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Message from DGM for Feb 2004 ADDRESS OF RWDGM AT THE ANNUAL INVESTITURE MEETING ON 14TH FEBRUARY 2004 AT CHENNAI Brethren, First let me wish you all a Very Happy New Year, while welcoming you to our District Headquarters, Chennai, for our Annual Investiture Meeting. All of us are well aware of the organizing capabilities of the Brethren of the Lodge Pitt Macdonald, and their legendary hospitality – and I am sure this Lodge under whose Banner we are meeting today has made excellent arrangements for your reception and stay in the City. On your behalf I would like to thank the W.M., the Secretary and all the Brethren of Lodge Pitt Macdonald for their wholehearted support and management of this Meeting and the attendant festivities. The year just gone by has been full of happy events – the most important of which has been our returning to friendly communication with the Grand Lodge of India, which is now manifest tonight in the presence of R W Bro M.Prabhat Kumar, Dy Regional Grand Master of RGL of Southern India, representative of R.W. the Regional Grand Master and his deputation, whom I warmly welcome to our gathering. We also look forward to their company at the festive board to follow this meeting. RWRGM had informed me that certain prior Masonic commitments have taken him away from the City and hence his inability to attend. An Investiture Meeting is a very happy event for many who have received honours, although as always there may be those who feel hard done by, for some reason or the other.. To those who have been honoured at this Meeting, my congratulations and fervent advice to continue their contributions to our fraternity. To the others, let me assure them that in making up our lists we go strictly by the attendance and attention Brethren have paid to their Craft Lodges, and that they can always strive to have future occasions for rejoicing, by making the appropriate efforts to support and sustain their Lodges. Brethren are also reminded that the awarding of ranks has to follow a Constitutional guideline laid down by Grand Lodge, and it is beyond even my powers to transgress these well-established limitations of numbers and entitlements. Another happy event during the year was the visit in November ’03 of the Assistant Grand Master, R.W.Bro.David Kenneth Williamson, and the Grand Secretary, V.W.Bro.Robert Morrow, who spent forty eight hours with us in Chennai (on the 16th / 17th November). It was arranged that some of our Senior Brethren and current District Officers meet the visiting dignitaries as well as the Members of the F.M. Hall Premises Committee at a lunch hosted by its Chairman, W Bro S L Chitale. R W Regional Grand Master, R W Bro Dr. B Biswakumar as the Co-Trustee and W Bro B Kamakoti, Regional Grand Secretary, as a special invitee were also present at the lunch to interact with the visiting dignitaries. At a Dinner arranged at the Madras Club, I was much honoured to be presented with the Kent Cube, a memento conveyed by our Grand Master, M.W.Bro. H.R.H. the Duke of Kent through the visiting dignitaries. A notable event in their program was that R.W.Bro. Williamson accepted the offer of an Honorary Membership of Lodge St.John’s, Secunderabad of which Lodge his grand father was an initiate in the year 1915. I must thank Wor.Bro. S.L.Chitale, Wor.Bro.J.B. Kamdar, and our DGS and D.G.D of C amongst others who in some way or the other helped with the visit of the Grand Lodge Officials. Another noteworthy event was the completion of the First Phase of commitment on the renovation of the Freemasons’ Hall, Chennai, and we were pleased to be able to hand over in November, the renovated and reconstructed R.G.L. office to the R.G.M. – a good example of our continued co-operation between the two Constitutions, in the maintenance, and we hope mutual enjoyment of this magnificent building. I continue to believe that the building represents the best symbol of our cordial fraternal relations and I fervently hope it ever continues to be so. The District Grand Superintendent of Works will present the details of the completed works. I thank all those who responded to our appeals for donations to the Masonic Heritage Buildings Trust and can only ask that those who have not yet done so could find it in their hearts to reach for their cheque books as we still have bills to pay on this account. A list of those Lodges whose members have risen to the occasion is given below :
I must, however remind brethren that the task is far from complete. The repairs and renovation to the old DGL Office-cum-Board room and the Annexe Buildings are yet to be taken up in the Second Phase and this, in my view, is equally important, in that it can enhance revenue potential for the Madras Freemasons’ Hall Trust. The contributory share from Lodges for the use of Temples and Dining Halls constitutes the revenue of this Trust and this is just about sufficient to meet the recurring administration expenses. We need to build up a reasonable surplus as Reserves to meet contingencies and maintenance requirements so that the buildings do not once again fall into disrepair. It would also be prudent to keep the contributory share from Lodges at a level such as not to tax the brethren too much. So, while we are still in the process of collecting donations to meet the bills of the work done