Page 13 - MML - Journal - Centenary Edition - Vol. 01 / 2023

has been carefully preserved and proudly stand to date. Incidentally W. Bro. Sivagnana Mudaliar served as commissioner of the Corporation of Madras between 1894 and 1919. In recognition of the services rendered to the Madras Corporation his bust was unveiled in the Corporation Building and the same is still there. Apart from that a park in George Town was also named after him. He was a multifaceted freemason who saw the light of freemasonry in Lodge Carnatic in the year 1889. He never missed his lodge meetings and to solve the problem of poor attendance in the Lodge he hit upon a practical solution. After each meeting he would to write to every absentee by hand, enquiring about his well being and that of his family and offering help if his absence was due to any personal distress. This personal rapport paid great dividends and the attendance was increased. He was following this procedure in Madras Masters Lodge also.
Another very interesting custom in the lodge, or for that matter in all the lodges in those days, to proclaim the newly installed master in all the three degrees separately. For this purpose, after installation the lodge used to be opened in the third degree and proclamation was done in the East with the Master Masons. Then it was brought down to the second degree and proclamation was done in the West with Master Masons and Fellow Crafts. Then again in the South for the first degree with all the brethren present. Likewise, the working tools were also presented to the master in three degrees separately. Though all the members of the lodge are installed masters, this procedure was followed as there were visitors who might be in the first or the second degrees. In those days the District Grand Master used to attend all installation meetings and also other ordinary meetings of the lodge owing to the fact that the meetings of the lodge were always held a day prior or on the same day of the DGL meetings. This custom is
followed even today in as much as two meetings of the Lodge are held during the Annual Investiture meeting and the half yearly meeting respectively of the RGL. The DGM and after him the RGM for quite some time used to deliver all the three charges to the master, wardens and brethren on installation nights. Yet another convention observed in the lodge was to elect the WM in the seniority of their admission in the lodge as members. If one missed the chance, he missed it for good. There was no procedure of having a ladder for the appointment of the other officers, In the matter of selection of officers representation to as many lodges as possible was maintained.
W. Bro. P.S. Jambu Ramaswami became the secretary of the lodge in the year 1936 and he continued in that position till 1953, a record period of seventeen years until he occupied the Eastern Chair in the year 1954. No other secretary of the lodge occupied that post for more than 10 years. On 02-02-1953 the District Grand Master presented a silver plate and a watch to Jambu Ramaswami in appreciation of his long and meritorious services as secretary of the lodge. W. Bro. Jambu Ramaswami was the W. Master in Lodge Pandian, Madurai (2356 EC) in the year 1930.
W. Bro. C.R.M. Smythe who was made the first Hon. Member of the lodge in the year 1927, passed away during 1938 and a fitting condolence resolution was passed in the lodge on 18-02-1938. In the year 1939 the second world war broke out and large-scale evacuations ensued in the year 1942 and the city was possessed by an eerie calm. The Government of Madras requisitioned the masonic hall as one of the many properties in the city for use by the military. Our Lodge as well as other lodges started meeting at a rented place at ‘Balfour Hall’ No. 5 Kellys Road, Kilpauk. This was so till 8-11-1946 when the meetings shifted back to the Freemasons Hall, Egmore. It was during
Madras Masonic Journal Vol. 01 / 2023 - Centenary Year Edition
A Publication of Madras Masters Lodge No. 103, GLI 12