|
|
|
 |
|
|
||
| ||||||
|
'This page has been approved by the United Grand Lodge of England’
|
THE MASONIC CAREER
|
| The Madras Masonic Journal of August 1935 carried the following speech of the then District Grand Secretary Wor. Bro. S.T. Srinivasa Gopalachari, which contains an exhaustive description of Sir Archibald Campbell’s Masonic career which is well worth reproducing here. The Lodge named after him approaches its Platinum Jubilee in February 2003 and is a fitting monument to his exertions in not only establishing this Lodge but in the energizing whole Madras Masonic District. Archibald Campbell Lodge will be hosting the next D.G..L. Investiture Meeting. |
  |
Quote :
I feel it a proud privilege to be called upon to move a resolution. I cannot claim to speak about R.W. Bro. Sir Archibald Campbell with that authority or that experience which for example our Dy. D.G.M. (Wor. Bro. Sivagnana Mudaliar) can claim. But knowing him to the extent to which I do, having had the privilege of working under him as D.G.S. ever since this New Temple, of which we are all justly proud, was consecrated in February 1925, I must say I cannot find adequate words to express the magnificent and devoted service which Sir Archibald has been continuously giving the District Grand Lodge and the Lodges subordinate to it as the Ruler of the District, in spite of the arduous and exacting duties of his high official position and of his very many other public activities. All these 12.1/2 years of his life, he has given unreservedly to the service of the craft and the promotion of its welfare in every possible direction. We are all familiar, with his figure in this Hall not only on occasions of D.G.L. Meetings, and Installations in private Lodges but also during the ordinary meetings of his own Lodges, and others, and even at some of our Committee Meetings, and of the M.M.I. also. His rule marks an era, and his work will live honoured in the History of Freemasonry in the District of Madras.
Before I attempt a survey of his work, permit me, Brethren, to tell you what part a D.G.M. plays in Freemasonry. This I can’t do better than by quoting his own words at his Installation in 1922: “The progress of Freemasonry in the District-meaning thereby the steady growth of the Masonic spirit and the spread of Masonic knowledge and the progress of Masonic virtue - is dependent to a great extent on the influence and guidance of the D.G.M.”
|
Freemason's Hall - Chennai |
R.W.Bro. Campbell will ever be remembered in this District, if for no other reason, for all that he did in connection with the bringing into existence of this magnificent Temple with its furniture and fittings including the finding of the large sum of money required for the purpose, for all of which he was responsible, more than any other individual Mason. Nothing pleases him more than taking part in the laying of Foundation-Stones, Dedication of Buildings and Consecration of Lodges. All of us are aware, how with the untiring energy and vigilance characteristic of him, he got the Foundation-Stone for this Temple laid in February 1923 by H.E. Lord Willingdon, our present Viceroy, and pushed through its construction till it was opened 2 years later by H.E. the Viscount Goshen. And the solemn and impressive manner in which he conducted the Dedication Ceremony can never be effaced from the minds of those of us who were privileged to witness it. He was, if I may say so without offence to the technical experts, the principal Architect. For, he gave his own suggestions in connection with the designs and plans for the Buildings, as also for the furniture. As one brother very appropriately remarked, “he will have nothing but the best”.
He laid the Foundation-Stone for the New Masonic Hall at Tanjore, and also for the Guest House of the Hall at Waltair. But the last and most interesting Dedication Ceremony which he conducted was at Hyderabad, where, in February last year, in conjunction with M.W. Bro. Sir Timuljee Nariman, he dedicated the Gosha Mahal Baradari which, thanks to the munificence of H.E.H. the Nizam, has been secured to the Freemasons of Hyderabad. It was indeed a wonderful ceremony - as wonderful as the Gosha Mahal is unique among the Masonic Halls and the Historic Buildings in this country.
