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MESSAGES 2006

January * February * March * April * May * June * July * August * September * October * November * December

JANUARY 2006

RING OUT THE OLD

The year that has just gone by must surely figure as the most disastrous in recent history, by all counts. We have had a Tsunami, the first in living memory, earthquakes, monsoon floods, train crashes consequent upon and independent of natural calamities – name them and we have had them.

If there was anything at all that one could derive from these calamitous events, it was perhaps the basic spirit of generosity that pervades our societies, so that one could see sincere efforts at ameliorating pain and suffering both by human intervention and material help. Our English Brethren are particularly to be remembered and thanked for their spontaneous and munificent contributions to the Tsunami efforts in the District, through the Grand Charity amounting to more than £500,000 or about Rs.4 crores.

The year offered testing times for our N.G.Os. social service organisations, and indeed our Governments, both local and federal as well as opportunities to rise to the occasion. By and large, they performed well, despite the suddenness and enormity of most of the natural disasters, and hopefully, have taken from these experiences valuable lessons for the future. With global warming being a fairly obvious culprit, in these climatic disturbances, we can expect to see more aberrant behaviour from nature.

As we look forward to the New Year which is now upon us we should perhaps take comfort from the possibility that it can only offer better prospects than its immediate precursor; so let’s all look forward to 2006 in a spirit of optimism and good cheer.

For us in this District we have before us some important events to look forward to – the inauguration, hopefully, during the year, of the Cornwallis Senior Citizens’ Home, which commenced construction last month, and is on its way to completion, by October 2006. The other launch which we are anticipating, is the Masons’ Welfare Fund, to cater to the demands on our Brethren, from their increasing longevity, and arising from our established custom and obligation, to take care of our own.

We therefore need our Brethren to make a few Resolutions in the New Year in favour of these Projects of the District on which we are eagerly soliciting and expecting their support.

So here’s wishing you and all your families a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year, bearing in mind the obligations you owe to the society of which we are all proud and happy to be Members.

FEBRUARY 2006

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

When I tell people, particularly non-Masons, that we as a Masonic fraternity have been in South India, in the erstwhile MADRAS Presidency (hence the name that our Masonic District continues to bear) for well-nigh 300 years, it quite astonishes them, to the extent of their sometimes questioning the veracity of that statement.

On the record, Masonry in Madras dates back to 1752 when a Lodge was warranted, it was erased in 1790, followed by others warranted and erased, prior to the formation of the United Grand Lodge. Under the United dispensation, the first warrant was issued to the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity numbered one as a local number, later in 1863, changed to number 150.

Masonry survived in South India through the wars of the Carnatic, the spill-over skirmishes of the Napoleonic wars, the Wars of Independence, the national struggle for Indian Independence, the formation of the Indian Republic, and so on. In 1961, the Grand Lodge of India was constituted and by common consent, the two Masonic Constitutions, along with the Scottish and Irish Constitutions continue to work traditional Masonry to the present day.

By historical and / or other standards, this is a remarkable unbroken continuum which has a strong cultural component, as Masonry has not survived in territories where this cultural affinity was not present, or sustained in changed circumstances of social or political upheaval.

The cultural content is important for us to understand, for without it, we cannot preserve the attractions of the fraternity, for it is the very basis of our commitment to the Masonic association.

This content is one of understanding and subscribing to a code of ethics, to charity, to a disciplined and hierarchical system of internal governance, and above all, to accepting the basic equality of one’s fellow-men. As these codes are characteristic of all Religions, it is easy to see why Masonry is compatible with all religions and the basic beliefs they embody.

Therefore to ensure continuity to prevail with the essential and incontrovertible landmarks of the order, we have to preserve them, despite the environmental changes that are continuously challenging us. Hence the emphasis on traditional practices.

