Most Worshipful Brother Rowan B. Caseley, PGM
Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island A.F & A.M.
Grand Master June 13, 2009 – June 12, 2010

Rowan Bruce Caseley was born August 23, 1947 in Prince Edward Island, and raised on his parents’ farm in Kelvin Grove, Prince Edward Island. He was one of 6 children of Samuel Leaman Caseley (who would serve as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island, A.F. & A.M., in 1969). Rowan attended his first 8 years of school in a one-room schoolhouse in Kelvin Grove, and then advanced through grade 12 in Kensington Regional High School. He later attended Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro, Nova Scotia, graduating in 1970 as a Technologist in Agricultural Business. He was immediately employed by Twin Cities Co-operative Dairy Ltd., now known as Farmers Co-operative Dairy Ltd.

In July 1970, he married Melissa Mayhew, daughter of George & Hilda Mayhew of Margate, Prince Edward Island, and they have raised three children, two daughters – Claire and Tara, and one son – Tyler, who have provided him with 5 grandchildren to enjoy spoiling.

With Twin Cities/Farmers, he rose from junior office clerk to become Vice President of Manufacturing and then head of the Materials Management Department. His duties required several relocations between Halifax, Truro, Bedford, and New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island, the latter in 1996 to manage the Health Milk Dairy operation which Farmers had purchased from its founder, Elmer MacDonald. He retired from Farmers in 1998, due to an illness that required removal of a kidney, and opened his own practice as a Financial Consultant, living with his wife in Cornwall.

On September 2, 1982, while living in Lower Onslow, Nova Scotia, Rowan was initiated in North Star Lodge No. 74, in Londonderry, N.S. Advancing through the chairs there, Rowan was elected to serve as Worshipful Master of North Star Lodge in 1986, and again in 1988. He is still a member of his Mother Lodge and occasionally gets to visit there. On December 2, 1999 he affiliated with Mount Zion Lodge No. 12 in Kensington, Prince Edward Island. Once again he was given the opportunity to serve as Worshipful Master, this time in Mount Zion Lodge for two years, 2003 and 2004.

While living in Nova Scotia, he advanced into several other Concordant and Related Bodies, but due to work commitments found it impossible to be as involved with them as he had hoped, and eventually took Demits. But after moving to P.E.I. he re-affiliated with some, and accepted progressive offices. In late 2004, for example, he was elected Most Excellent High Priest of Prince Edward Chapter No. 12 of Royal Arch Masons in Kensington. He is a member of Philae Shrine in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is an active member of the Red Oak Shrine Club in Kensington, where he assumed the office of President in 2008. In 2004 Rowan decided to join the Order of the Eastern Star, and was accepted by Regent Chapter No. 52 in Bedeque. He is please to be able to sit in that Eastern Star Chapter with his Mother, Fern Caseley, his sister, Joan Sudsbury, and also his daughter, Claire Caseley Smith. That Chapter believes it is the first time they have had three generations sitting in their Chapter at one time. He was elected to the office of Worthy Patron in 2007 and again in 2008.

In June 2003, he was elected Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island., the first ever to be selected from a Lodge outside the Charlottetown area. He credits his experience at all levels of management with Twin Cities/Farmers with enabling him to cope with the demands of this office, and enjoys the fellowship and multiple contacts associated with communications throughout the Jurisdiction and beyond.

His Brethren have benefitted from his commitment of time and energy, although he admits that more of both have been required than he ever expected, our small Jurisdiction providing its Grand Secretary with no supporting staff. The office equipment needed for his private consultancy has also been put almost to full use on behalf of the Craft.

In June 2008, he was elected Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island and stepped aside as Grand secretary…although during his successor’s illness his experience was needed to help pull together materials for the 2009 Annual Communication.

In August 2008, he and his wife Melissa moved from Cornwall to Kensington, Prince Edward Island. They both look forward to being back to the community they were born, and being closer to three of their grandchildren.

In June 2009, he was elected as Grand Master of The Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island. During his term as Grand Master he considered it a great honour to preside over two Special Communications of the Grand Lodge when the Grand Lodge adopted a new Constitution. Additionally, M.W.Bro. Caseley was pleased to be able to announce at the Annual Communication of The Grand Lodge on June 12, 2010, that a Chapter of DeMolay had finally been started in Kensington and his Lodge, Mount Zion Lodge No. 12 were the sponsoring body. The chapter is known as “Barrett’s Cross Chapter, Order of DeMolay”.