I warmly welcome you all to the Annual Investiture meeting of our District. Unfortunately, I am not able to be with you in person, on this occasion, but I assure you that I am with all of you in spirit. Having to undergo medical treatment has prevented me from attending this particular meeting. Your Deputy District Grand Master, therefore, will conduct the meeting and read this address on my behalf.

It is particularly difficult to be away in the light of the fact that we have been unable to meet for the last two years.

Although we were not able to meet Masonic activity, in the form of charity, worked extremely well during the pandemic and every Lodge in the District did its part in support of its community.  Six of our Brethren and the Lodge of Rock were honoured by the M.W.Grand Master for their Covid relief efforts.

I am sure that the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity is taking care of all of you and that you will enjoy this weekend.  I extend a warm welcome to R.W.Bro. Dr. K.G. Alexander, the Wor. Deputy Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India,   representative of R.W.Bro. V.G. Madhusudhan, The Regional Grand Master of The Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and his delegation.

The Grand Lodge has been alive to the problems we have all faced during the last two years and is proud that the fraternity has pulled together all over the world.  In the words of our Grand Secretary, Dr. David Staples’ quote, “Within freemasonry we have discovered stamina and a profound ability to support each other and the wider society even in the harshest of times”.  Brethren, I trust that these Masonic qualities will continue to flourish in our District and especially educate our younger Brethren.

After many years of dedicated service to the Grand Lodge and to Freemasonry, our Pro Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Peter Geoffrey Lowndes has decided to retire.  Many of us got to know him during his tenure in office and it was always a pleasure to meet and converse with him.  We shall all miss him.   His successor, the Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Bro.Jonathan Spence is also well known to many of us.  We take this opportunity to wish M.W. Bro. Peter Geoffrey Lowndes a peaceful and happy retirement.  We look forward to working with R.W. Bro. Jonathan Spence.

On February 22, 2022 the Grand Lodge consecrated a Lodge named Lodge Sine Nomine and assigned it the number 10000. This is an unattached Lodge directly under the UGLE and will meet in difference locations. The membership of the Lodge consists of the rulers of the UGLE, other senior Masons and many younger and more junior Masons who are all drawn from the various Provinces and Districts under the UGLE. I am very pleased to say that three of our Brethren have joined this Lodge and I am sure that they will enjoy their membership.

District

On November, 11, 2020 I had the pleasure in participating, virtually, in the presentation of the 50 year citation and pins, to W.Bro. T.S. Chhabra who was initiated in Lodge Anchor of Hope No.1093, on April 17, 1970.  On April 04 this year the Wor. Master of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity No.150 presented the 50 year citation and pin to Wor.Bro. Mritunjaya  Singh who was initiated in that Lodge on June 12, 1971.

During the pandemic the District Grand Charity was extremely active and  I must make special mention of the efforts made by W.Bro. Mathew Joseph and W.Bro. Ravi Kesavan.  Brethren,  W.Bro. Ravi Kesavan organized the start up of the DGL Kitchen and the preparation of several thousand hot meals which were distributed to the stranded migrant workers during the first lockdown in 2020.

The District administration has also continued to function during this period and those involved with administration have made sure that our District is still in good shape.  The Board of General Purposes and the Executive Council of the District Grand Charity met virtually throughout this period and have recently moved on to hybrid meetings.  We have set up high-end video conferencing facility in our library and these meetings will probably continue to be hybrid so that Brethren from outside Chennai, who are not in the position to travel to the meeting, will still be able to attend from wherever they are.

We have made two new Masonic appointments, those are, the District Grand Communications Officer and the District Grand Membership Officer. As we all know social media has become a very effective tool for communicating in general. Our Communications Officer will take responsibility for the DGL website and all social media communication. He will also work closely with the Communications Officers of the private Lodges.

The Membership Officer has his work cut out for him as he is charged with the task of bringing in younger members. He will work closely with the Membership Officer of each Lodge and together they will make an effort to increase our total membership. When I assumed the Office of the District Master we had over 1100 members in the District and today we are under 1000. This does not augur well for the institution and every effort must be made to reverse this downward trend.

Charity

I have already touched upon the food prepared for charity during the first lockdown but there were many other Covid relief measures taken by individual Lodge and by the District. The District Grand Charity raised nearly Rs.50 lakhs by way of contribution and spent it on various Covid relief work. I would like to thank the Charity Stewards W.Bro. K.M. Sukumaran and W.Bro. K. Muralidhar for the efforts they have made although, as a result of the pandemic, our Charity has received less money. Despite this, none of our ongoing Charity projects were affected in any way.

