The Visayas must move on!

Media

Part of The Cabletow

Title: The Visayas must move on!
Language: English
Year: 1966
Rights
Abstract: Address delivered by MW Serafin L. Teves, PGM, at the Fifth Regional Convention of Lodges in the Visayas, held at Dumaguete City, January 7-8, 1966, under the auspices of Mt. Kaladias Lodge No. 91. F & A. M. The officers for 1966 of Mt. Kaladias Lodge were also installed at that time.
Fulltext: To be or not to be. . <Address delivered by MW Serafin L. Teves, PGM, at the Fifth Region al Convention of Lodges in the Visayas, held at Dumaguete City, Jan uary 7-8, 196G, under the auspices of Mt. Kaladias I-olge No. 91, F & A. M. The officers for 196G of Mt. Kaladias Lodge were also ins talled at that time.) This is a happy occasion for all ■of us in that this convention of Visayan lodges is coming to pass at this lime when it is convenient for all of us to he present. Moreover, it is be ing held in the early days of January when the topics you have discussed, the decisions and plans you have made can be considered part of your New Year resolutions, individually and collectively. It is therefore easy for me to say that more action can be expected from here on! As the thought is fallier to the act, let there be more acts from the many thoughts expressed here throughout this convention. I shall be happv if this is done, because as a Grand Master coming from the Visavas. I can only be proud of what the Lodges in the Visayas will do to ward the improvement and enhance ment of the image of Freemasonry in the whole countrv. This is no attempt to regionalize Masonry in this country; rather, it is making different regions do their best for countrywide Masonry. Back in 1962 when you started me into this present position, you were profuse in your assurances that you would do your best to help me from then on. Last year. RWB Schon was started on the climb to the Grand Oriental chair. This is another indi cation that our Grand Lodge pins high hopes on officers coming from the Visayas. This is all right and we should be happy about it. But, how do we meas ure up to the expectations of the Grand Lodge? I have been comparing the progress of I-odges in Luzon, Visayas and Min danao. I have been impressed by the increase in members and number of J.odges in Luzon and Mindanao. Taking the pre-war and post-war si tuations as bases, I found that Luzon has increased its number of Lodges by about 10%; in Mindanao, they had seven lodges before the war; now, they have 17 there, or an increase of 143%-. The Visayas fall far short of any progress. Seven pre-war lodges still have to be rehabilitated; those in Palawan. Antique, Capiz. Roinblon, Victorias, Negros Occidental, and Masbate; and yet, no new lodges in the Visayas have been constituted. Perhaps, we can lie nonchalant about this, by saying, if we have not in creased in quantity, we have increased in quality. But who will believe us? Last April, on my installation. I enun ciated a slogan: “Make Masons Ma nifest More Masonry.” 1 believe this is a good one, and I believe further that the brethren in our Grand Juris diction have been doing their best to put this into practice, including the brethren of the Visayan Lodges. Still, we cannot, and we should not stop here. Turn to nonl pago June, 1966 Several months ago, we organized, a Committee on Masonic Education. Happily, this committee took its job seriously and it has come out and published a series of booklets design ed to increase interest in Masonic edu cation among persons intending to put in their petitions and among the bre thren as well. Take a look at the titles: 1) A Course of Study in Ma sonic Education: 2) The Candidate; 3) The Entered Apprentice: 4) The Fellow Craft; and 5) The Master Mason. They have been published in several issues of the Cabletow and are being reprinted in pamphlet form to be sold at almost cost to Lodges and individual Masons who may wish to use them. You must have noticed that the Cabletow has been incorporated, but even as an independent legal entity, it will serve the Grand Lodge bv pub lishing our Masonic magazine. We are hoping that under this arrangement, it will be able to stand on its feet and improve its service thereby. We have increased the cooling ca pacity of the air-conditioning units for Abad Santos Hall so that when you come for the annual communica tion, you will not have to sweat it out. The store spaces fronting San Mar celino street are being constructed at this time. Before you go to the an nual communication, it is our hope that they will have been occupied and operating. The construction of these facilities was designed to provide in come which can be used in part to amortize any borrowing to construct a new Grand Lodge temple later. I took time to recount these phases of progress going on in the Grand Lodge if only to inform you that we are not sleeping out there. Also, it is our hope that Lodges outside Ma nila will in turn look to progress as a guiding principle in