I GOT TO KNOW JIM AT THE 1978 IOOF SESSION IN BLENHEIM. AT THAT SESSION HE WAS ELECTED AS DEPUTY GRAND MASTER AFTER HAVING BEEN ELECTED TO THE GRAND LODGE EXECUTIVE AT THE WELLINGTON SESSION IN 1976. THIS WAS A RAPID RISE FOR A REPRESENTATIVE WHO ATTENDED HIS FIRST SESSION IN INVERCARGILL IN 1970 & WHO ALREADY HAD RUBBED (SOME OF THE SO CALLED HIERARCHY); UP THE WRONG WAY. I THINK THIS IS A SPORT HE ENJOYED THROUGHOUT HIS MEMBERSHIP.
IN 1980 AT PALMERSTON NORTH, HE TOOK OVER AS GRAND MASTER & THAT WAS THE TIME WE BEGAN TO WORK TOGETHER ON THE EXECUTIVE. I WELL REMEMBER THAT SESSION & THE JOB OF LIFTING JOAN UP THE STAIRS TO THE VENUE WHERE THE INSTALLATION WAS TO TAKE PLACE. IN THOSE DAYS THE SESSION & THE INSTALLATION WERE MAJOR EVENTS, & UNLIKE TODAY, THERE WERE LARGE NUMBERS IN ATTENDANCE. JIM STARTED OUT IN THE TOP JOB WITH GUSTO & AS GRAND MASTER I FOUND HIM TO BE ENLIGHTENED & EASY TO WORK WITH. HE LEAD & WAS ABLE TO GIVE MUCH OF HIS TIME & TALENTS DURING HIS MANY VISITS AROUND THE COUNTRY. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER ON THE AUCKLAND BOARD OF CONTROL WHERE INVESTMENT DECISIONS WERE MADE AS TO MORTGAGE LENDING IN THE AUCKLAND& AREA. I ATTENDED SEVERAL OF THOSE MEETINGS & JIM HAD A SOLID GRIP ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THE ORDER. HE WITHDREW FROM THE BOARD AFTER DISAGREEING WITH THE POLICY OF THE SOCIETY TRUSTEES & THIS WAS TYPICAL OF JIM WHO WAS NOT AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR WHAT HE FELT WAS RIGHT. I TRAVELLED WITH HIM ON SOME OF HIS DISTRICT VISITS & IN THOSE DAYS WE SET UP AN EXCHANGE WHERE WE ARRANGED TO DRIVE HIM FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT & AT PRE ARRANGED PLACES WE WOULD PASS JIM TO THE NEXT DRIVER WHO WOULD TRANSPORT HIM ON. JIM RELATED TO THE MEMBERS & WAS WELL RECEIVED. I ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM IN GETTING HIM TO PUT IN A REQUEST FOR A REFUND OF EXPENSES. HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING SO CALLED GLORY OR ANY FINANCIAL RETURN.
HE LIVED & BREATHED THE ORDER & ACCEPTED ITS PRINCIPLES & PHILOSOPHY. JIM HAD CLEAR & AT TIMES ORIGINAL VIEWS ON WHAT HE SAW AS THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE ORDER IN NEW ZEALAND. HE LIKED TO HAVE AGREEMENT & WAS CLEAR IN THE LEAD THAT HE TOOK. WE DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE & AT TIMES I FOUND I WAS IN THE OPPOSING CAMP TO HIM & YET JIM & I WERE STILL ABLE TO COMMUNICATE & TO AGREE TO DISAGREE.
I FOUND HIM TO BE PRINCIPLED & NOT BACKWARD IN MAKING DECISIONS. AS A RITUALIST HE CAME INTO HIS OWN & COULD RECITE THE LODGE RITUAL FROM MEMORY. IN THIS HE WAS ALSO A PERFECTIONIST & EXPECTED A HIGH STANDARD. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS SAYING RATHER THAN REPEATING THE WORDS PARROT FASHION.
LIKE MANY OF US, JIM BECAME FRUSTRATED & DISILLUSIONED AT THE WAY IN WHICH THE STRUCTURE OF THE IOOF HAS GONE IN RECENT TIMES. JIM WAS VOCAL ON HIS OPPOSITION TO THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION & HIS PERCEIVEDLOSS OF DEMOCRACY & ON MANY OF THE THINGS WHICH HAVE HAPPENED & CONTINUE TO OCCUR. HIS THOUGHTS WERE ON THE WAY THE LOCAL LODGES & MEMBERS COULD MOVE FORWARD & ADVANCE & INCREASE MEMBERSHIP.
