Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

Human life, in the case of an individual, is subject to the limited compass of Childhood, Youth, Mature age, Old age and Death. This limitation does not apply to human institutions. Or rather, it need not necessarily apply. Human institutions can continue to remain youthful despite age, and they can continue to grow with out becoming senile. The secret of such a happy development lies in the institutions satisfying certain fundamental criteria. First, the ideals and objects of the institutions should be basically sound, and such as will appeal to every succeeding generation, irrespective of the progress of science, knowledge and civilisation. Second, there should always be forthcoming in every generation a body of persons who are prepared willingly and cheerfully to shoulder the responsibilities involved in the day-to-day running of the institutions. Third, there should be a larger group of persons interested in the progress of the institutions, remaining in the background but ever ready to lend support to those vested with the authority of carrying on the day-to-day work of the institutions. And lastly, there should be no hostility to the institutions from any quarter, and there should be none who feel that they stand to gain by running down the institutions. If these criteria are happily satisfied, there need be no limits to the heights of glory and success which institutions, started and run by frail man, may attain.

These thoughts arise when one thinks of the Golden Jubilee of the Madras Masters Lodge, No. 103 G.L.I., which is to be celebrated at madras on 21-1-1973. The warrant issued to the Lodge by the M. W. Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England was dated 1-11-1922, and the Lodge was consecrated on 24-3-1923. The Founder Members numbered no fewer than 88, which is large by any standard. The Grand Lodge Above has summoned 86 of these Founder Members over these fifty years. The two who are still with us are Wor. Bros. H. Hadow and K. V. Dhanakoti Nayudu, whom we shall be honouring on the Golden Jubilee day be electing them as Honorary members of the Loge. Over its fifty years of existence, the membership of the Lodge has fluctuated between 63 in 1940 (which was the lowest) and about 225 today (which is the heights ever in the history of the Lodge). The membership of the Correspondence Circle stands today at about 230, which again is the highest ever for the Lodge. The Golden Jubilee issue of the madras Masonic Journal, which is the official publication of the Lodge, will be perhaps the best brought out in the history of the journal, from all points of view such as get up, size, and the number, quality and authorship of the articles. The finances of the Lodge have never been more satisfactory than now, thanks to a number of wise measures taken in good time to make the Golden Jubilee and grand success. The gathering of eminent masons of All-India stature who will assemble at the Golden Jubilee meeting will be the most distinguished in the history of the Lodge. This narration of facts is not meant to provide material for self-praise for those currently entrusted with the management of the Lodge, but to render thanks to the Great Architect of the Universe that the Lodge stands, at the time of its Golden Jubilee at a pinnacle of strength and glory, substantially justifying the faith and glory, substantially justifying the faith and expectations of its Founders, and well-poised to meet the challenges and responsibilities of the future.

To be Master of the Lodge, whose membership is confined to Installed Masters, is a privilege at any time, but particularly so in the Golden jubilee year. The brethren of the Lodge have placed me under a deep debt by re-electing me as their Master for the succeeding year also, as they felt that some of the schemes initiated during the Golden Jubilee should be fostered by the same hands. The heavy responsibility which this implies can be borne all the more cheerfully in the knowledge of the wonderful co-operation that has been extended to me by the Officers, Members, and indeed the entire Masonic fraternity, to make the Golden Jubilee a great success.

My thought goes back to a very distinguished mason in the past, who too was elected Master of the Lodge for two successive years. This was Rt. Wor. Bro. Sir Archibald Campbell, I.C.S. who was the District Grand Master of Madras (E.C.) from 1922 to 1934. A mention of this name will in any case be necessary and appropriate in connection with the Golden Jubilee of the Lodge, as it was he who Consecrated the Lodge, and laid down the guidelines for its activity and growth. He occupied the Eastern Chair of the Lodge in the two years 1925 and 1926. When I reflect on the outstanding nature of his Masonic work in South India, covering a period of nearly four decades, I am filled with a sense of humility. He served in the Indian Civil Service in the Madras Presidency from 1896 to 1934. His early interest in masonry is evident from the fact that he was a mason even as a student in the Cambridge University, in England, having been initiated in the Isaac Newton University Lodge there before he first came out to India in 1896. Naturally, he plunged into intense Masonic activity after his arrival in Madras, and during his long official service in Madras Presidency. he adorned the Eastern Chair on no less than five occasions - in 1906 as Worshipful Master of Lodge Perfect Unanimity (No. 150 E.C.) and Lodge Faith Hope and Charity, Oaty, (No1285 E.C.), in 1913 as the Founder Master of Lodge Murrary Hammick, Chittoor, (now No. 90 G.L.I.) and twice in the Madras Masters Lodge as already stated. He consecrated two Lodges, namely Lodge Cochin (No. 4359 E.C.) and the Madras masters Lodge. He laid the foundation stones for the Masonic Temples at Waltair and Tanjore, and participated at the dedication of the Masonic Temple at Trivandrum, of Lodge Minchin. He participated both in the foundation laying ceremony (in 1923) and in the opening ceremony (in 1925) of the Freemason Hall, Madras. The dedication ceremony of the Temples in that building was done by him. He installed the District Grand Master of Ceylon at Colombo in 1923. In addition to these exalted activities, he attended to many other items of work like installing Masters, delivering Charges, etc. on innumerable occasions. The pages of any Masonic history of South India will give him an honoured place as an outstanding builder. In the raising of the Masonic edifice in South India, well may be said of him that he "laboured long and faithfully", a Hiram Abiff said of himself in connection with the building of King Solomon's Temple. The minutes book of the Lodge are a record of his devoted and enduring services to the Madras Masters Lodge in particular, and the present generation of members of the Lodge cannot be too grateful to him.