To enable us to do that, we have to analyse our present structures and organisational perspectives, to see which of these need modification (such as the timing and duration of Meetings) to be able to attract a modern class of membership which wishes to cut out atmospheric disturbances to be able to receive the essential messages of our fraternity. Our traditional approach to Time, particularly in this country, needs to be completely over-hauled, because of the global pressures that have been imposed upon us – and consequently, from the concerns of our more recent membership potential. The possible recruit to Masonry, of current competence and suitability, is one for whom Time is the more important resource, not Money. Tangential to this, is the need to spend some of that scarce resource with his immediately family. Younger members also have a need to be active, even in the Lodge, and find it irksome for long periods of time, to have to watch from the sidelines.

All of this gives us considerable food for thought, and in the Administration we are actively seeking solutions to these challenges, some of which I have conveyed to our Brethren at recent Installation Meetings at which I was present. To maintain our long established heritage and continuity we must grapple with environmental and social change without obviously losing our focus and fidelity to the established landmarks and tenets of our order.

With that thought, let us enter this New Year with hope in our hearts, and a constant endeavour to be relevant and meaningful to the current generation as we have been to those illustrious and dedicated ones that went before.

MARCH 2006

ACHIEVEMENT AND AFFILIATION

Many years ago, almost three decades ago in fact, I was privileged to attend a Management Convention at which a Professor David McClelland’s (an Industrial Psychologists’) theories on various human (psychological) motivational needs were discussed, in terms of their need for achievement, the need for affiliation and the need for Power. These factors according to him, drove individuals and even Nations and provided the motivations for their actions and interests.

McClelland spent some years in India, in Andhra Pradesh as I remember, studying the motivations and persona of small-scale businessmen, and concluded that in India, the need for affiliation i.e. the need for family and community ties exceeded any other needs such as those of achievement or the exercise of power. In the U.S., he found the need for power, and the need for achievement (success in politics, in making money etc.) to be much greater than the need for affiliation, which was restricted largely to the nuclear family. Community ties in the U.S. were less important or tied to the first two needs – to become an important and powerful member of the community rather than to satisfy any affiliative needs.

Which reflections, of course, bring me back to Masonry and its relative popularity in India, as it appears to satisfy our basic need for affiliation. It provides avenues for connections to our fellow-men, to activities to enhance their welfare, and generally makes us feel good about the charitable nature of our activities in it.

While career achievements are often confined to the detritus of personal histories, on retirement from active professional life, Masonic membership keeps one connected to life and living – a most important concomitant of the pursuit of happiness. Happiness has various definitions, but for me it lies in interested participation in life in general, not merely as a spectator but as one who continues to savour every daily experience with commitment and concern.

At any rate, this is what keeps me happy, despite the pressures of the Masonic office that I hold; the joys of the position far out-weigh any of its draw-backs. One of the joys was our recent get-together at Kollam, where one enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with our Brethren to appreciate the achievement of the local brethren of Lodge Quilon who through their affiliative endeavour, provided us with a ‘fairy-land’ location for our meetings, which was enjoyed by one and all. Long may our happy fraternal affiliation continue, and contribute to our pursuit of achieving excellence in whatever we set out to do.

APRIL 2006

TWO HAPPY OCCASIONS

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a function organized by the Chairman and Members of the Premises Committee of the Madras Freemason’s Hall Trust, to declare open, along with the R.W. Regional Grand Master, a couple of Hospitality Suites at the Madras F.M. Hall (Annexe). It was a pleasure more especially as the two Trustees were sharing a platform and addressing a combined audience of Brethren of various Masonic Constitutions on a subject and occasion of common interest. The two hospitality suites, one named the Middle Chamber by the R.W. Bro. G.K. Selvarajan the R.W.RGM of Southern India and the other by the Writer as The Rendezvous (Ronday – Voo, perhaps we should call it, to ensure the right pronunciation!) to be available for use by Brethren, and their families for private Dining, catered by our in-house kitchen.

It was an appropriate and most salutary demonstration of our friendly and fraternal relations between all the Brethren of the different constitutions; appropriate as Masons to have a building symbolizing the practical manifestation of what would otherwise remain a pious platitude. So mote it ever be!

