8 minute read
Interviews with new Masters
W. Bro Steven Elliot of Aorangi Lodge No 2300, continues the interviews of the new Masters, on behalf of the District. If you are going into the chair soon, your turn will come
W.Bro Chris Younger
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Q. Chris, where you were born?
A. I was born and grew up in Harrow, just outside of London.
Q. What was your father’s line of work?
A. My father was a building contractor. He was also a prominent Freemason in London – a member of Horsenden Hill Lodge No.6215 where he served as WM several times. He was also a member of Viator Royal Arch Chapter. My maternal grandfather was a Freemason in Manchester Lodge. I have a brother who lives in Auckland, however, he is not a Freemason.
Q. Where did you go to school?
A. I went to school at Merchant Taylors School (private school) and left in 1960. Prior to moving to New Zealand in 1981, I was briefly a member of the Sir Thomas White Lodge, named after one of the founders of my school.
Q. When did you come to New Zealand?
A. I came to New Zealand in 1981 with my first wife who was a Kiwi. We met when her family were living and working in London.
Q. Would you tell us a bit about your family and any Masonic interests they have?
A. My father passed away when I was rather young. However, my father-in-law was also a Freemason in London, and he was the one who really got me into Freemasonry years later. He was a member of New Zealand Lodge No.5175 in London, one of the Commonwealth lodges set up principally for ex-pats living there. As my father-in-law was a Mason, and I was married to his daughter, there seemed to be an unwritten rule that it was a close enough connection to New Zealand to allow me to join. I was initiated in London in 1975.
Q. What was your career?
A. I did my accounting apprenticeship under Articles in which another accountant supervised my training.
Q. What sports or other interests do you enjoy?
A. I joined cricket and swimming teams at school, got the usual bursaries in academic style, but didn’t use them, because in those days going to university wasn’t a big deal, so I went straight into the accounting profession. Other than that, I’ve been President of the Taupo Bridge Club where we play three times a week. Great fun!
Q. Can you tell us about your family?
A. The first time I married was in England, and as a family came to New Zealand with my two daughters. I later remarried to Helen who has three children.
All our family live in Auckland except one daughter who is in Australia and who we often visit on the Sunshine Coast. Helen and I live in Taupo where we recently purchased a very large American caravan which is sited on Acacia Bay it’s our one-bedroomed ‘retirement apartment’.
Q. What are some of your favourite books?
A. I was interested in reading Lee Child’s books, a bit rough but they’re good stories. I also like John Gresham books.
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Q. What comprises your Masonic life?
A. I’m currently WM of Te Awamutu Lodge No.2221 (for the second time). I was a member of the Taupo Royal Arch Chapter until it closed several years ago, and also Taupo Rose Croix.
Q. How did you come to join the Freemasons in New Zealand?
A. When I came to New Zealand I had quite a few introductions to lodges here. The very first one I joined in 1981 was Te Awamutu Lodge No.2221 which met in Parnell back then. When I moved to Waiheke Island, I joined the NZC Lodge there and was WM for a year. When we moved to Taupo, I joined Tauhara Lodge, NZC. The latter surrendered its Charter about fifteen years ago. I re-joined Te Awamutu Lodge No.2221, in 2008, I believe.
Q. What keeps you in the Masons?
A. The challenges of it all are very enjoyable.
Q. Who were your mentors in the Craft?
A. Other than my father-in-law, I came under the influence of Eddie Gibb in Auckland and Roger Everest and Bill Andrew in Taupo.
Q. What can you say to younger people about the Craft?
A. I wish younger people would try to understand what’s in Freemasonry and what goes on, there’s still quite a bit of uncertainty and nonsense around their lack of knowledge of the Craft. They need some ‘perception management’.