If the starting of New Lodges is an index of progress, as no doubt it is, as many as 4 Lodges have been consecrated during his rule, thereby increasing the strength of the Lodges in the District from 31 to 35: - Lodge Cochin, the Madras Masters’ Lodge, the Lodge that bears his own name and the Lodge Anaimalai. Of these, the Madras Masters’ Lodge, is essentially a Lodge of Research and improvement and owes its origin solely to him. It should also be added that during his time, three of the Lodges in the District have qualified themselves as Hall-Stone Lodges.
He has always insisted upon our ceremonies being conducted with precision and dignity, solemnity and intelligence. He pays the closest attention to every detail connected with them, long in advance, and throws his whole soul into the work. On important occasions he gives special instructions to the D of C. to supplement the standing orders printed in the Masonic Directory.
Thorough with the Rituals himself, he naturally expects the same
from every Brother.
With a view to secure uniformity of working, he has had the “Emulation Working” adopted by all the Lodges in this District - with the help of Bros. Col. Standage and Col. Barnardiston, who, in the earlier stages, very kindly responded to his invitation and gave lectures to Private Lodges on “Emulation”.
I shall not be far wrong if I say that it was only under his administration that the study of Freemasonry has been seriously inculcated in us. It is he that introduced the practice of marking portions from out of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge and of the D.G. Lodge and circulating them to Private Lodges with a view to their being read and digested by the members.
To stimulate a correct rendering of the ceremonies, he has been persuading Lodges and Brethren to deliver lectures on Masonic subjects. He never missed an opportunity of giving a lecture himself, or his comments upon a lecture, delivered by another. In particular, I would refer to his instructive speech, at the Dinner following the initiation of the Lord Bishop in Lodge Perfect Unanimity on the 5th September 1932 which I had the privilege of attending as his personal guest. Lectures were rarities before his time, but now they are things of common occurrence in most of the Lodges, throughout the District.
He has also been instrumental in starting new Lodges of Instruction in at least 9 centres, in addition to the three or less, which existed when he took charge. He was himself the first Preceptor of the Madras Masters’ Lodge of Instruction.
With a view to promote still further the study of Freemasonry, he brought about the publication of the Madras Masonic Journal, whose first number was issued in December 1925.
His pet idea is that every Lodge should have an adequate and useful Masonic Library, for it is by that means alone, that the Brethren can make real advancement in Masonic knowledge. He has done not a little for the improvement of the Library at headquarters. And with a view to induce the Brethren - both of the city and of the mofussil” to make a full and free use of the Library”, he has very recently revised the rules relating to the Library, providing facilities for consultation even during holidays, as well as for lending, and got the catalogue printed. Under his inspiration Libraries have been started in several mofussil stations also, such as Bangalore, Waltair, Wellington, Tanjore, Trichy and Salem.
Besides the Library, he has also started a Museum here, which already boasts of a large number of objects interesting to Freemasons chiefly, jewellery, china and cut-glass.
He is keen about encouraging industry and rewarding merit in Brethren; but even after taking the advice of those competent to give it, he bestows no little amount of anxious consideration himself, before fixing up the offices in the D. G.L., year after year. His standing regret is that the number of Offices available is so limited, compared to the Brethren eligible. But I may assure you, that he has always taken the services of all Brethren into consideration even though he found himself unable in some cases to give immediately, individual Brethren, the outward and visible signs of his approbation. He has been acting, as far as possible, on the principles of which Grand Lodge Offices are
conferred.
As regards that distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason’s heart, he has been specially careful to maintain it in its fullest splendour. His motto has been that “you must relieve the necessities of Brethren and fellows in distress and those that are dependent upon them”. To this end, he has been appointing annually Stewards for the Great Home Charities as well as for the Royal Masonic Hospital; and during the 12.1/2 years of his administration you will be glad to learn that as much as £ 3605 i.e., over Rs.48,600 has been collected and disbursed. Brethren, this is certainly not a small sum, though I agree that he deserved a still larger
measure of support from this District.
Again, he has been making vigorous appeals for individual and extra donations to the Fund of Benevolence of the D.G. Lodge.
The Madras Masonic Institution has his individual and official support.
