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Article GRAND OFFICERS AND PROV. GRAND OFFICERS. ← Page 2 of 2 Article GRAND OFFICERS AND PROV. GRAND OFFICERS. Page 2 of 2 Article FESTIVAL OF THE MARK GRAND LODGE BENEVOLENT FUND. Page 1 of 2 →
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Grand Officers And Prov. Grand Officers.
Newmarch , however , is not convinced by this argument of the Grand Registrar , on the ground that "the Constitutions , as they stand , declare that Provincial Grand Officers
" shall possess within their districts the rauk and privileges of Grand Officers ; but assuredly , they would not possess such rank and privileges , if cut down to a mere precedence with respect to Provincial brethren . "
The above is fairly representative of the rival opinions of the two disputants , and it will bo admitted on all sides that the question to be determined is one of the greatest delicacy , and one on the solutiou of which even the most learned lawyer may experience some little hesitation . The
table of precedence in the Constitutions deals only with the Officers of our United Grand Lodge . The same Constitutions lay it down most distinctly and emphatically that Provincial Grand Officers are not , as such ,
members of Grand Lodge , that they have no rank or privileges outside their respective Provinces , though they may wear their Provincial Grand clothing at all Masonic meetings , but that in their own Provinces they do enjoy such rank and privileges as Grand Officers .
So far the matter is clear enough , but unfortunately there would seem to be no provision whateverfor the case as stated by Bro . Newmarch . What he argues , both directly and inferentially , is founded on what the Constitutions say and what they leave nnsaid , and in some respects he has an
undoubted advantage over the Grand Registrar in the argument . The use by the latter of the word " specious " is most unfortunate . It must be clear to any brother who
has carefully studied our Book of Constitutions that Bro . Newmarch's idea as to the relative rank of Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Officers of this or that Province has something to commend it to the
common sense of the Craft . The latter , in their own district , possess constitutionally the rank and privileges of Grand Officers , and in such circumstances it strikes us as being only reasonable that they should enjoy priority over all Grand Officers who are relatively of inferior rank ; that , for
example , a Provincial Grand Warden shall stand before a Grand Deacon , and a Provincial Grand Deacon before a Grand Pursuivant . No one for a single moment would wish to see a Grand Officer , Past or Present , even of the most
subordinate grade , received with aught else than the most intense and fraternal respect , but is it in the order of things that , for instance , a Past Grand Pursuivant of England should take precedence of the Provincial Grand Warden of ( say ) East or West Lancashire within the limits of that
Province r Bro . Mclntyre s suggestion that his opponent ' s argument , if carried to its logical conclusion , would lead to a Provincial Grand Master , in his own Province , claiming precedence of the Most Worshipful Grand Master himself , strikes us as being singularly feeble , and quite
unworthy of a brother of his legal status . In the first place , a Provincial Grand Master derives his patent from the Grand Master , and is , in fact , his representative for the particular district over Avhich he has been called upon to preside . In the next place , his status is clearly
settled by the Constitutions , which place the Grand Master first in rank , the Pro G . Master next , Past Grand Masters third , and then in the order in which they are given , Past Pro Grand Masters , Deputy Grand Master , Past Deputy Grand Masters , Provincial and District Grand
Masters , Past Provincial and District Grand Masters , Grand Wardens , Past Grand Wardens , & c , & c . This is so conclusive , that we are surprised any one possessing the legal acumen of Bro . Mclntyre should have suggested the possible precedence in any circumstances of a Prov . or
District Grand Master over the G . Master , Pro G . Master or Deputy Grand Master . The Constitutions distinctly state , at p 31 , that the Grand Master "has full authority to preside in any Lodge , " the word " any " including every kind of Lodge , whether Provincial Grand or private . The Pro
Grand Master , in the absence of the Grand Master , possesses all the latter ' s powers , and in the absence of both these officers , the Deputy Grand Master is entitled to exercise all their powers and privileges . Grand Wardens must , at command , attend the Grand Master or his Deputy , and
when either presides " m any particular Lodge , " Provincial 'Grand or private , they must act as his Wardens . The Constitutions , however , are silent as to the position thry two entitled to as visitors , on their own account . It o-oes
without saying they will be received with the honours they are entitled to , but in the case of . subordinate Grauri Officers it occurs to us , there is absolutely nothing in our laws to justify the advancemenl of any claim on their part
Grand Officers And Prov. Grand Officers.
