WBro Geoff Rumford was appointed as Provincial Grand Secretary on 1st April 2009
He was made a Mason in January 1991 in Lodge of Concord No 6859 at Queen Street East, Sunderland, the oldest purpose built Masonic Hall in the world still in regular Masonic use

He has been Master of that Lodge 4 times, in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001.  Since then he has served his Lodge as Director of Ceremonies, Charity Steward and Benevolent Representative

His first appointment in Provincial Grand Lodge was to the office of Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2003, with promotion the following year to Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden

Having worked for some time as a volunteer administrator in Provincial office, he was formally appointed as the Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary in June 2008 and as Provincial Grand Secretary on the 1st April 2009

In April 2009 he received Grand Rank as Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies

As a Royal Arch Mason he is a member of Amity Chapter No 3193, meeting at Burdon Road, Sunderland and was its 1st Principal in 2003

Aged 16 Geoff became a police cadet and at 18½ was sworn in as a constable with Durham County Constabulary, a force which then had the same boundary as the current Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham 

At the time of the 1974 local government reorganisations and the formation of the metropolitan area of Tyne and Wear, Geoff was a traffic officer in his home town of Sunderland and he became a member of the newly formed Northumbria Police

Having worked in several units of the traffic department including Accident Investigation and the motorcycle section, he suffered a serious injury whilst on motorcycle duty in 1994 which resulted in him being retired early from the police service

Previous to his accident he was a keen sportsman but subsequently his main hobby (outside Freemasonry) is watching sport

Geoff and his wife Jean live in the Silksworth area of Sunderland

To contact the Prov Grand Secretary email him at: grumford@pgldurham.org