Today Northumberland Freemasons joins in the celebrations and congratulates W.Bro Robert Noble on his sixty years of uninterrupted service to the Craft.
Bob was initiated into Freemasonry in May 1963 when he joined Tynemouth Abbey Lodge No.2971, which met at North Shields Masonic Hall, prior to it being erased. He resigned from the Lodge, prior to its closure, joining Athelstan Lodge No.6469, which meets at Fern Avenue Masonic Hall, in 1999. He served as Master of Athelstan Lodge in 2010 and was acknowledged in Provincial Grand Lodge in 2017 when he was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon, receiving subsequent promotion to Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer in 2022.
In March 2016 he was exalted into the Royal Arch Chapter when he joined Vandeleur Royal Arch Chapter No.3586, which meets at Shiremoor Masonic Hall.
During his working life Bob was a Merchant Navy officer who, obtained all the qualifications he could as an engineer rather than a deck officer, travelling all over the world, including Aden, Singapore, Hong Kong and South America. He worked on steam engines, however his employers required him to come ashore and attend the conversion course for diesel engines, the coming thing, then, when he had passed the course, sent him back to sea onto a ship with steam engines.
Bob attended school with W.Bro John Errington, the next subject of this article, who he grew up with and had a close connection with, prior to him going to see.
On the same evening, having been acknowledged in December last year for an impressive sixty years of uninterrupted service in the Craft, John Errington received further recognition of his impeccable service when he received a totally unexpected surprise Field Promotion from Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden to Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden
Congratulations, from everyone at Northumberland Freemasons to Bob on completing sixty years of uninterrupted service to the Craft and to John on his well deserved Field Promotion.
If you have a story, event, or news item that you would like to share, please email the Provincial Communications Team at news@northumberlandmasons.org.uk
