Leadership

Divan 2023

The Divan is the board of directors or executive council of the Philae Shriners and serves as the management team for fraternal and business activities. Its 2023 members are:

Illustrious Sir David Lewis

potentate

David R. Lewis, of Halifax, NS is serving his fourth year as a member of the Divan of Philae Shriners. He was elected as the 2023 Potentate, part of the 8-person body that helps govern the Philae Shriners fraternity, during its Election Meeting held on December 10, 2022 in Halifax, NS.

Fraternities and Philanthropy

  • Current
    • Shriners
      • Potentate 2023, Philae Shriners, Halifax, NS (affiliated 2018)
    • Freemasons and Concordant bodies
      • Masons
        • Member, Fairview Lodge #126, GLNS, Halifax, NS (affiliated 2018)
        • Fellow, College of Freemasonry, Ontario
      • Royal Arch Masons
        • Member, Royal Union #1, GCRAMNS, Halifax, NS
      • Scottish Rite
        • 32nd degree, Life Member – Hamilton Valley, ON
      • Current
        • Potentate 2023, Philae Shriners, Halifax, NS (affiliated 2018)
        • Member, Fairview Lodge #126, Halifax, NS (affiliated 2018)
        • Fellow, College of Freemasonry, Ontario
        • Member, Royal Union #1, Royal Arch Masons, Halifax, NS
        • 32nd degree, Life Member, Scottish Rite, Hamilton Valley, ON
      • Previous*
        • Member, Rameses Shriners, Toronto, ON (2001-2018)
        • Member, Gizeh Shriners, Vancouver, BC (1995-2001)
        • President 2013 and Secretary 2014, Oakville Shrine Club, Oakville, ON
        • Senior Warden, Oakville Lodge #400, Oakville, ON, 2012-2017
        • Worshipful Master, Mt. Hermon Lodge #7, Vancouver, BC, 1998-2000
        • Master Mason, Burlington Lodge #165, Burlington, ON, 1993-1994
        • 3rd Principal, Joppa Chapter #31, Vancouver, BC, 1994-1999
        • Knight Templar, Columbia Preceptory #34, Vancouver, BC, 1995-1999

*Demits were taken from these previous bodies because of work postings from Toronto to Vancouver and back to Toronto

Committees

Lewis served as Director on the Finance Committees of GLBC&Y and GCRAMBC 1998-1999; he was also Director of the Masonic Foundation of Ontario 2015-2017.

Education

He earned his CPA designation while with PwC in Toronto in 1974 and has a Bachelor in Engineering (Metallurgy) degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS in 1969.

Professional and personal

Lewis retired in 2007 after a successful financing career from 1994-2007 as Chief Financial Officer of a number of High-Tech and Junior Exploration and Development companies based in Toronto and Vancouver.  Previous to that, in Toronto, he co-owned an Apple Value Added Retailer and, prior to that, he held senior financial positions in 2 major Toronto hospitals. 

He married Jacqueline Walls in 1994 and was widowed in Oakville in 2016.  Lewis has one child – James (Marie) – and he is the proud grandfather of Zachary (8), Calum (6), and Zoe (2); James and family live in Atlanta, GA.  After Lewis moved back to Halifax, NS in 2017, he met and is engaged to Lady Lina Fraser.  In their spare time, David and Lina enjoy gardening, wine collecting, entertaining, and travel.

Illustrious Sir Shawn Buchan

Past Potentate

Noble Aaron Verge

Chief Rabban

(200-300 words)

Vacant

Assistant Rabban

Interested in getting involved? Send an email.

David Skinner

High Priest and Prophet

(200-300 words)

Greg Gillespie

Oriental Guide

Family

Greg and Lady Gayle hail from small town Nova Scotia…Greg from Kentville and Gayle from Amherst Head.
They have four adult children, two living in Nova Scotia, one in New Brunswick and one in Saskatchewan. And, four grandchildren here in the Maritimes.
The Gillespies recently moved back to Nova Scotia after working and living in rural Saskatchewan for the past seven years.