The other function I attended was the 84^th birthday of H.H. Sri Padmanabha Dasa Marthanda Varma at the Krishna Vilasom Palace complex in Thiruvananthapuram. A religious ceremony in the tradition of many generations was performed, and it was a privilege to be present to witness a very rare function, and doubly so as His Highness is also a Senior Mason of the Grand Lodge of India (Past Deputy Grand Master) – although my presence at the ceremonies was not in my Masonic role. What was remarkable about the ceremonies was their simple and purely religious nature, without pomp or circumstance, the celebrant’s royal position being signified by a traditional sword placed on his lap, and a simple black cord around his neck by which hung an age-old piece of jewellery rather in the shape of a miniature orb. The male invitees were all in temple dress, meaning that no upper garments were permitted, which lent a further aura of simplicity to the gathering. The symbolisms of these two occasions was brought home to me as they were within forty-eight hours of each other, and represented to me, at any rate, happy events full of significance, albeit of very different origins.

MAY 2006

PEER PRESSURE

I have been for many years a diligent student of various aspects of motivation – for different individuals are motivated by a variety of factors – some by pride and self-worth, others by money or material considerations, and of course, yet others, by fear or the powers of superior persuasion.

However, over these years, I have observed that the most powerful and sustained motivating power, comes from being one of a peer group of performers, of ability and achievement. If a peer is defined to be of equal skill or status, then the driving force becomes the achievements the peer or the peer group accomplishes which becomes the bench-mark.

Even in class rooms, or in sporting circles, the levels achieved by the best of the group tend to provide the bench-marks for the peer-members. If they are poor performers, the group level comes down, if they are excellent, the average level rises. Man, being a social animal, an element of ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ does play a significant part in matching achievement with those levels reached, by the group, of which, one is a member.

This is one of the prime reasons i.e. Peer Status that one selects Schools, Universities or professions to enter, as the cachet that peer groups, provide, over the years, to institutions, in turn, attracts the more serious talent to such environments. A ‘brand’ is then built up, which is self-perpetuating so long as it continues to signify and deliver the perceptions of quality associated with it.

It is also interesting to note how industrial or technology clusters – or peer groups of a corporate kind – can create contiguous geographical areas of excellence. Silicon Valley and Bangalore to give just two examples in Information Technology, Chennai in auto components, Sialkot for Cricket equipment, Tirupur for knitwear, are some other examples. Shared benches of excellence make for good bench-marks!

A Lodge is equally exposed to such influences, and I have often observed that peer pressure achieves far greater, and more consistent, results than all the driving and criticisms that can come from ‘superior’ sources. As the peer group’s (in this case let us say even those below the East) performance and drive increases, so does the motivation and morale of the Lodge. Likewise, in the other direction – ‘layabouts’ can also form a peer group be it in school, college or Lodge – and then the standards proceed south-ward, and that becomes the comfort Zone for all – with equally predictable, and sad results

So to be on the level, with quality in fraternity, should be the motto of every Lodge – or on the perfect plumb with peers!

JUNE 2006

‘SQUARING THE CIRCLE’

At the request of a contemporary of mine in the school, I have been editing for a commemoration volume, various contributions from alumni and their relatives, of the Besant Theosophical School in Adyar, founded by the Theosophical Society in the year 1934.

At the time I spent my five years there, covering the period of the Second World War, having been evacuated from Colombo to Madras for reasons of safety, I did not quite see the connection between the Theosophical movement, and Freemasonry. The motto of the Society is “There is no religion higher than Truth” – which no freemason can deny, taken together with Brotherhood and Relief, as our goals. In fact a Lodge practising Co-masonry, admitting women, has existed in the Society’s premises down to the present day – out of bounds to us then, and remaining so, even now.

In a sense, therefore, I must have had a very early introduction, subconsciously, into the tenets of the Craft through a philosophy influencing a system of education which seems to have had its roots in Freemasonry.

At Morning assembly at the School, all the major religions were represented in the prayers, underlining the universality of all Faiths; there were no caste or communal affiliations countenanced or referred to, with the result that young minds were kept insulated from social prejudices and artificial differentiations. There was also a strict injunction about having any money with one, as a boarder, perhaps also derived from being received poor and penniless into the institution – poverty being a great leveler!

