Inaugural Address
Delivered on December 1, 2007 during the Induction of Officers and Christmas Party of the FilCan Cabletow at the Thornhill Masonic Temple
Brethren, Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen, big children and small children as well, Guests...
Tonight will be an enchanting evening for everyone. The spirit of Christmas is in the air. I'm pretty sure that you will all enjoy and have fun tonight. We are gathered here not only to witness the Induction of Officers and to celebrate our annual Christmas Party, but we are here also to renew our friendship and to strengthen the tie that binds us together. We are also gathered to pay tribute to those who were dear to us and with whom we have shared in the past some happy moments together but who are now forever gone.
Let me, therefore, request everyone - the young and not so young to please rise and shake the hand of five people whom you have not met before or whom you've been wanting to know his or her name but never had the chance to do so. Introduce yourself and say – “Hello?” or “How do you do?”
(Pause to allow people to shake hands…)
"Strength in Unity" is the motto of our club. Two keywords - strength and unity, when combined together they form the strong pillars of our club. If I may add to this motto - I would further say - "Strength in Unity anchored on Harmony". Three keywords - Strength, Unity and Harmony, when conjoined together would denote balance and solidarity.
According to a Past Grand Master - the greatest threat to the downfall of Masonry will not come from without, but from within the institution itself. He said that - "There is only one thing Masonry will not survive and that is the lack of Masonry among Masons." And so it is with the FilCan Cabletow Service Club. When the members do not mutually cooperate for the common good of our service club, then we can expect for a downfall trend - a decline in the membership, just like a cancer disease that slowly takes the poor victim to his deathbed - gradually through a painful process. Hence, for our FilCan Cabletow to continue to grow, we must preserve the bulwarks that hold our club together.
My message, tonight, is all about strength, unity and harmony. For it is in unity that we can find for strength, and in strength that we can find for harmony and in harmony can we find for unity. These three virtues I hope to promote during my governance as President for the year 2008. For if we want to take pride in our membership with Cabletow, then we should all work collectively towards one goal; and that is to please one another - by setting aside any feeling of hatred, animosity, jealousy, greed, passion, pride, piques and quarrel. Let us all practice the tenets of Masonry in our daily life not only in words but also in deed. Let us endeavour to live up to the high standards of being a Mason – not only in its form but in its true essence.
If we work individually to gain for our personal benefit, then we are like a twig that easily breaks when it is bended. But if we become cohesive in our actions, then we become like the several twigs wrapped together wherein an enormous strength may require to break them. And this is the kind of working spirit that I plan to infuse, thus, hoping to a form well-motivated team composed of active and highly-participative Cabletow members.
I would like to present to you tonight the team who will manage and execute the plans and program for the ensuing year:
Mention the different Committees and names of respective Chairman…
I would like to thank the brethren for their trust and confidence in bestowing upon me the duties of President. I will try my best to satisfy your expectations. To the Past Presidents, I will rely on your experience and wisdom in making sure that I will not err in my judgment. To R.W. Bro. John Hiley for accepting my invitation and for having inducted us into our respective offices tonight.
I am also grateful to W. Bro. Napoleon Rosario for introducing me to the FilCan Cabletow in December 2000 when he insisted on fetching from my new home, in spite of the fact we have just newly landed in Toronto for a week and who invited me to this similar event.
To our respective family for their continued support and kind understanding in our desire to be actively involved with Masonry. To my wife, who's been my inspiration in promoting goodness and service to mankind and for supporting my Masonic endeavours. And most all to G.A.O.T.U. for the many blessings which he has bestowed upon us.
In closing, let me share to you this meaningful story – A Story About the "Elite" Brotherhood of Quails
In ancient times there existed a hoard of quails who were really proud of their elite brotherhood. Everything went well for them except that they dreaded their number one nemesis – the Great Quail-Trapper.
This expert trapper would imitate the call of the quail – and when the quails were gathered together in answer to his call, he would throw a big net over them; put them into his bag and carried them away to be sold.
Now this trapper came to know about this popular community of quails. So he ventured to capture all the quails who are members of this elite brotherhood.
Now, one of the quails was very wise, and he said, "Brothers! As soon as the trapper throws his net over us, let each one put his head through a mesh in the net and then all lift it up together and fly away with it. When we have flown far enough, we can let the net drop on a thorn bush and escape from under it."
All agreed to the plan - and next day when the trapper threw his net, the birds all lifted it together in the very way that the wise quail had told them, threw it on a thorn bush and escaped. While the trapper tried to free his net from the thorns, it grew dark, and he had to go home.
This happened many days, till at last the trapper's wife grew angry and asked her husband, "Why is it that you never catch any more quail?"
Then the trapper said, "The trouble is that all the birds work together and help one another. If they would only quarrel, I could catch them fast enough."
A few days later, one of the quails accidentally stepped on the head of one of his brothers, as they alighted on the feeding-ground.
"Who stepped on my head?" angrily inquired the quail who was hurt.
"Don't be angry, I didn't mean to tread on you," said the first quail.
But the brother quail went on quarreling. "I lifted all the weight of the net - you didn't help at all," he cried.
That made the first quail angry, and before long all were drawn into the dispute. Then the fowl-catcher saw his chance. He imitated the cry of the quail and cast his net over those who came together. They were still boasting and quarreling, and they did not help one another lift the net. So the hunter lifted the net himself and crammed them into his basket.
But the wise quail gathered his friends together and flew far away, for he knew that quarrels are the root of misfortune.
My dear friends and brothers, I will leave the moral of this story for you to contemplate. It is my earnest hope that we shall continue to dwell together in strength, unity and harmony. And may the peace and joy of our Lord be always upon us all.
