Reports Of Meetings.

DERBY ALLCROFT LODGE , No . 2168 . AT the Midland Grand Hotel , Euston Boad , on Wednesday , Brother W , . Laurenoe W . M .. 2168 P . M . W . M ., J . F . Croager S . W .. A . Ingram J . W ., W . Macfcie S . T > ., J . D . Hood J . D ., M . J . Thompson I . G ., J . , W . Dixon P . M . 27 and . 2168 Sec , R . Paul , W . Preston , F . A . Baldwin , R . D . Cummings , J . Wynman ( FBE ' EMASON ' S / CHBONIOLE ) , and others .

Bro . Laurence rehearsed the ceremony of raising , Brother Dixon P . M . candidate . Afterwards the W . M . rehearsed the ceremony of passing , Bro . Preston candidate . Both ceremonies , with the able assistance of the Officers , were admirably rendered . Bro . Croager was unanimously eleoted ^ W . M . for next Wednesday .

PROVINCIAL .

LODGE OF INTEGRITY , No . 163 . THE regular meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Manchester , on Wednesday , the 26 th ult ., Bro . S . Gaskilli W . M . There was an attendance of about forty , among whom we noticed Bros . B . Alf . Hepworth I . P . M ., J . M . H . Blarney P . M ., John E . Williams P . M . P . G . D . D . C ., T . H .

Scholfield P . M ., J . Wildgoose P . M . P . P . J . G . D ., Donald Macpherson P . M ., Herbert A . Owles S . W :, Fred Walmsley J . W ., J : M . Sinclair P . M . P . P . J . G . D . Treas ., J . E . Mead Secretary , H . B . Yates . S . D ., J . H . Studd J . D ., William Morton V . G . ; Past Masters : —John Studd P . A . G . D . C ., H . H . Warburton E . P . SIG : D ., B . L . McMillan 678 , B . Williams , E . Webb 1134 , Edwd . Boberts 1459 ; Bros . H . E . Massie , Joseph Grime and J . C . Grime .

Visitors : '—Bro . Jho . B . Huddlestone S . D . 1061 , Ashton Whitworth 1534 , O . Ei Whittaker 2185 , W . Farrar 2491 . Three initiations had been' announced on the summons , but , owing to illness , one candidate did not put in- an appearance . The others , however ,

Messrs . Benjamin Wilmot , Beddish , and Francis Simpson , Gorton , Bailway Officials of the M .. S . and L . Bailway , duly made their advent into Freemasonry under the efficient guidance of the W . M . and Bro . Maopherson , who performed the respective ceremonies .

At the festive board LoyUl and Masonic'toasts were lightened by songs and recitations , given by Bros . Blarney , Owles , Morton , Boberts , B . W . Nuttall , and Bobt : Race . We may say in ; passing that it is a long time since Brother Blarney favoured : the ; Integrity members with so fine an exhibition of his elocutionary powers .

LOVE AND HONOUR LODGE , No ; 285 . AT the Masonic Hall , Shepton Mallet , on Wednesday , 19 th ult ., Bro . B . O . Else P . G . D . Deputy Prov . GiMaster installed Bro . Bobert Norton as W . M .

ROYAL YORK LODGE , No . 315 . THE installation meeting was held at the Boyal Pavillion , Brighton , on Tuesday , 3 rd inst ., when Brother T . H . Challis was installed W . M . for the year ; the ceremony being ablyperformed by the retiring W . M . Bro . B . W . Drury who was presented with a Past Master ' s gold jeweiin appreciation of the admirable manner in which he had carried out his duties during the past year .

VIRTUE AND SILENCE LODGE , No . 332 . THE annual installation meeting took place at Hadleigh , on Wednesday , 26 th ult .,. when Brother G . Stephenson was for the second year in succession installed W . M .

WELLINGTON LODGE , No . 341 . THE installation meeting was held on Wednesday , 26 th ult ., at the Lodge Boom , George Hotel , Bye . Bro . W . A . Waters the retiring W . M . was unable to attend , through illness , and in his absence Brother Bushby P . M . conducted the proceedings . The Vicar of Bye ( Bro . the Bev . A . J . W . Crosse ) was installed as W . M . for the year by Bro . William Dawes P . P . S . W ., assisted by Bro . Jenkins P . M .

FORESTERS LODGE , No . 456 . THE Festival of St . John the Evangelist and the installation of Bro . H . Orton Goodwin as Worshipful Master for the ensuing year took place at the Town Hall , Uttoxeter , on Thursday , 27 th ult . The warrant of the Foresters' Lodge dates from 1838 . It takes sixth place in , point of seniority among the thirty-two Lodges in the Province of

Staffordshire . It has had its vicissitudes , and in the early seventies was only kept going by the devotion to Masonic principles of the late Bros . Cooper and Wagstaff , who made personal sacrifices in order that the warrant might not be lost . For a number of years past it has been on a good footing , and at the present time its personnel is influential , reputable , and representative , says the " Staffordshire Advertiser . "

Lodge was opened by the retiring Worshipful Master Bro . Eichard T . A . Hardy . The Worshipful Master-elect Bro . H . Orton Goodwin was installed by the retiring W . M-., and invested his Officers for the year . As a point of special interest in connection with the proceedings , it may

be mentioned that the minutes of the previous Lodge recorded that Bro . W . Blair read a paper on Freemasonry , in which he dealt with the early history of the Craft . He stated that Masonic Lodges were held in Staffordshire as far back as 1686 , that the office of P . G . M . was instituted in 1726 , and that the first P . G . M . of Staffordshire the Hon . and Bev . Francis Henry Egerton was appointed in 1819 .

