Brethren, I made a mention in March that Right Worshipful Brother Michael Higham had very sadly died and that I would say more at this meeting.
I am going start by saying that Michael hated pomposity and long windedness and so I will try to avoid both.
As most of you will know, Michael was a naval man and during a distinguished career he was also called to the Bar. His life could, I expect, have taken many routes after he came out of the Navy, but he had been initiated into Navy Lodge, progressed through all the offices to the chair and become their Secretary. Thus, luckily for us, Freemasonry took the front seat and in 1976 he was appointed an Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, and then Deputy Grand Secretary in 1978 under that redoubtable Grand Secretary James Stubbs.
When James Stubbs retired in August 1980, Michael was appointed in his place. I would say that he was really the first of the modern Grand Secretaries realising early that the responses coming from this building of “No Comment” in almost every instance were counterproductive.
He was the first Grand Secretary to appear on television and with his quick mind and ready wit he was a good front man; and with the tremendous support of the Grand Master he started the process of eating away at the poor image of Freemasonry that inadvertently had been created.
He was a fine ritualist and was never one for elongating ceremonies unnecessarily, in fact he was a past master at finding short cuts with a view to saving drinking time. When attending meetings in London he would invariably travel by bicycle extremely fast with his regalia case clipped to the back.
Michael usually travelled up from Wiltshire each Monday and during the week lived in the flat here in Freemasons’ Hall, where he was often a most hospitable host after meetings in the building. He was a keen brewer of home made beer and I recall finding a bath full of beer one evening which was due to be bottled the following day.
When I first started in office in Grand Lodge in 1983, Michael was a huge support and remained a good friend to the end. I and many, many others will miss him enormously, but will enjoy the memories.
