It is often very difficult to know where to begin with the story of the life of a brother who has completed 50 years in Freemasonry. The task of doing so for Steven Reid Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the Province of West Lancashire is made that bit more onerous due to his impressive medical and Masonic CV. Fortunately, for the members and visitors of Semper Fidelis Lodge No 4428, the lot fell to the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews.
In a lodge room packed with the great and the good from several generations of Freemasons, the scene was set for a grand entrance to be made by Mark, two current Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, the immediate Past Provincial Grand Master, eight Past Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and several acting Provincial grand officers. These numbers were enhanced by the many grand officers already keeping the north east corner warm.
However, on receiving the gavel from WM Roger Grocott, Mark Matthews assumed command of the lodge and was saluted by all present. Then it was down to the main business of the evening and Steven Reid was seated in a place of honour before the pedestal and Mark proceeded to tell the story of Steven’s life in and out of Masonry.
Steven was born in Lytham Hospital in March 1949. So it is fair to say that he is a true Sandgrown’un. Other famous people born the same year were, Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant, snooker player Alex Higgins, actress Zoe Wanamaker and rock musician, song writer and Freemason, Rick Wakeman.
Key events of 1949, included the first network television broadcasts in America. The former British colony of Newfoundland joined Canada as its 10th Province. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington DC, creating the NATO Alliance and Legal Aid began in England and Wales. Popular songs in that year included Some Enchanted Evening, Mule Train, Red Roses for a Blue Lady and Baby its Cold Outside.
Steven grew up in Mythop Road, Lytham and attended local schools, eventually arriving at the age of 7 at Arnold Junior School, later moving onto Arnold Senior School in South Shore, Blackpool. Steven was obviously very bright, the system at Arnold was that he took his O and A Levels a year early. So at aged 17 with A Levels in hand he was ready to further his education.
Acting on advice from his father, Steven turned down offers of places at English and Scottish universities, to follow him in studying medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Whilst at Trinity College, Steven’s academic gift continued to flourish, as he passed all of his examinations with ease. Such was his success that he was awarded a variety of prizes and elected a Foundation Scholar, a system whereby those students assist the Provost and Fellows to run the university. What this actually means is, for the next 5 years at college, Steven had free rooms, free meals and a handsome salary. So the theme continues, Steven was now not only very bright, but considerably richer too!
Another perk at that time was that Steven became a ‘waiter’, who on many an occasion said grace before and after the evening meal in the ‘Commons’. The text was lengthy and in Latin. This proved to be invaluable to Steven’s other great skill as a Masonic ritualist, and perhaps even far more importantly as a first-rate wine steward.
Steven qualified as a doctor in 1971, and during his house year at Dr Steevens’ Hospital in Dublin he met nurse Mary Shanahan, who he married in 1975. They have been blessed with three daughters and eight grandchildren.
Having an interest in the miracle of childbirth Steven practiced obstetrics, followed by various surgical posts, becoming by examination a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. This was achieved at the young age of 28. Steven then switched to general practice, becoming a partner at his father’s Lytham practice. He continued in that role from 1980 until his retirement in 2009.
Steven has supported the Ireland rugby team since 1963, when he watched his first international, which was between Ireland and England. Remarkably for a rugby match, which was actually a compelling one, the final score was nil-nil.
Golf has been Steven’s sport since the age of 10, when he learnt to play in the west of Ireland. Since 1965, he has been a member of Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club. He became Captain in 1996, which was the year in which the Open Championship was held at Lytham and had the great honour of presenting the Claret Jug to the winner Tom Lehman. Steven also presented the silver medal to the best placed amateur, a chap named Tiger Woods.
In 2001, Steven was given a prestigious role within the medical team at the Open Golf, He then became Deputy Chief Medical Officer in 2003. In 2010 he was appointed as the Chief Medical Officer, running the medical services at the Open for a further five years. Another golf related achievement came in 2017, when he was appointed President of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs.
Not content with being an excellent scholar, doctor and golf aficionado, Steven has also proven to be an accomplished author. He has had books published on the topics of golf and childbirth. In particular, one book called Bobby’s Open, was about how an American amateur, Bobby Jones, who won the open at Lytham in 1926. That book won not only the Golf Category in the Times Book Awards in 2013, but also the overall Times Sports Book of the Year. Steven has currently been working on his latest book, all about his grandfather a past master of Lodge of Triumph No 1061 in 1932, and his many experiences in the Royal Navy during the First World War.
In January 1974, a medical colleague introduced Steven to Freemasonry in Dublin. He was initiated into Trinity College Lodge No 357. His proud father, who was a Lancashire Mason, attended the ceremony. As Steven was leaving Ireland in May 1974, the lodge worked hard to complete his second and third degrees, to ensure that he was a master Mason by the time that he left. Steven remains a member of his mother lodge to this day, which he often visits with members of Semper Fidelis Lodge, often giving demonstrations of our ceremonies.