till date, we are making bold to finalise plans for the Second Phase of the renovation. The call to our brethren for contribution to the Masonic and Heritage Buildings Trust is therefore still current and I would exhort one and all to give liberally and help this common cause. GRAND LODGE NEWS: A perusal of the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge held on 11th June 2003 brings out news of re-recognition of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota on their having voted to withdraw recognition from the irregular Grand Lodge of France. The recognition had been withdrawn in June 2002 because of its decision to recognise the irregular Grand Lodge of France. This information not only keeps brethren of the English Craft abreast of such decisions but also serves to demonstrate Grand Lodge’s strict adherence to the basic principles laid down for recognition of sister Grand Lodges. Brethren should therefore be extremely cautious when visiting lodges of other Constitutions when they travel abroad. It would be necessary to check before hand with Grand Lodge or the District Grand Lodge on such matters. At the Communication on 1st September, 2003, M W Pro Grand Master, the Hon. The Marquess of Northampton has made some very important observations in his Address. Referring to the Grand Board’s report on recommendations of the Strategic Working Party which had been reviewing the Royal Arch, M W Pro Grand Master has elaborated on the rationale of the same and trusts that its implementation will give an impetus to the Royal Arch degree. Those of you who attended the District Grand Chapter meeting this morning would have made note of my observations in this regard. Extracts from the address of MW Grand Master on this subject which were part of that speech would throw a lot more light to those interested in the active practice of this ritual. A comprehensive note on this subject received from the Grand Scribe ’E’ is available with the District Office for those interested in its more detailed form. In his address the M.W. Pro Grand Master has announced the appointment by M W Grand Master of RW Bro Peter Lowndes, PJGW PGDC as successor to RW Bro Iain Bryce, Deputy Grand Master who has expressed a wish to retire. The Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London has now become a reality and RW Bro Lord Millett PJGW has been installed as the first Metropolitan Grand Master There has also been a change in the Presidentship of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution. RW Bro Brian Smith having also himself asked to step down, M W Grand Master has appointed VW Bro John Moore PGSwdB in his place. Some important observations of the President of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys are brought out in a latter part of my speech. Charity and Relief: I have time and again been reiterating that utmost importance and priority ought to be given to relief to indigent masons and widows or dependants of masons. I had drawn attention to passages from MW Grand Master’s address emphasising this aspect. Once again, in his Report to the Grand Lodge, VW Bro AJF Stebbings, President of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (within the Central Masonic Charities) has this to say: Quote : "Charity is a fundamental and vitally important part of Masonry. Its practice is a cardinal commitment that we all made on the day of our initiation. Openness demands that we as individuals, and as an organisation make a contribution to the communities in which we live, and to help all members of our society, but we must not let that distract us from the even more important commitment to help our fellow Masons and their dependants in time of need. The four Central Charities, each with its separate and distinct objects are, I believe, the best way that we can pool our resources to discharge that commitment. Each has benefited to a remarkable extent from the generosity of the generations that have gone before us. That has enabled the Charities to take on long-term commitments to our beneficiaries. This generation must not let the side down and undermine our ability to make that commitment. We must pass on to the next generation four of the most significant Charities in the land as we received them and, hopefully, enhanced and strengthened by our endeavours". Unquote : As mentioned by me in my last address, while Public Charity projects are welcome and demonstrate to Society at large the laudable objectives of our ancient Institution, it cannot be overemphasised that the need to search out and serve our own indigent brethren or their near and dear ones, is of paramount importance and in fact is at the core of the Order’s existence. I may here inform you that very recently, the daughter of a long-deceased former mason was given emergency assistance by the District Grand Charity for medical treatment which was received with much gratitude and appreciation by her husband. However, the severity of the illness took her away after much suffering. We later discovered that the former Mason was a PATRON of a District Grand Charity in his time. Another instance of one of our own dear brethren who till recently was a jolly Comrade has had the misfortune to have been reduced to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress and it was with shared feelings of sadness that I approved of