New Regional Secretaries for North America, Continental Europe, Asia, and Oceania
The newly formed QCCC Communications Committee have appointed the following new Regional Secretaries:
Michael Ramos – Regional Secretary for North America
Mircea Bucin – Regional Secretary for Continental Europe
Shree Sinha – Regional Secretary for Asia
Each are well known to us from their time as Local Secretaries, and we now look forward to them continuing their hard work for QCCC as Regional Secretaries.
In addition, Felix Pintado has been appointed as the new Regional Secretary for Oceania. Felix is a Past Master of The Sunshine Wisdom Lodge No. 226, and currently serves the United Grand Lodge of Victoria as its Grand Chaplain. Felix holds membership in several lodges and Masonic units within the Progressive Orders across several international masonic jurisdictions.
Professionally, Felix has over 30 years of experience in health and aged care, currently serving as a Chief Executive in the field and as the President of the Masonic Care Alliance. Felix’s Masonic research focuses on the genesis and development of freemasonry in the Philippines. Felix can be contacted at felixpintado.qc3@gmail.com
Martin Cox’s Expanded Role
Martin Cox’s service as a Regional Secretary has expanded in geography and now covers the whole of the British Isles including England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands.
New Local Secretary for the San Francisco Bay Area
Jonathan Prestage is joining the growing set of Local Secretaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing his attention on the East Bay/Oakland locale, while Marty Cusing will continue to serve San Francisco and the Peninsula. Jonathan is a Past Master of Templum Rosae Lodge No. 863, a Past First Principal of Siminoff-Daylight Chapter No. 163, holds the 33° in the AASR SJ, and as of 1 September will serve the Valley of Oakland as the Personal Representative to the Sovereign Grand Inspector General for the Orient of California. Professionally, Jonathan works for the Grand Lodge of California as its Deputy Secretary of Fraternal Affairs.
Our long-serving Regional Secretary, Emilio Elesbao, having done a wonderful job for the past several years, has handed on his baton to two worthy successors: Tadeu Matheus, our new Regional Secretary for Latin America, and Diego Arana, our new Regional Secretary for Central America. (Diego can also be contacted for queries regarding Argentina).
Tadeu can be reached at LatinAmerica@quatuorcoronati.com and Diego at CentralAmerica@quatuorcoronati.com.
Tadeu was initiated into Freemasonry in 2005 in the Centenary Lodge #5564 (UGLE), and raised in 2007 in São Paulo, Brazil, Lodge #1373. He is a Founder and member of the Lodge Friendship #9929 (UGLE) in Sorocaba, São Paulo State, Brazil; a Mark Master Mason in the Centenary Lodge #1908 (Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales); and a Royal Arch Mason in Santo Amaro Fenix Chapter #7250.
Diego is based in Panama and Argentina, and is a member of two lodges in Argentina and worshipful master of a Research Lodge. He is also active in the York Rite in The Grand Commandery of Knight Templars of Panama under the jurisdiction of the Grand Encampment of The United States of America. and is a member of other orders. Diego is the Grand Secretary of International Relations of The Grand Chapter of the Supreme Order of the Masons of the Holy Royal Arch of Jerusalem of The Argentine Republic.
We were delighted to receive a fraternal letter from The American Lodge of Research, chartered in 1931 by the Grand Lodge of New York. The letter can be read here.
We would like to welcome Bro. Cris Advincula as our new Local Secretary for Colorado. Cris was Initiated, Passed, and Raised at Burlingame Lodge, No. 400, in Burlingame, CA, where he holds life membership. He has since relocated to the Denver area. Cris has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and holds additional professional certificates from Cornell and Stanford University, CA. He works as a project manager for a multinational computer technology company.
Cris is a founding team member of the Burlingame College of the Consistory Masonic Study Group and the Burlingame Virtual Masonic Lecture Series. He is also a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, the Philalethes Society, the Grand College of Rites, and The Masonic Society.