Upon Steven’s return to Lancashire, an option was to join Lytham Lodge No 6915 with his father and three uncles. Not wishing to be a part of a family hierarchy and wanting to stand on his own two feet he joined Semper Fidelis Lodge, being proposed by Norman Allan and seconded by Ken Rich. In 1982, Steven became master and proved to be a very good ritualist. He installed his successor in 1983, an occasion that saw the visit of the Provincial Grand Master Alan Ferris and his predecessor Sir Knowles Edge.
In 1985, Steven was appointed acting Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies. He completed three years in that role, before moving to the Royal Arch for another three years of service. In 1993, Ken Moxley appointed Steven as Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Royal Arch. At this time he worked with the Reverends Brian Oddy and Ken Cox to produce scripture texts for installation ceremonies from the new revised version of the Bible.
In 1998 Colin Penty Wright appointed Steven as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master, with responsibility for the South Blackpool and South Fylde lodges. He took it upon himself to halt a decline in Senatores Lodge No 8966, after Assistant Provincial Grand Master Bill Huck, attending an installation with only 45 Masons present, took them to task for losing their way. Most lodges at that time had first time masters. Steven introduced a scheme whereby recent past masters of other lodges were offered an associate membership of £2 a year for a three-year period, this in turn allowed them to receive summonses. The scheme worked extremely well, as within a few years the lodge membership exceeded 300. Steven also came up with many ideas to raise funds for charitable causes. This included events such as a Midnight Matinee at the Opera House, Blackpool. Also, ritual demonstrations from the Oklahoma Native American Degree Team.
In 2005 Steven was appointed Royal Arch Deputy Grand Superintendent. His commitment to the Royal Arch was strongly evidenced in his work and efforts regarding demonstrations of the ‘Passing of the Veils’ and in the ‘’Enhanced Workings’ of the ceremony of exaltation. He retired as Deputy Grand Superintendent after 9 years of service in 2014.
In 2022, Mark had the honour of being the principal guest at the centenary celebration for Semper Fidelis Lodge. As the centenary year WM, Steven welcomed him into the lodge, resplendent in white tie and tails, which was Steven’s tribute to the founders. He maintained that way of dressing for each of the meetings in that year.
In congratulating Steven on his many achievements Mark said: “For almost 30 years you held Provincial office. You certainly encouraged curiosity in the minds of the brethren and companions. You were then and still are a leader, champion and role model for all that is good about Freemasonry. Your private life has been one of high achievement and service. Your Masonic career is nothing short of glittering and exceptional. I hope that you will continue to enjoy the Craft for many years to come. Thank you for all that you have done for our wonderful Province.”
Group Chairman Ben Gorry then read the celebration certificate, which Mark then presented. Group vice chairman, Ian Park, then presented Steven with his 50-year lapel badge.
After the meeting, nearly 90 members and guests sat down to a veritable feast of St Annes catering supplied by Lee Monro and his team. The customary toasts were observed with Duncan Smith responding for the grand officers and Mark Matthews responding on his own behalf, both responses were deliberately short leaving ample time for the toast to the celebrant, proposed by Nigel Bradshaw and Steven’s response.
Nigel began his toast to the celebrant by voicing the esteem that Steven was held in by all present and many more besides, largely due to the positive influence he had exerted on so many of the brethren over the years. Recapitulating on some of the detail already outlined by Mark Matthews, Nigel added some humour into the proceedings by telling of Steven’s attempt to escape from school at the grand age of two and of Steven’s job of saying grace in Latin when he had actually learned German at school. He went on to describe occasions when members of Semper Fidelis Lodge demonstrated our ritual on visits to Trinity College Lodge.
Nigel also spoke of Steven’s work on books about golf and Freemasonry, as well as his many promotions and appointments in Freemasonry. He reminded the brethren that Steven had been the master of Semper Fidelis Lodge on three occasions, the last of which had been the lodge’s centenary meeting, for which Steven had written a lengthy history which had been published specifically for the event. He concluded by advising that Steven was currently the lodge mentor, in which capacity he continued to be an inspiration to all.
In his response Steven spoke of his delight at seeing so many familiar faces and particularly the plethora of Past Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and members of the Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Mess. He went on to explain the circumstances of his initiation in Dublin and of his proposer and seconder, the latter who had risen to be the Deputy Grand Master of Ireland. He thanked the lodge for accepting him as a joining member all those years ago and spoke with some fondness of many of the members over the years. He concluded by saying what a privilege it had been to serve the Province of West Lancashire for so many years.
The finale of the festive board was a presentation of several bottles of wine to Steven from the lodge members and a presentation of flowers to Mark Matthews for his wife Debbie. Then, as ever, the tyler’s toast proposed by John Nicholls.