During his time the largest number of Church Services have been held in the city, and even in some of the mofussil stations, the collections in all cases, going to Masonic Charity.
I should add here, that he has been actuated by the principle that applications for relief must be promptly disposed of. So much so, some of the applicants for relief have taken it into their heads to prefer their suit to him direct. He cheers the beneficiaries during Xmas-time and even sends them presents.
Sir Archibald had an extremely peculiar, and may I add, the fortunate, knack of effectively combining official tours with attendance at mofussil Lodges. Whenever he got an opportunity to attend a Lodge in person he never missed it. There is not a Lodge in the District which he has not visited at some time or other. If he could not attend an Installation himself, he deputed a senior officer to represent him. While in the city, he never missed attending a single Installation Meeting and delivering the charges in his usual impressive manner, except during his recent illness, which we all regret. He
has officiated at Installations and even delivered the charge to the Candidate. No wonder he is a subscribing member of 4 Lodges in this District and an Hon. Member of at least 17 others.
He has made it his hobby, if I may say so, to get into personal touch with almost all the Masons of the District, especially in the mofussil. To secure this end, he has directed the maintenance of a Visitor’s Book in the D.G.L. office, wherein mofussil Brethren visiting Madras could write down their names, date of arrival, etc. There is no Lodge he visits in which he does not shake hands with every member.
Again, he has introduced a system of annual inspection of every Lodge, deputing an officer of rank and experience, if he cannot do it himself.
Last but not least, whenever he found things were not going on well with any individual Lodge, he gently came to its rescue and played the role of peacemaker by conciliating the Brethren and settling their differences, either in person or by sending an influential and tactful Brother to do so.
With a view to give Masonic centers in the mofussil, where all the degrees are working, a change of having the D.G.L. functions held there, Sir Archibald has, in consultation with the Board, drawn up a Roster or order of rotation of the mofussil Lodges, under whose banners the Meetings are ordinarily to be held, the number of meetings bearing some proportion to the number of Craft Lodges in each of these centers, leaving it also possible for new centers to be added. As a result of this arrangement, far away places like Bellary, Palamcottah, Hyderabad, Bezwada and Trivandrum, have for the first time in their history, received and entertained D.G.L.
In 1924, Sir Archibald started a Committee for the entertaining of sea-faring Brethren. Brethren with special facilities for serving on the Committee were chosen, of whom Bro. Fishburn may be mentioned as an example. And with the help of this Committee, invitations have been issued to Brethren serving in the Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine visiting Madras, and they have been lustily responded to. Needless to add that today Lodges in the city vie with each other in extending their hospitality to the sea-faring Brethren and giving them an opportunity of seeing Madras working.
Time and again, Sir Archibald has been encouraging visits of Brethren from one Lodge to another, as one of the means by which we can better appreciate the advantages of Freemasonry. And when Brethren are desirous of proceeding to England, he has secured them introductions addressed to the Assistant Grand Secretary, and the Secretary of the Empire Lodge No.2108 E.C., meeting in London, to enable them to attend Masonic Meetings during their stay in England.
With other District Grand Lodges, he has established close intimacy. Whenever any new procedure, register or form is to be introduced, we are enjoined to get into touch with the other D.G. Lodges with a view to secure uniformity. Whenever any applicant for relief is resident in another District, we solicit the aid of that D.G. Lodge to make the necessary investigation and report, and ‘vice versa’. Sir Archibald installed the District Grand Master of Ceylon I 1923 - having received his own Installation at the hands of the preceding D.G.M. Ceylon. Last
March there was an installation of the D.G.M. at Bombay, and our Deputy was requested to attend and represent Sir Archibald, which he did, so efficiently.
