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JUBILEE PRESENTATION TO Worshipful Brother William McAllister
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At the St John’s Lodge No. 827 Dewsbury Monthly Lodge Meeting on Monday 3rd October 2016, the main item of business was for the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Roger D Newhouse to present Worshipful Brother William (Bill) McAllister PPGSupWks with a Craft Jubilee Certificate to mark his 50 years as a Freemason.
The presentation was undertaken in a relaxed, friendly, informal and humorous manner with Bill McAlister doing most of the talking (as it should be). It was a splendid occasion and greatly enjoyed by everyone who attended and particularly Bill who really enjoyed himself and had a fantastic evening
Bill was Initiated into Foochow Lodge No. 1912 in Hong Kong on 16th September 1966. He was proposed by J H W Quainton, seconded by T E Bird and R Blacklock was the Worshipful Master.
He became a Joining Member (as a Master Mason) of St John’s Lodge No. 827 in Dewsbury in May 1974. Between 1970 and 1975 he maintained his membership of Foochow Lodge even though he was back In the UK. He was proposed by Richard Shires, seconded by Jeffrey Thornton and Alan Worley was the Worshipful Master at the time.
He moved forward on the Progressive Ladder in the Lodge and became Worshipful Master on 1st December 1986, following Keith Naylor into the chair. He was followed by Ken Swann. He remained active in the Lodge and supported it by taking on a number of roles over the following years.
In December 2016 he was made an Honorary Member of the Lodge in recognition of the hard work and support he has given to the Lodge over many years. He loves his Masonry and enjoys visiting in all orders whenever he is able to.
Very sadly, Bill died in 2018.
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The photograph shows W Bro Bill McAllister PPGSupWks with the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W Bro. Roger D. Newhouse and the Certificate.
JUBILEE PRESENTATION TO Worshipful Brother Leslie Hirst
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At the St John’s Lodge No. 827 Dewsbury Monthly Lodge Meeting on Monday 4th January 2016, the main item of business was to present Worshipful Brother Leslie Hirst PPDGReg with a Jubilee Certificate to mark his 50 years as a Freemason.
Leslie wanted a low key presentation in the Lodge and carried out by a Lodge member who he knows well. The presentation undertaken in a sincere but very friendly manner was carried out by one of the Lodge Past Masters W Bro Keith Shaw PPGSupWks. Keith has known Leslie for 50 years, they are very good friends and Keith was proposed in to the Lodge by Leslie.
Leslie was Proposed in to the Lodge by W Bro. Ernest H Staynes PPAGDC and Seconded by W Bro Laurie Banham PPSGD. He was Initiated into the Lodge on Monday 3rd January 1966, he was Passed on the 4th April 1966 and was Raised on 1st August 1966. His three Ceremonies were conducted by the Current Worshipful Master W Bro Tom Staynes. He became Lodge Superintendent of Works in 1975. After much persuasion he eventually became Worshipful Master in 2000 (whilst also continuing in his role as Superintendent of Works).
He recently completed 40 years in the role of Superintendent of Works before giving it up at the recent Lodge Installation in December 2015. When he took over the role of Lodge Superintendent of Works the building was in a serous state of disrepair. He has given many hundreds (if not thousands of hours) of his own time and expertise (as a professional painter and decorator) to improve, develop and maintain the fabric of the building. This has undoubtedly saved the Lodge many thousands of pounds. He leaves the role with the Lodge building in an excellent condition and with many modernisation activities recently completed.
He was appointed PPSGD in 2007 and promoted to PPDGReg in 2012. He is also a long standing member of St John's Chapter (Exalted on 17th September 1968),
He is very well known as the Lodge Practical Joker and Prankster and there were a number of anecdotal stories about this. Leslie brought a round of drinks for all those present in the bar after the presentation.
The photograph shows W Bro L. R. Hirst PPDGReg accepting his certificate presented by W Bro D K Shaw PPGSupWks.
A VERY SURPRISING JUBILEE CERTIFCATE AND CELEBRATION
Bro Ronald Albert Walters
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Bro Ronald Albert Walters was Initiated into St John' Lodge No. 827, Dewsbury on 3rd September 1962. He moved away to Southport in 1968 because of work and became a Country Member of the Lodge. He has remained a Country Member of the Lodge ever since.
He has been back to St John's Lodge only once since moving to Southport, in 2010, when the Lodge celebrated its 150th Anniversary. On this occasion he was presented with a painting of the Lodge, as it looked originally, as a momento of the occasion. He keeps the painting on the wall of his home in Southport. He has suffered with considerable ill health over recent years, suffering with cancer and heart attacks and these have preventing him visiting the Lodge more.
He has never joined another Lodge but has been a regular visitor (when fit and able) to his son's Lodge (North Meols No. 5828, Southport) in the Province of West Lancashire. His son John Walters is a Past Master of the Lodge and is soon going back into the chair of the Lodge again.
We had been trying to arrange his presentation for some time. He wanted a low key affair with regards to the event, he felt unable to travel over to West Yorkshire and some members of the Lodge arranged to travel across to his home in Southport.
The Senior Past Master of St John's Lodge, W Bro D E Blackburn PPJGW, accompanied by W Bro J R Davis PPDGDC, travelled across to Southport on Thursday 17th May 2018. A very nice lunch was had with Ron and his son John and W Bro Blackburn presented Ron with his 50 year jubilee certificate and the very best wishes of everybody at St John’s Lodge, No. 827, Dewsbury..
Ron was delighted to see us and that we had made the effort to travel across to his home. He had suffered a fall recently but looked good and was fine in himself and was delighted to see us. He is not doing badly at all for someone in his nineties and who has suffered with his health problems.
He has now been a Country Member of the Lodge for 50 years and I'm sure that there are not many that can say that.