HIS CONCERN WAS ON PROGRESS & YET RETENTION OF THE TRADITIONAL VALUES & CORE BELIEFS MANY OF WHICH HE FELT WERE BEING ERODED.
FOR HIS AGE, JIM WAS NOT AFRAID TO EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGY. HE WAS A REGULAR COMMUNICATOR WITH ME BY EMAIL. THE LODGE MINUTES WERE ALWAYS IN MY INBOX THE MORNING AFTER THE MEETING & OFTEN THE SAME NIGHT AS THE MEETING. IF HE GOT ON TO AN ISSUE HE WOULD KEEP AT IT UNTIL HE WAS REASONABLY SETTLED AS TO AN OUTCOME.
I FOUND ON MY VISITS TO AUCKLAND THAT JIM WAS READY TO TALK ABOUT LODGE & WAS ALSO HAPPY TO REMINISCE ABOUT OLD TIMES & PERSONALITIES. ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I SPENT THE AFTERNOON AT HIS HOME & WE WENT OVER A NUMBER OF THINGS. WE THEN WENT OFF TO THE MEETING AFTER PICKING UP A LARGE ORDER OF FISH & CHIPS WHICH HE HAD ARRANGED TO TAKE FOR THE MEMBERS AS PART OF THEIR TEA MEETING.
THERE IS A PART IN THE LODGE INITIATION CEREMONY WHICH SETS OUT TO ILLUSTRATE THE VARIOUS CHARACTERS OF MAN & IT GOES LIKE THIS.
“ONE MAY HAVE A ROUGH UNSEEMLY EXTERIOR BUT A GOOD TRUE HEART WITHIN: WHILE ANOTHER POSSESSING A CAPTIVATING PERSON & MANNER, MAY BE DESTITUTE OF ALL GENUINE PRINCIPLE” I THINK JIM HAD A GOOD TRUE HEART & CERTAINLY GAVE HIS VERY BEST TO THE ORGANISATION HE THOUGHT SO MUCH OF.
THE FACT THAT HE BECAME ILL AFTER BEING SO ACTIVE WAS NOT SOMETHING JIM WAS PLEASED ABOUT & EVEN WHEN HE WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED, HE WAS QUICK TO START SETTING OUT WHO WOULD LOOK AFTER WHAT SO THAT THE JOBS HE WAS DOING WOULD BE DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE.
WHEN NEIL & I VISITED HIM IN HOSPITAL ON MY LAST TRIP IN NOVEMBER HE WAS TRYING TO BE POSITIVE & LOOK AHEAD. AS I WAS LEAVING I SHOOK HIS HEAD & SAID I WOULD BE COMING UP AGAIN EARLY IN THE YEAR & WOULD HE STILL BE HERE – HE SMILED & SAID WHO KNOWS. AS SOON AS HE WAS HOME AGAIN THE EMAILS BEGAN & HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD GONE ON AT THE MEETING HE HAD MISSED.
I HOPE THAT THE WORK THAT JIM PUT IN OVER MANY YEARS WILL BE CONTINUED WITHIN THE LODGES HE SUPPORTED & WORKED SO HARD FOR – ESPECIALLY THE IDEAS HE HAD FOR THE FUTURE.
MAY I END WITH A PIECE OF RITUAL THAT I THINK, IS VERY PERTINENT – IT IS THE CHARGE OR PRAYER OF THE CHAPLAIN TO A NEW MEMBER & REFLECTS ON THE MOTTO OF THE ORDER, FRIENDSHIP LOVE & TRUTH.
“MAY FRIENDSHIP LOVE & TRUTH BE NOT UNMEANING WORDS UPON HIS LIPS BUT THE SENTIMENT OF HIS HEART & THE PRACTICE OF HIS LIFE. MAY HE LIVE THY LAW, THE LAW WHICH COMMANDS US TO DO UNTO OTHERS AS WE WOULD, THAT THEY SHOULD DO UNTO US. & WHEN AFTER A LIFE WELL SPENT ON EARTH HE SHALL PASS THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH & CROSS THE SILENT RIVER TO JOIN THE LOVED ONES GONE BEFORE, MAY HE MEET THEE HIS FATHER & HEAR THE WELCOME PLAUDIT, “WELL DONE, GOOD & FAITHFUL SERVANT, ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.”
