Toasts at Harmony

1. A Toast to The District Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Trinidad and Tobago. Given at Trinidad Kilwinning Royal Ark Mariners Lodge & Red Cross Council No. 126 on the Occasion of their Annual Installation, September 8^th, 2004.

by S & K Francis William-Smith, Jnr.

Good Evening to the Worshipful Commander Noah – Most Excellent Chief, Maniram Maraj; the 1^st Depute Grand Superintendent, Most Excellent Companion Teasley Taitt, who is this evening leading the Deputation of the District in the absence of the Grand Superintendent, Hon. Grand Chancellor, Most Excellent Companion Audley Lawson Tudor Walker; Most Excellent Companions, Sons and Knights all.

It is my challenging and pleasant task to move a toast to the D.G.R.A.Ch. of T&T, during this their 67^th year of existence, on the occasion of their visit to Trinidad Kilwinning Lodge and Council #126 S.C., chartered 18^th November 1916 for our installation ceremony. I trust that the ceremony met with your approbation, was enjoyable and conducted in accord with the revised and heightened performance standards of the Grand Superintendent and the District. These, as we are aware, were enunciated after full discussions and consultations by the Grand Superintendent earlier this year within the new Mission Statement.

The Grand Superintendent went further and requested of each Chapter that they develop an annual work programme to enable him to improve the operational, educative and social aspects of Royal Arch Freemasonry in T&T. Interestingly, our Grand Superintendent has shifted custom and requested that the Principals of Lodge and Councils and Cryptic Councils now attend meetings of the District as they fall under the Royal Arch series. Voice has been given.

We know that Scotland has shifted its emphasis from the general to the specific in that they would like to have a more informed insight of the workings being conducted in this District. How else can one assess progress but by specific investigation rather than cursory generalizations on a subject matter?

And this approach is not new. The District is continuing the tradition that its predecessors in Office established and maintained. That of an active educational arm coupled with vibrant charity projects including fund raising and all round involvement of the rank and file in all their undertakings. Let’s look at some brief examples in the areas of Education, Charity and Social Events and Administration to make the point.

For instance in Education -

In the 60^th Anniversary Rededication programme, M.E.C. Peter Emanuel Salvary, Hon. Grand Sword Bearer, 1^st Depute Grand Superintendent as he then was said, “In the area of Education, M.E.C. Alfred Albert Francis Jerome Morton mobilised the resources of the District and the research and presentation of papers of Masonic interest was (sic) encouraged at meetings of subordinate bodies”. M.E.C. Henry Winford Lee Loy, Hon. 3^rd Grand Principal, 1988-1992 as described by M.E.C. Salvary – “was distinguished by his personality. His humanity, humility and forthrightness made him extremely popular and well loved by members of the Fraternity” and recognized the short comings of papers not being delivered at Quarterly Communications of the District and took steps to remedy the deficiency. Presenters who were members of the District included M.E.C’s Alfred Morton, Cecil Dolly, Everilde Medina, Jack Shepherd and John Scott among other illustrious Companions. There is evidence among daughter Chapters and Councils that he promoted Talks, Lectures and Papers among those bodies so that a greater number of Companions would benefit from them. The Education Committee continues to be active, now under the direction of M.E.C. Selwyn Sherwood and The Level magazine, as I understand it, serves as an outlet for papers to be published.

For the newer younger Companions, and I continue to include myself among those younger ones (smiles), there are seminal works of reference e.g.

Historical Sketch of the D.G.R.A.Ch. of T&T by M.E.C. Dr. James Arnold Waterman (Snr) published in 1963; this was written for the Silver Jubilee of the D.G.R.A.C. of T&T and will be in the C.M.E. Library;

The History of Royal Arch Masonry 1804-1937 and its Development up to 1987 by M.E.C. Cecil Haig Dolly; this was written for the Golden Jubilee of the D.G.R.A.C. of T&T and will be in the C.M.E. Library;

Historical Sketch of the D.G.R.A.Ch. of T&T 1937-1997 by M.E.C. Peter Emanuel Salvary; this was written for the Diamond Jubilee of the D.G.R.A.C. of T&T as an updated account of the work of the District and will be in the C.M.E. Library;

In Charity& Social Events –

There are annual events namely the International Buffet Brunch and the Charity dinner held at the District’s annual Convocation and the servicing of the playground at the Princess Elizabeth Home. In earlier times the Gordon Home was a recipient of the District’s charity; similarly St Michael School for Boys; St Crispin’s Home; and the Halfway House to mention a few.

