Jock Warrender was initiated into Lodge St Olaf on 31st October 1946, following in the footsteps of his younger brother Fred, who had joined the Lodge the previous year. Together, the brothers devoted a lifetime of loyal and active service to the Lodge, becoming two of its most respected and recognisable members.
Over the years, Jock served the Lodge in a variety of offices, but he will perhaps be remembered most fondly as the longest-serving Tyler of Lodge St. Olaf. His unwavering dedication to that role, carried out with pride and commitment over many years, ultimately earned him the distinguished honour of Grand Honours — a fitting recognition for his outstanding service to Freemasonry and to his beloved Lodge.
Both Jock and Fred were recipients of the St. Olaf Distinguished Service Jewel, recognising the remarkable contribution they jointly made to the Lodge throughout their lives. Fred himself was also awarded Grand Honours, setting a unique and exceptional standard within the Lodge. To this day, theirs remains the only known instance of two brothers from the same family both receiving such distinguished recognition within Lodge St. Olaf.
Jock was a much-loved and unforgettable character within the Lodge and throughout the local community. A true local man, born and bred, he spoke in perhaps the broadest Doric dialect imaginable — so broad, in fact, that anyone unfamiliar with him often struggled to understand a single word he said. Yet this only added to his charm, and many stories about Jock remain fondly retold to this day.
One particularly memorable tale concerns an evening following an initiation ceremony, when a newly initiated brother, Nic Simpson, found himself in conversation with Jock in the Killie Bar after the meeting. Jock had become thoroughly animated while recounting a wartime story, passionately describing events in his unmistakable local tongue. The only moments anyone could fully understand were when he acted out the sound and impact of bombs exploding — expressions which required no translation whatsoever. Apart from that, not a single word seemed decipherable.
Eventually, Jock paused, looked directly at Nic, and waited for a response to his lengthy account. Nic, doing his best to remain polite despite understanding virtually nothing, replied with perfect comic timing:
“That’s easy for you to say.”
The response was met with laughter from everyone within earshot, and, seemingly satisfied that his story had been fully appreciated, Jock enthusiastically launched straight into the next part of the tale — much to the amusement of all gathered around him.
