Rahere Lodge.

RAHERE LODGE .

THE Prince of Wales Most Worshipful Grand Master of England and President of St . Bartholomew ' s Hospital attended on Saturday the Consecration of the Rahere Lodge , No . 2546 , in the great hall of the hospital . A large and brilliant comnany assembled .

The Prince of Wales was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Denmark Grand Master of that country and the Earl of Lathom Pro Grand Master , who had undertaken to act as Consecrating Officer , while among the many Present and Past Grand Officers in the hall were Lord Roberts Grand Senior Warden , Viscount

Dungarvan Provincial Grand Master of Somerset , Lord Skelmersdale Past Grand Warden , Colonel Le Gendre Starkie Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire , General Laurie Past Grand Warden , the Dean of Gloucester Grand Chaplain , W . M . Stiles Grand Treasurer , Rev . Cooper-Smith , D . D ., Past Grand Chaplain ,

P . Waterlow Past Grand Deacon , Lennox Browne Past Grand Director of Ceremonies , R . Loveland Loveland President of the Board of General Purposes , R . Horton Smith , Q . C , H . F . Frost Grand Organist , E . Cutler , Q . C , Past Grand Organist , Dr . Balfour Cockburn Provincial Grand Master of Guernsey and

Alderney , Dr . Hugh Mackintosh , and E . Letchworth Grand Secretary . There was also a large attendance of other Brethren . Shortly before the arrival of the two Grand Masters the Brethren had all assembled in due order , and the Lodge was opened by the Grand Secretary . When their Royal Highnesses

reached the hall they were received in Masonic fashion , and , together with the Grand Officers , walked in procession through the hall to the dais , where they took their seats . The Earl of Lathom occupied the Consecrating Officer ' s chair , having the Prince of Wales and the Crown Prince of Denmark on his right .

Lord Roberts the Grand Senior Warden was appointed by the Pro Grand Master Senior Warden for the purposes of the consecrating ceremony ; Lord Skelmersdale was placed in the Junior Warden ' s chair ; and Bro . Frank Richardson was made Director of Ceremonies , the Dean of Gloucester Chaplain , and Bro . P . H . Waterlow Inner Guard .

The salute due to the Grand Master was accorded to his Royal Highness ; and the Crown Prince of Denmark being also a Grand Master , it was repeated in his honour . The Earl of Lathom then proceeded with the Consecration .

He remarked that the Lodge had been very properly named after the founder of the great hospital in which they were met , and he wished it every success . They were all glad and thankful , he added , that the Prince of Wales was able to be present on the occasion .

After the usual prayers and anthems , the oration was delivered by the Dean of Gloucester . It traced the history of St . Bartholomew ' s Hospital from the beginning . Seven and a half centuries ago , he said , Rahere , the Royal Minstrel , was lying sick unto death , when in a vision of the night a man of unearthly

beauty stood before him and said , " Rahere , if thou wilt found a hospital in Smithfield , by London , I will help thee . " Rahere was not disobedient to the heavenly vision . He devoted his life to the erection of that stately old church they knew so well , close to which he also established the hospital itself . Hundreds

of years had passed away since then , but the hospital was still there , doing its good work , and the church and hospital remained close together . The house of Rahere , however , had grown splendidly . It was alleviating sorrow and sickness to an extent which was well known , and was perhaps the foremost of our

English hospitals . It was a fitting thing that a Masonic Lodge should be established in connexion with the house of the Minstrel of Henry Beauclerc , who saw and approved of Rahere ' s first design , and it was fitting , too , that the descendant of Henry Beauclerc should give his sanction to the greatest outcome of

Rahere ' s work . Masonry had a great future before it . Men said that dark days and bitter strife were in store for this England of ours . If ever dark days came , what a mighty bulwark would the Masons of England be ! Every district in England had a Masonic Lodge , the area of whose influence for purity , morality , and

goodness must broaden . Let them live up to that high teaching they knew so well , and , as best they could , act up to tbat Masonic ideal , self-sacrifice to others , loyalty to Qneen , and patriotism to country ; and , above all , maintain that pure and simple religion which their forefathers taught them , and which made England free and great and strong .

