Waipukurau Freemason recognised for 47 years of service

Graham Wrigley and Colin Heyward in the kitchen in one of the completed units of the John Bray Village.

As Colin Heyward showed Graham Wrigley around the Hastings District Masonic Trust's newest retirement village in Waipawa, he had no clue whatsoever that Graham — the grand master for New Zealand Freemasons — was actually in Central Hawke's Bay to confer an honour on Colin himself.

This month Colin Heyward, past grand lecturer of Woburn Lodge No 25 in Waipukurau, was promoted to past senior grand warden, an honour that Colin says left him speechless.

Colin, who had held his past grand lecturer role for 20 years, says, "It was a very big surprise, I wasn't expecting it at all. It was a great night ... 59 people turned up and a lot of nice things were said about me.

"I had queried as to why the grand master wanted to visit Waipukurau, and I got fudged answers ... in hindsight I should have been suspicious!"

Graham, who had travelled from Christchurch for the occasion, says it was difficult to keep Colin's promotion a secret as he is the lodge's secretary "and usually the secretary knows everything that's going on. He was certainly fishing for information but we threw out a few red herrings."

Colin has been a Freemason for 47 years, since his father-in-law to be introduced him to Freemasonry.

"I tell people it was a condition of my marrying his daughter ... that I become a Freemason," Colin says. "It's not strictly true but it makes a good story."

As grand master for the NZ Freemasons, Graham Wrigley has oversight of 205 lodges nationwide, comprising 6500 members. He is a third generation Freemason, a group he describes as "a fraternity of like-minded, community focused people doing good for others".

He says he was delighted to be in Waipukurau to promote Colin.

"He has had an exemplary career in Freemasonry and has been a driving force behind many initiatives."

The history of Freemasonry dates back to guilds of stonemasons in the 13th century and has no political or religious alignment.

"We have been thought of as mysterious and secret," says Graham "and we haven't been very good at knocking back that myth, but there aren't any big secrets about Freemasonry. Members are from all walks of life and most lodges have a waiting list for membership as they only take on three or four new members a year.

"Some people join to learn to run meetings, to make decisions and talk to groups ... others like the charitable side of Freemasonry. We fund some major activities in New Zealand through our many trusts, to the tune of between $10 and $12 million a year. These include the Centre for Brain Reserch in Auckland, child health research through Otago University, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, university scholarships and funding retirement villages through charitable trusts."

Graham says a large part of what the Masonic Lodges do is looking after the elderly and helping them to have affordable and comfortable homes.

"You don't have to be a Freemason to live in our retirement housing ... it's open to everyone."

One of the most recent retirement housing builds is soon to be completed in Bibby St, Waipawa.

The 13-unit village is the second Masonic retirement village to be built in Waipawa. In the 1990's a section was purchased in Ruataniwha St, Waipawa, so that eight residential units could be built to house people in the 55 years and older age group.

That village was the brainchild of John Bray and Norrie Crawley, Woburn's two lodge appointed trustees at that time, and was given the name of Abercorn Court (Abercorn Lodge had been the lodge in Waipawa for 100 years before it merged with the lodge in Waipukurau in 1979).

Both those men have since died but John Bray's name will be remembered in the new John Bray Village.

This village will bring the number built by the Hastings District Masonic Trust to seven, all run on charitable principals and a break-even basis.

The first of the units will be available for occupation in November.