The Brethren of Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge No. 24 gathered recently to celebrate a truly remarkable milestone – the 50th anniversary of service in Freemasonry by WBro Graeme.
It was both an honour and a pleasure for all present to acknowledge this significant achievement, marking half a century of dedication to the Craft.
Before presenting his certificate, a brief but fascinating history of WBro Graeme’s Masonic and personal journey was shared – a story that spans continents and reflects a life well lived and richly experienced.
A Distinguished Masonic Career
Initiated into Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge No. 24 on 5th September 1975, WBro Graeme became Worshipful Master in 2000. His Masonic journey, however, extended far beyond the borders of this Province.
In 1989, he joined Royal Sussex Lodge in the District of Hong Kong and the Far East, becoming Worshipful Master there in 1995 and remaining a member until 2002. He also served as Worshipful Master of Teme Lodge in the Province of West Lancashire, a position he continued through its amalgamation with Old Worden Lodge.
His dedication and service were recognised with the ranks of PProvAGSuptWks in West Lancashire and PProvAGDC in Shropshire.
In the Royal Arch, he was exalted into Chapter De Swinburne in 1977, later joining Royal Sussex Chapter in Hong Kong in 1991, where he served as both Scribe E and J, before becoming a member of Loyal Hay Chapter in the Province of Gloucester & Hereford in 1999.
Beyond these, WBro Graeme has been an active member of several Masonic side orders, including the Rose Croix, Knights Templar, Knights of the Pelican and Eagle, Allied Masonic Degrees, Mark Master Masons, and the Royal & Select Masters.
WBro Graeme with the Worshipful Master and Officers of Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge No. 24 following the presentation of his 50 Years in Freemasonry certificate.
A Life of Adventure
Beyond the Craft, WBro Graeme’s life reads like an explorer’s journal.
At just 16, he began an apprenticeship with the Central Electricity Generating Board at Stella South Power Station, later transferring to Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station. Seeking greater adventure, he responded to an advert for an Electrical Maintenance Engineer on Ascension Island – accepting the role despite not knowing where the island was!
This began a globe-trotting career that took him across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and eventually Hong Kong, where he spent several years working in engineering and water treatment projects. It was during this time that he married and started a family, returning to the UK in 1997 after Hong Kong’s handover to China.
Settling in Glasbury, on the Wales–Herefordshire border, he took on a “fixer-upper” property affectionately known as Llwynaubach Lodge before his travels resumed, taking him to Nigeria, where he lived and worked in Lagos, Abuja, and Jos.
Now happily retired and living just outside Preston, Lancashire, WBro Graeme continues to enjoy life alongside his wife, whom he married in 2022.
WBro Graeme surrounded by Brethren and visiting dignitaries who joined to celebrate his remarkable 50 years of dedicated service to the Craft.
A Lifetime of Dedication
In closing the celebration, the Provincial representative remarked that few Brethren can claim such a breadth of Masonic and worldly experience, and that WBro Graeme’s 50 years stand as a shining example of commitment, curiosity, and camaraderie.
The Brethren joined together in warm applause to congratulate WBro Graeme on his fifty years of loyal service, a milestone achieved through dedication both to the Craft and to life itself.
WBro Graeme with the Provincial representative and Worshipful Master during the 50-year celebration meeting at Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge No. 24.
Congratulations, WBro Graeme – a Mason, a traveller, and a true Brother.