The remaining portion of the ceremony was then proceeded with , the anthems being well rendered under the direction of Bro . E . Cutler , Q . C , Past Grand Organist . The Prince of Wales having himself constituted the Lodge with the usual formalities ,

the Grand Secretary installed Dr . Clement Godson Past Grand Deacon as the first Master . In his turn the Worshipful Master appointed as his principal Officers Dr . Thomas Trollope , of Hastings , Past Grand Deacon to act as Immediate Past Master ; Bro . A . Cooper , F . R . C . S ., Past Grand Deacon as Senior Warden ; Bro . W . J . Walsham . F . R . C . S .. as Junior Warden : and Bro . T .

Rahere Lodge.

G . A . Burns as Secretary . After the appointment of the other Officers the Prince of Wales , on the motion of the Worshipful Master , was invited by acclamation to become the first honorary member of the Lodge . The proceedings were then brought to a close , and the Worshipful Master received the congratulations of the Prince of Wales and the Crown Prince of Denmark .

Their Royal Highnesses were warmly cheered by the Brethren as they left the hall , and by a large number of people , including many members of the staff of the hospital , who had assembled in the hospital square , as they drove away to Marlborough House . The staff corps of the hospital furnished a guard of honour .

A banquet followed at the Albion , Aldersgate Street , at which there were present , among others , in addition to most of those mentioned above , Brothers the Earl of Euston , General John

Corson Smith Past Grand Master of Illinois , Rev . G . J . Martyn Past Grand Chaplain , Sir Somers Vine Past Grand Deacon , Alderman Vaughan Morgan , Colonel Lockwood , M . P ., and other Brethren , numbering in all 150 .

The Worshipful Master gave the toasts of the Queen and the Craft , and the Most Worshipful Grand Master the Prince of Wales , remarking upon the interest which the Prince took in their profession . Accompanied by the Princess , their Grand Master visited the hospital in a quiet way on the previous day ,

and they all heartily thanked him for being present at the Consecration of the Lodge . Then he would remind them that on Friday last the Princess was at St . Mary ' s Hospital , and that the Prince would in a few days visit the Royal Medical Benevolent Institution at Epsom .

In reply to the toast of his health as Pro Grand Master Lord Lathom said they all thought with gratitude of the presence of the Prince of Wales in the great hall . It was the second occasion on which the Prince had been present at a Consecration , the first being the occasion of the Consecration of the Chancery

Bar Lodge . Both Lodges were professional Lodges , and he thought it an admirable thing that professional Lodges should exist , because they brought into the ranks of Masonry a number of men who might not otherwise join them , and promoted mutual good fellowship . He wished every success to the Rahere Lodge ,

and proposed the health of the Worshipful Master , who , in responding , said that after a long service on the medical staff and as a member of the governing body of the hospital , he was proud fco occupy the position of first Master of the Lodge . Other toasts followed . — " Times . "

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GAIETY RESTAURANT , STEM ^ IXJD . LUNCHEONS ( HOT and COLD)—At Popular Prices , in BUFFET and RESTAURANT ( on lst floor ) . Also Chops , Steaks , Joints , Entrees , & c , in the GRILL ROOM . AFTERNOON TEAConsisting of Tea or Coffee , Cut Bread and Butter , Jam , Cake , Pastry , ad lib , at 1 / - per head ; served from 4 till 6 in RESTAURANT ( lst floor ) . DINNERS IN RESTAURANTFrom 5-30 till 9 at Fixed Prices ( 3 / 6 and 5 / - ) and a la Carte . In this room the VIENNESE BAND performs from 6 till 8 . Smoking after 7-45 . AMERICAN BAR . THE GRILL ROOM is open till Midnight . PEWATE DIHIHG E 00 MS P 0 E LAEGE AUD SMALL PAETTES .