Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

SUFFOLK . nn PIE Provincial Grand Chapter was held at the Free-_ JL masons' Plall , Sudbury , on Friday , 18 th ult , the Rev . C . J . Martyn PastG . Prin . Soj . Eng . Prov . Grand Superintendent presiding . Over forty Companions were present .

The Provincial Superintendent appointed as his Second Principal the Mayor of Sudbury and as his Third Principal Comp . A . R . Trew . Comp . N . Tracy was re-appointed Scribe E ., and Comp . Joseph George was elected Treasurer .

Luncheon was afterwards held at the Four Swans Hotel , when thirty-five guests sat down . The arrangements were satisfactorily carried out , under the direction of the Z . of the Martyn Chapter , Comp . G . F . Plawkins .

Progress Of The Arch Degree.

PROGRESS OF THE ARCH DEGREE .

S UPPLEMENTING our report of the Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire we may add that the acting Prov . G . Z . strongly exhorted the Companions to take notice ol the returns . On looking at those for 1899 , it seemed to him that he should exhort the Companions to recruit their ranks

from the Craft . There was not so many forwarded from the Craft as the year before , and although there was an increase of 44 , and an increase in the fees that had been paid , still he saw that unless the Companions exerted themselves and tried to persuade the members of the Craft to join that degree—as they

had a full right to do , for it was not like endeavouring to induce people to enter into Masonry—it would not make the headway it should do . They should exert their influence in that direction , because by resignations , removals , and death , the members were constantly decreasing , and these must be replaced , tie

must therefore ask them , wherever they possibly could , to impress upon the members of the Craft the importance and necessity of joining the Royal Arch . Only one-third of the members of the Craft were members of the Degree , and he

thought they would agree with him that they ought to have at least one-half of the members of the Craft as Royal Arch Masons . He was not taking a doleful view of the position , because , after all , they were stronger in Arch Masonry than

any other Province . All the 44 Chapters were in good order , but if they were to increase in strength and usefulness , it could only be done by the Companions pressing their claims upon the Brethren in the Craft .

''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

''A SPRIG OF ACACIA . ''

BRO . George Swanson , builder , of Thurso , who died on Tuesday , at the age of 95 , was believed to be the oldest J ? reemason in the world . He became a member of St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 28 4 , on the ; th February 1 S 23 . Some years ago the honour of being the oldest Freemason was claimed by another , but Bro . Swemson ' s title was , says the " Glasgow ilerald , " proved by documentary evidence .

ril HE cause of music in Hull has sustained a severe loss by X the death of Bro . Fred . J . Harper , F . R . C . O ., who was also well known in Masonic circles there , which sad and unexpected event took place at his residence , Spring Street , on the 24 th ult . The deceased musician had been indisposed for

some time , but it was thought with the return of warm weather he would shake off the illness from which he was suffering . Unfortunately this was not to be . Bro . Harper was born m Hull on 15 th February 1 S 65 . Fie came of musical parents , and at a very early age exhibited signs of those powers which

were to place him in the forefront of Yorkshire musicians . Composition was his first and his most favourite study . The pianoforte and the organ were next undertaken . lie was one of the finest teachers liull possessed , and was acknowledged to be one of the finest organists and accompanists in the

country . Together with Messrs . R . W . Gleadow and L . A . Peacock he started the Saturday night promenade concerts , which were so popular at the Assembly Rooms a few years ago . Pie was also prominently associated with the Hull Musical Union .

Like many others , he did not consider his native city as musical as it should be , a shortcoming which he attributed in a great degree to the absence of a Town Hall with a large concert room in it , where good and cheap concerts could be given .

Church Services.

CHURCH SERVICES .

CARLOW city was the scene a few days back of a very interesting function in the opening , or , rather the revival , of a Preceptory in connection with the nourishing Carlow Lodges , Nos . 116 and 91 . By kind permission or

Very Rev . Dean Finlay the ceremony was followed by a special service in the Parish Church , which commenced at 1 . 30 p . m ., and at which the Lord Bishop of Ossory , Ferns , and Leighlin ( a distinguished member of the Order ) preached .

