Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berks And Bucks.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKS AND BUCKS .

THERE was something peculiarly appropriate in the selection of Windsor as the meeting place of Prov . Grand Lodge this year , inasmuch as the event added one more to the many interesting incidents that have followed in

such rapid succession during the past week or two . The brethren , on their arrival , found the Royal Borough a blaze of colour from end to end , and had the opportunity , before the hour fixed for business , of inspecting the

profuse and elaborate decorations with which the streets were embellished . Special arrangements had been made with the railway companies to convey the brethren to and from Windsor at reduced rates , and thus there was a very

numerous attendance , brethren coming from all parts of the two counties , with a sprinkling from London . The brethren assembled at one o ' clock at the Albert Institute , Sheet-street , when Lodge was opened by Brother H . J . Sfcollery , W . M . of the Etonian Lodge , No . 209 , who was

supported by Bro . C . W . Seymour P . M . Windsor Castle Lodge , No . 771 , as S . W . ; and Bro . W . Sevenoakes P . M . 209 , as J . W . Shortly afterwards the Prov . Grand

Master , Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., accompanied by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Brother the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg P . G . C , and a numerous body of Provincial Grand Officers entered , and were received

with fche usual salutations , the Provincial Grand Organist Bro . F . Edginton playing the National Anthem as they took their seats on the dais . Amongst those present were Bros . W . E . Stewart G . S . W ., H . Martin G . J . W ., Revs .

H . F . Oliver and R . F . Harnett Grand Chaplains , C . Stephens Grand Treasurer , R . Bradley Grand Secretary , Doran Webb Grand Registrar , Innes G . S . D ., F . Blake G . J . D ., R . C . Prickett G . S . of Works , Blackwell G . D . C .,

Arrowsmith G . A . D . C , A . H . Apted Grand Sword Bearer , Major Craigie Grand Standard Bearer , F . Edginton G . Organist , Webb G . A . C ., Plenty G . Pur .,

Pocock G . A . Pur ., Tottle , Valentine , Marshall , Major Taylor , Frampton , and H . Perks Grand Stewards , and W . Hemmings Grand Tyler . There were a great many

visitors , including Brothers Theodore H . Tilton District Grand Master of New York , the Bishop of New Westminster , Frederick Binckes P . Grand Sword Bearer , James Terry P . Grand Sword Bearer , Rev . Oliver Grace P . G . C , & c .

Provincial Grand Lodge was opened iu due form , and the Grand Master and Grand Officers saluted with full honours , Bro . Blackwell officiating as Director of Ceremonies . The roll of the Lodges was then called , aud all

were found to be represented , as also were the Provincial Grand Officers , with one or two exceptions . The minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Aylesbury , printed copies of which were circulated amongst the

brethren , were taken as read , and confirmed . The Provincial Deputy Grand Master , in reference to the next item on the agenda paper , in which it was proposed to adopt an Address to Her Most Gracious Majesty

the Queen , said he wished to make an amendment to that proposition . It had been signified to them , through the Pro Grand Master the Earl of Carnarvon , that His Royal Highness the Most Worshipfnl Grand Master desired that

all Masonic congratulations to Her Majesty on the attainment of the fiftieth year of her reign should be embodied in the one single Address which was carried with so much enthusiasm at the Commemoration Gathering- at the Albert

Hall , and that no local Addresses should be presented . He would therefore move that , in lieu of the Address , it be recorded and placed on the minutes that the Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks and Bucks desired to express the

devoted loyalty of the Freemasons of the Province to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , who had for fifty years protected and advanced the interests of the Craft , and

promoted every institution calculated to further the welfare of her subjects . This was seconded by Bro . the Rev . R . | P . Bent P . G . C . and carried by acclamation .