Q. What is your secret for a happy life?
A. Doing the things you enjoy doing and doing them with people you enjoy being with. ***********************************************************************************************
W.Bro Bill Rossiter
Q. Bill, where you were born?
A. I was born in Eketahuna.
Q. What was your father’s occupation?
A. My father was a farmer; the original landowner was my mother’s family.
Q. Do you have brother and sisters?
A. Yes, I have three brothers and two sisters. Two brothers have passed away. A sister died of measles at two years old.
Q. Where did you go to school?
A. I went to school in Nireaha near Eketahuna, then moved to Ruawhata in 1945, a farming district near Pahiatua. I attended Pahiatua District High School.
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, I was married for over 40 years with my first wife Zita, who is no longer alive. I re-married with Alison three years later in Whangarei. We have been together for 14 years
Q. Do you have kids?
A. Yes, we have two boys and a girl, one lives in Auckland, one in Melbourne and one lives in Whangarei.
Q. Can you tell us about your career, your work?
A. I came to Whangarei as a traffic cop working for the Ministry of Transport. Then, in 1971 I started my own printing business in Whangarei. We sold it six weeks before my first wife died in 2002.
I went to a training school in Auckland to learn the printing trade and then at Lucas Print. My own business commenced with offset and then into letterpress printing later. I learned a lot about the trade from those well trained and skilled tradesmen who worked with us.
I received a Ministerial award for road safety in 1992, and a Queens Service Medal, QSM in 2014 for driving license training for Māori at 63 maraes in Northland. I had eleven contractors training Māori back then and we were also urging the community to install child-safety seats. We got a 92% return rate, better than the usual 35% rate for a ‘safe route to school and elsewhere’ programmes. Our efforts worked well, in part, because children were provided ‘treats and lollies’ for their returns. Likewise, my lovely wife Alison provides a lollypop to everyone receiving a COVID vaccination. A little sugar helps the medicine go down.
I received many awards from Rotary in over 40 years as a member, notably for hosting students from around the world, and also overseas students from the local high school. I also spent thirty years on the North Power Electric Power Trust and retired from that work this year. I worked three years as a Whangarei District Councilor and fifteen years as a Northland Regional Councilor.
Q. What are your various interests and past times?
A. I’ve learned and enjoyed aviation power flying since 1956. I took up gliding in 1977 and achieved a Gold and three Diamonds gliding level. That requires a voyage of 500 kms in distance. I flew from Masterton to Lake Ferry to north of Napier then back to Masterton, all by wave and ridge lift gliding, and I got to an altitude of 26,000 feet, supplementary oxygen level. It was very cold up there; the temperature was minus 41C.
My brother got us interested in darts, having represented New Zealand eight times before he died. Alas, I finally had to give it up after having suffered an injured shoulder. I worked 21-years as a St John ambulance driver on night call in Whangarei. I was also Treasurer of the RSA in Whangarei for one year. I have taken up Ham Radio and I also assist in the local Hospice Shop.
My first job off the farm was with New Zealand Railways where I was posted to Cross Creek, near Featherston, then Palmerston North, Woodville, Paekakariki, then back to Palmerston North where I be-friended a fellow mason, Dave Marshall.
Q. Would you tell us about your Masonic experience?
A. My friend Bill Palmer in Auckland invited me into the Craft in 1984. I first joined Whangarei Lodge 102 NZC, then moved on to Hikurangi 140 NZC since they met on a Friday night, and it was more suitable. Then finally the great decision to the join our English Constitution Lodge, which meets on Wednesdays, and at last, Star of the North. I also joined the Hokianga Lodge 69 NZC.
I joined the Rose Croix when I first entered the Craft in 1984, but I found the meeting times interfered with my work, so I concentrated on my business instead.
Q. What do you enjoy most from the Craft?
A. I enjoy learning the rituals, it’s good for the memory and keeps the mind active. My mentor was Bill Palmer. We were neighbours - we lived across the street from each other. I did a lot of business with Bill and his father; they were one of my first printing customers. In 2022 I became Worshipful Master of Star Of The North No.1647.
Q. Do you have any message concerning Freemasonry?
A. It’s important for people to know the charity work we do. Young people don’t seem to be interested in the Craft these days, despite our concern and emphasis on them. They don’t seem to feel they have the time for it. They should become more interested.