immediate relief from the District Grand Charity. I must congratulate the Steward for Masonic Charities for energizing donations to the District Grand Charity Fund and collecting a sum of Rs.1.62 Lakhs during the year and thank all the brethren who responded to his call. As you are aware and as the accounts with you will reveal, considerable amounts are being given away as scholarships for higher technical education and the demand for the same is continuing and will only increase. Brethren should keep this aspect in mind when the next occasion is before them to embrace the opportunity of practising that virtue they have professed to admire. Cornwallis Home: The final building permits from the local authorities have now been received and the plans are being given a final shape. In doing so, the Executive Council has been concentrating on keeping the Cost of the Project within certain justifiable limits that would be essentially dictated by the quantum of the Deposits that prospective Residents of the Home would be required to pay. The entire success of the Project without doubt is in the marketability of the dwelling units and this in turn will depend on the financial commitment for a ‘resident’. This important aspect is now being taken care of primarily by spreading the word of the Project around through Associations connected with Senior Citizens, the Rotary movement in Bangalore, the Dignity Foundation etc. The Council is involved very much in the Project with our own District Grand Superintendent of Works looking into the plan details for effective costing etc. Before long, you should be hearing of some of the aspects directly as part of the effort to ascertain the market and "expressions of interest" from possible residents naturally after giving Freemasons and their dependents the first priority for admission. MASONIC VISITS: In the last three years since I took over, I have more than fulfilled my promise to visit all the Lodges in my jurisdiction. In fact, in the last two weeks alone I have traversed my jurisdiction from its southern-most tip, Trivandrum, to its northern most point, Hyderabad, in a span of less than a fortnight, attending Masonic Meetings. It has given me great joy to do so, and I can fairly say that I now have a good feel of the pulse of every Lodge in the District – and a very satisfying feeling it is too. However, I am of the view that it is necessary for others to have the opportunity of representing me at Installation Meetings or other important celebrations, so as to be able to share this experience, and indeed to benefit from it. On the 31st January 2004, exactly two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending, in response to the invitation of RWRGM of Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, the Annual Investiture Meeting of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India at Trivandrum. I was accompanied by our DJGW, W Bro Gopal Madhavan, DG Treasurer, W Bro D G Nayar, DGS, W Bro K V Srinivasan and DG Dof C, W Bro B. Balaji Singh. I must personally thank R W Bro Dr.Biswakumar, R W Regional Grand Master and his officers for the courtesies extended to us during our visit. My journeys have also included the U.K. in October ’03 where I had the pleasure of my first meeting with our Pro Grand Master M.W. Bro. The Marquess of Northampton, the Assistant Grand Master, and the Grand Secretary all of whom spent valuable time with me, while I also visited some Lodges and Chapters in the Provinces of Warwickshire and South Wales Western Dn. The opportunity was taken to renew old Masonic friendships and to make new ones, while introducing some of those gatherings to the highlights of Masonry in the Madras jurisdiction. Masonic visits such as these do tend to re-inforce the feeling of Masonry being indeed Universal. Others from our District, including our Assistant District Grand Master, and Brethren from Lodge Kerala for example have visited Grand Lodge, and experienced, I am sure, similar feelings. In October last, under the auspices of the District Grand Lodge of Middle East of the Scottish Constitution, the first Asia Pacific Masonic Congress was inaugurated in Bangkok to which our District had also been invited. Our District Grand Treasurer W Bro D G Nayar and District Grand Secretary, W Bro K V Srinivasan agreed to attend this Congress and I had the pleasure of nominating their names on behalf of the District. They had very interesting and inspiring interaction with many masons from the Far East, Middle East, Australia etc. We have been offered the opportunity of hosting the next session of the Congress in 2005 and we are yet to respond. I will be giving my attention to this and shortly approach you for your own responses and suggestions on holding the suggested meeting in this District. COMPUTERISATION: We are one of the first Districts in this part of the world to go online with our record-keeping and during the recent visit of the Assistant Grand Master and the Grand Secretary, this initiative was discussed. It is interesting to note that Grand Lodge has also embarked on an ambitious programme of computerisation and the Grand Board has been authorised by an amendment to the Book of Constitutions to permit submission of returns and other information in such electronic format as it may approve. We can be proud of the fact that we are the forerunners