to take precedence of Provincial G . Officers in their own district of relatively higher rank . We caunot see how a Grand Deacon can be regarded as of more exalted rank than a Provincial G . Warden—always , of course , in the supposition that the Grand Deacon in question is visiting
the latter ' s own Province . Of course , it would be a different thing in the case of a Grand Officer who is especially deputed by the Graud Master to carry out some especial function . Such Officer in that case is the ambassador or representative of the Grand Master , and is tern .
porarny entitled to the rank and privileges of the distinguished Mason for whom he is acting . Nor , in our opinion , is there anything to justify Grand Registrar ' s idea that all Officers appointed by the Grand Master take precedence of all Officers appointed by
Provincial Grand Masters . They do so necessarily in Grand Lodge aud in all other Provinces than that in which they hold office ; but within the limits of the Province they possess " the rank and privileges of Grand Officers , " and if so , it follows logically , with all deference to Bro . Mclntyre ' a
acknowledged ability , that they must be entitled to take place and priority according to the table of precedence as published at pp 16-18 in the Book of Constitutions . We shall probably have occasion to give this knotty point further consideration , but in the meantime we invite
criticism of the views we have enunciated , so that in time something like an authoritative exposition of the law may be arrived at . In this case cortainly the mis-quoted adage holds good , " In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom . "
Festival Of The Mark Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund.
FESTIVAL OF THE MARK GRAND LODGE BENEVOLENT FUND .
WE beg to call the attention of our readers to the fact that the Thirteenth Anniversary Festival of the Mark Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund will be held at the Crystal Palace , on Wednesday , 6 th July . The chair will be taken by the Right Hon . Lord Henniker M . W . G . M . M ., and dinner will be served at 5 p . m . Full particulars may
be obtained at the Offices of the Mark Grand Lodge , 8 A Red Lion-square , W . C ., whither all applications for tickets for the banquet must be addressed to the Stewards of the
Festival not later than Monday , the 4 th July instant . The Fund , as is well known is , comparatively speaking , in its infancy , having been started in 1868 by the Mark G . Lodge , which voted the sum of £ 50 towards its establishment .
But though the Festivals since held annually in its aid have not been on the scale of magnitude to which of late years we have been accustomed in connection with the great central Masonic Charities , the amount of support extended towards it by Mark brethren has been
progressive . Last year , when Col . Sir Franciss Burdett , Bart ., P . G . M . M . M . Middlesex and Surrey , presided , there was contributed the largest aggregate of subscriptions and donations ever known in the history of the Fund . This year , Lord Henniker has been pleased
to signalise his installation into office as M . W . G . M . Master Mason , by promising to occupy the chair , and we trust our Mark brethren will show their appreciation of his Lordship's kindness by loyally supporting him at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday . We have said the Fund was
started in 1868 with a grant from Mark Grand Lodge of £ 50 . Last year the Festival , the twelfth in order of sequence , yielded over eleven times that amount—a proof , if proof were needed , of the slowly but surely-increasing
popularity of the Institution . Moreover , it has been ot material service in carrying out the purpose for which it was established , having assisted a very considerable number of distressed Mark Master Masons , in sums ranging from £ 1 to £ 50 . Since December 1878 there has been an
enlai'gement of the original scope of the Fund , which now charges itself with the duty of assisting in the education of children of indigent Mark brethren , one-half of the sums contributed being handed over to the Educational , as distinguished from the Benevolent , branch of the Fund . Under
these circumstances , we trust the agreeable duty will devolve on us next week of reporting that the Festival of 1881 , held under the auspices of Lord Henniker , has been an even greater success than any of its predecessors . " 6 append a list of the Festivals that have been held , with the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Officers And Prov. Grand Officers.
