Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

we shall be pleased to receive particulars of Masonic meetings for insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative to report Lodge or other proceedings .

CEAET : METEOPOLITAN . — : o : — WALTHAMSTOW LODGE , No . 2472 . A VERY successful gathering of this Lodge was held on Saturday , 26 th ult ., at tbe Great Eastern Hotel , Liverpool Street , the occasion being the installation meeting of the year . Bro . James Clark W . M . presided , and was supported by Bros . W . Gower I . P . M ., Alfred J . Stacey S . W . W . M .-elect , T . W . Stacey J . W ., Archdeacon C . G . Dunbar Chap ., F . H . Baker P . M . Treas ., S . Herbert Sec , W . Sburmur P . G . Standard Bearer England P . M ., D . H . McGowen P . M ., J . H . Wildash

P . M ., H . H . Finch S . D ., F . R . Peck J . D ., Leo Taylor D . C ., A . Oakden I . G ., F . Budd , N . Fortescue jun ., and S . Fortescue Stewards , Marx Gross Tyler , and the following lay members of the Lodge : Bros . J . Watts , Lionel Budd , Donald James , Charles F . Papwortb , G . F . Fulford , Thos . Tonsett , R . H . Prague , Walton Hardy , G . H . Pizey , Joseph Inkpen , W . Fortescue , S . V . Harris , W . Blackburn , Tbomas Welham , T . H . Hunt , W . N . Pike , S . W .

Gillard , J . Cropley , H . J . Hallows , R . E . Williams . The Visitors included Bros . F . H . Kirby 563 ( India ) , P . M . Whellock J . D . 1185 , H . Massey P . M . G 19 and 1928 , John R . Carter S . D . 2501 , T . H . Waketield P . M . 95 , T . Howe Stewart 2374 , B . Taylor S . W . 2256 , W . L . Barker W . M . 1056 , F . G . G . Hone 1306 , E . G . Chapman Stewd . 27 , A . Boden 2168 , W . C . Press 2012 , J . Bishop 1056 , W . H . Wakeman P . M . 95 , W . W . Morgan 177 , H . W . Lee P . M . 2549 .

Tbe Lodge having been regularly opened , the minutes confirmed , and the report of the Audit Committee received , Bro . William Sburmur assumed the chair , and proceeded with the installation of the new Worshipful Master , subsequently delivering the addresses in splendid form ; indeed , the whole of tho work of installation was performed in his well known excellent manner , and well merited the " Masonic" applause which greeted him on the completion of the different sections of his work .

The following Brethren were appointed the Assistant Officers of the year : T . W . Stacey S . W ., H . H . Finch J . W ., T . H . Baker P . M . Treas ., S . Herbert Sec , F . R . Peck S . D ., A . Oakden J . D ., Leo Taylor I . G ., T . W . Stroud D . C ., F . Budd Org ., S . Fortescue , N . Fortescue jun ., and T . H . Hunt Stewards .

As the first item of work in his new position it afforded the Worshipful Master considerable pleasure to present to his predecessor in office the Past Master's jewel voted by the Lodge , and in pinning it on the breast of Bro . Clark he expressed the wish—which he was convinced was re-echoed by every member of tho Lodge—that their Immediate Past Master might enjoy good health for many years yet to come , and wear their decoration among them on many occasions .

Bro . Clark suitably responded , promising to more fully express his feelings later in the evening ; for the present he would content himself with the most sincere thanks for all the kindness he had received from the members of the Lodge . A candidate was proposed for the next meeting , several matters of minor business were considered , and then the Lodge was closed .

A feature of the closing proceedings were the greetings of Brethren from the Punjab , Norway , Canada , and Demerara , when in due course the hearty good wishes of the visitors were tendered the new Master . The Brethren now repaired to the banquet room , where the remainder of the evening was spent in social enjoyment . The dinner was of the usual excellence met with at this establishment , and was further appreciated , inasmuch as it was well served , under the personal supervision of the manager .