Cris can be contacted at cpa3@cornell.edu.
Welcome to Tommy Krogh Abrahamsen, our new Danish Local Secretary. Tommy lives in Horsens in the Central Denmark Region and has a background in the military and as a graduate engineer. He currently works as a consultant in facilities management and environmental control.
Tommy was initiated in 2011 and raised in 2014 in Lodge Bertel Thorvaldsen til Haabet, No. 820, of The Ancient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons associated with The Danish Order of Freemasons. He is also active in Royal Arch, exalted in 2016 in Danish Star Royal Arch Chapter No. 9, associated with the Supreme Grand Chapter of British Royal Arch Masonry in Germany. He is presently Senior Warden at Lodge Bertel Thorvaldsen til Haabet, having previously served as Secretary and Junior Warden.
Tommy has a keen interest in Masonic education and research. He can be contacted at info@qccc.dk.
Welcome to Angelo Stagnaro, an active member of Annapolis Lodge #89 under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of AF&AM of Maryland. Angelo holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). He was designated a Fellow of the Craft and Pillar of the Craft through the Maryland Masonic Academy, an educational program designed for the Masons of Maryland.
Angelo can be contacted at local.qccc.md@gmail.com
Welcome to Dr Amiram Porath, our new Local Secretary for Israel. Amiram was initiated into freemasonry at Kadima Lodge, No. 34, in September 2008, becoming Master of the Lodge in April 2012. He is active in Royal Arch and Scottish Rite, and has held several positions in the Grand Lodge of Israel.
Amiram was educated at the Israeli Technology Institute and Tel Aviv University, where he read for a PhD in Management. He has over twenty years’ experience in technological business development and innovation management.
Amiram can be contacted at amirampster@gmail.com.
A Mason since 2017, Angel Lee Guerra relocated from New York to Great Falls, Montana, in 2015 and currently works in the medical field. Recently a photograph of Brother Angel was featured on a promotional postcard for the new Masonic board game, “On the Square, the First Three Degrees,” which was reported on in the Scottish Rite Journal’s September–October 2020 issue (published by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, SJ). In his spare time, Angel enjoys studying the various orders of Freemasonry in the US and overseas, as well as enjoying family time. He can be contacted at qcccmt@gmail.com.
Welcome to Carlos M. Barreto Coreano. Carlos was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico (2000) and has since completed two MSc degrees in Aeronautics (MSA), Aviation Aerospace Safety System, and Aviation Aerospace Management from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2014). Carlos works as an Air Traffic Controller at Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci International Airport (SIG) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bro. Barreto was raised in 2008 and is a Past Master (2014-2016) and current Historian of the Respetable Logia Centenaria Obreros del Progreso No. 63 within the jurisdiction of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of F&AM. of Puerto Rico. He serves as the Grand Instructor for the Grand Lodge’s 10th District. He was also a founding member of the Al Rai’e Saleh Shriners Temple. He is currently the Personal Representative of the Grand Commander and Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Puerto Rico for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, US. Bro. Carlos is also a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, the Grand College of Rites, and the Philalethes Society.
Bro. Carlos can be contacted at barreto.carlosm@gmail.com.
Royal Mail postal services are now largely back to normal and we believe that all or virtually all our UK subscribers have received their copies of AQC. Deliveries to Europe were badly impacted following the announcement from the French government that all air, road, ferry and train travel from the UK to France would be suspended pending COVID testing etc. but these are now back on track. Unfortunately, although packages destined for Europe were mailed out in December, pre-Brexit, some European Customs officials – not least those in Denmark – have demanded Customs Declarations, notwithstanding that books (and other items valued at £30/Eur40) are free of Customs Duty and VAT.
Despite delays to trans-Atlantic traffic, our deliveries are now being received in the US and Canada. Our couriers have also delivered in bulk to Latin America for onward mailing. And we have been informed copies of AQC have received by our members in Asia.
We all hope next year will be less problematic!
