Lodge Orion In The West, No. 415.

LODGE ORION IN THE WEST , No . 415 .

( Continued from page 275 . ) ON the 19 th July 1828 , the first civilian , in the person of Mr . P . Lo Geyt of the Civil Service , was initiated in the Lodge . On the 7 th August , a petition by certain brethren , for a dispensation from the P . G . M . of the Coast of CoTOmandel to meet as a Lodge in the territory subject

to the Governments of Bombay aud Madras , was recommended , under the signature of the W . M . and Wardens of " Orion . " On the 18 th of tho same month , three gold mohurs was fixed as the fee for receiving the Fourth Degree . On the 16 th September , Bro . Groundwater was .

elected and installed Master in the place of Bro . Macintosh , who quitted Poona two days later and nover returned . Bro . Macintosh and Bro . Fleetwood , the first initiate , both died suddenly in 1825 . On the 1 st November , Colonel Hunter Blair , Military Secretary to tho

Commander-in-Chief was initiated , and on 27 th December , Bro . Groundwater was installed as Master for the next six months , Bro . Brown and Mansfield being appointed Senior and Junior Wardens respectively . This closed the year 1824 , during which there were twenty-four gentlemen initiated , sixteen

passed , ten raised , four advanced to the fourth degree , and six joined . On the 7 th March of tho following year , a subscription was opened for the erection of a building suitable for any Lodges in Poona to work in . On the 4 th April , Rs . 300 were voted to the Royal British National Institution

for preserving lives from shipwreck . On the 2 nd May , it was resolved that the Lodge should meet only once a month , and also that the furniture , & c , of Orion should be at the service of Lodge Benevolent , till the latter had provided its own , and that members of the latter should be

admitted as honorary members to Lodge Orion without fee or subscription , the same privilege being accorded by Lodge Benevolent to members of Orion . On the 14 th of June , the brethren met at Brother

Le Geyt ' s bungalow , and marched thence in procession to Church , where a sermon was preached by the Rev . Thomas Robinson in aid of the funds of the Madras Provincial Grand Masonic Fund . The brethren then

returned to Bro . Le Geyt ' s . Bro . Groundwater was installed W . M ., and appointed Bros . Boyd and Le Geyt Sen . and Jun . Wardens respectively . Rupees 300 were voted towards the relief of tho Widows and Orphans of the Madras Charitable Fund . On the 10 th July , the Lodge met

at Bro . Boyd ' s house , and Bros . Peterson , Warden , Arbuthnot , and Goring were recommended "for the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch , to be taken under the covenant of this Lodge . " On the 27 th December , Bro . Groundwater , was re-elected W . M ., Bro . Boyd being

reappointed S . W ., and Bro . Neil Campbell appointed J . W . During this year there were fifteen initiations , twelve passings , nine raisings , six advanced to the fourth degree , and four joinings . Early in 1826 , the Queen ' s Royals were quartered in Poona , and as this regiment had no Lodge of

its own , several of its officers were initiated in Orion . On the 24 th June of this year , the civilian brethren of the Lodge seceded and established Lodge Hope , under a Warrant obtained from Grand Lodge of England . Accordingly , Bro . A . Wogau Browne was installed W . M . of the

New Lodge , and appointed Bros . R . Mansfield S . W ., H . Robertson J . W ., N . Campbell S . D ., G . Boyd J . D ., R . Hughston Tyler , and Bro . Grafton , acting Sec . of Orion , as Sec . pro tern . This had no sooner been done , than the Hope brethren proceeded to ballot for a new Master , and the choice fell on Bro . Robertson , who appointed his

Officers . Ihe W . M . of Oriora then resumed the Hiram , and Bro . White was chosen Master . Thus , Orion , unregistered at home , aided in " the secession of some of its members , who had obtained a Warrant , on their petition , direct from the Grand Lodge of England . " On 7 th

July 1826 , Rs . 200 were voted towards the debt incurred for building the Hall , and on the same occasion it Avas resolved that a portion of the Constitutions should be read at each meeting until the whole had been gone through . On the 19 th October , a donation of 300 Rs . was voted to a

distressed French brother , then present as a visitor . On the 4 th November , tho brethren of the Queen ' s Royals seceded in a body , and the Lodge recorded a resolution to

the effect that the conduct of the latter had been so un-Masonicthat the Lodge could not regret their retirement . Bro . Groundwater was re-elected on the 27 th December , and appointed Bros . Arbuthnot S . W , Mosley J . W ., and

Lodge Orion In The West, No. 415.

