Holy Stone Lodge No.6171, which meets at Shiremoor Masonic Hall, recently had cause for double celebrations when two of their number were recognised for their service to the Craft when they received citations, from the Provincial Grand Master, for completing sixty and fifty years in the Craft.
W.Bro George Smith was initiated into Freemasonry in April 1961, into Holy Stone Lodge, becoming a founder member of Bretwalda Lodge No.9007 in 1981, both of which he is still a member of. He became Master of Holy Stone Lodge in 1971, and has been Lodge Secretary since 1977, having agreed to only take the office initially for a year. He was honoured in Provincial Grand Lodge when he was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon, being subsequently promoted to Paster Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1988 and finally Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden in 2012.
He was exalted into Prince of Wales Royal Arch Chapter No.2520, in 1988, subsequently joining Addison Potter Royal Arch Chapter No.2571 in 2007, after the former had been erased in 2005. He has taken the chair of Most Excellent on an incredible six occasions, three times with Prince of Wales and three times with Addison Potter, still occupying the Chair due to the pandemic. He was awarded for his dedication to the Chapter when he was appointed in Provincial Grand Chapter in 2012 to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehmiah.
Bro.Thomas Dyer, was initiated into Freemasonry in April 1971, into Holy Stone Lodge, where he has ramained as a Master Mason during his Masonic career.
He was born in 1949, in Backworth, and commenced work in 1964 as an aprentice painter and decorator, with the Bowey Group in South Gosforth. After ten years with the company he left, as the youngest trades foreman, and moved to Northumbria University where he worked on their estates team for the next three years. He subsequently moved to the Northumbrian Health Care Trust where he workjed until his retirement in 2014.
Away from work and Freemasonry Thomas enjoys photography and over the years was a member of the Royal Photographic Society, being awarded a licentiate and finally enrolling as an Associate or the society. He also enjoys clay pigeon shooting, a pastime he has undertaken with Bro.Alan Dixon, another member of Holy Stone Lodge.
Many thanks to W.Bro George Smith and Bro.Thomas Dyer for the submission of this article
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