On Wednesday 7th October, Bro Recd. David Penny opened Trinity Lodge No 5651. The 5th agenda item was to admit the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW John Griffin, accompanied by a Provincial Delegation led by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, WBro Wes Marchant.

The DPGM attended to celebrate the 60th personal anniversary of WBro Rodney Wild, PFStdBearer. He began by noting the date of Rodney’s initiation into Thornham Lodge in Oldham, 7th June 1966. Rodney was subsequently installed as the Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1976. After ten years of membership, Rodney became the Lodge DC and took on other roles, including almoner.

Rodney was given the Provincial Rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 1983. In 1986, he became District Charity Steward, marking the start of a whirlwind Masonic career. He was promoted to PProvJGW in 1988. He served as Master of Thornham again in 1992 and, just 8 years after receiving the rank of Provincial Junior Grand Warden, received Grand Rank as Past Grand Standard Bearer. In 2011, Rodney joined the Lodge of Friendship, was placed in the chair of Junior Warden, and took the Mastership the following year. Sadly, 2011 was also the year Thornham closed, as did Oldham Masonic Hall. This year marks Rodney’s 30 years as a Grand Officer.

Rodney has also been deeply involved in the Royal Arch. He was first exalted into the Wernerth Chapter in 1987. In 1995, he was appointed ProvGStdB. He was promoted again to PProvDepGREg in 2002, and in 2011 he was awarded the rank of PProvGSwdB.

Four of Rodney’s sons were introduced to Thornham Lodge as Lewis’s, and at his Diamond Jubilee celebration, one of them, Dan Wilde, shared personal insight into their family life. He began by saying Rodney was born in 1939 and that his father, Willie, was an engineer at Platt Brothers, one of the powerhouse engineering companies behind the cotton industry. He also shared that Rodney’s mother worked in the cotton mills. Dan also shared that Rodney enjoyed dancing and that, for him and his brothers, seeing their dad revel and dance at the many ladies’ evenings they attended inspired them all to join Freemasonry. He mentioned how, at its peak, Thornham Lodge had over seventy-five members, most of them in their early twenties. Dan also said they were very proud of Rodney’s achievements and that, when he received his Grand Lodge Honours, all four of them accompanied him to London to see him receive them from the Duke of Kent.       

In 2016, Rodney became Master of Trinity Lodge. To this day, he remains a very active and highly valued member of the Lodge and has served as Chaplain for many years.

Rodney with his son Dan and his Certificate recognising 50 years of Freemasonry