1 comment:
I GOT TO KNOW JIM AT THE 1978 IOOF SESSION IN BLENHEIM. AT THAT SESSION HE WAS ELECTED AS DEPUTY GRAND MASTER AFTER HAVING BEEN ELECTED TO THE GRAND LODGE EXECUTIVE AT THE WELLINGTON SESSION IN 1976. THIS WAS A RAPID RISE FOR A REPRESENTATIVE WHO ATTENDED HIS FIRST SESSION IN INVERCARGILL IN 1970 & WHO ALREADY HAD RUBBED (SOME OF THE SO CALLED HIERARCHY); UP THE WRONG WAY. I THINK THIS IS A SPORT HE ENJOYED THROUGHOUT HIS MEMBERSHIP.
IN 1980 AT PALMERSTON NORTH, HE TOOK OVER AS GRAND MASTER & THAT WAS THE TIME WE BEGAN TO WORK TOGETHER ON THE EXECUTIVE. I WELL REMEMBER THAT SESSION & THE JOB OF LIFTING JOAN UP THE STAIRS TO THE VENUE WHERE THE INSTALLATION WAS TO TAKE PLACE. IN THOSE DAYS THE SESSION & THE INSTALLATION WERE MAJOR EVENTS, & UNLIKE TODAY, THERE WERE LARGE NUMBERS IN ATTENDANCE. JIM STARTED OUT IN THE TOP JOB WITH GUSTO & AS GRAND MASTER I FOUND HIM TO BE ENLIGHTENED & EASY TO WORK WITH. HE LEAD & WAS ABLE TO GIVE MUCH OF HIS TIME & TALENTS DURING HIS MANY VISITS AROUND THE COUNTRY. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER ON THE AUCKLAND BOARD OF CONTROL WHERE INVESTMENT DECISIONS WERE MADE AS TO MORTGAGE LENDING IN THE AUCKLAND& AREA. I ATTENDED SEVERAL OF THOSE MEETINGS & JIM HAD A SOLID GRIP ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THE ORDER. HE WITHDREW FROM THE BOARD AFTER DISAGREEING WITH THE POLICY OF THE SOCIETY TRUSTEES & THIS WAS TYPICAL OF JIM WHO WAS NOT AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR WHAT HE FELT WAS RIGHT.
I TRAVELLED WITH HIM ON SOME OF HIS DISTRICT VISITS & IN THOSE DAYS WE SET UP AN EXCHANGE WHERE WE ARRANGED TO DRIVE HIM FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT & AT PRE ARRANGED PLACES WE WOULD PASS JIM TO THE NEXT DRIVER WHO WOULD TRANSPORT HIM ON. JIM RELATED TO THE MEMBERS & WAS WELL RECEIVED. I ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM IN GETTING HIM TO PUT IN A REQUEST FOR A REFUND OF EXPENSES. HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING SO CALLED GLORY OR ANY FINANCIAL RETURN.
HE LIVED & BREATHED THE ORDER & ACCEPTED ITS PRINCIPLES & PHILOSOPHY. JIM HAD CLEAR & AT TIMES ORIGINAL VIEWS ON WHAT HE SAW AS THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE ORDER IN NEW ZEALAND. HE LIKED TO HAVE AGREEMENT & WAS CLEAR IN THE LEAD THAT HE TOOK. WE DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE & AT TIMES I FOUND I WAS IN THE OPPOSING CAMP TO HIM & YET JIM & I WERE STILL ABLE TO COMMUNICATE & TO AGREE TO DISAGREE.
I FOUND HIM TO BE PRINCIPLED & NOT BACKWARD IN MAKING DECISIONS. AS A RITUALIST HE CAME INTO HIS OWN & COULD RECITE THE LODGE RITUAL FROM MEMORY. IN THIS HE WAS ALSO A PERFECTIONIST & EXPECTED A HIGH STANDARD. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS SAYING RATHER THAN REPEATING THE WORDS PARROT FASHION.
LIKE MANY OF US, JIM BECAME FRUSTRATED & DISILLUSIONED AT THE WAY IN WHICH THE STRUCTURE OF THE IOOF HAS GONE IN RECENT TIMES. JIM WAS VOCAL ON HIS OPPOSITION TO THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION & HIS PERCEIVEDLOSS OF DEMOCRACY & ON MANY OF THE THINGS WHICH HAVE HAPPENED & CONTINUE TO OCCUR. HIS THOUGHTS WERE ON THE WAY THE LOCAL LODGES & MEMBERS COULD MOVE FORWARD & ADVANCE & INCREASE MEMBERSHIP.
