Chev Paul Warren
KCLJ SCrLJ
Jurisdiction Commander & Hospitaller 2020 to 2023
Paul Warren spent 25 years of his 45 years on the sea as Shipmaster holding ultimate command and responsibility for specialist merchant vessels mostly employed in the worldwide oil industry. After leaving overseas employment he ran a marine services and yacht brokerage company in Malta before retiring in 2011. He joined the Order in 2007 and became Hospitaller in 2011. In 2020 he became Jurisdiction Commander whilst retaining his Hospitaller responsibilities.
The Covid pandemic which took hold in 2020, his first year as Commander, meant that access to the Castello Lanzun, the home of the Grand Commandery and its fund raising events, had to be restricted severely. In response, the Commander with his Council developed a set of policies to ensure the Jurisdiction’s forward momentum during this testing period.
Charitable giving has continued unabated. The Commander Hospitaller’s hands-on knowledge of both charities has enabled the targeting of Members’ monies to best benefit WIN (India) and Kagando (Africa) during the pandemic. Emphasis has been given to the provision of food parcels.
The Castello’s upkeep programme remains firmly on track thanks to the commitment of our Custodian.
The Events challenge has been one of balancing what is possible with the need to maintain contact with and between Members and Friends. The Deputy Commander / Chancellor has developed a programme of events with that objective in mind. Each event to date has been well supported given the circumstances and has produced a profit. As a result, the financial position of the Grand Commandery is in a healthy state and ready to support charitable schemes as the situation allows.
Looking forward, 2023 will be the occasion of the 50 th anniversary of the Castello becoming the historical headquarters of the Order. The year will be celebrated across a number of events and by a flagship charity project. Planning is in hand to use 2023 year as a springboard for future growth and profiling of the Grand Commandery of the Castello.
Paul stepped down as Commander in mid-2023 but retained his responsibilities as Hospitaller.