With the Grand Lodge, he is in close touch. Communications and telegrams go forth from the D.G.M. on behalf of this District expressing our Loyalty and conveying our fraternal Greetings on all important and memorable occasions. I have every reason to think our D.G.L. stands very high in the opinion of the Grand Lodge. One visible result of this is the regular conferring of Grand Lodge offices on Brethren of this District year after year. Even here, the D.G.M. exercises the utmost judgment and care before making any recommendation to Grand Lodge. So much so, it is now possible for Grand Lodge Rank being
conferred not only on high-placed and influential Brethren like the Rt. Wor. Bro. Nawab Salar Jung Bahadur or Bro. Sir Alexander MacDougall, but also, on Masons in humbler walks of life like myself.
With the Sister Constitutions, the most amicable relations have been maintained. A formal Concordat in writing has been entered into with the M.W. Grand Master, A.S.F.I., regarding the opening of new Lodges of one Constitution in an area where exists already a Lodge working under the other Constitution. The M.W. Grand Master A.S.F.I. is cordially invited to every one of the Meetings of the D.G.L. and other important Masonic functions, and banquets.
A considerable portion of the existing D.G.L. By-laws was added to during his regime, e.g., those relating to the Finance Sub-Committee and the Premises Committee; also the by-law relating to the present scale of fees.
The bulk of the existing Code of D.G.L. Circulars owes its existence to him. Dealing with a variety of topics, they help us to understand the Rules and to avoid mistakes in the actual working.
R.W. Bro. Campbell has not only introduced a centralization of the Offices of the Craft, the Chapter and the Side Degrees, but has also enacted and supplied to the important officers, a regular code of instructions allocating duties to each of them. He has been imbued with the idea that, as in the past, so in the future, the Civil Head of the Province may also happen to be the Ruler of the District, in which case he cannot possibly be expected to find the time to bestow his personal attention to all details. The Result is that our office work is now standardized, and made to run almost automatically, if I may say so.
May I here say a personal word ? Between me and the Asst. Secretary, Bro. D. Srinivasa Rao, we might have received from Sir Archibald on an average a thousand communications every year. But how much have we learnt from him? And how much has our work been lightened by the minute and personal attention which he has paid himself?
If the erection of this Temple is one epoch in his administration, the visit of the Grand Lodge Deputation is another. It was on his pressing invitation, coupled of course with those of the other D.G. Masters, that the Deputation came out to India during the cold weather of 1927-28. Their visit had the most beneficent effect of bringing us into closer touch with Freemasonry in England. It has ‘strengthened that bond of friendship and goodwill which unites us all in further promoting the great principles of The Order”.
The trouble that Sir Archibald took in this connection is a standing example of the wonderful organization and the attention to details he is capable of. To welcome the Deputation and make the necessary arrangements, he got a Sub-Committee appointed 9 months in advance! He got their programme drawn up for day after day, and item by item, each dovetailing into the other, from the 28th January 1928, the date of their arrival at Waltair, till their departure from here to Burma by steamer 20 days later.
He accompanied the Deputation through some portion of the tour in this District, and requested our Deputy to welcome them at Bombay and to join them again in their tour through Bangalore, Mysore and Coimbatore.
To give them an idea of the working in this District, he arranged a special meeting of the Carnatic Lodge in which all the other City Lodges also took part. That was indeed a memorable day for Masonry in Madras, the 16th February 1928.
By his thoughtful arrangement, every Lodge in the mofussil was enabled to meet the Deputation at one place or other, and present a report. No wonder the Deputation was struck with the enthusiasm and the cordiality with which they were received everywhere and the long distance which brethren traveled for the privilege of meeting them.
That he is an ardent student of Freemasonry will be transparent from a perusal of the addresses which he has delivered from the D.G.M.’s chair. They constitute, if I may say so, a small Encyclopedia of Masonic history and law, ethics and etiquette, and other useful and valuable information.
He is a great disciplinarian. He holds very strong views on certain subjects - making use of Freemasonry to obtain personal advancement, publication of Masonic news in the lay press, appearance in public in Masonic clothing, public display of photographs in Masonic regalia, granting relief in the name of Masonic charity without proper investigation, etc.
