Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

METROPOLITAN . KENNINGTON LODGE , No . 1381 . rilHE Brethren visited Wallingford for their annual outing , X arriving at the borough by the steam launch " Duchess of York " about 1 . 30 . The company proceeded to the George Hotel , where an acceptable cold luncheon was provided by Bro . Kearsey . W . M . J . N . Hearn presided , and was supported by P . M . Laundie

and Bro . Springthorpe . After fche repast the party strolled round thc borough and inspected the places of interest . The homeward journey was commenced at four o ' clock , the holiday seekers arriving at Reading about seven , and proceeding to London in saloon carriages . 0 0 0

BROMLEY ST . LEONARD LODGE , No . 1805 . rilHE annual summer outing took place on the 19 th ult ., an J _ elaborate programme having been provided for the day , says the " East London Observer . " The brethren , with ladies and visitors , met at Paddington Station , where saloon carriages awaited them , in which they proceeded fco Windsor , arriving there in time to witness the departure of Her Majesty the Queeu for fche Isle of Wight . After a short stroll about Windsor Park , the party ,

numbering about fifty , embarked on a well provided steam launch , the " Amo , " and proceeded up the river , the destination being Henley . Luncheon was served en route , and all enjoyed the trip , with its opportunity of seeing the delightful scenery of the Thames . Reaching Henley at 5-30 , after a short pause dinner was served at the Royal Hotel . The start for home was made afc 9-35 p . m . by rail . The Officers of the Lodge present vied wifch each other to promote the comfort of fche Brethren and their guests . o o o

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

— : o : — MERCHANTS LODGE , No . 241 . CONSECRATED in 1780 , and accordingly celebrating its centenary 14 years ago , the Liverpool Merchants Lodge , No . 241 , has , says the " Liverpool Mercury , " long deservedly held a prominent position in the Province of West Lancashire , its noble deeds of Charity being well known throughout the important Masonic division ruled by the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom .

The annual Installation meeting , held this year on fche 2 Gth June , was largely and influentially attended , there being a numerous representation of W . Ms ., P . Ms ., and Prov . G . L . Officers , the last named being headed by the popular P . G . Secretary , Bro . W . Goodacre . Bro . B . P . Philpot was Installed Worshipful Master with exceptional effectiveness by Bro . Joseph West , the retiring chief , the presentation for this honour being made by Bros . P . Ms . Whito and Brotherton .

An excellent banquet was provided by Bro . P . M . Capper , and in the course of the evening a musical programme was given . The I . P . M . ( Bro . West ) was the recipient of a Past Master ' s jewel , a silver tea service , and a gold locket , in recognition of his sterling worth and valuable Masonic services .

o o o MARINERS LODGE , No , 249 . ON Thursday , 5 fch ult ., the members met at the Masonic Temple , Hope Street , Liverpool , to celebrate the installation of Bro . H . Brown . Thc occasion was marked by fche presence of several Masonic celebrities , amongst whom was Bros . Goodacre

P . G . S . B . of Eng . and Prov . G . S . The Installation ceremony was performed by tho retiring W . M . Bro . Bush , assisted by Bro . R . G . Bradley P . M . P . P . G . D . C , in a most efficient manner . Bro . Brown invested the Officers for the ensuing year . o o o

MINERVA LODGE , No . 250 . THE Brethren celebrated their Annual Festival on fche 25 th June , by installing the Worshipful Master for the year , to which position Bro . J . A . Brown had been unanimously elected . The attendance of Brethren and visitors was a record , and the subsequent banquet was conducted with much eclat . The W . M . was in the chair , and was supported by Bros . C . L . Mason ( Leeds ) , M . C Peck P . G . Sec ., J . York Torr I . P . M ., & c .

In proposing the toast of the newly-insfcalled Master and his Officers , Bro . Haigh P . M . said that was a red-letter day in the annals of thc Minerva Lodge . He was sure the Officers would vie with each other to support their Master . The toaat having been enthusiastically honoured , the W . M .

returned thanks for its kind reception , and assured the Brethren he was deeply sensible of the honour done him . He and his Officers would strive to uphold the diguity of the Craft and the prestige of tbe Lodge in their year of office , which he trusted would be happy and prosperous . o o o

LODGE OF UNITY , No . 267 . rpHE Annual Installation was held on Thursday , 19 th ult ., at X Macclesfield . The Brethren met iu the Town Hall afc an

Provincial.

early hour , there being a large attendance to assist in the Installation of the Mayor of the . Borough , Bro . George Fountain . Referring to the event , the " Macclesfield Courier , " after tendering congratulations to fche Mayor , says : " To occupy fche chair of K . S . is an honour justly prized among Masons—in tho Craft ifc is regarded as quite as great an honour as being Chief

Magistrate of the town—and accordingly the man who has both distinguished positions conferred upon him in the same year is exceptionally honoured . Such a man is our present worthy Mayor . Masonry and the Mayoralty have in the last few years been peculiarly closely allied , both Lodges sharing the distinction in turn . Thus the late Alderman George Swindells ( Mavor in 1888 ) was a member of the Combermere Lodge of Union , 295 ( which

celebrated its centenary with great eclat last October ); Mr . Councillor Staniforth ( Mayor in 1890 ) is still an active member of the Combermere ; Mr . Councillor Brough ( Mayor in 1891 ) and Mr . Fountain are members of the Lodgo of Unity , 267 ; while the occupant of the chair during the past year was Mr . Councillor Edwin Crew , eldest son of Mr . Alderman Thomas Crew , CO . ( Mayor in 1887 ) .

