There was a unique celebration at Victory Lodge No 6238 which will probably never be repeated. Edgar (Eddie) Lees and Gordon Lees celebrated 70 years of Freemasonry, with a WM Kenneth Jones who is now 100 years. The venue for this celebration was the Liverpool Masonic Hall in Hope Street. WM Kenneth Jones opened the lodge in due form and completed all the domestic business of the lodge before opening the lodge in second and third degree.
Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Peter Littlehales, entered the lodge and announced that Frank Umbers, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, stands without and demands admission. Frank Umbers entered the lodge and was accompanied by John Reynolds Provincial Senior Grand Warden, Alan Riley Provincial Grand Almoner, David Johnson Liverpool Group Chairman and other distinguished brethren. Kenneth Jones formally received Frank Umbers and offered him the gavel which on this occasion he gratefully accepted. Frank closed the lodge in the third degree and resumed labour in the first degree after receiving the appropriate salutations.
Frank then requested that Gordon and Eddie Lees be seated in a convenient place in the lodge before him and made comfortable. Frank then began: “Brethren, it is without a doubt, our privilege to be here this evening and have the opportunity to pay honour to two remarkable Masons whose unwavering dedication and faithful service has illuminated our fraternity for an extraordinary 70 years. It is also fitting that we, as their brothers, gather to express our sincere gratitude and admiration for all they have done. Their outstanding contributions have enriched Victory Lodge and Freemasonry in general.
Gordon Lees, you were born in July 1934 in Liverpool, being the slightly elder brother, by some 20 minutes or so, of your twin Eddie. You have two sisters, Audrey who is the eldest sibling and Madeleine the youngest. Your parents, Robert Gordon Lees and Hilda Ellen Lees, were also born in Liverpool in the early part of the 20th century. You grew up in Childwall, and both attended Rudston Road Primary School, which still exists, after which you both went to the Liverpool Institute High School, leaving there in 1949 both in possession of the School Certificate. It is at this point that you chose different professional paths. Gordon, as the older twin, I understand that you periodically remind Eddie of this distinction, I will talk about you first.
Gordon, you chose not to join the family firm and in 1950 became articled to a Mr F B Jones, Building and Quantity Surveyor and went on to train as a Chartered Surveyor from 1950 to 1954. You gained the National Certificate in Building in 1953 and Higher National Certificate in 1955 from the Liverpool College of Building. You continued studying for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) examinations, gaining Associate Membership (Quantity Surveying) of the RICS in 1957. It was in 1972 that you were elected a Fellow of the Institution.
You were called up to do your National Service in 1957, joining the RAF and were stationed at RAF Middleton St George (Fighter Command) in County Durham as a servicing recorder. Your duties involved recording and analysing time spent servicing, modifying and repairing fighter aircraft and reporting results weekly to Fighter Command HQ, reporting aircraft availability daily to the Station Commander and reporting pilot availability daily to Command HQ.
Having met your dear wife to be, Shirley, at dancing lessons when you were both in your late teens, you married her at Childwall Parish Church on 10 October 1959, immediately after the completion of your National Service. You subsequently had two children, your daughter Corinne who is married to Peter and your son Andrew. In 1960, you became a Senior Assistant at John Dansken & Purdie (established in 1858), Chartered Quantity Surveyors. You moved up to team leader in 1963, and became a Partner in 1967, and later served as Senior Partner of the Liverpool office in 1988. You served on the Committee of the Merseyside Branch of the Quantity Surveyors Division of the RICS 1972-198, you were secretary from 1973-1977 and chairman 1978.
From 1981 to 1986, you served as an Assessor for the RICS Test of Professional Competence. Between 1984 and 1986, In addition, you also acted as the Branch Liaison Officer for the same test. Furthermore, from 1972 to 1980, you delivered a two-day lecture on Cost Planning of Buildings at the University of Liverpool School of Architecture. You chose to retire 1993.
Gordon, you have enjoyed many hobbies over the years, notably dinghy sailing and racing during 1960s and early 70s, as well as badminton and squash. You trained at Woodvale Aviation and gained a Private Pilot’s Licence in 1992. You were Secretary of the Flying Club at RAF Woodvale 1999-2006. Since obtaining your licence, you have enjoyed many flying holidays. You have flown around the complete perimeter coastline of Australia and on other occasions, flew over the interior of that country, flying over Ayres Rock and visiting Longreach, Brisbane and many other wonderful Australian sites. This was all in a single engine Cessna aeroplane, with Shirley safely navigating throughout the journey. Not satisfied with this, in similar manner, they have also explored New Zealand, Thailand and Europe by air, to say nothing about flying down Death Valley, visiting Furnace Creek (it is that hot!!) and other National Parks in the USA. These days you and Shirley now restrict yourselves to less exciting, but very enjoyable holidays. The Cotswolds is one of your favourite places, and in May they you be flying to Naples, courtesy of EasyJet rather than in the Cessna, to explore the beautiful Amalfi coast.
