TOM FOSTER CELEBRATES 50 YEAR IN FREEMASONY

Tom Foster’s enthusiasm for Freemasonry is such that he has rarely missed a meeting of any of his lodges during the 50 years he has been a member.

Despite poor weather there was a large attendance at Hartington Lodge No 1021 to celebrate Tom’s special anniversary.

Born in September 1923 in the small colliery village of Thornley in County Durham Tom broke with village mining tradition and took an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator with Easington Rural District Council.

When war broke out Tom became a runner for the auxiliary fire service until he was old enough to volunteer for aircrew duties with the RAF. He underwent training for wireless operator/air gunner/radar operator for which he was posted to Walney Airfield in Barrow-in-Furness. It was then that he met Nora. Subsequent postings took him to coastal command on Catalina Flying Boats then off to Gibraltar to join 202 Squadron. The squadron was then posted to Boa Island in Loch Earnie in County Fermanagh. On completion of this tour of duty Tom elected to join the air sea rescue services. On arrival in Scotland for training on Warwick Aircraft, which carried a boat below the fuselage which could be dropped to survivors, the aircraft were withdrawn from service whilst a tendency for their undercarriage to collapse was investigated. This afforded Tom extended leave during which he and Nora married in May 1946.

Assistant Provincial Grand Master Phil Gardner congratulates Tom Foster on the 50th anniversary of his initiation watched by Rowley Saunders, group chairman

After demob in October 1946, the Barrow-in-Furness County Borough Police Force beckoned and Tom eventually became Beat Sergeant then Station Sergeant and retired as an Inspector. His career saw many changes as the Barrow Force amalgamated with the Lancashire Constabulary and was then moved into the Cumbria Constabulary. This meant Tom served three constabularies without leaving Barrow! After retiring from the Police in 1976 Tom served as Head of Security for Glaxo Chemicals until 1985.

In mid 1950 Brothers Rae and Warbrick proposed Tom for Hartington Lodge. However, the waiting list was five years so it was January 1960 before he was initiated and soon became a highly regarded member of the lodge. Having served every office he took the chair in 1973 later serving five years as ADC and eight years as DC.

In 1977 Tom was selected as Captain of Stewards at the Installation meeting of the Provincial Grand Meeting at Blackpool. His first Provincial appointment to PPrJGD came in 1979 with promotion to PPrJGW. in 1986. Tom became Lodge Charity Steward in 1989 and served five years in that post during which time he assisted the group charity steward, Wilf Hackett as treasurer.

A founder member of Lonsdale Lodge of Installed Masters, Tom acted as DC at its consecration in 1992 becoming WM in 1999. His support for the Group Fellowship was as treasurer for nine years.

In the Royal Arch Tom was exalted into Henry Cook Chapter in 1961 and served as DC for several years after passing through the three chairs. Tom is also a member of Furness Mark Lodge.

Tom has lost none of his enthusiasm and rarely misses any meeting of his lodges and Chapter as a result of which the celebration was, despite the snow and ice, filled with well wishers. Assistant Provincial Grand Master Phil Gardner presented Tom with a commemorative certificate from the Province.