Page 20 - MML - Journal - Centenary Edition - Vol. 01 / 2023

Patel conducted the passing ceremony to two brethren from Lodge Veeraswami 200 and Lodge Gibbs No. 86 respectively. A second symposium by all the Masters Lodges was held on 23-08-2003 at Hotel Manorama, Vijayawada. On 07-10-2003 for the first time in recent years 25 years long term service jewel was presented to W Bro. A. Gopalan Nair. A second trophy called the Madras Masters Lodge Platinum Jubilee trophy was instituted to be given to the second-best installing officer. This trophy was donated by W Bro. Dr. John Reginald. It was also decided that miniatures of the two trophies would be made and presented to the winners for them to keep while the original trophy would be kept in the lodge itself. It is relevant to mention here that the competition for these two trophies have been
conducted till now under the able supervision of R.W. Bro. R. Velayutham and during his Mastership of the lodge he arranged for a demonstration of the first degree working at a meeting held at Tirunelveli. The brethren who were adjudged as the best master, the second-best master, and the best officers of the ritual working competition held in the previous year demonstrated the ceremony.
The third seminar on the topic ‘Freemasonic secrets- conceptions and misconceptions’ was conducted by our lodge on behalf of all the Masters lodges in the region at the Freemasons Hall Salem on 4-9-2004. At this meeting the coveted “Order of Service to Masonry” was presented to R W Bro. V. Sarangapani by the Grand Master, M W Bro. Arun Chintopanth.
A joint meeting of all the lodges in the Chennai Area named RGL Area Meet was held at the Freemasons Hall, Chennai, on 19-11-2005 for the first time in the history of Freemasons in India. This idea was conceptualised by R W Bro. G. K. Selvarajan, the RGM, who assumed the Eastern Chair and conducted the meeting.
An excellent power point presentation about the activities and performances of the lodges in the area was shown. In this meeting 25 years long term service jewels were presented to four brethren.
On 24-01-2006 in a joint meeting of the Lodge with Lodge Vidya, 40 years Long Term Service Jewel was presented to two of our brethren.
A joint meeting of all the lodges in Chennai City was arranged on 27-04-2008 to felicitate R W Bro. Capt. Dr. B. Biswakumar on his being conferred the coveted award of the Grand Master’s Order of Service to Masonry. Again, another joint meeting was arranged to felicitate him on being elected as the Grand Master on 2-01-2008.
In the year 2009 when W. Bro. D. Sreenivasan was the Master of the Lodge, 56 brethren were admitted as joining members. The membership again crossed 200 and at the end of the year there were 207 subscribing members. During the year demonstrations of the third degree ceremony were held on three occasions led by the IPM, R. W. Bro. S. Ramasamy. More than 100 brethren participated and were benefitted by the demonstrations as the same was the subject matter of the RWC in that year.
The year 2010 was an epic, vibrant and glorious year for our lodge wherein W Bro. Bharat V Epur was installed as the WM of the Lodge. As many as 8 meetings, including the installation meeting were conducted during this year, which is a record unprecedented and unequalled till date. On 16-05-2010, 05-06-2010 and on 13-09-2010 in the meetings held at Freemasons Hall, Chennai, the demonstration of the ritual for the first stage of the ritual working competition was done with opening and closing in all the three degrees and the ceremony of initiation. Several ruling
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A Publication of Madras Masters Lodge No. 103, GLI
Madras Masonic Journal Vol. 01 / 2023 - Centenary Year Edition