Bro ., Payne Hall mentioned the interesting fact that he had obtained possession of the certificate of the late Bro . Fradgley , who was the first member initiated after the consecration of the Foresters Lodge in 1838 , and

that as a memento of Bro . Fradgley ' s services it would be framed and hung in the Lodge Boom . Bro . Fradgley , who died about ten years ago , at an advanced age , was an architect by profession , ana was the designer of the Town Hall , Uttoxeter , and Dove Bridge , Bocester . The latter , under his

Reports Of Meetings.

auspices , was opened with Masonic ceremony , the Brethren proceeding by boat ( the canal , which was shortly afterwards superseded by the North Staffordshire Railway , being then in existence ) from Uttoxeter to Bocester . After the banquet Bro . Greatbatch , who was called upon / to respond for the Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge Present and Past , said he had seen a

good deal of the Earl of Dartmouth P . G . M ., and his Deputy Colonel Bindley , and knew full well that both of them had the interests of Masonry at heart , and were desirous of seeing the Province prosper , not only in numbers , but in quality . Referring to the forthcoming meeting of the P . G . Lodge to be held at Hanley , on the 13 th May , he sail it was a good many years since

P . G . Lodge was held in the north of the county , and it was certain that there would be a very large muster . He impressed on Secretaries the necessity of letting the Stewards know the numbers from the respective Lodges who would be present at the banquet , at which an attendance of between 200 and 300 was expected , so that adequate arrangements might be made .

Bro . Dr . Greenslade proposed the Masonic Charities , referring to the large contributions sent from this Province to the charities connected with the Order . Bro . Greatbatch , who was also called upon to respond to t . his toast , directed attention to the Masonic festival which it is proposed to hold at

Trentham , in the summer , m aid of the " B fund of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association , which this year completes the twenty-fifth year of its existence . It is proposed to provide a largely increased fund for benevolent purposes in connection with the Province , on lines which have been adopted

in Lancashire , which has an invested fund of upwards of £ 20 , 000 , and Cheshire , which has some thousands invested for the benefit of a local scheme . He urged that it was for tho younger Masons to take the initiative in this further development of the work of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association . It was a work which would carry with it its own reward .

YARBOROUGH LODGE , No . 551 . BRO . W . D . BIDGOOD was installed Worshipful Master on Tuesday , 18 th ult ., at the Masonic Hall , Ventnor , the ceremony being performed by Bro . Woodman I . P . M . and Bro . Scott P . P . G . D . A goodly number of

members were present . The annual banquet was afterwards held at the Royal Hotel , the new Worshipful Master presiding ; visiting Brethren from Ryde , Newport , and Shanklin being present .

ST . DAVID LODGE , No . 679 . ON Monday , 2 nd inst ., the annual meeting was held , and as the esteemed High Constable of Miskin Higher , Bro . Lewis N . Williams , Caecoed , was to be promoted to the rank of Worshipful Master , considerable interest

was taken in the proceedings . The members assembled at the St . David ' s Hall , Aberdare , when the ceremony was performed by Bro . E . M . Hann P . M ., after which the newly-appointed W . M . appointed his Officers for the forthcoming year .

PHCENIX LODGE , No . 904 . THE annual meeting took place in St . George ' s Hall , Rotherham , on Thursday , 27 th ult ., when Bro . Daniel Pagett was installed as Worshipful Master , Bro . Gibbs P . P . G . Treasurer being the Installing Officer .

PHILANTHROPY LODGE , No . 940 . THE annual festival was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Stockton , on the 20 th ult ., when Brother Bichard Tinkler J . W . was installed in the chair of K . S . by Bro . William Hodgson P . J . G . D . the retiring Worshipful Master .

ST . ALBAN LODGE , No . 1294 . THE annual installation took place at the Boyal Hotel , Grimsby , on the 19 th ult ., Bro . Charles A . Guy being installed into the chair ; During the evening the Master , on behalf of the Lodge , presented Bro . Anderson Bates ( one of the founders of the Lodge ) with a Founders' jewel , in recognition of his services to the Lodge and to Freemasonry , and in token of their esteem .

TALBOT LODGE , No . 1323 . THE annual meeting was held on the 20 th ult ., at Swansea , when Bro . A . P . Steeds I . P . M . installed Bro . Glendenning Moxham as W . M .

VICTORIA LODGE , No . 1345 . THE annual meeting and festival of St . John was held at the Masonic Booms , Cross Keys , Eccles , on the 20 th ult ., Bro . W . H . Jackson J . W . being installed by Bro . W . Pearson P . M .

A banquet was held after the business was concluded , presided over by the newly installed Master , who proposed the Loyal and Masonic toasts , including that of the retiring Master Bro . Ambler , to whom a Past Master ' s jewel was presented as a souvenir of his year of office .

CONCORD LODGE , No . 1534 . THE regular meeting was held at Chester Bank , Prestwich , on Thursday , the 20 th ult ., Bro . Edwin S . Done W . M . There was a good attendance of members and visitors .

The principal business was the raising to the sublime degree of M . M . of Bro . J . D . Bamage , the ceremony being undertaken by Bro . Wm . B . Midgley I . P . M ., who also delivered the historical charge , the working tools being presented and explained by Bro . H . B . Fawssett J . W .

At the festive board Bro . Bamage , in reply to the toast of his health , proposed by Bro . B . Hothersall P . M . P . P . G . D . C , said he had just passed through so imposing and telling a ceremony that all his energies had been

concentrated in it , and there was little left for him by way of speech . It had fascinated him so much that he should never forget it ; no religious ceremony which he had heard was calculated to impress so seriously . There was , indeed , so much in it , that if one only attempted to act up to a , fourth part ,