Newmarch , however , is not convinced by this argument of the Grand Registrar , on the ground that "the Constitutions , as they stand , declare that Provincial Grand Officers
" shall possess within their districts the rauk and privileges of Grand Officers ; but assuredly , they would not possess such rank and privileges , if cut down to a mere precedence with respect to Provincial brethren . "
The above is fairly representative of the rival opinions of the two disputants , and it will bo admitted on all sides that the question to be determined is one of the greatest delicacy , and one on the solutiou of which even the most learned lawyer may experience some little hesitation . The
table of precedence in the Constitutions deals only with the Officers of our United Grand Lodge . The same Constitutions lay it down most distinctly and emphatically that Provincial Grand Officers are not , as such ,
members of Grand Lodge , that they have no rank or privileges outside their respective Provinces , though they may wear their Provincial Grand clothing at all Masonic meetings , but that in their own Provinces they do enjoy such rank and privileges as Grand Officers .
So far the matter is clear enough , but unfortunately there would seem to be no provision whateverfor the case as stated by Bro . Newmarch . What he argues , both directly and inferentially , is founded on what the Constitutions say and what they leave nnsaid , and in some respects he has an
undoubted advantage over the Grand Registrar in the argument . The use by the latter of the word " specious " is most unfortunate . It must be clear to any brother who
has carefully studied our Book of Constitutions that Bro . Newmarch's idea as to the relative rank of Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Officers of this or that Province has something to commend it to the
common sense of the Craft . The latter , in their own district , possess constitutionally the rank and privileges of Grand Officers , and in such circumstances it strikes us as being only reasonable that they should enjoy priority over all Grand Officers who are relatively of inferior rank ; that , for
example , a Provincial Grand Warden shall stand before a Grand Deacon , and a Provincial Grand Deacon before a Grand Pursuivant . No one for a single moment would wish to see a Grand Officer , Past or Present , even of the most
subordinate grade , received with aught else than the most intense and fraternal respect , but is it in the order of things that , for instance , a Past Grand Pursuivant of England should take precedence of the Provincial Grand Warden of ( say ) East or West Lancashire within the limits of that
Province r Bro . Mclntyre s suggestion that his opponent ' s argument , if carried to its logical conclusion , would lead to a Provincial Grand Master , in his own Province , claiming precedence of the Most Worshipful Grand Master himself , strikes us as being singularly feeble , and quite
unworthy of a brother of his legal status . In the first place , a Provincial Grand Master derives his patent from the Grand Master , and is , in fact , his representative for the particular district over Avhich he has been called upon to preside . In the next place , his status is clearly
settled by the Constitutions , which place the Grand Master first in rank , the Pro G . Master next , Past Grand Masters third , and then in the order in which they are given , Past Pro Grand Masters , Deputy Grand Master , Past Deputy Grand Masters , Provincial and District Grand
Masters , Past Provincial and District Grand Masters , Grand Wardens , Past Grand Wardens , & c , & c . This is so conclusive , that we are surprised any one possessing the legal acumen of Bro . Mclntyre should have suggested the possible precedence in any circumstances of a Prov . or
District Grand Master over the G . Master , Pro G . Master or Deputy Grand Master . The Constitutions distinctly state , at p 31 , that the Grand Master "has full authority to preside in any Lodge , " the word " any " including every kind of Lodge , whether Provincial Grand or private . The Pro
Grand Master , in the absence of the Grand Master , possesses all the latter ' s powers , and in the absence of both these officers , the Deputy Grand Master is entitled to exercise all their powers and privileges . Grand Wardens must , at command , attend the Grand Master or his Deputy , and
when either presides " m any particular Lodge , " Provincial 'Grand or private , they must act as his Wardens . The Constitutions , however , are silent as to the position thry two entitled to as visitors , on their own account . It o-oes
without saying they will be received with the honours they are entitled to , but in the case of . subordinate Grauri Officers it occurs to us , there is absolutely nothing in our laws to justify the advancemenl of any claim on their part
Grand Officers And Prov. Grand Officers.
