Ever since George E. Welch celebrated his 100th birthday a fortnight ago, October 13 to be exact, he has received many significant salutations.

The latest was a gold-lettered Diamond Jubilee Certificate from the Grand Lodge of Ireland in recognition of his 60 years of unbroken service to freemasonry, as a member of Hannibal Lodge, No. 224.

M.W. Grand Master Wor. Bro. George Dunlop made the presentation after brethren of Hannibal hailed him for exemplary life, professionally when he headed Bermuda's Branch Pilot Service and then his work in craft freemasonry. He holds the grand rank of a Very Wor. Brother.

Rt. Wor. St. Clair (Brinky) Tucker, who now heads the Prov. Grand Lodge of Bermuda, praised Bro. Welch for being "my mentor" from the time he first joined Hannibal. He found him to be a most charitable brother.

Noting how hale and hearty the centenarian appeared at the head table during the luncheon tendered him by his lodge, he added: "You look fantastic, your best years are ahead."

A former prizefighting boxer, and the oldest surviving pilot, he is one of the most genial persons one could meet. He has easy recall from his tremendous memory.

Bro. Kenneth Daniels said: "He has the loveliest facial expression I have ever seen."

Born on October 13, 1908, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he came to live in Bermuda in 1929. He met and married his deceased Bermudian wife Mabel and stayed on, becoming an apprentice at the Bermuda Branch Pilot Service.

People have been surprised to learn that he has never been to college to learn his trade. He says that his mother could not afford it, so when he wanted to learn something, he said he "humbled himself to listen to those who knew about it".

One of his fellow pilots was the late renowned St. George's Cup Match captain, Fielding Swan, who was aged 97 when he died. The latter's son Bro. Van Swan spoke of how Pilot Welch has impacted his life not only as a brother freemason over many decades from the first time as a youth meeting him with his father.

And when he saw him, he was exerting his tremendous strength and agility jumping for and climbing Jacob's ladders and transferring from small pilot boats to the bigger vessels as pilots did in all winds and weathers.

Wor. Bro Keith Battersbee, an incumbent pilot, spoke of the inspiration Bro. Welch had been to younger pilots.

Past Masters paying tribute included 47-year veteran V.W. Bro. David Mello, whose own late uncle Pilot Carl Holmes first met Pilot Welch in 1937.

V.W. Bro. Samuel Johanson spoke of how a young seaman aboard the Furness Liner Queen of Bermuda, the immaculately dressed Pilot Welch first impressed him, and then from the time he entered Hannibal 50 years ago.

Also speaking was another veteran of a half-century, V.W. Bro Ross Tuzo of Abercorn Lodge.

Pilot Welch was the only child of George and Clara Welch. His father was a tailor, and his mother a homemaker. After their death his grandmother Blanch Walker raised him in Kingston, Jamaica.

He was educated at the Anglican Church primary school and high school. When he was only 16 years old, he joined the Chaudry as a ship's boy. The ship sailed between the West Indies and Halifax.

His onboard duty was to retrieve the food from the ship stores for the crew to eat. Later, he joined the Furness Bermuda Line Royal and US Mail steam cargo passenger ship the Fort Victoria. He soon became a highly respected quartermaster ¿ the person who steers the ship in pilot waters.

He explained that is how he learned piloting ¿ from the "old pilots".

He was esteemed as one of Bermuda's most "competent, talented, and respected" branch pilots. He was often requested by ship masters to come aboard their ships as the local pilot. He was also often asked to perform "extra special pilot skills".

Eventually, he became a Senior Branch Pilot, and was later put in charge of the Government division to train other pilots. On March 23, 1973, he became the first black man to hold the post of Pilot Warden/Harbourmaster in the 20th century. He retired later that year.

Bro. Welch says he has trained the majority of Bermuda's pilots. He has also had many exciting experiences, including in 1929 when he was on board the Fort Victoria when the liner was nearly sunk by another ship.

He recalls being on board to pilot the ship into the Ambrose Channel, when another ship rammed into it as a result of fog. The captain of the Victoria got the ship to shallow water so that it would not sink until the Sandy Hook was able to come alongside and collect all 400 passengers.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the experience has made for a great story. When asked if he was afraid at the time, he says definitely not.

"When you're trained, you know what to do," he insists.

Celebrating his 100th birthday, retired head of Bermuda's Branch Pilot Service V.W. Bro. George Welch is seen at the luncheon hosted by his Masonic Lodge, Hannibal No. 224, St. George's. Above, the M.W.Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, M.W. Bro. David Dunlop, presents him with a Diamond Jubilee Certificate from Grand Lodge for his "commitment to Freemasonry and glorious service to his community".Looking on are some of the guests at the event. At top left, he's seen leaving the lodge accompanied by Mrs. Samuel Johanson; and later (top centre) at his home overlooking in St. George's with his niece and caregiver Silma Millington. When he described Silma as "a pain in the neck", she said humorously: "That's because he's so used to giving orders he does not like to take them." The DCI photo shows him at an earlier event being honoured by Premier Ewart Brown and former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith.