Caribbean Jewel of Merit Awardee, RW Bro James R Bain, PDGM

RW Bro James R Bain, PDGM

RW Bro James Randolph Bain, Past District Grand Master, was awarded the Caribbean Jewel of Merit at the recent Annual Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bahamas and Turks, held on March 14th, 2020 in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands.

James Randolph Bain was born on March 3rd, 1944, in Nassau, Bahamas and attended Eastern Junior and Eastern Senior schools, with further education at the Nassau Technical Institute, where he obtained a Single Phase License in 1965 and a Three-Phase License in 1968 as an Electrical contractor. In 1980 he entered the College of the Bahamas Adult Study Program and duly completed a Transitional Education Degree Course.

In 1959, at the age of 14, he started his career in the building industry Clifton Pier and was later employed at Standard Plumbing. In 1961 he moved to Taylor Industries from where he left after 15 years in 1976 to start Bain’s Company, of which he remains owner and President.

He was initiated into the Lodge of Unity No. 8760 in January 1983, Passed and Raised later that year, and installed as Master of the Lodge in 1989, subsequently serving the Lodge as Director of Ceremonies for many years before finally relinquishing the post in 2000. He was Master of the Bahamas Installed Masters Lodge No. 8764 in 1992 and of Royal Victoria Lodge No. 443 in 2000.

His first appointment to the District Grand Lodge of Bahamas and Turks was as Past District Grand Standard Bearer in 1991 and he was later appointed to the active ranks of District Assistant Grand Secretary in 1992, District Grand Director of Ceremonies from 1993 to 1998, and President of the District Board of General purposes in 1999. In 1998 he was promoted to Past District Junior Grand Warden and appointed District Grand Master in 2002. RW Bro Bain had the honour of leading the procession of District and Provincial Grand Masters at the Tercentenary celebrations in London on 31 October 2017. He was the consecrating officer of three lodges in the district during his term in office.

Under the Scottish Constitution, he joined Lodge St. Michael No. 1634 in August 1984 and is a Founding Member of the following Lodges: Lodge St. Andrew No. 1756, Lodge Claudius R. Walker No. 1808, Lodge Eleutheran Adventurers No. 1816 (of which he is also Past Master), Lodge Fort Nassau No. 1819, and Lodge Jackson McClaren Wint No. 1818 in Jamaica. He is also Honorary District Grand Senior Warden of the District Grand Lodge of the Bahamas (SC), and a member of St. Michael Royal Arch Chapter No. 850.

In Royal Arch, he was exalted in Royal Victoria Chapter No. 443 in September 1984 and was installed as First Principal in 1993. He was appointed District Assistant Grand Scribe E in 1992, District Grand Director of Ceremonies from 1993 to 1998 and President of the District Committee of General Purposes in 1999, Past District Grand Scribe N in 2001 and Grand Superintendent in 2004. The District has seen the addition of three Royal Arch Chapters during his term of which he was the consecrating officer for two of them.

He is also actively involved in various other Masonic Orders and has served as Grand Inspector of the Bahamas & Turks Group of Mark Master Mason and Royal Ark Mariner Lodges since 2009.

He is a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, which made him a Paul Harris Fellow for services rendered, a Past Chairman of the Bahamas Electrical Contractors Association, a former Chairman of the Special Architects Committee, a past Chairman of the Town Planning Committee, was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2000, and appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2001.

He is married the former Gwen Seymour and they have four children: Brian (who was installed, on March 16th, 2002, as Master of Lodge Claudius R Walker No. 1808, and in 2003 as Master of Lodge of Unity No. 8760), Simone (deceased), Kevin (who served as Master of Lodge of Unity 8760 in 2006, is the Founding Master of Bahamas & Turks Tercentenary Lodge No. 9948, and is the new District Grand Secretary), and Deidre, who have so far between them produced thirteen grandchildren.