their efforts. A Lodge which canot think of progress is out to die; not too soon perhaps, but surely, sometime in the future. In a book “I CHOSE FREEDOM” by Victor Kravchenco, he mentions a guideline which has influenced him a good deal. It is, “If it is necessary, it can be done.” I wonder if this line can be of value to us after we have made decisions on what to do to pro gress in the Visayan area along the Masonic way. Have you found anything necessa ry to be done? Then it can be done. It goes without saying, therefore, that if there is nothing necessary to be done, there is no use doing anything at all. This matter of making progress in the Visayas is like a bug that has bit ten me hard and fast. When I visited my Mother Lodge last October, I spoke to my brethren in no uncertain terms about what could be done. I now ask the rest of the Lodges in the Visa yas to think what can be done and do it. While Lodges and Masons in Luzon and Mindanao are increasing, I cannot see why those in the Visayas should remain stagnant. You know what happens to a stagnant pool as long as it remains stagnant. I have flung the challenge and I fling it again. If there is any great and important undertaking, we know what to do. All I can sav now is that the Great Architect of the Universe, in His infinite wisdom, will guide us if we are willing to be guided. Now, about the new officers of Mt. Kaladias No. 91. Any new set of of ficers of a Lodge deserve the congra tulations of the brethren, inside or outside of the Lodge. The officers arc the fellows and brothers who have ac cepted the responsibility of serving the Lodge for a year, prepared to spend time and energy, for the good of the Lodge, and the brethren in it. Many times bearing an office in the Lodge is a thankless job; neverthe The Cabletow less, brethren accept the responsibili ties for what they can do. These little acts of heroism, when put together, mean a lot for the good of the bre thren, the Lodge, and Masonry on the whole. Whatever your position in the T.odge, be it high or low, you owe your Lodge a responsibility equal to that borne by the brother holding the highest office. In fact, any member of the Lodge, whether holding office or not, is as much a a member of the team as the office bearers. After the congratulations are given, the officers need and expect the coop eration of all the members. Please give it to them unsparingly, unstinted ly. Bretheren of Mt. Kaladias Lodge, give your officers all you’ve got and they in turn will give the Lodge all they’ve got to the end that No. 91 will be recognized as one of the best in our Grand Jurisdiction. I wish to congratulate the W.M. and his officers for having been elect ed and chosen: such a fine set officers to serve Mt. Kaladias Lodge No. 91 for the ensuing year 1966! I also con gratulate the members for making the right selection. A HERE AND THERE In our May 1966 issue, page 19, we reported Miss Evelyn Mandac as having won a belle canto sholarship in the Juillard School of Music in New York for having come out first in the contest among young and talented singers in the United States. Shortly after winning that contest, Evelyn, daughter of Bro. & Mrs. Manuel Man dac of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4, was sent to Brussels to enter a con test among sixty singers from all arts of the world. Miss Mandac won third place in the second contest. Music critics in Europe rate her soprano voice highly for depth, flexibility and clarity. * • » In our July 1965 issue, page 15, we mentioned about Miss Eleanor Calbes, daughter of Bro. & Mrs. Diego Calbes of Mabini Lodge No. 39. having won acclaim in her professional singing on the stage in Canada and the United States. Eleanor is taking post graduate studies in voice at the Con servator}' of Music, University of To ronto in Canada but has a busy schedule which takes her between Ca nada and the United States to fulfill singing engagements. The Manila Times, May 21, 1966 reports that she is now a professional success, having signed conracts to sing in “Tales of the South Pacific” and “The King and I”. Miss Calbes sings the part of the Polynesian girl in the former and of Tuptiin in the lat ter, being star-cast in those parts. Incidentally, Miss Calbes and Miss Mandac were school chums in the Conservatory of Music, University of the Philippines back in their student days here. In their early beginnings, the girls’ talents were known to Ma sons and Evelyn Stars in the Ma nila area and Evelyn and Eleanor were generally invited to sing at the installation programs of Masonic lodgts. Eastern Star chapters. Jobie bethels, and Rainbow assemblies. Incidentally also, their fathers are retired army officers. A THAT A PRO bl OF YOURS... “Let its pure and spotless surface be to you an ever-present reminder of an unblemished purity of life and rec titude of conduct, a never-ending argu ment for nobler deeds, for higher thoughts, for purer actions, and for greater achievements." June, 1966