to take precedence of Provincial G . Officers in their own district of relatively higher rank . We caunot see how a Grand Deacon can be regarded as of more exalted rank than a Provincial G . Warden—always , of course , in the supposition that the Grand Deacon in question is visiting
the latter ' s own Province . Of course , it would be a different thing in the case of a Grand Officer who is especially deputed by the Graud Master to carry out some especial function . Such Officer in that case is the ambassador or representative of the Grand Master , and is tern .
porarny entitled to the rank and privileges of the distinguished Mason for whom he is acting . Nor , in our opinion , is there anything to justify Grand Registrar ' s idea that all Officers appointed by the Grand Master take precedence of all Officers appointed by
Provincial Grand Masters . They do so necessarily in Grand Lodge aud in all other Provinces than that in which they hold office ; but within the limits of the Province they possess " the rank and privileges of Grand Officers , " and if so , it follows logically , with all deference to Bro . Mclntyre ' a
acknowledged ability , that they must be entitled to take place and priority according to the table of precedence as published at pp 16-18 in the Book of Constitutions . We shall probably have occasion to give this knotty point further consideration , but in the meantime we invite
criticism of the views we have enunciated , so that in time something like an authoritative exposition of the law may be arrived at . In this case cortainly the mis-quoted adage holds good , " In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom . "
Festival Of The Mark Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund.
FESTIVAL OF THE MARK GRAND LODGE BENEVOLENT FUND .
WE beg to call the attention of our readers to the fact that the Thirteenth Anniversary Festival of the Mark Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund will be held at the Crystal Palace , on Wednesday , 6 th July . The chair will be taken by the Right Hon . Lord Henniker M . W . G . M . M ., and dinner will be served at 5 p . m . Full particulars may
be obtained at the Offices of the Mark Grand Lodge , 8 A Red Lion-square , W . C ., whither all applications for tickets for the banquet must be addressed to the Stewards of the
Festival not later than Monday , the 4 th July instant . The Fund , as is well known is , comparatively speaking , in its infancy , having been started in 1868 by the Mark G . Lodge , which voted the sum of £ 50 towards its establishment .
But though the Festivals since held annually in its aid have not been on the scale of magnitude to which of late years we have been accustomed in connection with the great central Masonic Charities , the amount of support extended towards it by Mark brethren has been
progressive . Last year , when Col . Sir Franciss Burdett , Bart ., P . G . M . M . M . Middlesex and Surrey , presided , there was contributed the largest aggregate of subscriptions and donations ever known in the history of the Fund . This year , Lord Henniker has been pleased
to signalise his installation into office as M . W . G . M . Master Mason , by promising to occupy the chair , and we trust our Mark brethren will show their appreciation of his Lordship's kindness by loyally supporting him at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday . We have said the Fund was
started in 1868 with a grant from Mark Grand Lodge of £ 50 . Last year the Festival , the twelfth in order of sequence , yielded over eleven times that amount—a proof , if proof were needed , of the slowly but surely-increasing
popularity of the Institution . Moreover , it has been ot material service in carrying out the purpose for which it was established , having assisted a very considerable number of distressed Mark Master Masons , in sums ranging from £ 1 to £ 50 . Since December 1878 there has been an
enlai'gement of the original scope of the Fund , which now charges itself with the duty of assisting in the education of children of indigent Mark brethren , one-half of the sums contributed being handed over to the Educational , as distinguished from the Benevolent , branch of the Fund . Under
these circumstances , we trust the agreeable duty will devolve on us next week of reporting that the Festival of 1881 , held under the auspices of Lord Henniker , has been an even greater success than any of its predecessors . " 6 append a list of the Festivals that have been held , with the