Many other eminent masons have also ruled over the Madras Masters Lodge during its fifty years of existence. Some of them I have had the privilege of knowing very well. Without appearing to be invidious, I will content myself with mentioning the names of Wor. Bros. P. M. Sivagnana Mudaliar, Sir T. Desikachari, C. Kunbiraman, Sir George Boag, Dewan Bahadur D. Srirama Sastry, C. R. Krishnaswami, K. P. Lakshmana Rao and S. Amudachari. It has to be mentioned that though Rt. Wor. Bro. T. V. Muthukrishna Iyer (who was District Grand master from 1947 to 1966) did not occupy the Eastern Chair in the Lodge, his name finds an honoured place in the annals of the Lodge, and the minutes books contain eloquent testimony to his very close association with the Lodge. The members of the Lodge can take pride in the fact that all the giants of Freemasonry in South India have played their parts in the nurture and growth of this institution, and no wonder that today it stands as in imposing and strong structure.

The Lodge was conceived by its founders, as primarily a Lodge of research and improvement, and also as a means of bringing into close touch the Rulers and Past Rulers of the various Lodges in the south. It can justifiably be claimed that these purposes have been, in ample measure, adequately served over the years. Of the three meetings of the Lodge held every year, two are invariably held in conjunction with the Regional Grand Lodge (formerly the District Grand Lodge), and this arrangement made it easier for Brethren from far and wide availing the opportunity to fraternise under the aegis of its meetings and exchange Masonic notes. Of late, it has been found possible to hold the Installation and Half-yearly meetings of the Lodge on the same day as the corresponding meetings of the Regional Grand Lodge, due to the co-operation extended by the Rt. Wor. the Regional Grand Master, and this has resulted in the meetings of the Lodge being extremely well-attended. I am extremely grateful to Rt. Wor. Bro. Chief Justice K. Veeraswami for this gracious gesture, and I hope that this will be the pattern for the future meetings of the Lodge, as the cause of Masonry will be truly advanced thereby.

The healthy convention that has been set up in the Lodge for the newly Installed Master of each year to deliver and Oration on a Masonic subject, has resulted in a considerable addition to Masonic thought and research. These orations are invariably reproduced in the Madras Masonic Journal. In addition, several valuable papers have been read in the Lodge by eminent Masons. Either with reference to the papers read, or even independently, discussions on a number of Masonic subjects have been conduced in the Lodge. All told, a very wide range of Masonic inquiry has taken place under the aegis of the Lodge. Even a partial list of some of the titles of the orations, papers and subjects makes imposing reading:

1. Freemasonry and the Upanishads
2. Freemasonry and Zoroastrianism
3. Religion in Freemasonry
4. The Efficacy of Prayer
5. The Freemason's God
6. The Foundations of Masonry
7. The Symbolism of our Visible Emblems
8. Is Masonry Progressive?
9. Discipline - The Supreme Lesson in Freemasonry
10. Are Ceremonies Necessary for Freemasonry?
11. Knowledge of Yourself
12. The Masonic Life
13. Etiquette in Masonry
14. Visits to Lodges in North India, Egypt and Palestine
15. What Freemasonry has taught me?
16. Why I am a Freemason?
17. The Mason in Service of God
18. The Symbolism of the Working Tools of the Craft Degrees.
19. Freemasonry in the Indian Context

It is quite clear from titles such as the above that the leaders of the Lodge have been taking pains to explore and study almost all possible aspects of Masonry - the historical, the philosophical, the religious, the esoteric, the ritualistic, the ceremonial, the social and the personal aspects. There can be no better material for masons, particularly those who have joined the Order in recent years, than the pages of the Madras Masonic Journal to get an increasing measure of Masonic knowledge and education. As the older issues of the Journal are becoming increasingly difficult to come by, there is a case for bringing out in book from the best orations and papers that have so far appeared in the Journal. I hope the Lodge will be in a position to undertake this work in the not too distant future.

