W Bro William John Charles Haynes, PGJD
celebrates 50 years in Mark Masonry
On Monday 4th April 2011
RW Bro Peter James Sands, Provincial Grand Master
presented
W Bro John Haynes, PGJD
with a certificate to celebrate his 50 years in Mark Masonry.
John began his Masonic career in 1958 when, on Monday 8th December, he was in initiated into Loyd Lindsay Lodge in Wantage by the Worshipful Master, Aubrey Prosser. He had been balloted for in the October of that same year following a proposition from W Bro S F McIver. This had been seconded by W Bro Rev Canon W M Peacock. He was passed during the following meeting and finally raised on 14th September 1959. He was presented with his Grand Lodge Certificate in February 1960. As was normal in Loyd Lindsay in those days it took a number of years before John took office as a Steward in 1965 – 1967. He was finally placed into the Chair of King Solomon in October 1987 and subsequently took up his current role as Organist in 1993. In the meantime he had received his initial Provincial Appointment as PPAGDC in 1994. Promotion followed in 2003 and John was finally made PPGReg in 2010.
Wantage Mark Lodge No. 1207 was consecrated on Thursday 4th July 1957 and, subsequently, at an Emergency Meeting held on Monday 2nd November 1959 a ballot was held for one William John Charles Haynes – proposed by Bro J F Roberts and seconded by Bro J C Bagnall. The ballot proved in favour and John was Advanced by W Bro V C Mills who was Worshipful Master at that time. He received his Grand Lodge Certificate at the following meeting from VW Bro Canon H Pickles. Another recipient that same evening was Bro H D (Denis) Hitchcox who had been advanced a few months before John.
It might interest you to know that the subscription at this time was £1 15 shillings per year!
John didn’t waste much time as a Mark Mason and immediately began to introduce 
candidates including Bro R L Wright together with Bro's G and E F Cameron. He was appointed a Steward in May 1962 by the Worshipful Master S J Waldron. He became Inner Guard the following year and progressed steadily to the Chair of Adoniram on Monday 8th May 1972. As John had not been a Worshipful Master in a Craft Lodge a Dispensation signed by the Grand Secretary was attached to the Minutes after being read at the Meeting. He was installed by W Bro Billingham and, during his year in office, John advanced Bro's Leonard Cowan, Denis Hitchcock and, finally Colin McInnes. To complete a most successful year John finally installed Bro Spink as Worshipful Master in May 1973.
It must also be remembered that John was an auditor, with W Bro Clifford Rowe Evans, of the Lodge accounts prior to becoming Worshipful Master.
On Monday 9th May 1977 W Bro Charles Goble was installed as Worshipful Master and appointed John as the Lodge Secretary - a role which he initially carried out until A
pril 1989. After two years ‘rest’ he returned to the job and continued to be, very much, a working member of the Lodge presenting a Rev Neville Barker Cryer Lecture in 1992 entitled ‘Which Stone’. It was clearly good as he gave the same lecture once more in 2001 and again 2003! Over the years he has also presented a number of Grand Lodge Certificates to newly advanced Mark MasterMasons. He has also presented Past-Master’s Jewels – too many to individually mention! John finally handed over his Secretarial role to Pat Camplin in 1996 and the Minutes of the Meeting held on 1st April a record shows that the Provincial Grand Secretary had written to John in appreciation of his services as Secretary over the past 20 years. It was on the same day that John assumed the Office in which he has continued – that of Organist.
John was appointed to ProvGStwd in 1975 – ProvGSD in 1977 and ProvGJW in 1980 and on Monday 
14th May 1984 the Most Worshipful The Grand Master confered on John the Grand Rank of PGStdB and in 1994 he was promoted to PGJD.
On a personal note John is a family man. He was devoted to his late wife Margaret who sadly died a few years ago. Much of his spare time is spent playing a very large organ at his home.