At Southport Masonic Hall, a celebration was held for a decorated member of Ainsdale Samaritan Lodge No 4342. Bill Fawley has spent his life as true Mason’s Mason, working tirelessly inside and outside his Masonic life for the benefit of others. The esteem he was held in was obvious to all even before proceedings began with the brethren warmly greeting each other with smiles outside the lodge room, and a large number of visitors having made a special effort to attend. This included a large Provincial contingent including Assistant Provincial Grand Master David Thomas and his team, who had made the journey to Southport to make the presentation and take part in the celebrations, as well as the group chairman Phil Stock.
The lodge was first opened in perfect step by the WM Richard Gillett, who conducted the business of the lodge prior to the main event of the evening. This included voting on a new candidate as the exceptional Ainsdale Samaritan Lodge continues to go from strength to strength. The lodge was then opened in the third degree and the Provincial contingent then proceeded in with great fanfare, David Thomas being accompanied by the group chairman Phil Stock and grand officers. The procession was orchestrated perfectly by Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Bryan Cambidge on only his second visit, showing the confidence and attention to detail that would surely become the hallmarks of his time in office.
David was offered the gavel by Richard in due form, which he accepted with grace before asking for Bill to be brought before him. He then went on to regale the lodge with the detail of Bill’s life, a life filled with accomplishment both inside and outside Freemasonry.
Bill was born in August 1930 in Gorton, Manchester. It was an adventurous start to life when in 1939 he and his younger sister Pauline were evacuated during the Second World War. Thankfully it wasn’t for long but Bill remembers being very delighted when, on returning, the schools were still closed. By his own admission he perhaps didn’t always try his hardest, but nevertheless Bill excelled at school and at age 10 passed the scholarship exams to go to Manchester Central High School for Boys. The school days were unusual during the war years and Bill still remembers his teacher with tears in his eyes when the ‘paper boys’ delivered word of the D-Day landings. Bill himself ran a news sheet which his friend Brian Statham, who would go on to become a world-famous cricketer, sold for him before morning assembly. It proved to be prophetic, with Bill already showing the talent for business and appetite for hard work that would become the hallmarks of his life. It wasn’t all work though, with opportunities to sleep in the air raid shelters (when they weren’t full of water) and collecting shrapnel in the avenue from the nearby anti-aircraft battery!
After leaving school, Bill started firstly with a firm of chartered surveyors in Manchester City Centre where he stayed for 6 years, only broken by his National Service with the RAF. In 1952 he went to work with a Manchester building contractor, run by a Yorkshireman known affectionately as ‘Rumf’. Rumf ran and operated his business in a way that people claimed were new many years later. Bill never met a man of his standing again and he still has vivid memories of him parading through Manchester with his umbrella and bowler hat. In 1961, on receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse, Bill reluctantly left and moved to the largest home builder in the country. The company only operated in the south and the midlands and Bill was hired to expand their operations northwards, leading to a move to Southport. A takeover led to a further move however and Bill joined a contractor in Liverpool, with whom he remained for 18 years, rising to the position of Deputy Managing Director.
In the early 80’s, Bill started his own company, finding to his surprise just how respected and highly thought of he was around the industry, as friends and local authorities allowed him to bid for work. The business was a huge success, with the bank returning the house deeds he had used as collateral within 6 months. He operated all over the north west including in Liverpool, The Wirral, Manchester, Preston and Southport, including flats on the site of the former St Paul’s church about 75 yards from Southport Masonic Hall. Bill was extremely active in the industry, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and the founding Chairman of the North West Construction Safety Group. He had the fortune to work on many prestigious projects meeting Prince Phillip and Princess Diana. He and his wife also had the good fortune to visit St James Palace when the CIOB held a reception in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. With some reluctance Bill finally called time on his illustrious career in 2002, leaving behind legacies in stone that will surely be there for centuries to come.
Bill’s personal life was just as rich. He married his wife Vivian in 1957, and she became his rock and support. The marriage was blessed with four children, Michael, Ian, David and Claire, all of whom have enjoyed their own successful careers. Bill’s family now extends to four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Bill was also an active sportsman. He is President of the Liverpool District Table Tennis League and has been for the last 24 years, and was a member of the management committee. He also sponsors the closed championship, which has been called the Bill Fawley Closed Championship since 1984. He was also a keen golfer, having been a member of Southport and Ainsdale golf Club for the last 58 years. Away from sports he was an elected councillor for Longdendale for three years, and was asked by Stalybridge and Hyde constituency to consider joining the list of prospective parliamentary candidates. It didn’t take him long to say no.
Bill’s masonic career shone just as brightly. He was originally initiated into Ainsdale Lodge No 5884 in December 1974, serving as WM in 1985. When Ainsdale merged with Samaritan Lodge, he joined the newly combined Ainsdale Samaritan Lodge No 4342 in February 2011. He worked for his lodges and achieved a serious of promotions matching his success outside Masonry. He served as director of ceremonies in Ainsdale Lodge, treasurer and vice chairman of the Masonic Hall Committee and treasurer of the Garden Party. This unsurprisingly led to a series of promotions and he rose to the coveted rank of ProvGStwd in 1991, was promoted to PPSGD in 1995, and in 2007 to the high rank of PPGSuptWs. In the Royal Arch, he was exalted into Ainsdale Chapter No 5884 in September 1979, going on to serve as treasurer for 12 years. He was also a founding member of Silver Jubilee Chapter of Installed First Principals No 8818 in January 1994. In Provincial Grand Chapter, he was appointed to the acting rank of Provincial 1st Assistant Grand Sojourner in May 1995, and promoted to the very high rank of PPGSN in May 2007.
After the description of his rather impressive life and career, which enraptured the brethren present, Bill was handed his certificate by Phil Stock and presented to the lodge room to heartfelt applause. Richard then resumed the chair and closed the lodge with his customary eloquence.
The evening proceeded to the festive board, and a description of the evening cannot pass without reference to the speeches. Phil Stock first rose to thank David for coming and conducting the presentation in such a knowledgeable and heartfelt way. David, after thanking Phil, the grand officers and his own team then seamlessly turned to toast the principal guest of the evening. Ainsdale Samarian Lodge then resumed the floor as Chris Hindle rose to raise the toast to Bill. Chris first thanked Bill for his 65 years of true friendship to his family, before taking pains to praise Bill’s integrity, fairness, honesty and all-round decency. Bill was then presented a whisky glass and decanter set with a personalised engraving.
The final word of course belonged to Bill himself, who immediately began to show his customary humility by making his speech not about himself but others. He began by thanking Chris and calling his praise generous, before thanking his esteemed visitors. Bill then began to entertain the brethren with tales on his early Masonic years and the great men he has known. However, he showed his kindness by also praising the Masons of his lodge today, going so far as to say the ritual is as good as it has ever been. He praised those brethren who over the years had helped take care of the wonderful Southport Masonic Hall and said how pleased he was that the hall manageress Julie was there as they both joined in the same year. As the exceptionally fine evening drew to a close, none were left in any doubt that even with 50 years on this outstanding Mason, he continues to shine brightly and set an example to younger brethren of how to live life the right way, through the continued application of integrity, hard work and true Masonic values.