Quite often during its meetings, especially in recent years, the Lodge has arranged for demonstrations of degree workings by enthusiastic masons, not all of them necessarily its members. The ideal, of course, will be for the members of the Lodge itself to give these demonstrations but for various reasons this has so far not been possible. There can be no denying the fact that there is nothing so beautiful in masonry as ritual work perfectly rendered. The eyes of those who decry ritual working as a meaningless and repetitive formality, will be opened to its sublimity and emotional appeal if only they witness perfect demonstrations of our rituals. Some of the demonstrations given in the madras Masters Lodge have come very close to such perfection. The First Degree Work rendered by Lodge Sarvothama (No. 176 C.L.I.) at the Half-yearly meeting held at Cochin in 1971 won the highest praise from the large number of brethren who were fortunate enough to witness it. Thus the Madras Masters Lodge has been acting as the forum for the blossoming of ritualistic talent that is lying latent in the Lodges in South India.

A further step has since been taken to encourage in a systematic manner the standard of ritual working in the daughter lodges. To commemorate its Golden Jubilee, the Madras Masters Lodge has instituted a Rolling Trophy to be awarded annually to that Lodge which is adjudged best in a Ritual Working Competition to be held each year. The scheme has been approved, and indeed will be administered, by the Regional Grand Lodge. All the daughter Lodges in the jurisdiction of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern Indian will be eligible to compete for the Trophy, and the Competition will be with reference to such portion of the Ritual as may be prescribed for each year. A Board of five Judges will decide the performance of the competing Lodges. Of these, two Judges will be the nominees of the madras masters Lodge, and the remaining three will be the nominees of the Regional Grand Master. The Rules for the Competition have already been published. The Trophy will be presented to the winning Lodge at the Annual Investiture Meeting of the Madras masters Lodge. The Competition will commence in 1973, and the first award will be made in 1974. It will be quite appropriate if in future years, the lodge which wins in the Ritual Working Competition is quested to arrange for a demonstration at the meeting of the madras Masters Lodge.

One other step taken by the Lodge in the Golden Jubilee Year to promote Masonic study and thought is also significant. The Lodge her instituted Essay Competitions separately for Master Masons and Past masters, the subject for the former being "How masonry has influenced my life," and that for the latter being "The Apathetic Mason, and how to enthuse him." A number of essays have been received under both categories, and Prizes for the best essays will be awarded at the Golden Jubilee meeting. The Prize winning essays, and possibly some of the other essays also, will be published in the Madras Masonic Journal due course. Though this scheme was announced only for the Golden Jubilee year, there no reason why it should not become an annual feature.

A brief reference to the Madras Masonic Journal itself in necessary to give a complete picture of the range of the activities of the Madras Masters Lodge. At its meeting in August 1924 the Lodge decided to publish the journal a part of its efforts to encourage Masonic scholar ship and research. It was not, however, till December 1925 that the first issue appeared When a copy of the first issue was sent to the M. W. Pro Grand Master Lord Ampthill, letter containing generous appreciation was received from him. The first Editor of the journal was not less a person than Rt. Wor. Bro Sir George Boag himself. From time to time eminent masons of the stature and calibres Rt. Wor. Bro. T.V. Muthukrishna Iyer, and Wor. Bros. P. S. Jambu Ramaswami Iyear and S. Amudachari have served on the editorial committee. It is therefore no wonder that the journal has been able to maintain a consistent high standard in regard to its contents. Unfortunately, the journal was not published during the year 1962 to 1965. It was revived in 1960 and since then has been very regular in its appearance. It is not mere matter of chronological coincidence that the resurrection of the journal was in the same year as that in which the Eastern Chair of the Lodge come to be occupied by Rt. Wor. Bro. R. Krishnasmy. The fact is that but for the personal efforts and dynamic energy of this distinguished and dedicated mason, the resurrection would not have occurred. The numerous articles on a wide variety of Masonic subjects that have appeared from time to time in the Journal from the pen of this erudite and tireless mason, have placed the members of the Lodge and of its Correspondence Circle, and indeed of the entire Masonic fraternity, under a deep debt of gratitude to him. Knowing him as I do, the only way that we can repay the debt would be to strengthen the Lodge in all possible ways, and devise means to ensure the steady publication of the Journal. For, both the Madras Masters Lodge and the Madras Masonic Journal are very close to his heart.