In due course the Worshipful Master proposed the toasts usual on such occasions , coupling with the third on the list—that of the Grand Officers present and past—the name of their Installing Master , and Past Master of the Lodge , Bro . William Shurmur . The toast was a time honoured one , and one that was always well received in the Walthamstow Lodge . The Grand Officers were men who had been well tried and had carried out the duties satisfactorily . The way in which the affairs of Grand Lodge were carried

through was a proof of this . The Walthamstow Lodge had the honour of numbering among its Past Masters a Past Grand Officer in Bro . Shurmur , who had so ably discharged the duties of Installing Master that day . The way in which this work had been carried out was a proof of what the Grand Officers could do . Bro . Shurmur was not only a credit to the Craft , but an honour to their Lodge , being a fair sample of what the Grand Officers were capable of .

Bro . Shurmur acknowledged the toast . To a representative of Grand Lodge it was exceedingly gratifying to hear one ' s colleagues so well spoken of . The esteem , love and regard in which the Pro Grand Master was held was evinced in the wave of sympathy that came to him from all parts , on the recent death of his esteemed Countess , and as a representative of Grand Lodge Bro . Shurmur felt he might say the desire of the Grand Officers was to emulate the example of theii- worthy chief . Coming now to his position

as Installing Master , Bro . Shurmur said he well remembered the initiation of the W . M ., because he then admired the love evinced by Bro . Alfred Stacey towards his own brother . His behaviour on that occasion at once convinced him that the present W . M . would become a worthy Mason among them . As the first Master of tbe Walthamstow Lodge he had always received the greatest consideration , and he begged to be allowed to say how delighted he was if at any time he could be of service to the Lodge .

The Immediate Past Master now assumed the gavel , and proposed the health of the W . M . This was indeed a pleasurable task , as Bro . Alfred Stacey had been initiated , passed and raised iu tbe speaker ' s Mother Lodge and , with him , was one of tho Founders of their Walthamstow Lodge . Bro . Stacey had worked up from a minor position among them , and would , he was convinced , make a worthy Master in the chair . He wished him every prosperity as ruler of the Walthamstow Lodge .

The toast met a hearty reception , and then the W . M . replied , tendering his thanks . He felt it was a very great honour to so youDg a Mason as himself to be appointed to occupy the chair of the Lodge , and he was accordingly particularly proud of his position as Worshipful Master of the Walthamstow Lodge . He specially thanked the members for the unanimous vote by which he had been placed in his proud position—that of Worshipful

Reports Of Meetings.

Master of the representative Lodge of his native place , for ha was a native of Walthamstow , a veritable Essex calf . He felc he had a , hard task before him to live up to the reputation of the kind things that had been said of him by the Immediate Past Master and Bro . Shurmur , but he might assure them he should do his best to merit the good opinions already expressed in his favour .

Tho next toast was that of the Immediate Past Master—Bro . Clark—and the rest of the Past Masters of the Lodge . Bro . Clark had gone through his term of office with great credit to himself . He had bad hard work to perform during his year , and had acquitted himself admirably . He was a younger Mason than the speaker , and accordingly he admired his work all the more . He was now a Past Master , and Brethren in that position were usually regarded as old fossils , but they could not regard Bro . Clark in that light , as

he was Secretary of both the Shurmur Lodge and the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction , in either of which positions he would have but little chance of becoming fossilised . In regard to the Past Masters generally , they were the backbone of the Lodge , had its interests at heart , and wera very jealous of its reputation . They had borne tho heat and burden of their dav , and had come well to the front . They were all well skilled in the Craft , and really formed in themselves a Lodge of Preceptors deserving of the applause of the whole Craft .

The I . P . M . acknowledged the toast . A great many things had been said in his favour that evening , but he did not know how many of them Were deserved . He had done his utmost during the year , his motto being to do the best in your power , and if that did uot succeed , then he could only regret it . He specially thanked the Brethren for the jewel they had presented him , and hoped he should never become a fossil in the Lodge . No matter what

work he was called upon to discharge in their midst he should endeavour , to the best of his ability , to give them satisfaction . The Brethren had been pleased to appoint him Steward for the Boys School Centenary Festival , and he was pleased to say he had had many promises of support , but he should like more—in fact he would like something , however small , from each member of the Lodge , so that he could point to tbe unanimity of their support .

