A full house for Colin Young.

Tuesday 6th January saw a full temple at Kidderminster freemasons hall for the presentation by RW Bro Stephen Wyer of a 60 yr certificate of service to W.Bro Colin Young.

The evening was a regular lodge meeting of his mother lodge, The Lodge of Hope & Charity #377, but there was nothing regular in the proceedings.

Following a business meeting, the lodge was closed and family, partners and friends were invited into the temple to witness the presentation.

R.W.Bro Stephen Wyer led a discussion with W.Bro Colin re his early life and his various hobbies. W.Bro Colin being a proud Welshman surprised the audience when he announced that he was actually born in Birmingham to Welsh parents and then moved back to Wales as a young child. He soon returned to Birmingham having passed his 11+ and qualified for a place at the George Dixon Grammar School for Boys.

Following his formal education he joined the Army to undertake national service, this saw him deployed to Malaya where he was fully engaged in the action there at that time.

W.Bro Colin stated that he knew that his future either lay in military service or becoming a teacher. A teaching career won out and that was the avenue he pursued, having enjoyed a long and successful career eventually becoming a head teacher.

One of W.Bro Colin's passions, alongside freemasonry, is acting. He is a well renowned actor and producer within Worcestershire, particularly at the Rose Theatre Kidderminster. It was revealed that W.Bro Colin had achieved national recognition for some of his work. W.Bro Colin spoke of his love for acting and his many roles, having undertaken some 130+ roles during his acting career.

W.Bro Colin was introduced to Jan, his long standing wife, at a friends birthday party in 1958, they eventually married and recently celebrated 65 years married life together with congratulations from the King. 

R.W.Bro Stephen then spoke of W.Bro Colin's masonic journey. Having been initiated into the Lodge of Hope and Charity in January 1966, W.Bro Colin quickly showed an aptitude for freemasonry and has excelled in all he has done. R.W.Bro Stephen spoke of first meeting W.Bro Colin at the ladies evenings held by the lodge when R.W.Bro Stephen was a young man and had been taken there by his own father and mother. R.W.Bro Stephen's father and W.Bro Colin enjoyed a long friendship as Kidderminster freemasons being instrumental in the lodge of instruction, the 'Friday Nighters'.

W.Bro Colin was first appointed to Provincial Grand Rank in 1987 as an Acting Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies having served as master of the Lodge of Hope & Charity in 1982, further acting ranks followed, in 1995 as the Provincial Senior Grand Warden and then between 2004 and 2012 as An Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province. W.Bro Colin has achieved Grand Rank, firstly in 2002 as a Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies and then in 2004 further promoted in Grand Rank to Past Senior Grand Deacon.

In the Royal Arch, Colin is a member of the Chapter of Hope & Charity, he has once again given 60 years service to the Royal Arch and will be rewarded for that service quite soon with another certificate!

And to cap all this off, in late 2025 he was rewarded for his service to the Mark degree by being recognised by R.W.Bro Francis Spencer (Deputy Grand Master at that time) with a floor promotion to Grand Rank during a meeting of St Georges lodge Kidderminster.

On presenting the certificate R.W.Bro Stephen Wyer spoke of the honour and privilege it had been to have been in the company on W.Bro Colin whilst 'out on the circuit' and his great delight in being able to present him with a 60 year service to freemasonry in general, Worcestershire Province and the Lodge of Hope & Charity in particular. 

The evening was rounded off with a champagne reception and wonderful festive board, all present gathered to toast the health of W.Bro Colin Young and his wife Jan, wishing them both many years futher enjoyment as friends and freemasons.