John Youldon celebrated 60 wonderful years in Freemasonry at Hand and Heart Lodge No 4109 at Urmston Masonic Hall. Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Stuart Boyd, demanded admission and was warmly welcomed into the lodge to give all those present a look into the life, both personally and Masonically, of John. Stuart was also accompanied by Trafford Group Chairman, Patrick Walsh, together with Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, Phil Renney, with other grand and Provincial grand officers.
As this was an extra meeting in the year of the lodge, there was nothing to distract from John’s ceremony. After the lodge was opened and the dispensation read, the lodge was pleased to receive Stuart, who was introduced to the WM, Ken Harding. After the salutations to Stuart, Ken offered him the gavel of the lodge, which on this occasion, he was delighted to accept. Phil Renney then gave an instruction to collect John and place him on a chair in front of Stuart. Having previously spent time with John, Stuart set about informing everyone in the lodge about his life, work and Masonic career.
John was born in 1939 in Streatham, London and he shared the family home with his father, who was a production engineer, his mother, who was a nurse and his younger brother. John’s father had had an interesting career path, having gone to Canada in his late teens, working for a cattle company as a cowboy, before returning to the UK and working first as a comedian and then increasing his need for horsepower by setting up his own light engineering business repairing bus engines.
Being born in 1939, as with all of his generation, his early life included the war years. His parents had reserved occupations during the war and he remembers wardrobes falling on them all during air raids with the house at the back of his own home disappearing during one of them. He also remembers the family all hiding under the stairs and himself feeling worried about being squashed in his Morrison air raid shelter.
The family then moved to Croydon and John started school, which he said he enjoyed ‘except for the learning bits’. After prep school, he attended a primary school in Finchley, gaining a scholarship to attend grammar school. It was at grammar school that his love and aptitude for sport, particularly running and athletics, came to the fore and he achieved the Victor Ludorum School trophy in the javelin, high jump and 1,500 metres. Whilst at school his commitment to serve also came through and he joined the school’s army cadet force.
On leaving school at 16 he worked in his father’s engineering business for four years until at the age of 20 he was called up for national service into the Royal Engineers and was posted to London. After basic training he became an adjutant clerk at Mill Hill Barracks and recalls how the adjutant just wanted to play golf until he retired. During his fairway absences John ran the camp at Mill Hill Barracks. This allowed him to make many new friends as he became the gatekeeper to the weekend passes which were just signed off by the adjutant on his way to the first tee at the golf course.
His father was chairman of the Croydon Chamber of Commerce and his genetic family business acumen blossomed in the army. He recalled how he found a source of investment to purchase ladies’ stockings in bulk, which he then sold through the Barracks Post Office with the appropriate profit margins for himself and the post office staff involved.
On completing his national service and after first taking a job at The Law Accident Insurance Brokers, he remained unsure of his next career move. Divine intervention then took place and John had a conversation with his uncle, who was a religious document printer. John saw him as being successful and he remembered him having a decent car. So, in testament to his work ethic, he went to work for him, selling bibles and other religious scripts to churches and other religious establishments. Whilst successful in this career change, he still felt he hadn’t found his niche and so rather than wandering in the wilderness, he returned to his father’s firm whilst pondering which career path to take.
It was then that, out of the blue, John got a letter from Whitehall, inviting him to an interview for the civil service. After the interview and thinking no more of it, he carried on working at his father’s firm, only to be invited for a second interview and at this second interview, he was offered a job, which he accepted.
He started this new job in 1963 and it transpired to be with the Ministry of Defence, which gave him great satisfaction and in the discharge of which, he met many interesting people. In recognition of his work with the civil service and the MOD, he was awarded the honorary rank of Colonel.
Travelling this journey with him was initially his first wife, Barbara, with whom he had two children. Stuart mentioned how during a family holiday on Sicily, a local man took rather more than a passing interest in his daughter. It transpired that the man was the son of the local ‘Godfather’ and consequently, the locals could not do enough for John and his family. This potential coming together of the two families was an offer he had to refuse due to his civil service career and the friendship was quickly discouraged.
He met his current wife, Sandy, on his birthday when, prior to hosting a celebratory party, he went to the local pub to pick up some glasses. Sandy and a friend were there and he bought them a drink whilst the pub landlord was packing up his glasses. He invited them to his birthday party and the rest is history with frequent family get-togethers.
Masonically, John was initiated into Welcome Lodge No 5055 in the Province of Surrey in 1965, proposed by his father, Leslie and seconded by George Cave, a solicitor whom he also knew. Always one to be involved, he held many offices before becoming WM of Welcome Lodge in 1984, after which he was also treasurer for two years and secretary for five and was elected an honorary member of Welcome Lodge in 2011.
He was also a member of East Surrey Masters Lodge No 5888 in Surrey and remains a member of Good Neighbour Lodge No 8378 in the Province of West Kent. In Surrey, he was also a companion in Welcome Chapter No 5055, becoming first principal in 1991 for two years and for added variety, he was a companion in Mozart Chapter No 1929.
His sterling work was recognised by the Province of Surrey, with him receiving his first Provincial Craft appointment to PPJGD in 1992 and being promoted to PPJGW in 1999. He then received his 50 years certificate of Service to Masonry from the Province of Surrey in 2015. He was also made a PPGSoj in the Royal Arch, receiving this appointment from the Province of Surrey in 2002 and Stuart added his congratulations to those of the Provincial Grand Masters of Surrey on these appointments and promotions.
When he and Sandy moved north, stretching his logistical ties to his football team, FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, he continued his commitment to Freemasonry, joining Radio Millennium Lodge No 9709 in the Province of West Lancashire in 2008. Again, always wishing to be involved and serve, he held the offices of charity steward for four years and was assistant secretary and junior warden for two years each. In 2017, he joined Hand and Heart Lodge No 4109, holding the offices of steward and inner guard and it was with immense pleasure and pride that Hand and Heart Lodge had the honour of hosting his 60th celebration this evening.
Stuart then went on to say that the Provincial Grand Master, Mark Matthews, had produced and signed a celebratory certificate to commemorate the evening, which was then read aloud by Trafford Group Chairman Patrick Walsh and presented to John by Stuart, followed by well-deserved applause from all present. At this point, Stuart invited Ken to retake his rightful place as Worshipful Master and returned the gavel to him.
When it was time for Stuart to retire from the lodge, he invited the celebrant, John, to retire with him and the other grand officers.
The social board afterwards, as usual at Hand and Heart Lodge, was quite a joyous and lively event. Stuart rose to add his congratulations to those of Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews and then lodge stalwart Steve Masters rose to give the toast to John, clearly moved. John then responded by giving his thanks to all those who had helped him over the years and particularly to the members of Hand and Heart Lodge, thus completing a fascinating and well-deserved evening with a friendly and convivial social board.