HIS CONCERN WAS ON PROGRESS & YET RETENTION OF THE TRADITIONAL VALUES & CORE BELIEFS MANY OF WHICH HE FELT WERE BEING ERODED.
FOR HIS AGE, JIM WAS NOT AFRAID TO EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGY. HE WAS A REGULAR COMMUNICATOR WITH ME BY EMAIL. THE LODGE MINUTES WERE ALWAYS IN MY INBOX THE MORNING AFTER THE MEETING & OFTEN THE SAME NIGHT AS THE MEETING. IF HE GOT ON TO AN ISSUE HE WOULD KEEP AT IT UNTIL HE WAS REASONABLY SETTLED AS TO AN OUTCOME.
I FOUND ON MY VISITS TO AUCKLAND THAT JIM WAS READY TO TALK ABOUT LODGE & WAS ALSO HAPPY TO REMINISCE ABOUT OLD TIMES & PERSONALITIES. ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I SPENT THE AFTERNOON AT HIS HOME & WE WENT OVER A NUMBER OF THINGS. WE THEN WENT OFF TO THE MEETING AFTER PICKING UP A LARGE ORDER OF FISH & CHIPS WHICH HE HAD ARRANGED TO TAKE FOR THE MEMBERS AS PART OF THEIR TEA MEETING.
THERE IS A PART IN THE LODGE INITIATION CEREMONY WHICH SETS OUT TO ILLUSTRATE THE VARIOUS CHARACTERS OF MAN & IT GOES LIKE THIS.
“ONE MAY HAVE A ROUGH UNSEEMLY EXTERIOR BUT A GOOD TRUE HEART WITHIN: WHILE ANOTHER POSSESSING A CAPTIVATING PERSON & MANNER, MAY BE DESTITUTE OF ALL GENUINE PRINCIPLE” I THINK JIM HAD A GOOD TRUE HEART & CERTAINLY GAVE HIS VERY BEST TO THE ORGANISATION HE THOUGHT SO MUCH OF.
THE FACT THAT HE BECAME ILL AFTER BEING SO ACTIVE WAS NOT SOMETHING JIM WAS PLEASED ABOUT & EVEN WHEN HE WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED, HE WAS QUICK TO START SETTING OUT WHO WOULD LOOK AFTER WHAT SO THAT THE JOBS HE WAS DOING WOULD BE DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE.
WHEN NEIL & I VISITED HIM IN HOSPITAL ON MY LAST TRIP IN NOVEMBER HE WAS TRYING TO BE POSITIVE & LOOK AHEAD. AS I WAS LEAVING I SHOOK HIS HEAD & SAID I WOULD BE COMING UP AGAIN EARLY IN THE YEAR & WOULD HE STILL BE HERE – HE SMILED & SAID WHO KNOWS. AS SOON AS HE WAS HOME AGAIN THE EMAILS BEGAN & HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD GONE ON AT THE MEETING HE HAD MISSED.
I HOPE THAT THE WORK THAT JIM PUT IN OVER MANY YEARS WILL BE CONTINUED WITHIN THE LODGES HE SUPPORTED & WORKED SO HARD FOR – ESPECIALLY THE IDEAS HE HAD FOR THE FUTURE.
MAY I END WITH A PIECE OF RITUAL THAT I THINK, IS VERY PERTINENT – IT IS THE CHARGE OR PRAYER OF THE CHAPLAIN TO A NEW MEMBER & REFLECTS ON THE MOTTO OF THE ORDER, FRIENDSHIP LOVE & TRUTH.
“MAY FRIENDSHIP LOVE & TRUTH BE NOT UNMEANING WORDS UPON HIS LIPS BUT THE SENTIMENT OF HIS HEART & THE PRACTICE OF HIS LIFE. MAY HE LIVE THY LAW, THE LAW WHICH COMMANDS US TO DO UNTO OTHERS AS WE WOULD, THAT THEY SHOULD DO UNTO US. & WHEN AFTER A LIFE WELL SPENT ON EARTH HE SHALL PASS THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH & CROSS THE SILENT RIVER TO JOIN THE LOVED ONES GONE BEFORE, MAY HE MEET THEE HIS FATHER & HEAR THE WELCOME PLAUDIT, “WELL DONE, GOOD & FAITHFUL SERVANT, ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.”
Post a Comment