Congratulations to W.Bro John Welsh of St Mark’s Lodge No.5529, which meets at Fern Avenue Masonic Hall, and Posthorn Lodge No.9297, which meets at Shiremoor Masonic Hall, on completing fifty fabulous uninterupted years in Freemasonry.
John was initiated into Freemasonry, in St Mark’s Lodge, in May 1969, also becoming a Founder member of Posthorn Lodge in August 1988. He became the Master of St Mark’s Lodge in 1982 and is the current Senior Deacon of Posthorn Lodge. He was rewarded in Provincial Grand Lodge in 1991 when he was appointed to the active rank of Provincial Junior Grand Deacon, receiving subsequent promotions to Past Provincial Grand Regsitrar in 200 and then Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2011.
He was Exalted into Temperance Royal Arch Chapter No.2557, which also meets at Fern Avenue Masonic Hall, of which he still remains a member, however, he never progressed due to family commitments.
In addition John gives talks at social events and Lodge meetings on a vast range of subjects from Rudyard Kipling to the Northern Coal Fields, and is a great supporter of the Lodge’s Burn’s Whisky tasting nights where he has donated many bottles of Malt, the proceeds of which are donated to charity.
During his working life John worked at the Blackett Office Counter of the Post Office from 1960, progressing to an administartor at the Head Post Office in St Nicholas Street, in the accounts branch. He subsequently became a manager dealing with wages and joined the Investigation Branch where he dealt with the investigation of fraud and theft of mail offences, and customer services.He became a branch manager of Postal Operations dealing with time and motion studies and bonus schemes and finally Controller of Postal Services in Morpeth with responsibility for Royal Mail Offices between Berwick upon Tweed and North Shields, including 23 managers and 600 postal personnel.
He retired in 1994 and then started to volunteer as a driver for Gosforth Community Minibus taking retired people, mainly ladies, from various homes for trips and pub lunches.. He finally fully retired after 15 years of driving the minibus.
John was married to his wife Maureen in 1969 and have two sons, John Junior, who is a Past Master of both St Mark’s Lodge and Post Horn Lodge, and David, who is a mechanical engineer.
Many thanks to W.Bro John Bruce for the submission of this article.
Congratulations to John from everyone at Northumberland Freemasons for a fantastic achievement.
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