He is extremely lucky - for he has a worthy helpmate in Lady Campbell. Uninitiated though he has to be, she has all the qualities of a Freemason, both by instinct and by marriage. To mention but one instance, she undertook in 1925 to serve on the Picture Committee along with her husband, and Bro. Tasker-Taylor, the then Superintendent of Works. The Committee inspected all our pictures, went elaborately into the question of the space available for their advantageous display, divided them into appropriate groups, marked out the places where each picture was to be displayed, and provided for restoration wherever necessary. The Report of that Committee bears the autograph of Lady Campbell, and we cherish it as one of the most valued documents in our archives. I have to add that when Sir Archibald toured with the Grand Lodge Deputation, she also accompanied him.
More than all the precepts he has been teaching, there is the influence of his example. How much has this one Freemason done to spread in this District the principles and tenets of Freemasonry-Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth? If every one of us is to imitate his example, Freemasonry will be a very noble Institution indeed. I may also refer here to the essentially religious and God-fearing character of the man. It was nowhere more apparent than when he took part in Church Services. So also, in the annual Armistice Day Celebrations at the War Memorial Tablet in our Hall, which commenced in 1927, and were
generally attended also by H.E. The Governor. On all these occasions, he impressed upon us more than the Preacher himself. As just and upright as the plumbrule in private life, he was a point within the circle of our D.G.L. round which no mason of this District can possibly err. He was exemplary in conduct and courteous in manner. He paid a scrupulous regard for the feelings of others. His zeal for Freemasonry knew no bounds. A proof of this is furnished by the fact that he hardly took leave. Even on the only two occasions when he had to take leave, he attended
several Masonic Meetings, including some of the Grand Lodge and of the Pro. G. Lodges. But more than his zeal and ability, he displayed an amount of tact and affability which are all his own and which it is impossible to describe or to excel. And to-day we are all proud of him, as he has every reason to be proud of his administration of this District.
The office of the D.G.M. is a sacred trust, and there is no doubt that Sir Archibald has discharged the duties thereof as faithfully, zealously, impartially and efficiently as he undertook to do when he assumed the office 12.1/2 years ago. The honour and reputation of this D.G.L. has made rapid strides during his regime.
What then, Brethren, is the key to his success ? The answer to this is furnished in his own words, uttered on another occasion, 16-2-‘24, “I had the great distinguishing example of Lord Ampthill constantly in my mind as a high ideal to which I looked for guidance and inspiration.”
In unveiling Sir Archibald’s oil painting, 10 days ago at another place, Chief Justice Sir Owen Beasley is reported to have said “It has been always a matter of great wonder to us all, how Sir Archibald has managed to create time for the pursuit of very many public activities.” But when he said so, Sir Owen knew very little of what Sir Archibald has been doing to Freemasonry alone. Apply them to Freemasonry, and how true are those words! What a great idea! What a noble example has he set before us!
Brethren, the record attendance to-night is a testimony to Sir Archibald’s worth. This Temple stands as a perpetual memorial of his labours. The portraits of him presented in several of the Lodges are a fitting tribute to his work. The bronze bust unveiled this afternoon - an honour which no other D.G.M. had till now - is a still greater monument. But the greatest monument is the ideal set by him, and the solid work done by him, as a result of which, he has won our lasting esteem, affection and gratitude. And this will remain for ever in this District, even when “time with us shall be no more”.
He pledged to render himself extensively serviceable to his fellow creatures; and ‘Service’ has been his watchword. His service to Freemasonry we shall all cherish and continue to have the liveliest recollections of the deep personal interest he took in Freemasonry. And for his part, I am sure he will have a tender corner in his heart for Madras, and for members of the Craft in this District. His work is such as to fill a whole book and I have no doubt that such a book will appear before long. To-day we all feel bound to him and one another by the spirit of one great family, and we are not a little sorry to have to bid him farewell. In bidding him farewell, Brethren, let us
pray that he may be spared for many long years to enjoy his well-earned rest.”
- Unquote -
|
Designed and maintained by
H. L. Ratan for
the DGL - Madras |