The great seer and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti who was launched at the turn of the 20^th Century by Dr. Annie Besant as a ‘Messiah’, cut himself adrift of those pretensions and the esotery of the Theosophical movement of that time, and followed a more rational-spiritual path in which he pursued the enhancement of self-knowledge – shorn of other trappings. He also laid out a system of education allowing for individual self-expression through a school system which is now supported by his eponymously named Foundation.

We return, therefore, to where I started – the connections that Freemasonry influenced in the last Century and beyond – representing those eternal Truths which are the goals that all faiths seek to achieve. In this, one also sees a hidden hand which makes the personal linkages which then influence our individual lives, and renders the circle complete. Mysterious are the designs of the Great Architect!.

JULY 2006

Message for July 06

NEEDS AND DEEDS

Many years ago when I was on a Management Compensation Committee, we were faced, not unusually, with a manager who thought he was worth more than the company paid him. The Chairman was for his part quite upset that despite a substantial raise in the previous year, he did not appear content. I remember then saying to my superior that a satisfied need is a forgotten need. Last year’s increment or yesterday’s feast is quickly forgotten – present and future appetites demand admission.

However, we are today at a time in our history when needs are being rapidly met – at a ‘hygiene’ level in urban settlements, at any rate, and we are entering a full-fledged consumer society. Following social scientist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, some of our social groups are rapidly approaching the state of ‘self-actualisation’ – moving through ‘ego’ needs, hopefully, into a realization that a return of benefits from the satiated individual to the less advantaged of a developing society is a desirable objective.

Philanthropy, therefore, is beginning to be a concern of those whose ‘hygiene’ needs have been more or less satisfied, and remain capable of continuing that satisfaction without further effort per se – and good ‘deeds’ perhaps could now be attended to.

For us in Masonry, this should be our target group, as they are now relatively younger at admittance into acceptable affluence, leaving them disposed to consider good deeds as providing some ‘self-actualisation’ potential. Relief being one of our cardinal tenets,
such potential must not go un-addressed. It is in this context that Projects such as our Cornwallis Senior Citizen’s Home

Project, now under construction in Bangalore, has more than a symbolic significance – it is a practical manifestation of our ‘Relief’ platform and provides a visible example of what good deeds can achieve, through honesty of purpose.

Therefore needs must through their fulfillment, recede into the background of the consciousness of the upwardly mobile and be replaced by deeds of public good. That’s the quality of membership to the Fraternity we should be seeking.

AUGUST 2006

THE 3-D EFFECT

We are constantly face-to-face with acts of general indiscipline in society, motorists running red lights, garbage being scattered and thrown everywhere, delivery dates being missed and appointments delayed or cancelled – that sometimes we are reduced to a state of despair and even depression.

The great Anna, our former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister laid great emphasis on “Duty, Dignity and Discipline”. The three D-s in my book which, if observed meticulously, would not only be socially most desirable, but personally most satisfying.

While in the public domain, one despairs at the lack of the active examples of these 3-D’s, I am always comforted by the thought that within our Masonic fraternity we can find an island in which we find representation of these attributes. Discipline naturally leads to a sense of Duty, and together they lend Dignity to the individual as well as to the Society to which he belongs.

I have constantly found these attributes within our fraternity, particularly when I ask a Brother to do an (arduous) job for us.

In any Organization there are what we call “Dirty Jobs” to be done – and someone has to do them, sometimes even the Head of the Organisation, if it is of such complexity that it would be unfair to delegate it.

Therefore, in the Fraternity, one can take refuge from social anxieties caused by environmental aberrations, because we can more readily find Discipline, and along with it, it’s ‘fraternal’ attributes of Duty and Dignity. If there’s a Masonic job to be done, there will always be a Brother who will do it – willingly.

As in pictorial / visual representations with a 3-D effect, in behavioural aspects also, the 3-Ds lend depth and appeal to those that reflect these dimensions – and we have many of them in our Fraternity.

