RT. WBRO. PERCY J.F. DRIVER
Rt. WBro. Percy Jamshed Faramji Driver was installed as The District Grand Master on 26th March 2010 by Rt. WBro. Doran Bajan, PDGM in an impressive ceremony in Mumbai.
Rt. WBro. Percy Driver, son of a Naval Officer, graduated in Science from the University of Bombay and joined CIBA of India Limited, a pharmaceutical company in 1972. He was stationed in Poona, where he met Navaz and married her. Later, he was transferred to Bombay, where he and his wife met Rt. WBro. Jehangir Shroff, at a Trust party, to whom he mentioned his desire to join Freemasonry. Rt. WBro. Shroff Initiated him in Lodge Cyrus No. 1359 on 22nd February 1982. Among the many members who were present then at the Initiation, he remembers a few namely Rt. WBro. A.E.G. Gilbert and WBro. Naval Engineer. The latter being the recipient of the ‘Certificate of Service to Masonry’.
Rt. WBro. Percy Driver was installed as WM of Lodge Cyrus by Rt. WBro. Jehangir Shroff on 24th February 1986. During Rt. WBro. A.E.G. Gilbert’s tenure as DGM, Rt. WBro. Percy Driver had the privilege of being the District Grand Director of Ceremonies, an office he held for six long years. During this time, he received a commendation from the MW Pro Grand Master, Lord Farnham, when he visited India.
Rt. WBro. Percy Driver was appointed as Assistant DGM in 2005 and promoted as Deputy DGM in 2008 by Rt. WBro. Dorab C. Bajan during his tenure. On the retirement of Rt. WBro. Bajan in 2009, Rt. WBro. Percy Driver was placed as Deputy DGM in Charge in November 2009.
In Holy Royal Arch, Companion Percy Driver was Exalted in Chapter Haig Brown o. 3829 in 1984 and made its 1st Principal in 1989. He was made District 3rd Grand Principal in 2005 and Deputy Grand Superintendent in 2008. On the retirement of Grand Superintendent, E.Comp. D.C. Bajan, E.Comp. Pery Driver was appointed as Deputy Grand Superintendent in Charge.
On this installation, Rt. WBro. Percy Driver’s first priority was to look into the administration side of the District, a decent office surroundings for the District Grand Secretary and the staff. Work for the refurbishment and renovation was taken up and substantial part of the planned interiors has been completed. Certain areas temporarily occupied by the other bodies were left out owing to a commitment, until relocation is made available by the Joint Hall Committee.
As always, communication is fundamental to making brethren at all levels aware of new developments and messages. In turn, he expected the involvement of Lodges and its members to interact with the District. The internet is vital communication medium that should be regularly exploited. The District Website should become increasingly valuable for news and resources for Lodges and Chapters.
As a DGM, he feels that what we should be looking at from within the District is :
“Freemasonry should be looked upon as a place fit for only Men with high moral standards. Men possessing quality, commitment and potential, have a desire for personal involvement and a sincere effort to be able to practice within and outside of Freemasonry the tenets and Principles of the Craft. Good attendance in our Lodges or at Masonic events is a welcome sight, but, the quality of the men therein is very important. Quality more than quantity is paramount. It is not just a numbers game, we should be attracting men of worth, who aspire to improve themselves and actively participate in Lodge and Chapter proceedings. These are the men who will fit more precisely into our Lodges and Chapters and who we should be initiating. And if we do so, then numbers will follow.
One of the characteristics of Freemasonry is Charity. The expression of charity embraces so many of the virtues we profess to practice in our lives, generosity, compassion, gratitude, love and prudence to name a few. At the Annual Communication, I launched The Bombay District EC Grand Charity Festival Appeal for the 150th Anniversary, and I intend to augment this fund by a further Rs. 10 Lakh (One Million). We are in the process of reviewing our existing Charities with a view to widen the scope of benefits allowing for full flexibility in a manner that the existing total of Corpuses can be optimally utilized and also allowed to grow. In short, I propose to have one Central Charity rather than have three separate ones.
As I have mentioned before, we will continue to support The Most Worshipful Grand Master’s Project of speaking openly about Freemasonry. There is a need to bring about a change in culture for greater understanding of Freemasonry by the common public as well as educating the Brethren to feel less inhibited in speaking openly about Freemasonry.”