Consecration Of The United Service Lodge, No. 37 (S.A.C.)

CONSECRATION OF THE UNITED SERVICE LODGE , No . 37 ( S . A . C . )

THEEE was celebrated in the Masonic Hall , Flinrlers-stroot , on Thursday night , 14 th April , one of tho most important ceremonies in Freemasonry which have been conducted since the inauguration of the Grand Lodge of South Australia , on 17 t ' i April 1884 . That celebration was the consecration of the United Service

Lodge , No . 37 ( S . A . C ) , and the installation as W . M . of Brigadier-General Bro . J . F . Owen R . A .. commandant o f onr military forces . There are in England two kinds of Military Lodges—0 uc which admits military men of all ranks , and another whioh limits its membership to officers in the service . The Sonth Australian

Institution follows on the lines of the latter . Partly in consequence of that some opposition was shown , as the view was taken that tho Lodge would distinctly be a class Lodge , and that a general attendance at its meetings as at other Lodges , would be virtually impossible . Whilst , however , a man who is not a military officer

cannot enter the Lodgo as a member , other Masonic brothers of every country ancl every profession can attend as visitors . The purpose of the Lodge is to bring together the people directly interested in fche control of the defence forces of tho colony ancl to promote goodfellowship between them , for the benefit of the service , and , of

course , for the benefit of Freemasonry and themselves as well . In choosing the Officers it was carefully arranged that both the Militia and Volunteers should be represented , and throughout the positions are alternately filled by Militia and Volunteer Officers . Great preparations were made for the consecration , and the gathering in

the Masonio Hall on Thursday night was the most brilliant which has ever been held here . The congregation included several prominent public men , amongst them several members of Parliament . Nearly all the Lodges wore represented . Bro . G . C . Knight G . D . C . had charge of the consecration ceremonies , with Bro . J . G . Jenkins ,

M . P ., as Deputy , assisted by Bro . J . Le M . F . Roberts , and the working was admirable . At the proper time the W . M . Designate ( Brigadier-General Bro . J . F . Owen , R . A ., 31 ° ) was presented and installed in due form , and subsequently he invested his Officers , as follow : Major A . L . Harrold S . W ., Captain F . Basse J . W ., Lieut .

G . E . C . Stephens Treasurer , Major B . Solomon Secretary , Captain 0 . Schomburgk S . D ., Lieutenant S . Hiibbe J . D ., Lieutenant J . 0 . Hawker Inner Guard , Major I . A . Plnmmmer D . C , Lieutenants Bickford , Genders , and Gee Stewards , Lieutenant Philip Samson Immediate P . M . The Lodge having closed , the brethren were

entertained by the newly installed W . M . ( Bro . Brigadier-General Owen ) in the supper-room . The W . M . proposed the Queen and the Craft , making special reference to the attainment of Her Majesty ' s Jnbilee and the jubilee of the settlement of our colony . Masons should especially remember that Her Majesty had given her

firstborn son , the greatest Prince on the earth , to be the Grand Master of the Craft in England . Tho W . M . proposed the Grand Lodge of South Australia and the M . W . the G . M . Bro . the Hon . S . J . Way , Chief Justice . He felt he was perfectiy unable to do justice to such a doubly important toast . As a comparative newcomer hither

nothing astonished a stranger more than the marvellous progress made by the whelp of the old lion in South Australia . What a marvellous progress had been that of this colony , founded only fifty years ago ! The Grand Locljre of South Australia was a marvellous success . The proposer had referred to the prosperity of Masonry in

