Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

r | ~! HE Quarterly Communication was held in the Freemasons ' JL Hall , Edinburgh , on Thursday afternoon . Considering the lack of controversial business there was a good attendance . The chair was occupied by the Grand Master Mason Lord Saltoun , and Major F . W . Allan , Glasgow , and the Hon . Charles Maule Eamsay , Brechin Castle , were in their places as Senior and Junior Grand Wardens respectively .

The Grand Master drew attention to the approaching tercentenary banquet of the Lodge of Edinburgh , No . 1 , and said he regretted that the Prince of Wales would not be able to attend it , nor to visit Grand Lodge , owing to business engagements . His Lordship had intimated that he would attend , and he was

sure tbey were all agreeable that the patronage of the Grand Lodge should be given to the entertainment . The Grand Master also intimated that , in answer to his appeal on Sfc . Andrew ' s Day , the Masonic Lodges and bodies of Scotland had contributed £ 300 towards the memorial college at Khartoum , and that he was to forward the sum to Lord Kitchener .

On the motion of Brother Henrv Eoberts , Bridge of Allan , seconded by Brother P . L . Henderson , Master of No . 1 , Edinburgh , ib was remitted fco Grand Committee fco approach fche Eailway Companies in Scotland with a view to the issue of cheap tickets to Masons attending Quarterly Communications . It was mentioned that members might derive benefit from such facilities as are afforded to golfers .

It was reported that the income for the first five months of this year had been £ 3 , 450 , as against £ 3 , 328 for the corresponding period last year—increase , £ 122 . The income for the quarter ending 15 th April had been £ 2 , 129 , and the expenditure £ 1 , 008—excess of income , £ 1 , 121 . During bhe quarter there had been 2 , 200 entrants to the Order . About £ 160 had been given from

tbe fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence in grants to distressed Masons or widows of Masons . Grand Secretary submitted a tabular statement of the number of entrants recorded in fche books of Grand Lodge in each year between 1800 and 1898 , both inclusive , showing a grand total of 259 , 397 , arid 2 , 620 as the average annual registration in these ninety-nine years . The number last year was 7 , 068 , the highest on record .

It was resolved bo issue charters to four new Lodges , at Opbirton , Transvaal ; Germiston , Transvaal ; Invergordon , Boss and Cromarty ; and South Fremantle , Western Australia . The Grand Secretary reported that agreeably to instructions from Grand Committee he had asked Brother the Marquis of Breadalbane to reconsider his decision to retire from the

Provincial Grand Mastership of Perthshire East , but that his Lordship had replied— " I think having served as Provincial Grand Master of Perthshire East for so long I have done very well , and ifc is therefore high time that I should retire in favour of some other Brother . " On the recommendation of Grand

Committee , Grand Lodge accepted his Lordship ' s resignation , and thanked him for bis long and faithful services as Provincial Grand Master . On the unanimous recommendation of the Lodges in the Province , Lieutenant-Colonel John Campbell was appointed in his room .

The Provincial Grand Secretary of the Province of Glasgow City ( Brother G . C . H . MacNaught ) , in name of the Provincial Grand Master , reported , as follows : The annual visitations have been completed to the thirty-seven Lodges forming the Province . In the year reviewed , from the elections of- 1897 till 1898 , the

number of entrants was 1 , 252 , as compared with 1 , 096 in the previous year , being an increase of 156 , and again a record year by the number stated . There are four more Lodges in the Province now than there were ten years ago , but , deducting the number of initiates in these Lodges , ifc is interesting to note that

the others have doubled their work in that period . The highest number initiated in any Lodge was seventy-three ( twice ) , and the lowest six ( thrice ) , the average being 33 31 . The Lodges are all in a healthy condition , and only in one case had an irregularity to be pointed out , which has since been rectified . During the

year 739 regular meetings were held by the various Lodges , and 42 , 879 Brethren signed the sederunt books , being an average of over fifty-eight per meeting . According to the balance-sheets the Lodges have funds to the amount of £ 16 , 770 , not always

including movable property , the average showing over £ 416 for ordinary funds , and £ 62 for benevolent funds . None of the Lod ges meet in licensed premises , or in connection therewith ; on the contrary , they all bave halls specially built or adapted for Masonic purposes .

