A great event was witnessed at Liverpool Masonic Hall by members of Wavertree Gateacre Queensway Lodge No 2294, it being a golden jubilee celebration for one of its most distinguished members. The lodge was opened in the usual manner by the WM William (Bill) Kermode and the guests warmly welcomed.
Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Neil MacSymons entered to announce Assistant Provincial Grand Master Mark Dimelow, who was admitted in due form. Bill offered the gavel of the lodge to Mark, which on this occasion was accepted. Mark took the chair of King Solomon and requested Neil to please be kind enough to admit the tyler.
Bill Kermode.
When everyone was comfortable and settled Mark addressed them by saying: “Brethren, this evening we are summoned to a very special meeting, to honour and pay tribute to one who has served the Craft in general, Wavertree Gateacre Queensway Lodge No 2294 in particular, as well as Lombardian Lodge No 4887, into which he was initiated. He has served the institution and his lodges loyally and conscientiously for 50 years, I refer of course, to the worshipful master, our celebrant this evening, William (Bill) Teare Kermode Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden of the Province of West Lancashire.
Brethren, the word ‘celebrate’ means to do something enjoyable, because of a feeling of pleasure at some event or achievement. Bill is today celebrating his golden anniversary as a Freemason, which it seems to me, is most certainly an achievement well worth celebrating and your presence here this evening brethren, would appear to indicate that you share that view. Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies, would you please place the worshipful master, our celebrant, before me so that I might address him.”
Mark then began to give an outline of Bill’s life. Bill was born in 1943 in Sefton General Hospital Wavertree, the first of two sons to William Teare Kermode senior and his wife Mary Agnes Kermode nee Williams. His brother Michael was born some five years later in 1948. His father, after whom he was named, was born in Liverpool in 1916 and spent most of his working life as a dock labourer, although he spent the war years serving his country in the Royal Navy, where he was a Petty Officer working as a diesel engineer in the docks in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Bill’s mother, who was born in 1919 and was a most able woman and in the days when it was common for women to spend their lives working in the home, she spent many of her war years employed at the Rootes Group factory in Speke where she worked machining engine blocks. At other times she worked for the St David Manufacturing Company, where she spent her days patiently painting glass Christmas tree baubles, but with all due haste nevertheless, as she was paid on a piece work basis. Later she worked as a florist in the old St John’s Market. The floristry skills she learnt there lead to an ongoing family pastime that they much enjoyed, that of making their own Christmas trees using wire, flowers and other components to make the various parts of the tree.
The childhood home for Bill was in Oak Street, Wavertree, which sadly on longer exists, where he lived with his parents until he eventually married in 1966. He attended St Bridget’s Primary School until the age of 11 when he went to the Liverpool Institute High School, where he continued his education, leaving there aged 18 in 1961 with seven O Levels and an impressive four A Levels.
After High School Bill attended the Liverpool School of Pharmacy, part of Byrom Street College of Technology, leaving there in 1964 with a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and an Associate of the College of Technology, all of which equates to a first in degree terms. After a one year apprenticeship he was able to register as a pharmaceutical chemist and became a Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, he then carried the suffix M R Pharm S, which he still does.
Being born towards the end of the Second World War he was fortunate that the family weren’t evacuated. His parents had married in the early war years when people were trying to ‘keep their chins up’ and live a normal life, whilst coming to terms with the tragedies and privations caused by the war. This rollercoaster of emotions was illustrated on the day they married, having to leave the church by the back door after the ceremony, as a funeral party came in the front. In the turmoil they forgot to sign the register, the formalities only being completed a few days later when the registrar caught up with them.
Bill was an active scout during his early years, being a member of the 11th Wavertree Cubs and Scout units. He was unable to partake in the usual sports due to a childhood leg injury and this led him, during his teens, to take up long distance cycling and being the sort of chap that he is, he threw himself into this, undertaking some huge journeys. Most notably, cycling to Land’s End via Norfolk, not the route to the South West that a Sat Nav of today would suggest. He did the first leg to Norfolk in one go in 24 hours. After a little rest he continued the journey, stopping to camp the night, unwisely on Salisbury plain. Happily it wasn’t one of the evenings when the tanks were carrying out manoeuvres, so he survived to complete the journey.