Tbe Provincial Graud Secretary having read the balancesheet of the Provincial Graud Treasurer , the general account of the Charity Fund , together with a statement of the position of the Lodges in the Province , it waa

moved by the D . P . G . Master thafc the sum of £ 26 5 s be voted from the Provincial Graud Lodge Fund to the Charity Fund , and that sums ranging from ten to five guineas be appropriated from , the Charity Fund to the various Lodges who had subscribed to that Fund .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berks And Bucks.

j Bro . G . W . Dixon , as Secretary of the Charit y Committee , reported that during the year three cases recommended by the Committee for the benefits of the fund had been admitted . There was still one case on

hand , for which very few votes were recorded ; and he took this opportunity of asking fche brethren to be more liberal in sending in their votes to the Committee . Some Lodges in the Province , he regretted to say , gave away all

their votes , and sent them into another channel . It was impossible for the Committee to attend to the cases which came before them unless they could rely upon receiving

tho votes of the various Lodges . In order to secure the election of the three candidates referred to he had had to borrow votes from other Provinces , and had thus incurred a liability of 763 votes .

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , speaking on the same subject , said there was this great practical inconvenience—Lodges came to the Committee quickly enough when they wanted to get a case in , but when they had

succeeded in that object they gave their votes to the very first person who asked for them . Nothing was doing more harm than the indiscriminate giving away of votes , even

though the cases for which they were asked might appear to be deserving . All such cases required looking into , and they were looked into very closely by fche Committee .

On the motion of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , seconded by Bro . G . W . Dixon P . G . S . W ., Bro . Charles Stephens P . M . 414 was unanimously re-elected Provincial Grand Treasurer . Bro . Stephens asked to be allowed in a

very few words to thank the brethren once more for the honour they had conferred upon him . He assured them his best efforts should be used in promoting the welfare of the Province , and that he would not disgrace his office .

The following brethren were then invested with the Provincial Charity jewel , viz .: —Bros . Henry John Stollery W . M . 209 , William Fenton J . D . 795 , Edward Margrett P . M . 1101 , William Fergerson P . M . 1101 , and Henry Warden 1566 .

Tbe Grand Secretary announced that Dispensations had been received for the appointment of Bros . Henry Daily Marshall W . M . of the Windsor Castle Lodge , No . 771 , as

G . S . D . ; Henry Perks P . M . Etonian , No . 209 , and Thomas Slafcter P . M . Vale of White Horse , No . 1770 , as Grand Standard Bearers .

The Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested the Provincial Grand Officers for the year , as follow : —

Bro . John Tomkins 945 ... ... Senior Warden G . L . de Major Taylor 1886 ... Junior Warden Rev . R . F . Harnett 840 ... ... ] chaplains Rev . Henry Lewis 945 ... ... ) " Charles Stephens 414 ... ... Treasurer

Robert Bradley 414 ... ... Secretary Henry Daily Marshall W . M . 771 ... Senior Deacon George Tottle 1501 ... ... Junior Deacon William Ravenscroft 1101 ... Supt . of Works

John Cheesman 1787 ... ... Director of Ceremonies H . S . Harrington 574 ... ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . B . J . Shrewsbury 1566 ... ... Sword Bearer Henry Perks 209 " > standard fiearer 8 Thomas Slatter 1770 ... ... S

F . W . Summers 771 ... ... Organist J . R . H . Fowler 591 ... ... Assistant Secretary G . B . Valentine 1639 ... ... Pursuivant

Sydney Payne 1887 ... ...-. Henry John Stollery 209 ... j George Henry Charsley 1894 ...! q __„ i _ C . H . Tench 2043 f btewards

John Lyne 1410 ... ... Joseph Greenaway 1101 .. S W . Hemmings ... ... Tyler It was announced that the next Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge would be held at High Wycombe .

The Provincial Grand Master then spoke a few words to the brethren , but tbey were inaudible at the distance of a few yards . ( The brethren deeply sympathised with the lion , baronet , who was evidently in a weak state of health )

and still suffering from the effects of his recent sad bereavement . ) They had met , he said , at Windsor , under the walls of the Castle , and he was glad to see so goodly a number present at Provincial Grand Lodge . He was sure

that Her Majesty the Queen and their Most Worship ful Grand Master the Prince of Wales looked upon Masons as the most loyal subjects , and he ( Sir Daniel ) regarded that

loyalty as the backbone of the country . Many of those present attended the great representative meeting of Eng lish Freemasons a short time ago at the Albert Hall , and they then saw that the Prince of Wales performed bis duties