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QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION 12 JUNE 2002
Order of Service to Masonry
The Order of Service to Masonry is the highest honour the Grand Master can confer on any member of the Craft. Instituted in 1 945, it is in the personal gift of the Grand Master, and is an acknowledgment of exceptional services to the Craft.
The Order is limited to 12 holders, confers no precedence
on them, but entitles them to place the letters OSM after their names, preceding the initials of any other Masonic rank they may hold.
The Order is a neck decoration in the form of a Garter blue ribbon from which hangs the jewel of the Order.
At the Annual Investiture the Grand Master conferred the Order on W Bro Francis McCormick, PSGD. Resident in Rio de Janeiro, Bro McCormick was initiated in Royal Edward Lodge No. 5566 in 1952.
His exceptional service to
the Craft has been principally in the field of external relations, particularly in maintaining good relations with the Grand Orient of Brazil and other Grand Lodges in South America.
At the Quarterly Communication on 12 June, the Pro Grand Master, on behalf of the Grand Master, invested two further recipients of the Order.
RW Bro James V.L. Phillips began his Masonic career in 1952 in Travellers Lodge No. 6758, Accra and served the District of Ghana as District Grand Master and Grand Superintendent from 1988
to 1998.
When he took up those offices, Freemasonry in Ghana had been under attack, and the government had seized
its properties.
Bro Phillips convinced the authorities of Freemasonry's loyalty to society and obedience to the laws of the state, secured the return of the properties,
restored the good name of Freemasonry and increased his District by 11 Lodges
and eight Chapters.
W Bro Major General Rudolph G.E. Green, CD, ADC, PDepGSwdB, became a Freemason in Moore Keys Lodge No. 251 9, Kingston, Jamaica, in 1959.
He served as Deputy District Grand Master for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands from 1978 to 1988, since when he has been President of the District
Board of General Purposes.
In addition to the Craft and Royal Arch, he holds
high office in many other Masonic Orders.
A loyal, discreet and dependable adviser, blessed with an exhaustive knowledge of Freemasonry, backed by many years of experience, he has given service unstintingly not only within his own District, but is regarded as a valuable adviser in neighbouring Districts.
Grand Lodge deficit for 2001
Grand Lodge made a loss after taxation of £121,900 for 2001 compared to a surplus after tax of £863,100 the previous year, Lord Cadogan, President of the Board of General Purposes said in his report of the accounts.
Repairs to two investment properties cost £407,400 with costs of £132,000 on special publications. There
was also a cost of £76,700 on archiving some records and £80,227 on the development of the computer system. This, said Lord Cadogan, was partially offset by a £119,000 increase in rent received on investment properties.
He added: 'During the year we have incurred net losses to the value of our investment
portfolio totalling £422,900 of which only £38,400 were realised. We showed gains amounting to £170,300 during the corresponding period the year before: Gifts were made to the Library and Museum Charitable Trust and the Centre for Masonic Studies at Sheffield University
of £327,600 and
£35,000 respectively.
Lord Cadogan emphasised, however,
that despite this expenditure, the Board was satisfied that the finances of Grand Lodge were in good order. A revaluation of one of the investment properties had given rise to an additional revaluation surplus of some £5.76 million.
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
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