May the GAOTU long them preserve and indeed may their Tribe increase!

I look forward eagerly to seeing many of you in Trivandrum later this month, for our Half-Yearly Meeting, which by every prognosis promises to be a great success.

SEPTEMBER 2006

WHY ME ?

There is a touching story about the late Arthur Ashe, one-time Wilmbledon Champion, which I came across the other day – when he was diagnosed with AIDS from an infected blood transfusion prior to surgery – he had numerous letters of sympathy. One asked ‘Why him’ – a man of many wonderful qualities, besides his prowess at Tennis. His reply was – “When I held up that Winner’s Cup at Wimbledon, I never asked myself that question – why me – so there’s no reason I should do so now” – or words to that effect.

There is a whole philosophy that lies behind those words which we would all do well to remember, and indeed to constantly remind ourselves. When good and favourable things happen to us, we never stop to think as to why we have been chosen for Divine grace. Moreover, we are given to thinking on such occasions, that it is purely our competence and effort that has gained us these just deserts. Never any Divine Provenance or even the help we have received from others – be they Parents, Teachers, or Peers, or whomsoever. No thanks are due to any one, when we preen ourselves, in pride of having received the favourable ‘benediction’.

When, however, Disaster, Disease or Failure of any kind strikes, it is always bad luck, Divine in-attention to our personal needs, despite much prayer and supplication for the desired ends, which is the reason for our reduced status or condition.

Conversely, if we turn our thoughts to someone else – so as to say why Him? If it is for reasons of the other’s success, it turns to envy, rather than appreciation for that person arriving at better prospects.

If on the other hand, in another’s distress, we ask the question ‘Why him” and proceed to render assistance, we energise our spirit of Charity.

Charity is a state of mind – a condition, a contribution of love, not specie – which Arthur Ashe exemplified in his own life and was reflected in his response to the question “why him” in his dying days.

I leave you all with another accompanying thought. When one is bestowed a benediction, reflected in success in life and career, the answer to why me? could well be that one has been chosen to carry out other commands of the Almighty through acts of Charity, of social consciousness, to justify one’s choice as a medium – for good works. So in success, go forth and multiply good deeds to give thanks for one’s blessings – and in supposed failure, seek the experience that comes with it, which is always valuable.

OCTOBER 2006

SYMBOLISM AND SUBSTANCE

Masonry as we have all been instructed is a system of Morality illustrated by Symbols. We are surrounded by them, and indeed in our Native Land, our Culture and Religions abound in their manifestation.

However, it’s often seen that the Medium takes over from the Message and the Symbolisms and Rituals of lip-service rule our lives. We disdain to progress from symbols to substance, and in the process lose a great opportunity for self-development and attaining awareness. The soul needs to be nurtured by observance of the innate goodness and virtues that our masonic symbols represent. Of them, the square symbolizes boundaries of conduct and control, the level the even ground on which we were delivered upon this earth, which also symbolizes the equality of all mankind, and the compasses the reach of our potential talents and accomplishments, which we are encouraged by our rituals to develop to their fullest splendour.

On the 1^st of this month, we celebrate Elders’ Day – and while that is a symbolic occasion, what should be the substance of our care and attention to the Elders of our society. The Cornwallis Home for Senior Citizens now hurtling into its last lap – the Home stretch, appropriately, is one living symbol of our commitment as Freemasons to their cause and comfort, which will be commissioned by our Past Pro Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Lord Cornwallis barely eight weeks from now – on the 6^th of December.

The Home also represents the symbolic and substantial link with the past administration of this District under my predecessor, R.W. Bro. Arumana Parameswaran Tampi, O.S.M., his Deputy, Wor. Bro. M.S. Chintamani, and Wor. Bro. Theo Devagnanam (Sr.) who as Assistant District Master first called up this vision, and actively pursued the idea by becoming the first Donor-Patron of the Home, if memory serves me well.

