Report of the District Grand Orator
2011 Annual Communication of District Grand Lodge of Guyana
W Bro Lennox J Hernandez
DistGOrator PDistGStwd (RA)
R W District Grand Master and Brethren, as this is the first report by the
District Grand Orator, I will highlight the activities of the office from the
beginning of the office in 2009, both in terms of the mandate given by the
District Grand Lodge and that of the Grand Orator on behalf of United Grand
Lodge.
During the first year of the District Grand Orator’s office, some Lodges were
visited (at their request) and the duties of the office explained.
The District Grand Orator also made presentations at the Half-Yearly and
Yearly Communications of District Grand Lodge in 2009 and 2010.
A small committee to augment the work of the District Grand Orator was
also formed. At an Orator’s
Committee meeting in October, 2010, it was agreed that visits should be made to
Lodges outside
The Orators’ Forum is a website set
up by the Grand Orator, W Bro Lt Cdr Kai Hughes,
RN, on behalf of United Grand Lodge.
The website, opened around mid-2010, is administered by the Provincial
Grand Orator of Devonshire, W Bro Dr Richard Ebrey and W Bro Hughes.
According to the Grand Orator, the Forum is key to Provincial and
District Grand Orators developing their understanding of the Orations as well as
in developing their relationships with each other and to share experiences so as
to further the Oration Scheme. The
Forum will also be their direct link to the Grand Orator.
I should mention here that United Grand Lodge has approved a number of
orations written specifically for the scheme, for presentation to Lodges.
To enhance the working of Provincial and District Grand Orators there
will be an Annual Orators’ Conference; the first was held on Saturday, January
22, 2011, at Freemasons’ Hall,
However, I can give you the major decisions coming out of the meeting:
There is also the hope to have District Grand Orators involved in future
meetings by the use of technology, such as teleconferencing.
I should mention that there are 78 members in the Forum at present,
mainly from
From January 2011, I have thus shifted the operation of the District Grand
Orator’s office here to presenting approved Grand Lodge Orations.
After studying the list of fifty-six (56) approved Orations, my approach
is to send to Masters and Secretaries of Craft Lodges, two or three titles I
have selected to be presented during a particular month.
Masters/Secretaries of Lodges that are willing to host an Oration will
then select a topic and I would make a list of all to be presented during that
month. That list, giving time,
place and hosting Lodge, is then sent to Lodge Masters and Secretaries whom I
expect to disseminate same to the brethren of their respective Lodges.
At the moment, this is done by e-mail only, but in the future I hope to
have a hard copy sent to each lodge as summonses now are, so that the list can
be read out in open Lodge, as was done at Roraima’s meeting yesterday.
After a slow start in January, and a little faster movement in February,
I am pleased to say that the improvement in requests in March show that Lodges
are interested in the Orations; four Lodges have asked to host Orations this
month on three different topics.
Note that in selecting Oration topics in the future, I will be considering
suggestions received via the Response Form you complete after presentations.
Brethren, I use the words “host an Oration” to indicate that an Oration is not
meant only for the Lodge in which it is presented.
Unlike Installations that attract a high number of visitors, and Workings
which attract some numbers of visitors, Orations, the new kid on the block,
attract extremely few visitors so far; in fact, sometimes no visitor is present.
Does this mean that Lodges see the need for Masonic Education, but
Brethren themselves generally do not?
Or are there more enticing attractions that keep us away from such a dull
event? R W District Grand Master
and Brethren, being an academic and on both sides of the table in our country,
that is, giving public presentations and attending public presentations, I
believe that this trend is a national one.
We simply do not like attending public talks and lectures (though there
are a few times when this would be an incorrect assumption).
For example, nearly four weeks ago, and again just two days ago I was at
the Umana Yana for different presentations of national importance – at the first
I was one of the presenters and at the second I was an attendee.
The “national habit” of our people not seeming to like attending public
talks and lectures was again evident in both cases.
Brethren, as Freemasons we have to do better than that.
One of the greatest scientific groups in the world – the Royal Society –
was formed by Freemasons. According
to Dr Robert Lomas in a 2007 paper, two precepts taken from Freemasonry into the
Royal Society by Sir Robert Moray, Scientist, Freemason and Founder of the Royal
Society, were:
1.
“That the study of the works of nature can lead to an understanding of the
underlying plan of God. i.e. that there is an underlying order of the laws of
nature that can be determined by observation and experiment.”
2.
“That all men are equal. If they
come together to discuss learning, and forbid discussion of religion and
politics they will be able to co-operate.”
Thus, Brethren, studying, learning and discussing, are important precepts of
Freemasonry; let us be Freemasons.
The District Grand Orator thanks Lodge for their involvement in the Oration
Scheme and welcomes further requests for presentations of the approved Orations.
Any suggestions you may have to improve the Oration scheme would also be
welcomed.
I thank you for your attention.
LJH 2011-03-19