South Australia . Ifc was encouraging and refreshing , after tho recent rains which had so gladdened all hearts , to hear anything of hope and gratulation in respect to any Australian Institution . On behalf of the Grand Ledge of South Australia and of the Colony it might be affirmed that the great cause of Blasiouie union had met with greater

success in South Australia than in any other of the Australian Colonies . Ho proposed with great heartiness the tousfc of Tho Worshipful Master , Brigadier-General Bro . J . F . Owen , 31 ° . He had enjoyed the privilege of General Owen ' s acquaintance ever since he arrived in the colony . His fame had preceded him . They knew

him aa one who had taken a distinguished part in the victory which retrieved the British arms in South Africa . General Owen had not been two days in Sonth Australia before he ( the speaker ) found that he was an enthusiastic Mason , anxious to havo an opportunity of uniting with the South Australian Constitution . Not merely was

he an attached and zealous Mason , but a diligent Masonic student . He was perhaps the only South Australian Mason who was advanced to the mysteries of the thirty-first degree . The W . M . responded , and proposed the Consecrating and Installing Officer , Bro . H . E . Downer , M . P ., R . W . D . G . M ., whose Masonic services ho highly praised . His

Working of tbo ritual was a lesson to every Mason . The Grand Master responded in the absence of Bro . Downer , for whom he professed the greatest admiration and esteem . He took the opportunity of stating that the question of fche beat way iti which the Jubilee of Her Majesty could bo eelebrat ' d would come before the Grand Lodgo

m the coarse of a few days . V . W . Bn > . Canon F . S . Poole proposed The Army , Navy , and Volunteer * . They were thteo str . u . da of cms rope , embracing and strengthening each other , and throughout tho rope there was a thin red line of loyalty to God , loyalty to their country , and loyalty to ihoir Queen . Brigadier-General Owen , in

responding , sail ! lie wished he conld speak in a manna- sulliciontly praiseworthy of the force . ? under his command in South Australia . He was glad to bo able to ? ny that in tho late encampment they bad gone into camp laaorhiny and singim . ' , notwith-tandirig the weather . What better proof could they have of the ; gallant men composing the

forces ? As Commandant that was tho first occasion ou which ho bad had a chance of proving the physique and conduct of tho men Under such circumstances , and he was . sure nothing could be more I gratif ying to an Imperial Officer than the conduct of the men . Like

Murk Tapley they determined to be jolly under the circumacances . Notwithstanding tbe dirt , darkness , arid rain , they were as jolly as Sand boys . This was the sort of stuff required for tbe work ; would I to God they had a little more of it . It was for the colony to back up j the forces a little , and insist that more money should be '

Consecration Of The United Service Lodge, No. 37 (S.A.C.)

spent on the defence force . The stuff was there , but how was it to be fed without money ? Who knew how scon they wonld inquire the services of their defence force ? The Most Worship ful Master had mentioned a certain Admiral Alasbegoff , who had visited these shores , a determined ancl skilled Russian Admiral . In the year 1879

it waa b y tho merest chance and the greatest fluke in the world that half the cities of Australia were not pillaged and in flames . Arrangements wore most skilfully made by which the Russian fleet could have descench d , first on Melborne and then on Sydney , unprotected sis thev then were , and done as it liked . When war was not declared

however , the Admiral could do nothing . But for that flnko ho could have done as he liked . The same thing might happen again . We shonld look to our defences , and make our forces as powerful as possible , for when the storm cloud broke it was too late to pat up tho shelter .

A Year Of Life-Boat Work.

A YEAR OF LIFE-BOAT WORK .

r | lHE Royal National Life-boat Institution has recently published ' its annual report , from which we learn that the important work of the Society was actively carried on during the past year , and that throngh its instrumentality hundreds of lives were saved from a watery grave on our rocky shores . In the year as many as 20 new

Life-boats wero placed on the coast , all of which were furnished with the latest improvements , and reports of a very gratifying description have been made indicating that the coxswains and crews consider them far superior to the boats they superseded . The Committee are most anxious to adapt the boats to local requirements , and to meet

as far as possible the wishes of the men who man them , both as regards design and equipment , so thafc perfect confidence may be ensured . Between the 1 st of January and 31 st of December new stations were established at Sonthsea , Workington , Dornock , Firth and Fethard , and new Life-boats were despatched to