The Bishop took his text from St . J ohn xiii 34 : 'A new commandment I give unto you , that ye love one another . " After a very able and eloquent exposition of the text , he concluded by noticing the happy coincidence which connected the dedication of the new Preceptory with the presence in their

midst of their beloved Oueen , who was the honoured Patron of that particular Order in the Masonic Institution . Pie believed the Masonic body had done much to soften asperities and engender peace in their social and business life . Together they had sought after the Light of Divine , truth—¦

shoulder to shoulder they had worked together in building that-Temple whose walls are living stones hewn out of the rough places of earth . Pie was more and more convinced of the adaptability of their Institution to meet the common needs of humanity , it afforded a meeting place for men of diverse

creeds , and enabled them , without the sacrifice of any cherished conviction , to worship together the Great Architect of the Universe , while in its higher degrees it led them to the contemplation of some of the deepest mysteries of the Christian Faith . It had taught them to feel for and strive to mitigate

suffering and want , and in their schools at Ballsbridge and Clonskeagh they held the outward and visible signs of Masonic Brotherhood and regard . In the Female Schools 104 were educated , fed and clothed , and prepared for happy and useful lives ; in the Boys Schools S 3 were similarly looked after ,

and they find in the governors of the School loving fathers to take the place of the dead breadwinners ; and as these children pass out into the battle of life their places are filled by others , and thus a ceaseless stream of Masonic benevolence

is kept up . To this end he prayed their Institution might ever nourish and increase more and more to help , aid , and assist all needy and necessitous Masons and those dear to them , and by the Grace of God to teach us all to form and fashion our own

selves as living stones to take our place m that temple not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . After the Bishop had pronounced the Benediction , the choir and congregation joined heartily in singing the National Anthem . The musical portion of the service was under the able conductorship of Bro . Dr . Malone .

A MASONIC Service of much interest was held in All Saint ' s Church , Revoe , Blackpool , on Sunday afternoon , 20 th ult ., when the members of the Clifton Lodge , No . 703 , met for united worship under their Past Provincial Grand Chaplain Rev . S . Y . B . Bradshaw , and their Lodge Chaplain Rev . T . PI . Ethell . There was something peculiarly

appropriate and in keeping with Masonic tradition in the fact that one object of the service was to help on the building fund of the large and handsome structure , with which it is hoped to re-place the present temporary church . The members met at the Masonic Plall , in Adelaide Street , whence they marched

to the church . Among those present were the Rev . T . H . Ethell , Bros . E . Taylor P . M , C . E . Plindle P . M ., T . W . Kay P . M ., T . Loftus P . M ., T . Sankey W . M ., T . Whiteside W . M ., J . Donnelly S . W ., Chas . Noden S . W ., J . P . Proctor S . W ., Geo . \ vi 1 ' "uvr „„ \\\\ i ir ui r \ 1 ¦ i

; uu ;< - ^ ,- . « r TUA „ . r _ c < -.. — Whiteside J . W ., E . Thompson j . W ., W . H . Stubley Org ., C . J . Fox . J . Plargreaves , J . Cardwell , J . Crane , j . Kemp , J . R . jewitt , A . Iieyes , F . Ayre , J . Rae , and Lomax . The prayers were intoned by Bro . the Rev . T . PI . Ethell .

while the lessons were read by Bro . T . Loftus , the first lesson very fittingly consisting of Solomon ' s preparations for building the Temple , as related in the second chapter of the second book of Chronicles .

Bro . the Rev . S . Y . B . Bradshaw P . P . G . C , who preached , based his discourse on the words : " Light is come into the world , " John hi 19 . Pie did not intend , he said , to dwell upon the additional truths pointed out in the succeeding words , that men who had received light from heaven hated that light

and refused it because their deeds were evil , neither would he dwell upon the condemnation that was upon those who , hating the light , tried to prove that the light itself was darkness . Rather would he dwell upon the great fact that light had come into the world , and thank God for that glorious fact ,