PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE

DGM's Messages

2009

'This page has been approved by the United Grand Lodge of England’

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

RW DGM' s MESSAGE FOR JulY 2009

PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE

We are an ancient land and civilization, which finds representation in our time-worn monuments, buildings and artefacts. Sadly, though, as in all things in abundance, there is neglect – of their upkeep and lack of respect for their fortuitous provenance. Our ancestors of one kind or another, of one affiliation or another bequeathed to us, many such grand edifices but it appears, in most cases, without earning the care and attention that these bequests deserve.

At a recent meeting in Delhi of INTACH (the Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage) it was apparently decided to designate the ensuing year 2010, as the year of the National Heritage Mission, to advance the cause of listing Heritage Buildings and hopefully, of preserving them, through such identification / listing.

We, as Freemasons, should take special note of this intention, and convert it into a meaningful action plan, as we are, fortunately, the custodians of a number of such buildings in and around our District, which have come to us by the endeavour and sacrifice of our predecessors in the fraternity. Some of these edifices are a hundred years old or more, and deserve to be properly restored. It is very rarely that societies such as ourselves have their own premises in which to hold its meetings and allied events. By a happy coincidence of the nature of our Constitutions we had to have our own meeting places which accounted for a valuable provenance of fine buildings in city centres. The least we can do is to respect their inheritance by maintaining them with loving care.

Once the Heritage Act comes into force, there will be a statutory obligation for us to maintain our buildings properly and within guidelines prescribed for them. For instance, most of the nineteenth century construction and earlier was in lime mortar and not cement. To restore them using modern materials such as Cement is a prescription for disaster, as these materials of different origins never coalesce into a solid surface – and consequently fall apart. Fortunately, through the efforts of INTACH, the ancient Indian methods of construction and special mortar mixes have all been revived, along with the artisanal skills needed, to employ them in restoring our old edifices.

It is in this overall context that we had set up, some years ago, the Masonic Heritage Buildings Trust to form a repository of funds required to assist in such restoration and maintenance. In the years before us, a lack of funds for such work should never be quoted as a reason for neglect of our various Lodge buildings.

May the Great Architect assist us in these historic endeavours.