Memorial Service in Homage to the Late R.W.Bro. Dr. R. Y. Kittur

R.W. Bro. Dr. Ramesh  Yeshwant  Kittur, a Senior Past Master of Lodge Victoria No. 9 and a Founder Member of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 was called to the Grand Lodge above on 8th April, 2012.

R.W. Bro. Dr. R. Y. Kittur who was initiated into Freemasonry on 5th July, 1969, was a distinguished Brother and an excellent ritualist. He was bestowed numerous ranks in The Grand Lodge of India and Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India. He was a treasure of information and guidance to every brother and an excellent source of Masonic knowledge and information.

  

Obsequies in homage to his memory were held at Lodge Victoria No. 9, Belgaum on Sunday, 22nd April.
The Immediate Past Master of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 W. Bro.  D. V. Borkar, W. Bro.  R. V. Nevrekar, W. Bro. P. T. Gaunekar and Bro. Prasad Borkar attended the ceremony on behalf of the brethren of Lodge Gomantak. W. Bro. D. V. Borkar addressed the brethren and conveyed the sympathies and condolences of the brethren of Lodge Gomantak and himself to the brethren of Lodge Victoria and the members of the bereaved family.

Bro. Anastasio Colaco Installed As Master Of Lodge Gomantak

The 31st Annual Installation Ceremony of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 was held on Saturday, 18th February, 2011at Jai Kieran Hall, Ramnathi, Goa. Bro. Anastasio Colaco was ceremoniously placed in the Chair of King Solomon by W. Bro. Devidas V. Borkar, the Ruling Master of the Lodge.

W. Bro. Anastasio Colaco then appointed and invested his Officers for the year 2012-13.

The ceremony was attended by brethren of the Lodge in large numbers. W. Bro. Yashkaran Singh, ARGM of North Karnataka and Goa Area graced the occasion as representative of the R.W. the Regional Grand Master of the Regional grand Lodge of Southern India, R. W. Bro. R. Sushil Raj.

W. Bro. Alvito Martins, Ruling Master of Lodge Haig Brown No.3829 of the English Constitution, Bro. Austin Ellis of Lodge Salfire No. 1505 under Scottish Constitution, W. Bro. Vithal of Lodge Dharwad No. 54 and other distinguished brethren graced the ceremony with their presence.

The evening ended with a festive board and fellowship which was enjoyed by all.

R. W. The Regional Grand Master Visits the Lodge

Sunday the 22nd of January, 2012 was a golden-letter day for Lodge Gomantak No. 248.

On that day. W. Bro. Retna Raj Sushil Raj, P.A.G.M, R. W. the Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India attended the regular meeting of the Lodge, along with his officers. He was accompanied by W. Bro. Yashkaran Singh, the Assistant Regional Grand Master of North Karnataka Area, W. Bro. A. B. Bhalerao, Regional Grand Director of Ceremonies and other officers who formed his deputation.

R.W. Bro. R. Sushil Raj was received into the Lodge in procession as per protocol, and welcomed by the W. Master, W. Bro. Devidas Borkar. He was also unanimously elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge.

R. W. the Regional Grand Master then occupied the Eastern Chair and conducted the ceremony for raising Bro. Anthony Fernandes to the sublime degree of Master Mason.

He was ably assisted by his officers who replaced the regular Lodge officers in conducting the ceremony.

All visiting brethren and brethren of the Lodge were impressed by the exemplary manner in which the entire ceremony was performed. It was indeed a memorable occasion for the Lodge and for Bro. Anthony Fernandes who had the privilege of being raised by R. W. the Regional Grand Master.

In his address, R.W. the Regional Grand Master expressed his happiness with the arrangements for the meeting in particular and for the activities of the Lodge in general. He also expressed the hope that the Lodge Temple would be ready soon, and exhorted the brethren to interact with the local community for a better image of Freemasonry. He extended his hand of assistance to the Lodge if required in the Temple project or any other undertaking of the Lodge.

Distinguished visitors who attended the meeting included W. Bro. Ray Smith of Lodge Royal St. Edmunds No.008, W. Bro. John Scotney of Lodge Dr. Oliver No.3964, W. Bro. John Cox of Lodge Southius No. 8774, all under the United Grand Lodge of England, Bro. Austin Ellis of Lodge Salfire No. 1505 under Scottish Constitution and W. Bro. Francisco Vares Machado of Lodge Camoes No.15 and the Grand Ambassador of the Grand Lodge Regular of Portugal.

During the fellowship which followed the formal meeting and which was enjoyed by all present, R. W. the Regional Grand Master interacted with the visitors and brethren of Lodge Gomantak. The brethren departed with very happy memories of the eventful evening.

Charity Project on the Occasion of Golden Jubilee of RGLSI

The Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India was inaugurated on 9th December, 1961. To commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India on 9th December, 2011, Lodge Gomantak No. 248, as desired by the R.W. the Regional Grand Master, carried out a charity project.

The W. Master of the Lodge, W. Bro. Devidas V. Borkar, accompanied by the I. P. M. W. Bro Pankaj Saraf, Secretary Bro. Mohit Saraf, Treasurer W. Bro. Prakash Gaunekar, Junior Warden Bro. G. Richard Gould, Tyler W. Bro Yazdi Shroff and Bro. Prasad Borkar, visited the Centre run by the Goa Branch of the National Association for the Blind, and presented the inmates with food articles worth about Rs. 1760/-, as per a list supplied by the management of the Centre.

The gesture was well appreciated by the management as well as the inmates of the Centre.

