The Teachers Union At Swansea.

The Worshipful Master feelingly thanked Bro . Hamilton for the gift , and then submitted the toast of the Lodges of the Province . He said they had been honoured with th * presence that evening of the Worshipful Masters of the Glamorgan , Bute , Tennant , Duke of York , and Llangattock Lodges , all of Cardiff ; also of the Loyal Cambrian , Merthyr ; but unfortunately , owing to their having had to leave early to catch their trains , he regretted being unable to couple their names with the toast . It was one which he felt sure

they would receive in a right hearty manner , as to whatever Lodge one might go to throughout this large Province , he was always sure to receive a right hearty welcome , and he did not think a warmer fraternal feeling existed between Lodges in any Province more than in the Eastern Division of South Wales . In the absence of the W . M . of the Talbot Lodge he called upon their esteemed Bro . J . R . Leaver P . M . Treasurer of that Lodge , and Bro . Owen Owen , of the Caradoc Lodge , to respond .

Bro . Leaver returned thanks in a tolling speech , and said how pleased he felt at being able to welcome so many distinguished visitors to Swansea . Bro . Owen Owen also suitably responded , and in the course of his speech said that the remarks of Bro . Councillor Welsh , as to Swansea weather , reminded him of a rhyme reflecting the opinion prevailing outside Swansea with regard to Landore . It ran as follows : —

" A devil once riding through Landore Was asked what he thought of that fine old place of yore : Quoth Satan : ' By the smell and the stink I am not very far from home , I should think ! ' " On the motion of Bro . S . Meech , a cordial vote of thanks was passed to the Worshipful Master , who , in responding , expressed the hope that his successor in office would be Bro . J . T . Davies , their esteemed Assistant Director of Ceremonies .

The Rev . A . A . Matthews also delivered a few remarks , in which he praised the Brotherhood of Freemasonry . A Jewish Brother , head master of a school in London , spoke of the great cordiality which had been extended to him during his visit at Swansea . The Tyler Bro . G . Bullerwell having given the Tyler ' s toast , and the company having drunk the health of Host Fitt , the proceedings were brought to a close . — " Craftsman . "

Colchester Masonic Hall.

COLCHESTER MASONIC HALL .

A VEBY strong Committee has been formed for the purpose J ~\ of providing a suitable Masonic Hall for Colchester , where the want of such a building has long been felt . With this view , the property formerly used as a Savings' Bank , at 3 Church Street North , has been purchased at a cost of £ 750 , and conveyed to Trustees , and Bro . F . Whitmore , Architect , of Chelmsford , has

prepared plans for the adaptation of the premises . The estimated cost of the necessary alterations , additions , and furniture is about £ 1 , 250 , which , added to the purchase money , makes the amount of Capital required not less than £ 2 , 000 . To raise this sum it

has been decided to issue 2 , 000 Debentures of £ 1 each , repayable by drawings as funds allow . The advantage of this mode of raising the money over a mortgage being that the capital will gradually be reduced by repayments ; and that eventually the Hall will be free .

These Debentures are offered to any Member of the Craft ; but a condition will be inserted that should a Debenture Holder wish to realise his holding , it should be first offered to one or other of the Colchester Lodges , or a Member of the same . The Debentures will be secured upon the Hall , which is a valuable

freehold property in the centre of Colchester , and out of the nett profits arising from letting the same one moiety will be set apart annually for the payment of intarest and the remaining moiety for the redemption of Debentures . Bro . T . J . Railing P . M . Sec . 51 Prov . G . Sec . Essex is one of the Secretaries of the Trust .

An Evening In The Grand Lodge Of England.

AN EVENING IN THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

( By one who was there . ) AS the " Grand Lodge above " is the Valhalla of every true Freemason , so is a position in the Grand Lodge of England the highest aspiration o £ every working Mason as a visible recognition of services rendered . Such positions must of necessity come to the few , and there are hundreds of thousands who can never hope to attain them . The latter have to be content with a chance of those few appointments in the hands of the Grand Master of the Province in which they have been working , and happy even if they get

those . But Wednesday evening last will be memorable amongst the Freemasons of North Staffordshire in general , and of Longton in particular , as the . first occasion within living memory , or possibly the records of the past also , in which a North Staffordshire Mason has been honoured by his Royal Highness the Grand Master ( or any of his predecessors ) with such a recognition . I refer to the appointment of Mr . Geo . C Kent , the Town Clerk of Longton , who has by his labours won for himself a-position in Grand Lodge , and who will , I feel assured , worthily sustain the dignity conferred upon him .

To enter Grand Lodge , even as a right , is not by any means easy to accomplish , for there are qualified and unqualified presenting themselves , and the portals are most jealously guarded . However , having stood the test and secured the necessary " open sesame , " I took my place . The Grand Master himself was not present , consequently the duties pertaining to the office were discharged by the Pro Grand Master the Earl of Lathom , dignified , courteous , and respected and beloved by all with whom he

comes in contact . It was his lordship's duty to announce that the Grand Master had been pleased to reappoint him to the position he had previously held , and the popularity of that appointment was , quickly demonstrated by the hearty applause of the Brethren . Others were announced in quick succession , each one receiving a more or less hearty greeting as became his standing in the Craft , and the wide or circumscribed circle of his acquaintances , but when the name of the new Grand Chaplain was announced there

An Evening In The Grand Lodge Of England.

was an outburst almost equal to that accorded to Lord Lathom himself . The one thus honoured was the Very Rev . S . Reynolds Hole , Dean of Rochester , known far and wide , and one of the most popular men of the day . The Masonic clothing may add importance to his figure , but his life will add lustre to the Craft . Another popular appointment was that of Mr . Bancroft , the eminent actor , whose classic features ( if physiognomy is a true index of character ) give a guarantee that the badge he wears will never be disgraced by him .

It was not to be expected that Mr . Kent would receive suoh an ovation as the two last mentioned Brethren , for Provincials do not make the same wide circle of acquaintances as those who are working week by week in London , nevertheless the hearty greeting given him showed that the metropolitan members of the Craft are not slow in acknowledging the worth of those whom it has pleased the Grand Master to honour , and additional pleasure was thereby given to those who were present from our own district .

That the Diamond Jubilee of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , the patron of the Craft , should be characterised by a Masonic function , is only consistent with tradition and custom . Such an event would scarcely be complete without an official recognition by the Brotherhood , and Lord Lathom satisfied those present by announcing that the gathering would take place in the Albert Hall , on tbe 14 th of June . — " Longton Times , " 30 th April 1897 .

Masonic Tutors.

MASONIC TUTORS .

A MONGST curious occupations that of " Masonic tutor" is one but little known to the general body even of the educated public , and yet both in London and the provinces there are many gentlemen who gain a handsome living by it . To understand this occupation rightly , it must be said that many people

who have become Freemasons are so impregnated with enthusiasm in the cause that they aspire to attain high honours as office-bearers and masters in the craft , and to these a masonic tutor—who is thoroughly posted in all the forms and ceremonies of masonry and in its literature and history—is invaluable . Then again , in the case of masons who have all the enthusiasm but little of the time to master the intricacies of the Craft , a ready tutor is of the greatest

convenience . These tutors are , of course , members held in high esteem by their masonic brethren , though frequently they are men whose success in other directions has not been altogether in accordance with their own merits , and , be . ing thorough Masons , they are recommended as tutors .

Some of them have dozens of pupils at a time , and the occupation generally is a somewhat lucrative one , the pupils usually belonging to a class that can afford to pay liberally . All the members of the royal family who are Masons—and very enthusiastic Masons they are—have been coached in the way described . — " Anecdotes . "

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