" Although to be Master of his Masonic Lodge is the aim and object of every man who joins fche Fraternity , there are necessarily many hundreds of thousands of Masons who never attain the coveted honour—some because they do not care to incur the responsibilities it entails and the work ifc involves ; others because they frankly admit their incompetency to discharge the onerous

duties of the office , and many from a feeling of diffidence . That the present Mayor will be equal to his new duties in every respect goes without saying . ... A' man who makes such a successful Mayor must be a successful Master of a Masonic Lodge ; and the Brethren in electing him to the position have done credit to themselves and given ' Honour to whom honour is due . '

" The Mayor ' s Lodge is usually regarded as the younger of the two Macclesfield Lodges , but I find that it is nofc really so in one sense , while in another it is . R . Brown , in his ' Hundred Years History of Combermere Lodge of Union , ' gives a brief sketch of the Lodge of Unity , in which the following occurs : — ' Originally a Lancashire Lodge , No . 533 , meeting in Manchester , the date of the

Warrant being 1788 , the records disclose that in 1844 negotiations were entered into by a number of Macclesfield Brethren for the transference of the Warrant to the new Lodge about to be formed in Macclesfield , owing , it is presumed , to the Combermere Lodgo becoming too large . On the 3 rd August of that year , at a meeting of Brethren hold at Macclesfield Arms Hotel , ifc was agreed that

the Warrant of the Lodge of Unity , No . 533 , Manchester , be transferred to Macclesfield ( of course wifch the sanction and approval of Grand Lodge ) . The Warrant was duly transferred , and in November 1844 , the first meeting of the sister Lodge in Macclesfield was held at the Macclesfield Arms Hotel . The Lodge retained the number 334 up to 1863 ( Bro . Thomas Wildgoose W . M . ) , when

a general re-arrangement of the number of Lodges took placo by order of Grand Lodge , and it has since that date hold its present numerical distinction . It will thus be seen that the sister Lodge , though ranking younger than Lodge 295 in the Province of Cheshire , is in reality an older Lodge when its birth in the adjoining Province

of Lancashire is taken into consideration , and that it might have celebrated its centenary in 1888 , always providing that it can produce an unbroken record from its original institution . ' The Mayor is thus the 106 th W . M . of the Lodge since its birth in Lancashire , and the 60 th during its connection with the Province of Cheshire . "

The interesting ceremony of Installation was efficiently performed by Bro . Alfred Cockayne P . M . P . P . A . D . C , Bro . Chas . A . Hordern P . M . P . P . S . G . D ., and Bro . Alfred Frith P . M . Secretary . His Worship having taken tho chair and thanked the Brethren for the honour conferred , installed his Officers .

The Provincial Grand Secretary , in thc name of Lord Egerton . the Provincial Grand Master , congratulated the newly-elected W . M , on his elevation to fche chair of one of the most important Lodges in the Province , and said he felt sure from what he knew of his Masonic career , that the Lodge's reputation for good and useful work would be maintained and extended under his rule . Having

addressed some words of wise counsel to fche Officers of fche Lodge , the P . G . S . announced that his Lordship had consented to preside in the summer of next year at the Annual Festival of thc Boys Institution in London , adding that he was sure Cheshire Masons would support their Provincial Grand Master in a manner worthy of tho Institution and of the traditions of the county . Lancashire

last year raised a large amount to support its Provincial Grand Master on a similar occasion ; he of course did not expect Cheshire to do as much , but he felt sure the county would act handsomely as it always did in connection with the Masonic Charities . The Masons of Macclesfield did not require thafc he should beg on behalf of the Charities ; it was sufficient for him to remind them , and

though he did nofc deem it necessary , he hoped to have another opportunity of visiting the Brethren of Macclesfield before thc festival came round . He had seventy-six Lodges to visit in tho course of a year—he always liked to visit them at leasfc once in twelve months- so that in addition to the ordinary work of the Province , they would see his time was pretty well occupied . He

had another pleasant announcement to make , viz ., the approaching marriage of their Provincial Grand Master to the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos , an event in which he felt sure thc Brethren took a deep interest , as they did in everything that concerned his Lordship , who had done so much , and was prepared to do more , to extend the influence and thc usefulness of the Craft . Lord Egerton requested him to say that probably the forthcoming

event would interfere with his presiding over Provincial Grand Lodge in September . His Lordship was not quite sure at present whether he could preside . Grand Lodge would be held on the 19 th , and if he could not attend , it would be held on the 20 th , under thc presidency of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master His Honour Judge Horatio Lloyd , who had a Court at Carnarvon on the 19 th , and therefore could not attend on that date . In conclusion , the