On another occasion Bill and his friends decided to take a two week trip, by bicycle to the Isle of Skye via Aberdeen. As ever, not taking the easy option. Although he did admit it, after 12 days of continuous rain in Scotland, having reached Skye, he aborted the trip and came home by train. Being in the middle of nowhere he asked the warden of the hostel where he was staying, what time the bus to the station was due. He said: “When would you like it”, such was the timetable in those remote areas.
It was, however, in the hall of Ullet Road Unitarian Church one day in 1960 that Bill’s life was to change. That was the day that he met his dear wife to be, Eileen. It was at a Square Dance run by a scout group, which he attended with his friend George that they spotted two very attractive girls across the room. Eileen, who has a life long association with the scouts and guides, was one of the girls in question and she was with her friend Margaret. Bill and George decided to approach them and on the way over George said to Bill: “The dark one’s mine”, that was Margaret. Bill’s reply, which was heard by Eileen and effectively became his chat up line, was: “Does that leave me with the one with banana legs?”
Despite this less than text book approach, Bill’s easy manner and natural charm won the day and he and Eileen started going out together. It was on 17 September 1966 that they were married at St Andrew’s Church in Maghull. Bill and Eileen then travelled down to the Armada Hotel in Plymouth for a wonderful two week honeymoon. Happily, the four of them have remained friends and still get together once a year.
Bill getting married signalled the beginning of the end of his cycling career, as the joint demands of his profession, working six days a week as a pharmacist and the maintenance requirements of the marital home took priority. After their marriage they moved into what had been Eileen’s family home since birth, and so it became their family home as he left the south, passport in hand, to go to the north.
Lodge collar jewel.
In 1965 Bill had started work at S B Woods (Chemists) Ltd in the capacity of a pharmacist and subsequently purchased the company in 1970 when the owner, who was his uncle, retired. Bill sold the company in 1999 and continued work as a locum until 2008, when he unfortunately suffered a heart attack. It was during the period of rehabilitation that he decided that he had had enough and relinquished his licence to practice. He did however retain his registration and has received a letter of congratulations from the president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on completing 50 years as a Registered Pharmacist.
It was in the 1970s that a friend of Bill’s became the head of the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; he immediately had problems with theft when importing the medical, food and educational supplies required by the school, so he sought Bill’s help. He obliged by gathering together the smaller items into bigger boxes, to make theft more difficult. This developed throughout the 1970s and 80s, to the extent that the boxes became shipping containers and Bill registered as a shipping agent holding an Air Freight licence at the shop, thus enabling the containers to clear customs and further reduce theft.
This led to an involvement with the Rufiji Leprosy Trust in Utete Village, which was run by a Father Robin Lamburn. Father Lamburn incidentally, was later awarded the Albert Schweitzer medal, which is given to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to humanity. Bill attended Haven of Peace Lodge No 4385 in Dar es Salaam on one of his visits and also assisted the local Rotary Club to print 20,000 copies of a Swahili self-help book titled, ‘Where there is no doctor’.
Bill arranged the production of 50,000 re-hydration spoons in Liverpool for use in Tanzania and on another occasion went to Salford docks to acquire a bale of unwanted Second World War bandages to ship to Tanzania. Bill and Eileen continue to raise funds and source medicines for the benefit of Utete Village by giving talks about their experiences and the problems faced by the people there. They are also active in helping their local community; they assist with the maintenance and preservation of the Ancient Maghull Chapel, which is the oldest Ecclesiastical building in Merseyside still in use. It was built sometime around the early 13th century, although the exact date is unknown. They also assist in the running of ‘Focus’ which is a drop-in centre for the unemployed and elderly at Maghull Baptist Church as well as helping to run a drop-in coffee morning at Lydiate Village Centre.
Eileen maintains her association with the guides and Bill went with her by car, to what he referred to as an ‘eye ball’ camp in Sweden, which was a meeting of the internet guide and scouting community.