It will not be out of place to point out here the heavy load that is placed on the finances of this Lodge by the statutory dues that have to be paid to the Grand Lodge of India and the Regional Grand Lodge The G.L.I. dues are Rs.6/- per annum for each member, and the R.G.L. dues are Rs. 16/- per annum for each member. When, as till very recently, the subscription for this Lodge was only Rs. 25/0, the result was that only Rs. 3/- per member was left for the Lodge to carry on its normal activities, including the Publication of the Journal. Manifestly, the position was an impossible one. The subscription has from 1973 been raised to Rs. 30/-, and this would leave Rs. 8/- per member to meet the cost of administration of the Lodge, and the cost of printing and supplying the journal. It is however a pity that the lion's share of the subscriptions collected from members should have to be paid as statutory dues. Obviously, it will not be possible to increase to the level of ordinary daughter lodges, the subscription that can be levied for membership of a lodge of research and improvement like the Madras Masters Lodge, which in the very nature of things can meet only three times a year. There is a case for the Grand Lodge and the regional Grand Lodges showing special consideration to Master Lodges and reducing their Statutory dues by suitably amending their Rules and Regulations. It is quite possible that a concerted move by all the five Masters Lodges in the Country may be able to evoke sympathy from those bodies.

A Lodge of Instruction has been attached to the Lodge since 1925, that is, practically ever since its inception. It was functioning very well upto about 1965. In its heydays, the Preceptors were masons of the eminence of Rt. Wor. Bro. A. Y. G. Campbell, Rt. Wor. Bro. T.V. Muthu-krishna Iyer and Wor. Bros. C. R. Krishnaswami adn S. Amudachari. Since some difficulties have recently been experienced, the Lodge of Instruction is now in abeyance. It is quite obvious that no Lodge of Instruction can function will unless it commands the respect and allegiance of the daughter Lodges attached to it. Nor can the view be taken that the Madras Masters Lodge is only a daughter Lodge like any other City Lodge and cannot presume to run a Lodge of Instruction. Rule 107 of the Book of Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of India makes it very clear that the privilege of conducting a Lodge of Instruction is one conferred by the Grand Master, and that this privilege can have meaning only if certain rights also are conceded. The Regional Grand Masters is invariably elected Chairman of the Board of Preceptors. It is hoped that very soon the Lodge of Instruction attached to the Madras Masters Lodge will be revived and made an instrument for the advancement of the cause of masonry in the City.

Among the members of the Lodge are several brethren who belong also to the English and Scottish Constitutions, and some of them hold high Offices in those constitutions. The Madras Masters Lodge can therefore well serve as a point of fruitful contact between the three Constitutions. The pages of the madras Masonic Journal are open for articles by any mason irrespective of the Constitution to which he may belong. Indeed, the scope of the Journal is not confined to the Craft Degrees but extends to the entire field of masonry covering also all the Side Degrees of all Constitutions. Can it not be hoped that the madras masters Lodge and its Journal will increasingly be looked upon by every Mason, Irrespective of Constitutions, as an authentic vehicle and voice of the message of masonry?

In connection with the Golden Jubilee, I was privileged to address many eminent masons in India and abroad, for messages articles and other help. I have been gratified by the spontaneous response to my request. A number of messages and articles received from eminent masons adorn this Golden Jubilee Issue. Several donations also have been received. As Master of the Lodge, it is my pleasant duty to record my deep sense of appreciation and thanks to these distinguished masons for their very find Masonic gesture in contributing to the success of the Golden Jubilee in various ways.

What of the future? Our predecessors have left us a legacy of which we may justly be proud. It is up to us of the present generation to do likewise for our successors. May the great Architect of the Universe inspire us all to give of our best in the service of the Madras Masters Lodge. The cause of Masonry requires nothing less.

The performance of our work in a Masonic Lodge in the various degrees should help to make or vision clearer all the time; we should be able to see what it is that we are attempting to do, whither we are going, what is the direction of our progress. Being builders, we must be all the time improving the existing pattern, not satisfied with conditions as they are.

There is always a relationship between him who plans and acts and his work. Each of us is a labourer, we come into the Lodge to work, and then there is the work. But that work will gain the perfection which it can assume only when the worker is merged in the work, so that he does not think of himself at all, his attention is completely given to what is to be done and realized. That is difficult to attain. Many people feel self conscious when they walk into the Lodge, they are thinking of how they are acting and speaking, thinking of what others might be thinking of them and so on, but all that is the action of the self.

While in the Lodge we should give ourselves completely to the work without any reservation; we should put away all pre-occupations, agitations from which we might have been suffering, and concentrate on the work. If we do so we will find the work becomes exceedingly powerful. That is the only way to make Masonry effective, make the whole Lodge alive, make the forms we create flow with life. Each should be a stream of influence which should flow from whatever is best in himself.

Coming to a Masonic Lodge should be a deeply spiritual experience which vivifies us and refreshes us, tones us up, and exalts us in some manner.