The following motion , by Brother James Smith , seconded by Brother C . Carthew-Yorstoun , was carried unanimously in Grand Committee : —( 1 ) "That Provincial Grand Masters be " requested to furnish Grand Committee with a list of the Lodges in their

respective Provinces still holding their meetings in licensed premises ; " and ( 2 ) " Eeport if any steps have been taken by these Lodges to give effect fco the recommendation and suggestion on this subject by Grand Lodge , on 6 th November 1890 . " The

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

Visitation Committee reported that the Lodges in the Metropolitan district meet in suitable premises , with the exception of one , which holds its meetings in a licensed hotel . This showed marked progress in the realisation of Grand Committee ' s desire , that Masonic meetings in such places would ere long be entirely discontinued .

Catholics Drifting To Masonry.

CATHOLICS DRIFTING TO MASONRY .

FOE more than a century the ban of the Eoman Catholic Church has been seb upon Freemasonry . No Catholic can be a Mason and remain in fellowship with the Church . Affiliation with the Craft means excommunication . Several times

there have been statements current that , owing fco fche difference in the ethical and active principles guiding Continental and American Masonry , the bars were to be let down here . But these rumours were never well founded .

Now , however , a secret organisation , planned on Masonic lines , with similar distinctive characteristics , is having an amazing success among Catholics . It is called the Knights of Columbus . There are more than twelve thousand members in this cifcy alone ,

mosfc of them having joined within the last two years . Iu the year 1882 the Eev . M . J . McGivney , pastor of the little country church at Thomaston , Conn ., organised the first council of the Knights for the young men , of his flock . These

pioneers never imagined that the society would reach its present proportions . They laid'down an elaborate ritual , after a Masonic pattern , eliminating , of course , whatever in it and its other constitutional rules had received ecclesiastical disapproval .

When Cardinal Satolli came here as the Pope ' s Delegate this ritual was submitted to him for inspection -and approval . In a letter to the Supreme Knight he gave ib his sanction and added : — ' " We also wish to express our great pleasure , after learning the merits of this great Catholic organisation , that in the present

active period of social and fraternal alliance in America there exists a society of practical Catholics which offers them the best advantages of insurance , benevolence and fraternity proffered by the most popular secular societies without any of the disadvantages of prohibited companionship . "

This ritual establishes two kinds of membership , insurance and associate , both of equal grade in Knighthood . There are grips , passwords , initiations and all the other occult and mystic paraphernalia so dear to the male biped , who is , as the great philosopher tells us , ever " pleased with a rattle and tickled wifch a straw . "

Three degrees are conferred—first , minor and major . The Grand Knight , from whom I rccaived my information , solemnly assured me that " the larger part of the singular development and accompanying success of the Knights of Columbus is due to the beauty of our ritual and the attractiveness of our degree work . Each step inculcates a moral or impresses on the candidate some ennobling principle bearing ou faith or charity or goodwill . "

The policy of the order is " the evolution of the Catholic gentleman in fraternity ; " its aim , " the promotion of good fellowship among the Catholic people of the country . " The councils are grouped in districts and these by States . The officers of a council are the Grand Knighb , a Deputy ,

Chancellor , Lecturer . . Eecording Secretary , Financial Secretary , Treasurer , Advocate , Inner and Outer Guard , Warden , Chaplain and five Trustees . Each State has a State Delegate , who administers its general affairs , assisted by a staff made up of a Treasurer , Secretary , Advocate , Warden and Chaplain . There are similar officials to aid bhe Supreme Grand Knight in the conduct of the

National Council . The Supreme Knight receives a salary of 1 , 000 dols . a year , the National Secretary 1 , 500 dols ., and the Treasurer 500 dols . The headquarters are located at New Haven , Conn . The social and intellectual standards of membership have been of the best . It is now thoroughly representative . Many priests have also joined the society . A National Convention was recently held and officers elected .

For several years after its organisation the Knights were confined to the small towns of Connecticut . Then Ehode Island

followed , with Massachusetts next . In 1892 Maine and New Hampshire affiliated , and three years later New York and New Jersey were added to the list . Since then , especially in the last two years , the increase in membership has been astounding . At the National Convention just held the membership was reported fco be 43 , 000 . This was a net gain of eighty-seven councils in 1898 and of 14 , 903 members .

Besides the usual routine business the most important detail of fche National Convention was the donation of 50 , 000 dollars for the endowment of a chair of history at the Catholic University at Washington , D . G ., and the consideration of a plan to collect from the members 11 , 000 dollars to complete the building fund of 25 , 000 dols . necessary for the Catholic chapel afc fche West Point Military Academy . — " New York Herald . "