Bill’s, first encounter with Freemasonry was actually through Eileen’s family, namely Victor Lionel Morris PPrJGW, who was her uncle Vic. It was he who invited Bill to join Lombardian Lodge. The founders of Lombardian Lodge, Victor Morris amongst them, were Pawnbrokers, so the lodge met on a Wednesday, which was half day closing. This suited Bill as pharmacies generally did likewise. He was proposed by Victor Morris, seconded by Walter Jones, both who have now sadly passed way, and initiated into the lodge at the Carlton Club, Eberle Street on 27 April 1966.
Pictured from left to right, are: Mark Dimelow, Bill Kermode and Neil MacSymons.
His time in the lodge did however start with a slight blip when he was unable to attend the first meeting after his initiation due to the small matter of being on his honeymoon. The more draconian older members eventually forgiving him so that he were passed in October 1966, raised the following month and has made his way through the progressive offices of the lodge to be installed into the master’s chair on 24 March 1976 by Harold Holland. He enjoyed a busy and successful year in the chair, carrying out, amongst other things, two initiations and perhaps a highlight for Bill and Eileen was a very successful Ladies Night at the then popular Blundellsands Hotel in the company of some 140 people.
Bill, as we all now know is not one of life’s by-standers; unsurprisingly he got involved in the activities of the lodge from the start. This was first recognised outside of the lodge when, in 1979, he was asked to be the ‘Captain of Stewards’ by the then 6th Group Chairman Tom Siddell, at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge at Preston, hosted by the group. He found it a daunting prospect but, nevertheless, carried out his duties to the satisfaction of all concerned. Then in 1981 his contribution was recognised by the Province with an appointment to the prestigious rank of Provincial Grand Steward. A promotion to PPrSGD followed in 1985 and he was further honoured when he received his current high rank of PPrJGW in 1994.
Continued his work in Lombardian Lodge, Bill was secretary for a number of years, social secretary for 30 years as well as taking the wardens chairs on numerous occasions and the office of treasurer for a time; he was indeed a dedicated and very active member of Lombardian Lodge. Bill’s next door neighbour, the late Norman Sheron, was a member of Gateacre Lodge No 6782 and he was his permanently invited guest for many years until Dave Bell persuaded Bill to join in March 1994, becoming WM the following year and again in 2000. He took office as lodge secretary in 2001, the year prior to the amalgamation with Wavertree Lodge No 2294 and Queensway Lodge No 7157 and continued in that office until last year when the lodge elected him as its WM in recognition of his upcoming golden jubilee.
As well as being a member of Quingenti Lodge No 8516 from 1981 to 2009, which comprises of those who have held the acting rank of Provincial Grand Steward, Bill also became a Royal Arch Mason and was exalted into James T Callow Chapter No 3596 in February 1972, serving as its first principal on three occasions; 1980, 2000 and 2005. The chapter sadly closed in 2006. Bill then joined Everton Chapter No 823 in 2008 and holds the very high rank of Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah.
Bill also enjoys the privilege of being a permanently invited guest at Euxton Lodge No 7192, in the Leyland Group, which is as a result of a meeting with Patrick Martindale, who is happily present this evening, on holiday in Kos over 30 years ago. Bill has remained friends with him and his wife Trudy and even acted as their chauffeur on their wedding day 31 years ago. Patrick is currently the immediate past master of Euxton Lodge. Bill is also a member of other Masonic Orders.
Throughout his 50 years of membership of our Order, by his significant contribution to this distinguished lodge and others of which he has been a member, Bill has proved himself to be a man of great commitment, dignity, integrity and this evening he celebrates his golden jubilee in Freemasonry. Mark then called upon the group chairman Robert Povall to read the scroll which comes from the PrGM Tony Harrison.
Concluding his address Mark said: “Bill, may I conclude the proceedings here in the lodge room this evening by offering you my warmest personal congratulations on achieving this wonderful milestone in your Masonic career. You should know that I consider it both a privilege and a pleasure to be here this evening and to have been able to take part in such a happy and rewarding evening.”
The meeting was then closed and the brethren retired to a very happy festive board and the bonhomie of the evening continued.