NEW INITIATIVES

DGM's Messages

2009

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2009 January February March April May June July August September October November December

RW DGM' s MESSAGE FOR april 2009

NEW INITIATIVES

We are into the New Year for many in South India – that the Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam speakers all celebrate a few days apart. My best wishes to all of them for better days to come in the ensuing twelve months and beyond.

We do not, in India, seem, as yet, to be greatly affected by the global economic down turn, although there are sectors of the economy, particularly those represented by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are a bit under the weather. However, adversity is often a good time to take stock of one’s situation and even achieve some stripping of fat and bad habits.

As for the Craft and the District, there is now considerable momentum on the mentoring initiatives which are showing good results through the increasing awareness of the Masonic symbolisms in the young initiatives who have recently come into our fold. As I write, we are also inaugurating or should I say, re-invigorating the Madras City Lodge of Instruction to be supported and patronized by all the six city lodges to improve ritual working. Masonic education as a regular meeting agenda feature is being also increasingly seen which further spreads the knowledge of our symbolisms and contexts.

On the Charity front, the new District Executive Council has been charged with examining fresh initiatives in the areas of geriatric support and children’s programs with special emphasis on the girl-child.

The Masons’ Welfare Fund is to investigate our enrolling in organisations which are being floated by well-known Indian business groups (such as Sahara and Reliance) for support of assisted living programs for the elderly. These companies, in the health-care sector, have membership plans to enroll those Senior Citizens who need to call for (carer) help of one kind or another in their own domestic environments. There is a membership fee which typically starts at about Rs.7,000/- per annum per member, with a carer (call) service to be provided in a number of cities. As I have said, this program is to be evaluated by us to consider our District enrolling its Brethren, over the age of 70 years.

Summer holidays are round the corner and for those of you who are fortunate to be able to get away from the heat to more salubrious climes – we wish you safe and enjoyable journeys, while sparing a thought for those of us who are destined to burn !