Aberdovey , Blyth , Bude , Ilfracombe , Lytham , Mary port , Newquay ( Cardiganshire ) , Porfchoustock , Portmadoc , St . Ives ( Cornwall ) , Shoringham , Sonthport , Troon , Withorne , Greystones , and Howth . Within the same period the Duncannon Station was abolished , and one of the Pakefield boats was transferred to

Lowestoft . At the end of 1886 the Institution ' s fleet comprised 293 Life-boats , by the aid of which 601 lives and 33 vessels were saved during the year . Rewards were also given by the Committee for the rescue of 160 persons from drowning by means of shore-boats , making a total of 761 lives saved in twelve months , and a grand

total of 32 , 671 persons saved through the instrumentality of the Society since its establishment . No stronger appeal for the support of the National Life-boat Institution could well be put before the country than the publication of snch a splendid record . During the year the Life-boats were launched on service 286 times , and about

800 times for inspection and exercise . Threo of the launches on service were nnfortuoately attended by fatal consequences , viz . afc Whitehaven , Sonthport , and St . Anne ' s , the sad details of which wrung the hearts of the whole country , and produced an outburst of liberal sympathy for tho widows and orphans which has

rarely been equalled . Thirteen silver medals , 32 binocular glasses , 35 votes of thanks ou vellum , and £ 6 , 630 4 s lid , in cash , iucluding giants to the widows and orphans of Life-boat men drowned on duty , were a warded by the Committee in 1 SS 6 for saving life , aud a further sum of £ 5 , 285 los 3 d , was paid to the coxswains and crews for

exercising tho boats . The total expenditure for the year amounted to £ 17 , 066 2 s 2 d , while only £ 43 , 044 13 s 4 d was received in subscriptions , donations , and dividends . The demand for tho beautiful aneroids which are supplied by the Institntion , at one-third tho retail price , to fishermen aud small coasters , although nofc quite so

great tis in the previous year , was considerable , and there is no doubt that the use of these valuable instruments has tended in no small measure to diminish the loss of life on the coast . The important aid given by the Local Committees and their Honoraiy Officials , the Coxswains and Crews , the Press , the Coast-guard , the Customs

aud others , is thankfully acknowledged , and the Report closes with ' an earnest appeal for help , which is more particularly needed at the present timo owing to the decision of the Committee to remove from the coast , with as little delav as possible , all self-iighting Life-boats which will not pass far

move severe tests than were formerly considered necessary , and which are not provided with such of the latest improvements as they deem to be of the greatest importance . The cost of this work will

be very great , but the Committee are confident thafc in carrying ib out they will not only meet with the full approval of tho British Public , but will be supplied with the fnucls they so urgently solicit and require fur the purpose .

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BRO,GtS.GRAHAM, The Popular Tenor and Buffo Vocalist , from St . James ' s Hal ] , Crystal Palace , Ac . ( Provine . ai Grand Organist Middlesex ) . 18 Oi'KN TO ACCIOPT KXGAGKMKNTS 1 'OU ( Concerts , Entertainments ii" ^ ttusonic banquets . IJro . G . S . Graliiim ' s Party of Eminent Artir-ts can be encaged for . MasoTiio r . ; nu | uet-s Consrcnihon s ; ind installation * , ; - ; c . i >' or Opinions of the Press nml Terms , address - G . S . GRAHAM , Hazoldcnri , ' . ' orul ' nnl Grove , Jialliatn , Surrey

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FANCY DSESS BALLS and PRIVATE THEATRICALSCOSTUMES , WIGS . SCENKRY , :: nd every neces-ary for the * J above supplied . On Side , or Hire , by i ! ro . WALI . EK , St ; . nliopc Lod ^ e , tfo . 1 ? . (! 9 . Address—W WALLER , Theatrical Costumier , 84 and 86 Tabernacle Street , Finsbury Square , London , E . C .