Masonic & Shrine Journey

Greg was raised to Master Mason in Masonic Lodge No. 7 A.F. & A.M. (Saskatchewan) in 2016, and later that year joined WaWa Shriners #123 (Moosomin, SK). Greg held the office of Junior Warden in that Lodge, and was WaWa Shrine Club’s President for the past four years. Being a small rural Club (20 registered Nobles – but only 12 active), all Nobles had to be very involved in keeping the Club alive and relevant. Besides his role as Club President, Greg was very active in Fundraising Committee work (Shrine concerts and Rose Day), and assumed a lead role in the Lodge’s building upkeep.

Career

Greg enjoyed a successful career in the business world, starting many moons ago in Marketing. Over the years, his responsibilities expanded to include Sales and Operations. For the past 16 years, Greg has held Divisional Leadership positions, with overall responsibility for Operations and Profitability. Greg has worked in a variety of companies and industries; his longest stint with the Shaw Group Limited in Halifax (20 years)

Community

Outside of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners, Greg has been an active volunteer for 40 years, including Board positions with the AVR Hospital Foundation (Kentville), VON, and Red Cross (Halifax) and active involvement in Big Brothers and Junior Achievers (Halifax). Greg recently took on a senior volunteer position with the North American Indigenous Games (Halifax) – the largest sporting event ever held in Atlantic Canada.

Treasurer

Interested in getting involved? Send an email.

Recorder

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Also elected to the 2023 Executive were:

Illustrious Sir John Phillips
Noble Carson Jackson
Noble Fred Carpenter

Philae Shriners Ceremonial Divan

The Ceremonial Divan performs the ritualistic work of the Shrine for our Ceremonials, thus relieving the Divan officers of that responsibility, in order for the Divan to concentrate on their administrative duties and to better to serve our Nobles of Philae Shriners.

Ceremonial Potentate
​Ceremonial Chief Rabban 
​Ceremonial Assistant Rabban 
​Ceremonial High Priest and Prophet
​Ceremonial Oriental Guide

Previous Divans

Potentate: Illustrious Sir Shawn Buchan

Past Potentate: Illustrious Sir Kenneth Conrod

Chief Rabban: Noble David Lewis

Assistant Rabban: Noble Aaron Verge

High Priest and Prophet: Noble …

Oriental Guide: Vacant

Treasurer: Illustrious Sir Mike Schmid

Recorder: Illustrious Sir Ed Corbett

Potentate: Illustrious Sir Kenneth Conrod

Past Potentate: Illustrious Sir Shane Buchan

Chief Rabban: Noble Shawn Buchan

Assistant Rabban: Noble John Cody

High Priest and Prophet: Noble David Lewis

Oriental Guide: Vacant

Treasurer: Illustrious Sir Mike Schmid

Recorder: Illustrious Sir Ed Corbett

Potentate: Illustrious Sir Shane Buchan

Assistant Rabban: Noble Robert Stein

Chief Rabban: Noble Kenneth Conrod

High Priest & Prophet: Noble John Cody

Oriental Guide: Noble David Lewis

Recorder: Illustrious Sir Ed Corbett

Treasurer: Illustrious Sir Mike Schmid

Potentate: Illustrious Sir Ken Wheelans

Chief Rabban: Illustrious Sir Shane Buchan

Assistant Rabban: Noble Helgi Stefansson

High Priest and Prophet: Noble Gino Thibeault

Oriental Guide: Noble Robert Stein

Treasurer: Illustrious Sir Mike Schmid

Recorder: Noble David Penney

Potentate:Illustrious Sir Ed Corbett

Chief Rabban: Noble Ken Wheelans

Assistant Rabban: Illustrious Sir Shane Buchan

High Priest & Prophet: Noble Ron Clowes

Oriental Guide: Noble Gino Thibeault

Recorder: Noble David Penney

Treasurer: Illustrious Sir Doug Morton