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New Vice-Chairman and Secretary for Widnes Group
Vice-Chairman, Derek Williams
 Derek
has been married to Janet for 38 years and has had tremendous support from his wife in the pursuit of his Masonic career.
His interests include motoring, foreign travel, gardening, computer graphic design and searching out good restaurants.
For 30 years Derek worked in the Telecommunications industry, first with the GPO & BT and for the last 13 years,
held the position of Telecommunications Specialist with Cheshire Constabulary. He retired from this role at the end of November
2010 which gives him more time to focus on his new role as Vice Chairman.
Within a month of joining Freemasonry,
Derek was sworn in as a Cheshire Special Constable and continued in that role until 2001 when he decided to hang up his handcuffs.
In this time he achieved a number of promotions within the Force which culminated in him being appointed to Divisional Commandant
for the Halton Division, responsible for over 90 volunteer officers in Widnes and Runcorn.
Derek was initiated
into the Widnes Lodge 2819 in April 1976 by his late father Ken Williams, who also passed and raised him. His brother is currently
Secretary of the Widnes and Knowsley Lodge No 3581 and together with his brother, father and two uncles, his family have to
date, given over 175 year’s service to Freemasonry in Widnes. He is a member of three Craft Lodges and two Royal Arch
Chapters.
He was Master of the Widnes Lodge in 1985. In 1995 he was the first Past Master in the Lodge to serve
a second term of office to help overcome a difficult time when the Senior Warden elected not to occupy the Master’s
chair for personal reasons. After the amalgamation with Knowsley Lodge No 3581 in 2006 he again took the Master’s
Chair in 2007 again to overcome a difficult time when no first time Master’s were available. In 1990 Derek was appointed
Assistant Director of Ceremonies of Widnes Lodge and was Director of Ceremonies in 1992. He held this post until 1995
when he took the Master’s chair for the second time. The following year he resumed the position of Director of Ceremonies,
a position he held until after the Centenary of the Lodge in 2000. In 2003 he took up the position of Almoner until the amalgamation
in 2006. In 1994 he was appointed to the rank of PPrJGD and at the Centenary Ceremony of Widnes Lodge in 2000, was promoted
by the then Provincial Grand Master, Colin Penty Wright, to the high office of PPrJGW, a position he holds to the present
day. Derek said “this honour was totally unexpected and will remain one of the highest points of my Masonic career”.
He joined the Chapter of Equity No1384 in 1982 and took the position of first Principal in 2001. In 2003 he was appointed
Almoner, a position he holds to the present day. In April 2008 he was appointed to the acting rank of Provincial Grand Steward,
a position he thoroughly enjoyed as it encompassed the time when the present Grand Superintendent of the Province was appointed
and, as a Provincial Grand Steward, had a full part to play in the ceremony.
In 2006 Derek was invited to take
the office of Widnes Group Secretary which he humbly accepted and has continued in this role until being appointed as Widnes
Group Vice Chairman at the 2011 May meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge. Derek said, “I feel extremely privileged to have
been invited to take this role by the Provincial Grand Master. I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of some very respected
and eminent Widnes Freemasons and hope I can carry out my duties with the same enthusiasm and zeal. I look forward to the
challenges.”
Group Secretary - Neil Pedder
Following the reshuffle of the Group Committee Neil Pedder has been appointed Group Secretary and takes over from Derek Williams.
Neil has been married to Liz for 35 years and they have two sons Mark and Stuart. He retired in 2007 after having
served as a Police Officer for 30 years with Merseyside Police; he still works for Merseyside Police as a Forensic Researcher.
It was in March 1993 that Neil’s Masonic career started when he was initiated into Hale Lodge No 8813, becoming a
Master Mason in March 1995. He was installed as Master of Hale Lodge in 2000 and took up the position of Director of Ceremonies
2005.
Hale Lodge amalgamated with its mother Lodge, Fellowship Lodge No 3799 in 2007 and took on the new name
of Hale Lodge of Fellowship No 3799. Neil retained the position of Director of Ceremonies in the new lodger and still holds
that position.
Neil was exalted into Chapter of Equity No 1384 in December 2001 and was installed as First Principal
in February 2006 and was appointed to his current position of Director of Ceremonies of the Chapter in 2009. He is also a
member of a number of other Masonic Orders.
Neil was appointed Provincial Grand Steward in 2009 and joined Quingenti
Lodge No 8516 in the same year, he was elected The Steward of Quingenti Lodge in 2010 and is due to be installed as Master
in November 2011
In April 2010 he was admitted into Royal Solomon Council No 24 in the Order of Royal and Select
Masters.
When asked for a comment on his appointment, Neil said, “I was totally surprised when I was asked
to take to take on the role but I am now looking forward to the challenge and working with David and Derek and the rest of
the Widnes Group.”
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