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MESSAGE FOR FEBRUARY ‘05

This is the month in which, traditionally in the second week, we meet many Brethren from around the District at our Annual Investiture Meeting in Chennai. Our average attendance for these Meetings is about 270 Brethren which represents a good 25% of our membership, and has shown a rising trend which is cause for some satisfaction.

It is also a time for reflection on a Masonic Year gone by, on goals achieved, and those unfulfilled, of changes perceived, and of our own adjustments to them. Much remains to be done in our onward progress, but we can say that we have made some noticeable milestones – in Charity efforts, in administration and information systems, in supporting the Freemasons’ Hall Trust, and contributing handsomely to its facilities through the Premises Committee, in improving communications generally, more particularly by having an active and regularly up-dated website, and so on and so forth.

All this of course calls for Teamwork which has been very much in evidence, and calls for congratulations of that team’s efforts – the members of which are too numerous to mention, but obviously includes all the active District Officers, and staff of the District Office, as well as Lodge Masters, Secretaries and even our younger Brethren.

One of the most obvious, and heart-warming examples of this Teamwork has been in the relief and rehabilitation efforts on the TSUNAMI disaster in which Lodges and Brethren have been involved. More can be done, of course, but this disaster afforded an opportunity to demonstrate Charity in action. We hope the relief efforts will continue to go to the aid of our affected communities. Remember Brethren that a hand that warms another is better than the hand that merely signs a cheque for Charity.

While on the subject of Charity we shall also be launching the investigation and appraisal of a scheme for a Masons Welfare Fund during the course of the next few months, about which you will all hear more from the District administration, as their appraisals reach a conclusion through an expert sub-committee thereof, set up for the purpose of examining the idea more thoroughly. All suggestions and views are welcome, placed through the District Office to this Sub-Committee.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible later this month.

R.W.BRO. K.R.N. MENON

R.W. D.G.M.