 It may be recalled that the Lodge had earlier donated a sum of Rs.21000/- to the Centre on the occasion of Universal Brotherhood Day on 24th June, 2011, and had also assisted them in their fund-raising drive to the tune of Rs. 13800/- by purchasing tickets of the play organized by the Goa Branch of the National Association for the Blind.

Visit To Lodge Haig-Brown No.3829 – English Constitution

The Worshipful Master of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 and senior brethren of the Lodge were invited by the outgoing Master W. Bro. Dr. Ajay Aras to attend the Installation Meeting of Lodge Haig-Brown No. 3829 – English Constitution, at Clube de Goa, Porvorim , Goa on Saturday, 8th October, 2011.

W. Bro. Alvito Martins was ceremoniously installed as the Worshipful Master of the Lodge by W. Bro. Suresh Nadkarni, IPM, in the presence of R.W. Bro. Percy Driver, District Grand Master, R. W. Bro. Arun Deshmukh, Dy. District Grand Master and other district officers and brethren of lodges under the English Constitution.

It was a pleasure and an educative experience to witness the installation ritual, which was marginally different from the ritual in our lodges. The W.Master conveyed fraternal greetings and good wishes to the newly installed Master and his officers, and congratulations to the outgoing Master on a year  worth remembering.

It was also an occasion to meet and interact with the District Grand Master R.W. Bro Percy Driver, Dy. District Grand Master R. W. Bro. Arun Deshmukh and the brethren of Lodge Haig-Brown and of other lodges under the English Constitution.

Brethren enjoyed the fellowship and festive board after the formal ceremony.

Long-Term Service Jewel Presentation Ceremony At Lodge Victoria No.9, Belgaum.

Worshipful Master of Lodge Gomantak No. 248, W. Bro. Devidas V. Borkar and brethren of the Lodge had the privilege of attending the Long-Term Service Jewel Presentation Ceremony  at Lodge Victoria N0.9, Belgaum on Sunday 4th September, 2011.

Two former members of Lodge Gomantak, namely W. Bro. A.J Desai, who received the 50 years LTSJ and who, incidentally, was a founder member of Lodge Gomantak and W. Bro. Shivkumar Patil, Past ARGM, who received the 25 years LTSJ were amongst the recipients of the awards. We congratulate them and all other recipients on the honour conferred on them.

The address of the M.W. the Grand Master on the occasion was highly inspiring and was applauded by all.

It was an occasion to meet and interact with M. W. the Grand Master M. W. Bro Capt. Dr. Balaram Biswakumar. OSM, R.W. the Regional Grand Master R.W. Bro R. Sushil Raj, W. Bro. Yashkaran Singh, ARGM and brethren of Lodge Victoria and other nearby Lodges.

Brethren enjoyed the fellowship, the impromptu entertainment and the festive board immensely. 

Inter-Lodge Meeting of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 and Lodge Calicut No 237 Held In Goa.

An Inter-lodge Meeting of Lodge Gomantak No. 248 and Lodge Calicut No. 237 was hosted by Lodge Gomantak at Jai Kieran Hall, Ramnathi, Ponda, Goa on 14th August, 2011.

The meeting was attended by around 50 brethren of the two lodges as well as visiting brethren from lodges in North Karnataka area. W. Bro. Yashkaran Singh, A. R. G. M. of North Karnataka Area and W. Bro. Dr. K. G. Alexander, A. R. G. M. of North Kerala Area graced the meeting.

Two Entered Apprentices, Bro. Anthony Fernandes of Lodge Gomantak and Bro. Sujith Kumar Thacharakkal Nalukandathil of Lodge Calicut were passed to the degree of FellowCraft Freemasons.

W. Bro. Devidas V. Borkar, W. Master of Lodge Gomantak was ably assisted by officers from his lodge as well as by the W. Master W. Bro. M. Shahier Singh and substituting officers from Lodge Calicut in the Second Degree Ritual.

W. Bro. Yashkaran Singh, A. R. G. M. of North Karnataka Area and W. Bro. Dr. K. G. Alexander, A. R. G. M. of North Kerala Area, in their address conveyed the compliments of R. W. the Regional Grand Master W. Bro. R. Sushil Raj, as well as their own compliments to both the Lodges and their W. Masters on this pioneering venture of the two lodges, and hoped other lodges would be motivated by this example to organize similar inter-lodge meetings.

W. Bro. M. Shahier Singh, W. Master of Lodge Calicut No. 237 expressed his happiness at the success of the inter-lodge meeting, and his gratitude to the brethren of Lodge Gomantak for the excellent arrangements as well as the assistance given to the visiting brethren.

The two W. Masters exchanged mementoes at the hands of their respective A.R. G.M.s, in commemoration of the historic event.

The inter-lodge meeting was preceded by the regular meeting by dispensation of Lodge Calicut No. 237.

The inter-lodge meeting was followed by a family get-together of the families of the brethren of the two lodges which included a cultural programme organized by the brethren of the two lodges and their families.

A traditional Kerala Dance and a traditional Konkani folk song were the main highlights of the cultural programme, in addition to popular songs rendered by the brethren.

The official Home-page (Web-site) of Lodge Gomantak No.248 (http://www.lodgegomantak.org/) was formally inaugurated on the occasion, at the auspicious hands of A.R.G.M. W. Bro.  Yashkaran Singh, in the presence of W. Bro. Dr. K. G. Alexander, A. R. G. M. of North Kerala Area and W. Bro. M. Shahier Singh, W. Master of Lodge Calicut No. 237.

A Festive Board concluded the proceedings of the afternoon, and the brethren departed with a promise to have a similar inter-lodge meeting of the two lodges at Calicut in the near future.