Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes
Grand Lodge of England
The Grand Primo 2009
Brother William A.C.J. Hartmann ROH
Harrogate & District Province
Brother Bill was initiated into
the Palm Tree Lodge No 6829, Limassol & District (Cyprus No 2)
Province on 20th September 1960. Repatriation to the U.K. found him
at the Lindholme Lodge No 8933 in the Doncaster & District Province
where he gained his further degrees culminating in exaltation to the
Roll of Honour on 19th September 1970.
It was in 1962 that Bro Bill first
tested the waters of secretaryship when elected to that office in
the Lindholme Lodge. In the same year he first attended Grand Lodge
as a delegate from the Doncaster Province serving in that capacity
for six years until following election as Provincial Grand Primo for
1967 he exercised his right to ex officio status. 1968 saw him
elected as President of Examining Council while in 1970 he held the
same office in the Doncaster Knights Chapter.
Moving to Harrogate and
affiliating to several Lodges Bro Bill's involvement at all levels
in the Province is worthy of note. Secretary of Examining Council
1972 to 1978, Roll of Honour Assembly 1977 to 1981, Royal Forest
Lodge No 1329 1985 to date, Burley Lodge No 8933 1995 to 2003 and A
One Lodge No 10494 2003 to date. He has held the Presidency of
Examining Council four times 1975, 1979, 1981 and 2007, Knights
Chapter twice 1982 & 1999 and Roll of Honour Assembly twice 1983 &
1999. Ultimately he became Provincial Grand Primo Harrogate &
District for 2007.
Of course Brother W A C Hartmann
was never going to be content with this. From initiation through his
first attendance at Grand Lodge, in Cheltenham in 1962, as a
delegate then as ex officio until his election in 1977 as Grand
Constable to the late Bro Mostyn Gale, on to the office of Grand
Secretary from 1978 to 2003 and his election as Deputy Grand Primo
2008, Bro Bill's life and Buffaloism have been and will continue to
be inextricably linked.
Bro Bill has attended every
Convention since 1964. The first four as a delegate then in 1976 as
Convention Clerk and from 1979 to 2003 as Grand Secretary before
returning to delegate status in 2006 when he also served on the
Rules Revision Committee. From 1998 to 2003 he also attended the
meetings of the All Sections Consultative Committee becoming
President 2000 and 2001 and a Trustee 2001 to 2003.