The Annual Divine Service has always been an integral part of the District since it was first introduced by M.E. Grand Superintendent Dr. Waterman on May 25^th 1938.

In Administration –

We in the Royal Arch and by extension the District, have been blessed with the quality, industry, competency and vision of the recent District Grand Superintendents in particular M.E.C. Yusuff Ghany, M.E.C. Claude Lynton Assing and the incumbent M.E.C. Audley Lawson Tudor Walker. The onset of a strategic approach to the operations of the District augers well for its future development. The cadre of office bearers over these last three terms is tangible proof of a functioning succession plan and the assurance that the high quality of support to the District would be maintained.

These areas illustrate the current nature of the District built as it is on the solid foundation of the past with a reliance on quality personnel

On a personal note I would like to digress somewhat and mention one influence, that is the absence of humanness, the alienation of the individual from all equations that I think could affect us all in achieving the collective objective “to do good unto all”.

In many ways, I feel confident that this society of men, Masonry, Royal Arch Masonry within Society is ideally placed to make a difference, the difference that is required in current society. Our emphasis on the humane element gives me the added confidence that our individual or collective efforts would reap rewards to the benefit of our Community at large.

Briefly, I wish to refer to Vaclav Havel who was elected President of Czechoslovakia in December 1989. I have incorporated some of his thoughts expressed during an interview conducted by Karel Hvizdala in 1985. The book which resulted, “Disturbing The Peace”, was first published in Prague in mid 1986.

He states that we are going through a great departure from God which has no parallel in history. As far as I know, he continues, we are living in the first atheistic civilization. This departure has its own complex intellectual and cultural causes: it is related to the development of science, technology, and human knowledge, and to the whole modern upsurge of interest in the human intellect and the human spirit. I feel that this arrogant self centeredness (anthropocentrism) of modern man, who is convinced he can know everything and bring everything under his control, is somewhere in the background of the present crisis that we are in. It seems to me that if the world is to change for the better it must start with a change in human consciousness, in the very humanness of modern man.

Man must in some way come to his senses. He must extricate himself from this terrible involvement in both the obvious and the hidden mechanisms of totality, from consumption to repression, from advertising to manipulation through television. He must rebel against his role as a helpless cog in the gigantic and enormous machinery hurtling God knows where. He must discover again, within himself, a deeper sense of responsibility toward the world, which means responsibility toward something higher than himself. I believe that Masonry, Royal Arch or any other arm has a positive role to play in this context. Only through directing ourselves toward the moral and the spiritual, based on respect for some “extramundane” authority can we arrive at a state in which life on this earth is no longer threatened by some form of “megasuicide” and becomes bearable, has, in other words, a genuinely human dimension.

Reflecting on this crisis should be the starting point for every attempt to think through a better alternative.

Spiritual renewal is not something that one day will drop out of heaven into our laps , or be ushered in by a new messiah. It is a task that confronts us all, every moment of our existence. We all can and must “do something about it,” and we can do it here and now. No one else can do it for us, and therefore we can’t wait for anyone else.

Aren’t there a lot of people in the world who aren’t apathetic yet and are trying to “do something about it?” I look to the District in its fullness including its Chapters, Lodge and Councils and Cryptic Councils to represent the “Can Do” approach.

M.E.Cs, Sons and Knights all, I feel sure that you will join me in attesting to the good deeds of the District, their very good health and longevity.

Companions I give you the District Grand Royal Arch Chapter of T&T. Please join me in this toast to the District.

September 8, 2004

Francis Williams-Smith (Jnr) R.A.