Brethren attending the meeting of Lactodorum Lodge No. 8526 on Thursday the 20th of April 2023 were not only pleased to witness an excellent Initiation ceremony, but they were also privy to WBro Bill Pendray PPJGW (Surrey) receiving a well-deserved 60-year long-service certificate from fellow Lactodorum member WBro Bob Cox PAGDC.
From left, WBro Bob Cox PAGDC, WBro Bill Pendray PPJGW (Surrey), and WBro Paul Weatherley (Lactodorum Lodge WM)
Before presenting the certificate, WBro Bob, who is also one of the South-West Group Officers, paid tribute to WBro Bill's life and Masonic service:
Bill was born in Battersea in May 1935 where he lived with his Mum, Dad and older sister Edna. After the War, Bill did National Service in the RAF and met his wife Patricia at the Hammersmith Palais on New Year’s Eve in 1955 and they married on 1st March 1958. Following their marriage Bill and his wife lived in Tooting and then moved to Mitcham in Surrey where they brought up their two children Paul and Jane.
At this time Bill was working as a Painter and Decorator, a trade he continued to practise until his early seventies when he decided finally to hang up his brushes and move to Roade to be near to his daughter Jane, thus leading to him joining Lactodorum Lodge in December 2008.
Now, the astute among you will have worked out that WBro Bill came to us with forty-five years of service under his belt having been initiated into Newark Priory Lodge No 5396 in the Province of Surrey in April 1963 at a time when Lawrence Roger, 11th Earl of Scarborough was Grand Master, Harold MacMillan was in Downing Street and JFK was President of the USA.
Bill was passed to the second degree in April 1964 by which time Sir Alec Douglas Hume had taken over from MacMillan and LBJ was in The White House following JFK’s assassination in November 1963.
Bill was then Raised to the Sublime degree of a MM in January 1965, by which time the Americans, still under LBJ were carrying out regular bombing raids on North Vietnam and closer to home, Harold Wilson was PM and our much respected former Prime Minister War time leader and Freemason, Sir Winston Churchill was rapidly approaching the end of his mortal existence (on 24th Jan that year) with a full state funeral to follow.
A couple of years later, in Feb 1967, Bro Bill became Comp Bill as he was exalted into Newark Priory Chapter No 5396 by which time, the Sixties were really swinging, and Bill’s Masonic career was certainly booming.
Bill progressed through the various Offices in Newark Priory Lodge and took the Chair there in Oct 1975 serving again as JW in 1992 season and then as Director of Ceremonies from 2006 to 2010 with a year as ADC thrown in 2010/11 season. This hard work and commitment in his mother Lodge resulted in Provincial recognition and his first appointment was to Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in June 1985 and his most recent to Past Provincial JGW in the Province of Surrey in 2004.
In the HRA, E Comp Bill’s career history is still more extensive, having been MEZ in Newark Priory Chapter No 5396 on two separate occasions and Earl Spencer Chapter No 1420 once, as well as being a member of North Surrey First Principals No 5905 and St John’s Chapter No 1564 (in the Province of Surrey) before joining the Chapter of Fidelity here in this Province in 2018.
In Chapter, this intense activity resulted in a first appointment to Provincial Grand rank (in Surrey) in 1986 and continued with three further appointments through to May 2002 when Bill was promoted to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nemiah (Surrey).
Brethren, in April 2013 W Bro Bill was presented his 50-year certificate in the Province of Surrey, and while Newark Priory Lodge was erased in March 2014, it now gives me great pleasure, on behalf of our Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Mark Constant, to present this Diamond Jubilee, 60-year Certificate this evening.
After receiving his certificate, WBro Bill explained that he had been due to move to the United States but meeting his wife, Pat, at the Hammersmith Palais put paid to that!
Pat is very sadly no longer with us, but Bill has very fond memories of their time together and is very proud of their 2-children, 5-grandchildren, and 1-great-grandchild with 1-more on the way!
We congratulate WBro Bill on receiving his long-service certificate and are so pleased to see him still enjoying his Freemasonry. The smile on his face says it all!