We are privileged to assist in bringing this matter to due form, and hope that the Home, when fully operational, will be a symbol of our substantial commitment to our Elders and to Charity which has no ownership and remains the united effort of our entire fraternity. May the GAOTU aid our united endeavours and help us in moving from mere symbols to substantive spiritual progress.

NOVEMBER 2006

THE HUNT FOR TALENT

In whatever walk of life one is engaged in, the topic is the same – the search for Talent, the many new ways of running it to ground, and of course, pursuing the age-old argument whether it is nature or nurture that brings forth this resource.

In the economy, as we move towards greater service-orientation, commercially speaking, Talent takes on a much greater weightage than any of the other (natural) resources. In fact Japan proved many decades ago, that enterprise and talent combined could move a nation up the economic ladder, even without mentionable natural resources.

In the case of our own Country, amongst all the Developing Countries save perhaps China, we have had an abundance of natural talent, and entrepreneurial talent in particular, and can help raise ourselves by our own bootstraps. In the 21^st Century, after almost four centuries of thralldom we are emerging from the shadows into the top echelons of technology, and commerce. Add to these, talents in the knowledge, cultural and other sectors, and you have a treasure house.

Spotting and nurturing Talent should be a prime concern of anyone concerned with the leadership of a Team, a community, an organisation or even the Nation. Too often we have seen talent circumscribed and indeed even sabotaged through lack of appreciation, sheer envy or even misplaced and conflicting loyalties to one’s own kin or tribe.

Talent crosses borders and barriers effortlessly and there’s that old saying that you cannot keep a good man down. Mediocrities everywhere try to suppress and sabotage Talent, sometimes out of inability to recognise the superior qualities of others, or even out of fear of the competition that emanates from that superior merit.

In organisations such as our Fraternity or other social service groups, it is of vital importance to recognise merit and apportion our rewards accordingly. It is not always seniority that prevails in recognising and rewarding Talent – often it is the reverse. The young bring their talent to action, as William Blake put it “Execution is the Chariot of Genius” – Genius is spotted early and does not really have to carry experience with it, to perform to super-human levels. Napoleon was in his twenties when he became a General of the French Army and Alexander died at 36, after conquering half the then-known world.

Today we, particularly the Elders of the Community and our Fraternity, should be constantly on the lookout for Talent, and to take particular care to nurture this precious resource. This is the object of our Mentoring programs which we shall be launching shortly, within our Masonic District.

DECEMBER 2006

December is always a month of anticipation, of good cheer, tinged with a bit of sadness at the imminent passing of another year. However, this December offers an added expectation in that we shall, in this District, be celebrating the launch of our Home for Senior Citizens, for assisted living, in Bangalore.

The Home will be declared open by M.W. Bro. Fiennes, Lord Cornwallis, Past Pro Grand Master, accompanied by Lady Stephanie who is on her first visit to India, on the 6^th of this month. In fact by the time this message is on our website, they would have landed in Hyderabad, which is their first port of call, from where they come to Chennai, and then go on to Bangalore. Our Brethren are aware of their program for the duration, till they return to the U.K. on the 9^th morning.

The Home has been eight years in the making, from the time the land was purchased and the foundation stone was laid by Lord Cornwallis, then converted from agricultural use by obtaining the necessary Government approvals, to the present, when a superstructure to accommodate upto a hundred Residents has arisen at the site. The location itself has gone up in real value terms from being in the ‘boondocks’ to being in the neighbourhood of the new International Airport being built, at Devanahalli to serve Bangalore and its environs. However, its real value to us as Freemasons is that it is a solid symbol of our commitment to Charity, and proof, if such were needed, that even a small group of people with the right motives can achieve such a laudable and substantial undertaking.

Our thanks are due to all our Brethren who helped in converting this dream into reality, and hope that it will remain for long as visible evidence that the Brethren have discharge their duties faithfully to the fraternity and to the larger community to which they all belong.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Cornwallis Home, slated for the 6^th of this month which I have no doubt will be a grand occasion, also befitting the presence of our most distinguished Brother, whose name this facility for assisted living so proudly bears.

Charity certainly begins at this Home!