Falconer as Secretary and Treasurer . But this half-year ¦ was unprofitable as regards work . On the 24 th June Bro . Honnessey was installed as W . M ., having been elected on the 18 th , and Bros . Schuyler and Falconer wero api pointed S . W . and J . W . respectively , Bro . Grafton being

I re-elected Sec . and Treas . At this meeting 300 Rs . wero i voted to the Poona poor . On tho 25 th August a letter was ; read from Lodge Benevolent on the subject of a Provincial ; Grand Lodge of Bombay , but the question was postponed till the 15 th September , and then again postponed till a

' more favourable opportunity . Early in the year 1828 it was found necessary to suspend the sittings of the Lodge , owing to the exigencies of military service . In the meantime , gravo dissatisfaction was felt at tho non-receipt of Grand Lodge certificates , and a meeting was called for tho

6 th September , when it was resolved to apply to the Grand Lodge of England , and also to the Grand Lodge of Coromandel for an explanation . On this occasion , letters were read from the Grand Secretary of England , and from the W . M . of Lodge Benevolent , Bombay , touching the authority

for working the Royal Arch Chapter under the authority of a Craft Warrant . 600 Rs . were voted to the Hall funds , which was 1 , 800 Rs . in debt , and it was also resolved that the Lodge should again meet regularly . This resolution was acted upon , and at the meeting on the 27 th December ,

Bro . W . Grafton was installed W . M ., Bros . Schuyler and Martenburg being the new Wardens . Thus the year closed fairly , there having been eight initiations , five passings , one raising , and one advanced to the fourth degree . On St . John the Baptist ' s Day 1829 , the same officers were

retained m their respective posts , and the Rev . Bro . Goode delivered a lecture on the history and duties of the Craft . Bro . Groundwater was again chosen W . M . on 27 th December . There were seven initiations , and as many passings and raisings , together with five joinings , during this year .

On 26 th February 1830 , as Bro . Groundwater was abont to leave the station , Bro . Schuyler was appointed Master in his stead , but on the 24 th June Bro . Darby was installed in that office , and appointed Bros . Stirling and Maxwell as S . W . and J . W . respectively . As evidence of the prosperous

condition of the Lodge , it is stated that Rs . 2 , 300 were withdrawn from the Poona Pay Office , and deposited with Messrs . Leckie and Co ., Bombay , on the 11 th July of this year . On the 5 th August , a Hall Committee was formed , aud Bro . Darby appointed the first member . About this

time , although many civilians had been initiated in the Lodge , application was made to the P . G . M . of the Coast of Coromandel for a dispensation to initiate individuals generally , whenever Lodge Hope of the Deccan was unable to meet , and on 6 th September a letter was read from the

Prov . G . Treasurer , according the required permission . On 26 th November two natives of Persia applied for initiation , but objections were raised , and they were unanimously rejected . Rs . 100 were voted to " The Institution lately established at this station for the relief of the aged , blind ,

and indigent uatives . " Bro . Cameron was installed W . M . on the 16 th December , and at this meeting it was deemed necessary to appoint four Tylers for the protection of the Masonic Hall and its property . This year , there were eleven initiations , and as many passings ,

twelve raisings , five advanced to the fourth degree , and one joining . Nothing occurred during the first half-year of 1831 , that was worthy of note . On 24 th June , the same officers were retained , but Bro . Cooke became Treasurer and Secretary . At this Lodge Rs . 300 were voted to be

sent to the Rev . T . Carr , Bombay , for charitable purposes , and on 17 th August five rupees were subscribed by each member towards the repairs of the Hall . On 24 th August , Lord George Thynne , an ensign in the 40 th Regiment , was one of the initiates , and on the 25 th October Sergeant

Major Farrell and Quartermaster King were initiated as serving brethren . The whole of the officers were voted to retain their places on the 27 th December , and Rs . 300 voted to the Rev . T . Carr as before , besides Rs . 100 to the Poona Bazaar Institution for the relief of the blind ,

maimed , & c . During this year the Lodge met twenty-six times , and there were twenty-four persons initiated , fourteen passed , ten raised . Seven were advanced to the fourth degree , and ten joined . All this time , however , that is , from November 1823 , the

Lodge had been working without a Grand Lodge Warrant or Certificates . On 1 st August 1830 , Bro . Grafton had gone to England with a commission from the Lodge , and on consulting the Grand Secretary , was surprised to find that no notification of the existence of Orion had reached them ,