Our January 2023 meeting, saw our recently retired Treasurer, WBro Richard Fardon reach a very special milestone when he celebrated 50 years as a Freemason.
Richard Fardon
To mark the occasion, he was presented with a Certificate on behalf of the Provincial Grand Master RW Bro Ian Kingsbury JP by none other than our own WBro Frank Handscombe BEM, PJGD.
Richard’s first step on the road to his “half century” began on the 20th January 1973, when he joined Coningsby Lodge No 6383 in Hereford. In 1979, having moved to the Province of Middlesex, he became a joining member of Byron Lodge No 7426, a membership with continues to this day. He has served twice as Worshipful Master, in both 1984 and 1998.
Eventually, having moved to Devon, he joined our Lodge, The Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421, in 2003. He became the Lodge’s Treasurer in 2004, a post he held continuously until his retirement in October last year.
Richard has also been an active Royal Arch Freemason having joined Corinthian Chapter No 4917 in 1977. He served as First Principal of Byron Chapter No 7426 in 1992 and also of Wimbledon Chapter No 3160 in 2002. He holds Provincial Grand Rank in both Surrey and Middlesex.
Worshipful Master Ray McIntosh, Richard Fardon and Frank Handscombe
Referring to Richard’s extensive and comprehensive CV, Frank Handscombe expressed astonishment at the sheer number of offices Richard has served in over the 50 years. He has set a fine example to younger Members setting out on their own masonic journey, as someone who epitomises the motto “Service before Self”
Everyone at Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421 would like to express their thanks to Richard for all his hard work over the years and to wish him and his wife Mary, a long, happy and comfortable retirement.
We were greatly saddened this week to learn of the death of Worshipful Brother John Robert Finch a member and Past Master of The Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421.
John Finch
John (75) had bravely battled cancer for many years, showing an astonishing level of courage and stoicism, in the face of his illness. He is perhaps best known to our members as the man who occupied the Master’s Chair in the Lodge for 2 consecutive years during the recent Covid-19 Pandemic.
With all masonic meetings suspended for the first time in the Order’s history, John undertook to hold the Lodge together by organising monthly Zoom meetings to keep channels of communication open. He would create an agenda just as we would for a normal Lodge meeting, and would guide those present through a list of talks, reports and other masonic business; successfully maintaining a sense of normality during one of the most “abnormal” times in our recent history. So great was his enthusiasm for what was then very new technology, he once chaired a meeting from his hospital bed in the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital!
John’s Masonic Career
Hailing originally from the West Midlands, John joined Greville Lodge No 4773 in Warwick on the 18th March 1982 at the age of 35. He served as that Lodge’s Worshipful Master in 1997/8 and remained a subscribing member until 2012. As a result of his long service to Warwickshire Freemasonry he was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies on the 22nd May 2004
Having moved to the village of Bishop’s Nympton, near South Molton, John became a joining member of the Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421 on 5th June 2007 and was installed into the Master’s Chair on the 2nd October 2018. As detailed above he held this post until a successor was finally appointed on 5th October 2020. In recognition of his outstanding leadership and dedication, on the 5th April 2022 the Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire Right Worshipful Bro. Ian Kingsbury JP was pleased to promote John, by way of a very rare field promotion, to the senior rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden.
John was also a member of Fortescue Lodge of Mark Master Masons No. 9, which he served as Worshipful Master (again for a 2 year period between 2017 and 2019) achieving the Rank of PPrGJD in 2021. He was elevated into Fortescue Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners No. 9 in 2014.
Charity Work
During a visit to North Devon District Hospital at an early stage in his treatment, John received a “Box of Kindness” from local Charity ChemoHero (https://www.chemohero.org). This act of generosity, aimed directly at serving the needs of Chemotherapy patients, touched John to the extent that during the remainder of his time as Worshipful Master he set about raising funds to support their work.
John with Rob and Lisa Wallis
The photo above shows John with the Charity’s Co-founders, the late Lisa Wallis BEM and her husband Rob on a cold and windy Fremington Quay where he presented them (socially distanced of course) with a cheque from the Loyal Lodge of Industry for over £800
In memoriam
John’s quiet and unassuming nature, his warm caring personality, his boundless enthusiasm and his wry sense of humour will be sadly missed by all who knew him; but especially by his masonic Brethren who were privileged to see the best of a very special man.
Our thoughts go out to John’s wife Pip and the family at this sad time.
This year’s Armistice Day wreath laying ceremony in South Molton, was supported by the Masters of all three of the town’s masonic Lodges.
At 11:00am on Friday 11th November 2022, the people of South Molton came together to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their Country.
Low grey cloud and a keen south westerly wind formed a sombre backdrop to the Service of Remembrance, led by the Rev. Jane Lucas the Chaplain of the South Molton Branch of the Royal British Legion.
The salute was taken by Colonel (Ret’d) Paddy King-Fretts
The names of those South Molton residents killed in both World Wars and more recently in Afghanistan, were read out by Branch President Sir Richard Peek to be followed by a minute’s silence.
The lone bugler, Jane Toms then played a moving rendition of The Last Post.
Wreaths were laid by The Royal British Legion, The Town Council, South Molton Police, South Molton Freemasons and local schools.
Philip Carr, David Stanbury and Ray McIntosh represented the town’s 3 masonic Lodges
For the first time in many years, the current Masters of each of South Molton’s three masonic Lodges were all in attendance. The Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421 was represented by its Worshipful Master, Ray McIntosh.
Fortescue Lodge of Mark Master Masons No.9 by its Worshipful Master, David Stanbury and Fortescue Lodge of Royal Ark MarinersNo 9, by its Worshipful Commander Philip Carr.
Commenting on the ceremony Ray McIntosh said…
“We are proud to be supporting this year’s Remembrance activities. Supporting our community is a very important part of what Freemasonry is all about. Freemasons have played a part in South Molton life for almost 200 years and we are delighted to continue that tradition.”
The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is Freemasonry’s national grant making Charity.
Supported entirely by donations from Freemasons and their families, it supports a wide range of Charities, Organisations, Individuals and other good causes.
The Charity has just released its 2021/22 impact report detailing it’s work across a wide range of sectors.
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