spies during WW2; and the three-positional match, at a range in a vault at the Bank of England – probably the only occasion their security at the front door was prepared to allow students carrying rifles to enter!
Clive Rice – Cricketer - Clive was a Transvaal and Springbok cricketer he left masonry at the end of 2010 but was a member of Clarendon Lodge
I have also included Denzyl O'Donoghue in this list Denzyl - on the 6th July 2000 in the middle of the Cape Winter Swam from Robben Island to Blouberg in a speedo and cap – his time was 3hrs and 7 minutes and in the process raised some R141, 000 for the purchase of wheelchairs for the Woodside Sanctuary in Johannesburg . Denzyl is a member of Hillbrow Lodge
Section three South African endurance Athletes
South Africa is awash with endurance events – if you were brought up in Natal the Comrades was a rite of passage , The Duzi Canoe Marathon and the Midmar mile finish off what is referred to as the Natal Ironman . There are notable events such as the Two Oceans , the Washie , The Cape Epic and the Argus liberally spread over the Annual calendar
David Baker – Comrades Green – Premier Diamond Lodge 22 Comrades marathon , Along with his Wife they have 43 medals – the most by a married couple in comrades records
Bernie Krone – endurance athlete - permanent Dusi number (814) and have completed 19 Argus’s in a row (going for 21) and a Coelacanth award for Fish
(17) – Corona lodge
Bill Hynds – Midmar mile – 20 times ! Active SCUBA Diver with 1236 dives logged in total. Life Member of the Durban Undersea Club _ Hillbrow Lodge
Dirk Norton - 3 local iron man – 3rd in age group , International Iron Man – SA age group representative , 3 Ultra Men ( top 20 every year) , 10
Amashovashova cycle race , 10 Skukuza half marathons , Six Comrades , - Hillbrow lodge
Mike Edy - Duzi Canoe marathon twice, the Umkomas canoe marathon twice.
The 94,7 cycle race 6 times, the Argus Cycle race 13 times and the Amashova
Cycle race twice. – Corona Lodge
Howard Harris – Ironman , Comrades – Transvaal Jubilee Lodge
Peter Dyer –13 comrades – Green Number 13567 Member of Prosperity Lodge
Charles de Wet Bohemian lodge – Five Comrades – Charles would have been here this evening but has had a pacemaker fitted and currently is unable to drive
Tom Blackett – Four Comrades
I may leave this out until some asks me the question ! Chris Adams – Comrades Green (791) , Member of the Jardine Joggers (running Comrades with a Blind runner ) : Five 100 milers , Member of the Centurion Club – 100 miles in under 24 hours , One six Day race , 110 Marathons and 120 ultra marathons , Permanent Numbers at Rhodes Ultra Mountain Race and the mount Aux Sources trail runs , ,
Section Four Administrators
As with any pastime it cannot exist without persons who apply them self to its administration . We have already noted the commitment of Kit to his sport , however there are others who have been involved in sports administration
The Charter Master of Clifton was also the first Secretary of the Wanderers
Club in 1888
David Penrose – Vice Chairman of the Wanderers club , Chairman of the
Johannesburg Sportsmans club
Mike Edy – Rugby Referee at Provincial Level
Albert Spencer – Chairman Zoo Lake Sports Club and Zoo Lake cricket Club . Albert in addition was cricketer at all levels for some 60 years !
Conclusion
Brethren as a keen Sports fan the Research going into this presentation this evening has been fascinating to me . Pondering the question regarding the relationship between Masonry and Sport has provided no real conclusion . Sport is often seen as a “Young Mans Game “ just as Masonry has up until now been seen as a pastime of relatively older men so possibly there would be no interface . I have been interested in the fact that there are fewer Masons who were involved in Team Sports than those involved in individual sports
It is possible that there will be a second presentation somewhere in the future and i request anyone with further details of Masonic Sportsmen to please let me have any details available and i will follow them up and report on them .