A warm welcome at The Cardiff Sikh Gurdwara

A sunny Saturday Morning saw a party of around a hundred Masons, their wives and families attending a Special Service at Cardiff's Sikh Gurdwara in the city's Roath district.

This was the first organised visit to a Sikh service by Masons in this Province. The party was led by Provincial Grand Master Hywel Davies accompanied by Mrs Davies.

Every effort had been made by the organisers at Gurdwara to ensure that the visitors were kept informed of the meanings of the Prayers and Hymns from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. A laptop and projector were kept very busy and the information displayed was welcome indeed as far as the first timers were concerned.

One recurring passage; "No one is my enemy. No one is a stranger. I will get along with everyone", an expression of universal goodwill, surely struck a chord with every Mason.

The President of the Gurdwara warmly welcomed all to the service, pointing out that visitors are always welcome at Sikh services and that while in the Gurdwara all are Sikhs! Balwant Singh Bhogal then added to the welcome and drew attention of some of the ways that the Sikh faith and Freemasonry were particularly compatible.

Provincial Grand Chaplain Rev Alistair Swinford then quoted from Chapter 13 of St Paul's Letters to the Corinthians as the basis for a sermon on the subject of Love.

Provincial Grand Master Hywel Davies thanked the Gurdwara for agreeing to the visit and all those who had organised it and provided such a warm welcome. He was presented with a copy of the Adi Granth (or Sri Guru Granth Sahib) the Sikh Holy Book which is considered to be the living ruler of Sikhism.

The service concluded with Smapti of Diwan and was then followed by Langar, a vegetarian meal provided for all at the end of every meeting.

More information on the Sikh faith and way of life may be found here.

£50,000 to British Red Cross Asian Floods Appeal

In the wake of the worst flooding to hit Asia in many years, The President of the Freemasons' Grand Charity, Grahame Elliot, has approved an emergency grant of £50,000 to the British Red Cross Asia Floods Appeal.

In recent weeks, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan have all been hit by major floods caused by the monsoon rains. Landslides and flash floods have killed several hundred people and hundreds of thousands more have been left homeless. Many of the people affected are amongst the world’s poorest and they now have little or no access to food, clean water and healthcare and are at risk from the outbreak of water-borne disease.

The grant to the Red Cross is a significant contribution towards the initial £250,000 appeal target and will help to provide emergency relief in the affected countries, including the delivery of food, water and basic healthcare.

Visit The Freemasons’ Grand Charity website at www.grandcharity.org