New Delhi, India
110th meeting to install Freemasons' Master in New Delhi
Tarun Kumar was installed as the 110th Master of The Kitchener Lodge No. 2998 under the English Constitution on 5th November 2012 at Freemasons Hall, Janpath, New Delhi, India in a solemn ceremony followed by fellowshipping and gala dinner attended by almost 50 persons, including the good ladies.
The lodge is over 100 years old. Some of the past masters of the lodge were Sir Richard Scallonh, Sir Richard Needham, Sir Bentram Moberly, Major General JA Manifold, Sir Kenneth Mitchell, Sir Thomas Borwick, Lieutenant Colonel FA Von- Goldstein, A Carckenell and General Kartar Singh.
Felicitating Kumar on this occassion, Right Worshipful Brother Vishwanathan Nagarajan, The Right Worshipful District Grand Master of the District of Northern India {under the United Grand Lodge of Englsaid,
"Worshipful Brother Tarun Kumar is a young rising star in Freemasonry. I am sure he will contribute a lot for the good of Freemasonry. We are happy to have him as the Worshipful Master."Nagarajan ran a successful hospital equipments and healthcare business before retiring and devoting his full attention to freemasonry.
Worshipful Brother Kumar replied,
"It is indeed a great honour as well as responsibility. I am thankful to Right Worshipful Brother Nagarajan and indeed to all other Brethren. He is a leading light in Masonry. I will try my best to live up to the high standards set by my illustrious predecessors. I would like to focus on three areas - improving charity, enhancing the masonic experience, and achieving some sort of comparative excellence."Kumar is on the advisory board of several technology ventures and heads a market entry advisory firm.
It is more then a decade that someone who has no blood relative as a Freemason and was initiated in the lodge has risen to become the Master. Kumar has a distant cousin who is married to a native Englishman whose father was a Freemason. There was another first - a new office of the Lodge Mentor was created.
Worshipful Brother Dr. Arvind Pandalai, past Deputy District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Northern India, and one of the key persons who conducted the installation ceremony said,
"The good gathering coordinated by Worshipful Brother Kumar is a good start. I am confident he will build upon this momentum."After completing about 40 years of international trading and being the Chaiman and Managing Director and advisor to Government of India in areas of offset and countertrade and food security, Pandalai is currently engaged as an international management consultant in advising foreign companies.
Representatives from many lodges under English, Indian, Scottish and Irish constitutions meeting in India, Britain, Canada, Kenya, and Hong Kong participated in the meeting.
Worshipful Brother Huw Probert a native of Wales, now resident in Hong Kong,, said,
"Worshipful Brother Kumar has a cheerful disposition that helps him in bringing together brethren from a diverse background."Probert thanked the Worshipful Master for his kind invitation to attend his Installation and said the he and his wife had a very enjoyable evening and that he wished the Worshipful Master all the best. Probert has a district rank at the District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and Far East and is an expert in civil engineering infrastructure projects.
Worshipful Brother P V Kumar (no relation to Tarun Kumar), himself a past master of the lodge, joined in,
"Worshipful Brother Tarun Kumar has displayed a dynamic leadership. He can count on my support."Kumar was a Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. He is associated with organisations of national importance.
Brother Manoj Abraham Mathew, also a member, said,
"I flew in to India only for a day to participate in the ceremony. I congratulate the newly installed Worshipful Master. I will like to play a more active role in charity."Mathew lives in the United Arab Emirates where he heads a television channel.
Brother Simon Ruscoe-Price, a new joining member, said,
"I have recently started a long assignment in India. I feel privileged to witness the installation and wish Worshipful Brother Tarun Kumar all the very best."Ruscoe-Price is an educationist from Suffolk, England.
The ceremony started at 6.00 pm in the Main Temple of the Freemasons' Hall at Janpath in New Delhi. It ended at 8.15 pm with the the National Anthem of India. Fellowshipping started thereafter. After an hour, the arrival of the new Worshipful Master Kumar at the festive board was announced. The Worshipful Master proposed the first three toasts. An excellent firing soon followed. Various other toasts were proposed including a toast to the Ladies to which the First Lady, Worshipful Master's wife gave the response on behalf of the ladies.
The evening ended with the tyler's toast.
