September 2008

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RW DGM's MESSAGE FOR SEPTEMBER 2008

MASONIC SYMBOLS

While we are all familiar with the metaphors of masonry in their spiritual and esoteric significations, not much thought is given to the accompaniments, infrastructure and attitudes that Masonry ought to represent. Of attitudes I shall deal with later.

We recently concluded a seminar on Mentoring at our Half-Yearly gathering in Bangalore on the penultimate week-end of last month. In this seminar we stressed the need for cautious recruitment with an eye to quality and character, eschewing the mere ‘numbers’ game. To reinforce this proscription we must remind ourselves that English Masonry in India is perforce restricted to the number of Lodges as existed in 1962, and remaining with us on the formation of the sovereign Grand Lodge of India. So it follows that we can only have so many English Masons as will permit a few hundred more initiates to be admitted into our remaining Lodges, well distributed around the District. Over the years that I have served the Madras Masonic administration in various capacities, I have calculated that about 80 -85 members with half at least representing Master Masons constitutes a viable Lodge strength, of an average age of 37 – 38 years.

Returning to our objective of recruitment of quality, let us see what are the external symbols and popular representations which could attract the young man of quality, meaning of the right disposition to community service, and the means obviously, to discharge those obligations. Such a person, before his initiation, may want to know a number of things about our organization for which the mentoring program, hopefully, will provide the answers.

In addition, I have always felt that the local ‘home’ of masonry in whichever town such Lodge is situated needs to be an attractive (Heritage) building in good repair. I stress on the word heritage as all our Lodge buildings are of some vintage, and almost all are at least fifty years old. This is the first symbolism that a candidate meets even prior to initiation, when he arrives for his interview with a Lodge Membership Committee. The furniture, accoutrements, library etc., will also be points of interest, remembering that few other such social service bodies have their own buildings in which they meet.

Just as a man or a family, in the traditional sense, is judged by his house, local or ancestral, we should endeavour, as our name of affiliation suggests, to present the best Masonic front – our ancestral local headquarters. Rome was not built in a day nor will our bricks and mortar inheritance be restored in a matter of even months or years – but keep this symbol and object in mind for the future. I do!