BELDWIN and Velda Smith are an extraordinarily interesting couple. In the prime of their lives, full of energy, highly skilled in their respective professions, having travelled over most of the world, they now have the luxury of twiddling their thumbs trying to decide what to do next.

They have, in the same time frame, just retired after having together racked up a total of nearly 70 years in Government service.

Until a few weeks ago Velda was Assistant Post Master General, based at the General Post Office in Hamilton with responsibility for service in the central and western parishes.

Her career began fresh out of college 38 years ago as an accounts clerk in the Marine and Ports Department.

Relaxing in the comfort of her home overlooking the main road in Devonshire South, Velda said she still wakes up with the sun every morning and has to tell herself: "No, you don't have to go to work today."

Her husband Beldwin Wilchester Henry Smith entered government service much later in his professional life than Velda. He recorded 30 years when he retired recently as Government's Contract Facilities Superintendent.

He had responsibility for the maintenance and upgrading of government facilities including all prisons, government middle schools, the government administration building, the Sessions House including courts.

He was the man who hired sub-contractors to upgrade those buildings, install such features as fire extinguishers and alarms.

Beldwin entered government service much later in life than his wife. He had previously worked in the private sector as a carpenter; and was a draftsman at the NASA Tracking Station at Kindley Air Force Base during the US Government's Apollo series.

He attended the old Elliott School in Devonshire, having at age 13 to learn his trade. He spent some time in what he called "the school of hard knocks" before attending night classes at the Bermuda Technical Institute, gaining his City & Guilds in carpentry and joinery.

More night courses at the Bermuda College qualified him in Supervisory Management. By now he was in government service, and the Works & Engineering Department sent him to university in Britain for four years of studies, to gain his higher tech certificate in building studies.

The career path of Velda Smith was very much like that of her husband. She was aged 17, when she went to the CF Young Secretarial College in Brooklyn for her diploma in secretarial studies.

While her children were young she went to the Bermuda College for her Certificate in Supervisory Management; and after age 40 she studied at the University of Maryland Extension at Kindley AFB, obtaining an associates degree in supervisory management, and later her BSc.

The Smiths were married on August 18, 1960. They have two children, son B. Terrance Smith, and daughter Angela Berry. Terrance has been a member of the Police Service for over 20 years. He is married to the former Zolita Thompson; they have two daughters, Cheri-Ann and Chamie.

Angela is a barrister and attorney, and is married to Timothy Berry, a quantity surveyor by profession. Their two children are Ashley, who was the 2003 winner of the Front Street Mile Race; and Megan.

OUR picture above shows Velda and Beldwin Smith, when Velda was 17, at the Bermuda Airport moments before she boarded a plane to attend the C.F. Young Secretarial School in Brooklyn, New York. That was in 1958 during the days when Bermudians dressed in style, replete with hat, gloves and high heels when travelling by air abroad.

Beldwin, then 20, and in his "Sunday best" was at the airport to see his future wife off to school. Beldwin Smith is a man who wears many hats. Now that he has retired after 30 years in Government service, perhaps the most important hat he'll be wearing is his fez as a Mecca Shriner.

Anyone with any inkling about the importance of North American Shriners can appreciate the honour and distinction that has come the way of Beldwin.

He has been elected to the Executive Council of Mecca Temple. Mecca in New York was the first Temple in this hemisphere to be formed of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. From it sprang some 200 Temples throughout the United States and Canada that boast of 900,000 members or Nobles, as they are known.

Offshoots like Bermuda have Shrine Clubs. Beldwin is the president of the Bermuda Shrine Club. It meets at the Masonic Temple on Khyber Pass Warwick.

The Shriners among other things own and operate 22 orthopedic hospitals, providing services free of charge for children up to the age of 18 years. They are specialists in treating children who are burn victims.

Noble Beldwin is president of the Bermuda Shrine Club. His name came up for nomination for the Executive Council. His election earlier this year was historic in that it was the first for someone from outside the jurisdiction, and from overseas at that. He has to travel to New York two or three time a quarter for Council meetings, and is otherwise engaged in conference calls and email communications.

In June when the Potentate or Chief Roban fell ill, Noble Beldwin had to officiate at ceremonies rededicating a Shriners' burial plot in Kensico, Long Island, New York. He has been engaged in other activities that he described as challenging and eye opening.

The North American Shriners are famous for their spectacular Imperial conventions and parades that are held annually over the Fourth of July Independence holiday in the States.

Cities go to great lengths to attract these conventions that draw some 50,000 Shriners. Noble Beldwin and other members of the Bermuda Club regularly attend these conventions along with their wives.

The one this year was in Denver, Colorado. Next year the Imperial will be in Baltimore. It will be in California the following year and Toronto in 2007. Two years ago it was in Vancouver.

Besides being Bermuda's number one Shriner, Beldwin is prominent in the broader sphere of Masonic Freemasonry.

He is the Grand Superintendent of all Scottish Royal Arch Masons in Bermuda. Since his induction two years ago, he travels each March to Edinburgh, Scotland with other Superintendents from around the world, for the annual installation of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Mason of Scotland.

Beldwin's Masonic career began at Somers Isle Masonic Lodge on Hog Bay Level in Sandys Parish. He is a Past Master of the lodge and currently its Director of Ceremonies.