Over to you Eddie, you decided that you would join the family firm, JG Lees Ltd, as your father had before you, your grandfather having founded the company some years earlier. It was in 1950 that you started to serve your time as a joiner; you completed your apprenticeship in 1955. Concurrently, you pursued part-time studies, attaining the National Certificate in Building from Liverpool College of Building in 1954, followed by the Higher National Certificate in 1956. In 1959, you obtained Licentiate Membership of the Institute of Builders. But it was shortly after the completion of your apprenticeship and gaining your HNC, in 1956, that you were called up to do your National Service. You joined the RAF and after completing your basic training you were stationed at RAF Seletar in Singapore. You served as a junior technician in the General Engineering Squadron. Upon returning from National Service and returning to the work place you were appointed as a Director of the Company, subsequently becoming the Managing Director in 1971. In 1993, you made the decision to close the company and retire.
You met your wife to be Geraldine in the 1950s and were married her on 20 June 1961 at Childwall Parish Church. Together, you had two daughters, Karen and Heidi. Karen is married to Justin and have two daughters: Natalie and Eleanor. Heidi is married to Roger and have three sons: Jack, Thomas and George. Geraldine sadly passed away in June 1997.
Eddie, going back in time, it was in 1956 whilst you were in Singapore that you learned to sail. You took part in the Far East Championships in 1957 and were second in the individual and captain of the winning team in the Team Racing Championship. You continued sailing on your return to the UK until 1973. Both you and Gordon had a love of sailing which you did for many years at Liverpool Sailing Club behind Speke airport. You started before the river Mersey was cleaned up which was a strong factor in making sure the boat did not capsize! You both enjoyed the competition and were highly successful sailors. In need of a new adrenaline kick, you joined a glider club in North Wales in 1992, where you obtained the Bronze Certificate in 1993, the Silver Certificate in 1994. Gold Height Certificate in 1994 and Diamond Height Certificate in 1997. The latter for achieving an altitude of 5,000m. This is sadly a hobby which you no longer pursue, you describe gliding as one of the most enjoyable experiences you ever had. I am told, your eyes light up with enthusiasm when you describe some of the experiences you had in chasing thermals and updrafts to gain height.
You also enjoyed road cycling, at which, he became very proficient, particularly doing time trials, in the pursuit of which you twice fractured your skull. Unfortunately, an unobservant car driver decided to knock you off the road which swiftly brought an end to that hobby. But as the saying goes, you cannot keep a good man down, and consequently, you then took up walking and still walk five miles a day when the weather permits. Eddie you also enjoy travelling and have had many trips, most notably Australia and New Zealand in motorhomes. You took great delight in exploring the interior of both countries and particularly enjoyed the sites and scenery in the vast outback of Australia. and also travelled to and explored the Middle East with your daughter.
Turning to the Masonic history of Gordon and Eddie, your father was a member of Victory Lodge and after being proposed by him and seconded by A Cundall. You were initiated together into this your mother lodge, Victory Lodge on 6 April 1956 by the WM, T S Jones, the father of the lodge’s current WM Ken Jones. After that date there was a slight divergence in your respective Masonic paths.
Gordon, you were passed to the second degree on 19 October 1956, raised to the third degree 21 December 1956, and therefore became a master Mason prior to being called up for National Service. You were Installed as WM in February 1970 by J G Alsop. You have always been busy in support of the lodge and were treasurer from 1977 to 1982, almoner 1983-1987, had two periods as group representative from 1991-93 and 2014 to date, auditor since 2013 and in support of the lodge, have taken the wardens’ chairs on numerous occasions. You received a subsequent promotion to your current very high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1986
Eddie, you were called up before you could be passed to the second degree and therefore, had the interesting experience of being passed and raised in Eastern Gate Lodge No 2970 English constitution in the District Grand Lodge of Eastern Archipelago meeting in Coleman Street, Singapore. You continued your progress on your return from Singapore and were installed into the master’s chair of Victory Lodge in February 1971 by the immediate past master, your twin brother Gordon. You, too, have always been engaged in the running of the lodge and were appointed assistant secretary in 1977, the following year you took over as secretary until 1982, then treasurer from 1983 to 85 in succession to Gordon and at various times have been ADC and junior deacon. You too have been one of the lodge auditors since 2013 you had a subsequent promotion to the very high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1986.
Since your 60 anniversaries, you have both continued to immerse yourselves in lodge business, with a high attendance rate at both regular and monthly committee meetings. And have also either held office or stood in for SD, JW, SW, group representative, with Gordon being the lodges SD for the last three years. Gordon and Eddie Lees, you have set an example to us all in your lives, lives full of commitment and devotion to your family, hard work and success in your careers, lives full of excitement, danger, and achievement and now 70 years of dedication and service to Freemasonry. On behalf of all present, I offer you both our sincerest congratulations and wish you continued happiness and contentment in the years ahead. And I now call upon the group chairman Dave Johnson to read your certificates from our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews.
Gordon and Eddie Lees, it gives me immense pleasure to present to you on behalf of our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews your certificates in recognition of your achievement of completing 70 years in Freemasonry. Before I sit down, I have one more pleasurable duty to perform on behalf of our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews and that is to invest you both as Past Provincial Senior Grand Wardens of this great Province of West Lancashire.”
During the festive board, Frank Umbers in response to this toast said: “It is important Freemasonry is all about making good men better, looking after each other and your lodges.” Gordon Lees also responded how he learnt humility with a strong moral code thoroughly enjoyed Freemasonry taking on different roles in the lodge enjoyed being in the lodge and thanked everyone for attending. To complete the evening, a guest of the lodge was Mark Phillips from Williamsburg Lodge No 6 presented the WM Kenneth Jones with a pin from the Grand Lodge of Virginia.