I attended the installation meeting of the Lodge of Faith Hope & Charity No.1285 on March 14, 2020 and the records of the Lodge were inspected by W.Bro. T.P. George. I thank the following Brethren for having represented me at the installations of various Lodges and for having inspected the records.

I would like to congratulate all those whom I have conferred active and brevet ranks during the last two years and once again reiterate that these ranks and promotions are conferred not only for past services but in order to encourage each member to continue to serve the institution. I convey my sincere thanks to Dr. K.K. Varma, my past Deputy District Grand Master for his immediate support in stepping in to fill the gap left by the unfortunate demise of V.W.Bro. A.C Patel.

I would also like to convey my congratulations and thanks to W.Bro. Sukesh Menon, W.Bro. Sunil Koliyot, W.Bro. Mathew Joseph, W.Bro. Viji Joseph and W.Bro. K. Kannan for the support they have always given to the District and the support I can look forward to receiving from them in their new Offices.

A special word of thanks to W.Bro. Ilango Raphael, W.Bro. T.P. George, W.Bro. P.B. Shanker, and their team in the District Grand Lodge Office for their services during these difficult times.

I attended the Installation Meeting of The Lodge of Faith Hope & Charity No. 1285 on 14th March 2020 and Records of the Lodge were inspected by W Bro T P George

Now I would like to thank the following brethren for having represented me at the Installation meetings of various Lodges and for having inspected the records of those Lodges.

Records of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity No 150 were inspected by W Bro Mathew Joseph

Inspection of the Records of the two Lodges as listed below were carried out by the following brethren:

Obituary

Very sadly, Brethren, since we last met the following Brethren have been summoned to the Grand Lodge above. Amongst them was our Deputy District Grand Master V.W.Bro. A.C. Patel, Past Grand Sword Bearer, who passed away on May 22, 2021 after over 50 years of distinguished service to the District of Madras and Freemasonry in general. Apart from him we lost

Brethren I request you to rise and observe a minute's silence in memory of our departed Brethren.

God speed and thank you once again, Brethren, for your presence this evening and I wish you all well till we meet again in August.

Most Excellent. Grand Superintendent's address at the District Grand Chapter Annual Investiture Convocation at Chennai on 9.4.2022 – Morning

Good morning, Companions and welcome back to Chennai and the warm hospitality of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity. As this meeting had to be postponed, from February, it has been called with very short notice which is why the host Lodge has been unable to assist you with reservations for accommodation and with transport.

It is gratifying to see that after two long years of waiting we have eventually been able to meet this year. Unfortunately I am unable to be with you.

Supreme Grand Chapter

At the last quarterly communication of the Supreme Grand Chapter, in March this year the Pro First Grand Principal M.E.Comp. Peter Geoffrey Lowndes announced his retirement after 13 years in that office. We wish him a happy, peaceful, and healthy retirement. E.Comp. Jonathan Spence will succeed him as a Pro First Grand Principal from September this year.

District Grand Chapter

The Royal Arch is governed well in our District and the Committee of General Purposes has actively supported the District during the pandemic. The outgoing President of the Committee, E. Comp. Mathew Joseph has done a tremendous job of spreading awareness of the Royal Arch and its activities by way of virtual meetings, during the lock downs. I congratulate E.Comp. S. Sundaresan who has been appointed as President of the Committee for the current year and wish him all success. I have great pleasure in announcing the appointments of E.Comp. Sukesh Menon as my Deputy District Grand Superintendent and E.Comp. Sunil Koliyot as District II Grand Principal and E.Comp.Mathew Joseph as District III Grand Principal. I offer them my congratulations and charge them with improving the working and membership of all Chapters in our District.

Installation Convocations

I would like to thank the following Companions for having represented me at the installation convocations of various Chapters during this period, which are as follows:

Records of the Chapter Universal Charity No 273 were inspected by E. Comp Mathew Joseph.

Companions, I wish to place my appreciation for the efforts of the above Companions some of whom have travelled substantial distances at their own expense, to fulfill their Masonic duties.

In Memoriam

It is with grief that I inform you that on 22nd May, 2021 E.Comp. A.C. Patel, Deputy Grand Superintendent, was called to the Grand Chapter above. He will be sorely missed. Apart from E.Comp. A.C. Patel the Companions who have passed away since we last met are

Companions, please be upstanding to observe a minute's silence in their memory.

Companions, there will be another address this evening and I shall therefore conclude with my sincere thanks and appreciation to E.Comp. S. Sundaresan, President of the Committee of General Purposes, E.Comp. Ilango Raphael, Dist. Grand Scribe Ezra, E.Comp. Viji Joseph, District Grand Treasurer, E.Comp. George Pius, Dist. Grand Director of Ceremonies, and the entire team in the District Grand Chapter Office for working so cheerfully to see that our District is well administered.

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