GRAND LODGE
OF ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS  OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

Grand Master's Address
at the October Conference - 13th October 2001

(The following is a precis of the Grand Master's Opening Address at the Annual Conference of the Association, held Saturday 13 October 2001 at the Adelaide Masonic Centre).

Brethren All

I sincerely endorse the welcome extended to all by the Chairman - especially those who have travelled long distances to be with us today.  I hope this Conference will meet your expectations and that the decisions made today will be of benefit to our Association as a whole.

Today's agenda has resulted from initiatives taken by lodges and lodge members to raise issues of concern to them.  I implore you all to continue to recognize this conference as a forum for informed discussion that will assist in guiding the Craft in the coming years.  This is our conference - yours and mine, and we should use it to do what we can to assure the future viability of the Craft.

One of the aims of the administration of our Association is to keep the membership informed.  The Deputy Grand Master and I are committed to this philosophy - preferably by face to face contact at District Meetings or Installations or while visiting lodges for other reasons.

There is provision on today's agenda to provide further information.  The DGM will speak on the Assetts Fund, the Chairman of the Board will speak on the Task Group associated with forming action plans relating to the Corporate Plan and there will be information provided in relation to the future of this building - the Masonic Centre.

Item 3 on today's agenda provides for the latter.  However I am able to inform you all that everything that can be done to improve the income from this building is being investigated.  We know that at this time these premises have been our headquarters since 1927.  The building is an icon to Freemasonry in South australia and the Northern Territory.  It is our public face and a tribute to those who have gone before.  I for one want to retain it but at the moment it is not paying its way.  A committee called "Maximizing the Resource" has been established and this committee is looking at ways in which this building can become self-sufficient and not be a drain on our finances.

We have recently signed a "Confidentiality Agreement" with a consortium interested in a possible joint development of the property.  I am hopeful that negotiations that are currently continuing will work out to our advantage.  This may not happen in the very short term but I am confident that if negotiations are successful then we will retain our presence in the Central Business District for many years to come.  I can also tell you that there are at least two other groups waiting in the wings - interest in this property is obvious - it is up to us to ensure we direct that interest to our advantage.  When I am able to pass on further developments I will do so as early as possible.   In light of these comments detailed discussion of Item 3 may be counter-productive, but I will leave it to the proposer to make further comment - I have already spoken to him on the initiatives currently in train. 
I am confident we are moving in the right direction.  I seek your support and cooperation because together we will survive. 

I trust we will have a fruitful day and that our fraternity will be the better for the outcome of our deliberations.

  

GEOFFREY D. TUCKER
Grand Master

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Grand Master's Address 2000

Results of 2001 October Conference