in this programme and would in due time be interacting with Grand Lodge for real-time linkage and automatic up-dating of records. INFORMATION : While our Website is constantly updated thanks to our W.Bro. H.L. Ratan, the COURIER will also now be re-issued under the stewardship of Bro. S. Shanker of Perfect Unanimity who takes over as Editor from Wor.Bro.George Jayaprakash who did a very good job during his tenure, despite difficult circumstances. We thank them all for their efforts. PREMISES: The Premises Committee under the able Chairmanship of W Bro S L Chitale and the active co-operation of the nominees of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, particularly their Registrar W Bro S Ramasubramanian and Secretary W Bro N Ganesh has been meeting regularly and within its own limitations the Committee has been working to improve the administration of the Freemasons’ Hall and to make meetings of Lodges as comfortable as possible. With the totally new RGL Office now ready for occupation and the two kitchens in operation, the infrastructure at our command should be put to better use for the common benefit of brethren at large. The assistance of the DG Supdt of Works, W Bro V J Bharath through his own professional office in the construction activity and the strict and careful supervision of the Chairman W Bro S L Chitale are to be robustly acknowledged and applauded. LEGAL SUIT: Amidst all this good news, I also have to share the unfortunate instance of a few brethren of the Grand Lodge of India having filed a suit for restitution of the failed and rejected Draft MOU on the Freemasons’ Hall at Chennai and asking for the implementation of the same. In the face of affidavits filed by the Regional Grand Secretary and our District Grand Secretary in the Hon’ble High Court of Madras seeking dismissal of the suit, the same has been admitted for hearing. I myself have been interacting personally with the RW Regional Grand Master in this matter to put up a joint defence as Trustees of the F.M. Hall Trust. INSTALLATION MEETINGS: Since the last DGL meeting, I have had the pleasure of attending Installation Meetings of the following lodges:
The following brethren represented me at the installation meetings of the lodges mentioned hereunder:
The books of these lodges that I myself attended were inspected on my behalf by the following brethren:
I am thankful to each one of them for the trouble they have taken to travel great distances, in some instances and also for inspecting the books of the respective lodges. BANNER LODGE: As I have stated in my opening remarks, the Pitt Macdonald Lodge has always had a flair for the organisation of events and this evening they have more than met our expectations, in fact they have excelled themselves. The initiative and hard work of the W M and brethren of this Lodge are to be recognised and recorded. We thank them profusely for the arrangements as also the Management of the Taj Coromandel Hotel for their special attention to our needs, both formal and festive. OBITUARY: Brethren, since we last met the following Brethren of our District have been called to the Grand Lodge above:
We have already conveyed our shared grief to the Lodges and the respective families. May I now request you to kindly stand in silence for a few moments in memory of the departed souls . It now only remains for me to place on record my thanks to the Officers of the District Grand Lodge for their continued support and dedication to their duties. The team consisting of W Bros D G Nayar, B Balaji Singh and K V Srinivasan, respectively the District Grand Treasurer, the District Grand Director of Ceremonies and the District Grand Secretary have been with me in all my endeavours. The ceremonial part of this meeting as well as of those lodges I visited were meticulously taken care of by W Bro Balaji Singh who took the trouble of accompanying me on all my visits. W Bro M A Chacko, Dy DGM and W Bro Dr K K Varma, ADGM have been most helpful in assisting me in representing me at various lodges and at meetings of the District Board and Executive Council and I must place on record my sincere thanks to both of them. At his own request, Wor.Bro. Chacko asked to be relieved of his office as my Deputy for reasons of health. Once again many thanks to Wor.Bro.M..A.Chacko for his services. I am grateful to Wor.Bro.P.Mukundan who has very kindly agreed to step in and assist me in his stead. His continuing devotion to Masonry in general and our District in particular, that despite his chronological age, he is ready to assist me in representations around the District and to undertake travelling which most would consider too arduous, has inspired me to rely on him to step into the breach. The staff of the District Grand Lodge headed by the Dist Asst Grand Secretary W Bro Jacob Mathew have carried out their duties with care and devotion and I sincerely thank them for the same. While we miss the presence of R W Bro Dr. Biswakumar the R.W. Regional Grand Master, I must nevertheless thank him for deputing his Dy. RGM to attend this Meeting and reiterate my invitation to him and his deputation to join me and our Brethren at the festive Board to follow. May I now bid adieu till we meet again at Thanjavur, the cultural capital of Tamilnadu, in August for our Half-Yearly Meeting.
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