Bros . Wildash , McGowen and Shurmur also replied , the latter paying a well deserved compliment to the former host of tbe Lodge , Brother Harry Hallows , of tbe Chequers Hotel , Walthamstow , and informing the Brethren they were now permanently fixed at their present quarters—so long as they desired to meet there .

In proposing the toast of the Treasurer and Secretary the W . M . referred to those Brethren as old and valued servants—as well as true and worthy Brethren . No trouble was too much for either of them to undertake in the interests of the Lodge . They not only ably carried out their arduous duties , but seemed to make a labour of love of the work . The W . M . was

particularly pleased that Brother Secretary had consented to act for another year , and specially thanked him for doing so , as a weight of responsibility was thereby removed from his shoulders . He was much indebted to them for advice and assistance , as he recognised that a word in season made a wonderful amount of difference to the ruler of a Lodge .

Bro . Baker P . M . was exceedingly pleased on another installation night to stand up as Treasurer of tho Lodge , and thank the Brethren for having again elected hirn to the important post . It had been his happy experience to be unanimously elected as Treasurer year by year . As a Lodge they might have to adapt themselves to a more modest expenditure , but they would be

able to make up for that in excess of enthusiasm . In the Walthamstow Lo 3 ge it was really a matter of warm fraternity , the pleasure each member experienced in the other ' s society being ample reward for all they did in connection with it . He hoped the Lodge would continue to live up to the highest ideal of Freemasonry , and if that were so it would be long before its prosperity would wane .

Bro . Herbert felt he must confess to standing before them in a peculiar position . He had sent in his resignation of the office of Secretary , as things ahead , apart from Freemasonry , pointed to his not being able to continue the work , but the Past Masters of the Lodge had apparently come to another decision , and under pressure from them he had consented to wear the collar

of Secretary once again . He had come to that meeting determined not to continue in office , but as the wish had been expressed that he should continue to perform the duties of Secretary he had agreed to do so . As a Founder he was pleased to have seen the Lodge grow , until that day he regarded it as a very strong one , formed of really-true Brethren .

Bro . Shurmur P . M . proposed the toast of the Visitors , saying that the cardinal virtue of hospitality was widely practised by Freemasons . Those of the Walthamstow Lodge were pleased to be honoured by the attendance of so many Visitors , and offered the guests the most cordial of receptions . Bro . Barker W . M . 1056 was the first to respond . As W . M . of a Lodge in which every Master installed his successor he had watched the ceremony intensely , as ere long he would be called upon to perform the work in his own Lodge , and he only hoped he would bo able to do it with even a portion of the success that had attended the efforts of Bro . Shurmur .

Bro . Lee P . M . of the Benevoientia Lodge followed . The present was not his first visit to the Lodge , but he must express the great pleasure he had felt in witnessing the work of the meeting . He had learned much from his visit , and had seen how Masonry certainly bound men together . Bro . Wakeman P . M . 95 followed , and then Bro . Kirby was called upon . This was his first visit to an English Lodge , but he had visited nearly every

Lodge in the Punjab , and had seen there the great advantages of Freemasonry . He had been at most of the frontier wars of the last twenty-five years , and could vouch for the fact that the Lodges of the Punjab were of great assistance to the soldiers . In cases of plague and famine the Lodges had assisted to a considerable extent , and he did not believe those in England could form any idea of the amount of aid rendered by tbe Brethren of the east to the men and officers of our army .

Bro . Wellock ( Canada ) followed , adding his testimony to the advantages of the Craft in foreign parts . Masonry outside of England , he said , was just as true and just as sincere as it was at home . In Canada , especially in the outside districts , it was impossible to carry out the festive side of Freemasonry as it was done in England , but the meetings were no less hearty on

that account . The Brethren met there month by month and taught the ritual of the Craft in its purest intentions . If any of the Brethren went abroad he was sure they would find a hearty welcome and a true fraternal reception from Brother Masons , no matter how small or distant the town they visited might be .

The Officers of the Lodge were regularly toasted , and acknowledgement having been given , the Tyler was summoned , and gave the customary concluding sentiment .

An excellent programme of music was gone though , those who contributed to the harmony being Miss Gertrude Lockley , Mdme . Marie King , Bro . P . M . Whellock J . D . 1185 , and Mr . Edwin Carter , with Miss A . K . Carter accompanying at the piano .