Malcolm Graham was installed as WM of Heysham Lodge No 4108, 34 years after he was last in the chair of King Solomon. Principal guest was Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Ben Gorry, Chairman of the South Fylde Group, who, although delayed for the start of the ceremony due to traffic, did arrive in time to be formally welcomed into the lodge.
Ben was accompanied by Past Assistant Provincial Grand Masters David Grainger, Keith Kemp and grand officers Philip Preston, Neil McGill and Paul Broadley, together with the Vice Chairman of Lancaster and District Group Dan Crossley and group secretary and Provincial Grand Steward Lee Fisher.
WM Michael Reeve opened the lodge in the first degree and conducted the business of the lodge before opening the lodge in the second and third degrees. Principal guest Ben Gorry, accompanied by David Grainger and Keith Kemp, grand officers, acting Provincial grand officers, and the group vice chairman were admitted. The lodge was adjourned in the third degree and reopened in the second degree.
The installing WM invited Barry Robinson to occupy the chair of installing senior warden, Mike Brown as installing junior warden and Trevor Horn as installing inner guard. The master elect was presented by his long-term friend Mike Brown. All those below the rank of an installed master were requested to leave the lodge for a short while during which a Board of Installed Masters was convened and the master elect installed into the chair of King Solomon.
The third degree working tools were presented by John Clark, the second degree tools by Keith Lowson and the first degree working tools by Bob Malcolm. Ian Byrom was appointed as senior warden and Richard Dennison as junior warden. The address to the WM was given by Mike Brown and the address to the wardens was given by lodge secretary Keith Kemp. Ben Gorry gave the address to the brethren of Heysham Lodge.
On completion of the installation ceremony, Ben Gorry brought greetings from the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews to the WM and wished him a happy, successful and healthy year. He congratulated immediate past master Michael Reeve, director of ceremonies Torquil MacLeod and the brethren who delivered the working tools on a superb ceremony. Ben was presented with a list of donations that the lodge had made to Masonic and non-Masonic charities totalling £7,140. Ben thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Immediate past master Michael Reeve is the second of Torquil MacLeod’s stepsons to have been in the chair following Christian Reeve in 2002 and Torquil’s nephew Darren Reeve in 2023.
Organist for the evening was David Tattersall, and the Master’s Song was performed by John Bates. A total of 57 brethren attended the festive board, where the toast to the WM was given by Michael Brown. The raffle raised £490, £260 was donated in the charity plate, £40 from the ‘master’s swindle’ and a further £10 voluntary donation was received from George Fox in penance for not switching off his mobile phone, making a grand total of £800.
WM Malcolm Graham was born in 1941, in a coal mining town in the North East of England. All his family were coal miners and Malcolm followed them into the mines at the age of 15. Malcolm married June in 1962 and they have celebrated 63 years of marriage. They have a grandson and a great-granddaughter. Sadly, their daughter tragically died last year.
After 10 years in the mines and now married to June, they decided to emigrate to Alberta, Canada, where Malcolm worked on the drift mines. They returned to England after a couple of years as June found it hard to settle in Canada.
Once back in England, Malcolm and June came to visit a friend in Morecambe who owned a guest house. This was at a time in the 1970s when the holiday trade was booming in Morecambe. Malcolm and June bought a guest house which they ran together while Malcolm was also working as an electrician at Heysham Power Station and for local firms. They sold the guest house in the early 1980s and bought a hotel which was later converted to a care home for people with learning disabilities, after which Malcolm decided to retire.
Malcolm joined Heysham Lodge in December 1978 and progressed through all of the offices, taking the chair in 1991. He later served for many years as director of ceremonies and then as almoner. He currently holds the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden.
Malcolm has previously been a member of Morecambe Chapter No 1561 and he is now a member of the Provincial Grand Stewards’ Chapter of West Lancashire No 8516.
Malcolm enjoys spending his leisure time with his great-granddaughter and going on cruise holidays with his wife, which they have been doing for the past 30 years. He enjoys watching football and is a supporter of both Newcastle United and Morecambe Football Club.
