Order of Service to Masonry

The Grand Master's Order of Service to Masonry has been awarded to Brothers Chande and Sandbach, presented to them by the Pro Grand Master, MW Bro The Marquess of Northampton. Their citation follows:

RW Bro. JAYANTILAL KESHAVJI CHANDE, KBE, PDistGM, East Africa

Bro. Jayantilal Keshavji Chande, known affectionately throughout most of the English Constitution as “Andy Chande”, was made a Mason in October, 1954, at the age of 25, in Guiding Star Lodge, No. 5299, in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa, and became its Master in 1967.  He is or has been a member of many other Lodges in England and abroad and has served as Master of many of them, including Jubilee Masters’ Lodge, No. 2712, in London.  He was exalted into the Royal Arch in Guiding Star Chapter, No. 5299 in 1956, served as its First Principal in 1971 and is a member of four other Chapters.

In his public life Bro. Chande is a prominent Tanzanian businessman, and has also served as a member of the Executive Council (or cabinet) and of the Parliament of that country both before and after independence from the United Kingdom.  In 2003 he was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his many services to the community.  In January 2005 he was one of only fifteen to receive from the President of India the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, conferred annually by him on Indians of the Diaspora for their international support.  Moreover he has also been active over the past 50 years in community and welfare organisations, is a former World President of Round Table and is heavily involved with the Rotary Foundation.

Bro. Chande was first appointed to District Grand Rank in 1972 when he held the office of District Grand Standard Bearer in both Craft and Royal Arch.  From the time he was promoted to District Senior Grand Deacon in 1975 until he retired after 19 years as District Grand Master in April 2005 he continuously held active Office in the District of East Africa - a span of some 30 years.  He cannot lay claim to the same unbroken record in the Royal Arch, since he relinquished office as Deputy Grand Superintendent in 1988 to concentrate on the Craft; but he has spent three and a half years, ending in September 2005 as Grand Superintendent.  Meanwhile he received a succession of appointments in Grand Rank starting as PAGDC in both the Craft and the Royal Arch.

In 1986 he was appointed District Grand Master and in 2002 Grand Superintendent.  During his years in office he has maintained both the Craft and Royal Arch in a very healthy state.  Moreover, it is but one of his many achievements that he has secured the successful integration of his District, itself composed of Brethren of many and diverse faiths, into their local communities in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the Seychelles.In relinquishing office, Bro. Chande has handed on to his successor a District that is numerically strong and is well placed to move forward in the twenty-first century.  He is held in universal respect and esteem throughout Africa and has brought, and continues to bring, great credit to English Freemasonry.

Bro. Richard Sandbach was made a Mason in Clerestory Lodge, No. 6551, London, in December 1949 at the age of 34, and served as its Master in 1956.  He is or has been a member of six other Lodges and has served as Master of most of them including Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076, the premier Lodge of Masonic research.  He was exalted into the Royal Arch in St. Peter’s Chapter, No. 442, Peterborough, in 1952, and became its First Principal in 1972.

In 1974 he became Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, and served as Senior Grand Deacon in 1976.  In 1978 he became Deputy Provincial Grand Master, as well as Grand Superintendent in and over the Royal Arch Province; and in 1984 he became Provincial Grand Master also, retiring from both offices in 1990 when he reached the age of 75.  Since then he has continued his Masonic career in other Orders, most notably the Ancient and Accepted Rite of which he rose to be the Sovereign Grand Commander.

A solicitor by profession, Bro. Sandbach has various published works on Freemasonry to his credit.  In 1988 he produced a biography of the Rev. Dr. Oliver, a prominent Nineteenth Century Freemason who was instrumental in bringing the Ancient and Accepted Rite to England and Wales and was the author of a notable work on Masonic Jurisprudence.  Soon after, he published “Understanding the Royal Arch”.  But he is perhaps best known for the series of “Peterborough Booklets”, which deal one by one with the degrees of “pure antient Masonry”.

Possessed of a lively mind, and never having been afraid of innovation, he has a particular affinity for the Royal Arch.  Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that he provided a great deal of the inspiration for the recent changes to the Royal Arch ritual.

Now at the age of 90, he has behind him a distinguished Masonic career and has the satisfaction of knowing, with us, that he leaves a valuable legacy to future generations of Freemasons.