Brethren, Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen, big children and small children as well, Guests...
Tonight will be an enchanting evening for everyone. The spirit of Christmas is in the air. I'm pretty sure that you will all enjoy and have fun tonight. We are gathered here not only to witness the Induction of Officers and to celebrate our annual Christmas Party, but we are here also to renew our friendship and to strengthen the tie that binds us together. We are also gathered to pay tribute to those who were dear to us and with whom we have shared in the past some happy moments together but who are now forever gone.
Let me, therefore, request everyone - the young and not so young to please rise and shake the hand of five people whom you have not met before or whom you've been wanting to know his or her name but never had the chance to do so. Introduce yourself and say – “Hello?” or “How do you do?”
(Pause to allow people to shake hands…)
"Strength in Unity" is the motto of our club. Two keywords - strength and unity, when combined together they form the strong pillars of our club. If I may add to this motto - I would further say - "Strength in Unity anchored on Harmony". Three keywords - Strength, Unity and Harmony, when conjoined together would denote balance and solidarity.
According to a Past Grand Master - the greatest threat to the downfall of Masonry will not come from without, but from within the institution itself. He said that - "There is only one thing Masonry will not survive and that is the lack of Masonry among Masons." And so it is with the FilCan Cabletow Service Club. When the members do not mutually cooperate for the common good of our service club, then we can expect for a downfall trend - a decline in the membership, just like a cancer disease that slowly takes the poor victim to his deathbed - gradually through a painful process. Hence, for our FilCan Cabletow to continue to grow, we must preserve the bulwarks that hold our club together.
My message, tonight, is all about strength, unity and harmony. For it is in unity that we can find for strength, and in strength that we can find for harmony and in harmony can we find for unity. These three virtues I hope to promote during my governance as President for the year 2008. For if we want to take pride in our membership with Cabletow, then we should all work collectively towards one goal; and that is to please one another - by setting aside any feeling of hatred, animosity, jealousy, greed, passion, pride, piques and quarrel. Let us all practice the tenets of Masonry in our daily life not only in words but also in deed. Let us endeavour to live up to the high standards of being a Mason – not only in its form but in its true essence.
If we work individually to gain for our personal benefit, then we are like a twig that easily breaks when it is bended. But if we become cohesive in our actions, then we become like the several twigs wrapped together wherein an enormous strength may require to break them. And this is the kind of working spirit that I plan to infuse, thus, hoping to a form well-motivated team composed of active and highly-participative Cabletow members.
I would like to present to you tonight the team who will manage and execute the plans and program for the ensuing year:
Mention the different Committees and names of respective Chairman…
I would like to thank the brethren for their trust and confidence in bestowing upon me the duties of President. I will try my best to satisfy your expectations. To the Past Presidents, I will rely on your experience and wisdom in making sure that I will not err in my judgment. To R.W. Bro. John Hiley for accepting my invitation and for having inducted us into our respective offices tonight.
I am also grateful to W. Bro. Napoleon Rosario for introducing me to the FilCan Cabletow in December 2000 when he insisted on fetching from my new home, in spite of the fact we have just newly landed in Toronto for a week and who invited me to this similar event.
To our respective family for their continued support and kind understanding in our desire to be actively involved with Masonry. To my wife, who's been my inspiration in promoting goodness and service to mankind and for supporting my Masonic endeavours. And most all to G.A.O.T.U. for the many blessings which he has bestowed upon us.
In closing, let me share to you this meaningful story – A Story About the "Elite" Brotherhood of Quails
In ancient times there existed a hoard of quails who were really proud of their elite brotherhood. Everything went well for them except that they dreaded their number one nemesis – the Great Quail-Trapper.
This expert trapper would imitate the call of the quail – and when the quails were gathered together in answer to his call, he would throw a big net over them; put them into his bag and carried them away to be sold.
Now this trapper came to know about this popular community of quails. So he ventured to capture all the quails who are members of this elite brotherhood.
Now, one of the quails was very wise, and he said, "Brothers! As soon as the trapper throws his net over us, let each one put his head through a mesh in the net and then all lift it up together and fly away with it. When we have flown far enough, we can let the net drop on a thorn bush and escape from under it."
All agreed to the plan - and next day when the trapper threw his net, the birds all lifted it together in the very way that the wise quail had told them, threw it on a thorn bush and escaped. While the trapper tried to free his net from the thorns, it grew dark, and he had to go home.
This happened many days, till at last the trapper's wife grew angry and asked her husband, "Why is it that you never catch any more quail?"
Then the trapper said, "The trouble is that all the birds work together and help one another. If they would only quarrel, I could catch them fast enough."
A few days later, one of the quails accidentally stepped on the head of one of his brothers, as they alighted on the feeding-ground.
"Who stepped on my head?" angrily inquired the quail who was hurt.
"Don't be angry, I didn't mean to tread on you," said the first quail.
But the brother quail went on quarreling. "I lifted all the weight of the net - you didn't help at all," he cried.
That made the first quail angry, and before long all were drawn into the dispute. Then the fowl-catcher saw his chance. He imitated the cry of the quail and cast his net over those who came together. They were still boasting and quarreling, and they did not help one another lift the net. So the hunter lifted the net himself and crammed them into his basket.
But the wise quail gathered his friends together and flew far away, for he knew that quarrels are the root of misfortune.
My dear friends and brothers, I will leave the moral of this story for you to contemplate. It is my earnest hope that we shall continue to dwell together in strength, unity and harmony. And may the peace and joy of our Lord be always upon us all.
Labels: Inaugural Speech
posted by DiMouli at 7:51 PM
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