Gloucestershire.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

A RARE and brilliant spectacle was witnessed at Gloucester Cathedral on Wednesday , when , by permission of the Dean -Dr . Spence ) , Grand Chaplain of England , the annual festival of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire was held at the historic minster . Bro . C . Lee Williams P . Prov . G . O . gave an organ recital in

the morning , after which the Dean conducted visitors over the Cathedral ; and at two o ' clock the Brethren , representing the various Lodges in the Province , assembled in fche Chapter Room for the transaction of business , under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master Sir M . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., P . S . G . W . of England .

At 2-30 the members ( to the number of about 300 , and in full Masonic regalia ) adjourned in procession to the Cathedral Choir , where Divine service was held , the Dean preaching , and then returned to the Chapter Room . At the close of the business a banquet was served at the Bell Hotel .

The Dean , in the course of his sermon , expressed the opinion that Masons had much to do with the designing and building of the Cathedral , and pointed out how the Order , the cardinal principles of which were its religion , loyalty to the Queen , and

its patriotism , might be a bulwark for the preservation of law and oider in the troublous times which appeared to threaten us . The Provincial Grand Master appointed the following as Officers for the ensuing year : —

Bro . B . V . Vassar-Smith .. . Deputy R . P . Sumner .... Senior Warden Hooper .... . Junior Warden Rev . Lefroy Austin - - - Chaplain Penley Registrar

J . B . Winterbotham - - - Secretary Ll . Evans .... . Assistant Secretary E . Boulton .... . Senior Deacon J . Herbert .... . Junior Deacon C . G . Shephard .... Superintendent of Works

Godsell ..... Director of Ceremonies Woody ..... Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies S . Millard Sword Bearer Grifitts i _ . . _

ymey ... f Standard Bearers Dr . Johnson - - - . Organist Kyle ..... Pursuivant Washbourn - - . - \

Studman -Stewards Col . Atkinson - - - - J W . Window .... Tylor . Bro . Nelson Foster ' s resignation of the Treasurership , which he has held for nine years , was received with regret , and Bro . J . Bruton was appointed in his stead . — " Western Daily Press . "

Guernsey And Alderney.

GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY

THE Annual Meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held on Friday of last week , in the Masonic Temple , Guernsey . Preparations had been previously made by the

Committee for a grand meeting and a dinner afterwards at Bro , J . Gardner ' s Royal Hotel . The Agenda contained , amongst other items of business , the appointment and investiture of Officers .

We noticed the presence of Bro . C . F . Matier Secretary of the Mark Grand Lodge , and another Visitor . It was a disappointment to the Officers to find , when they entered in procession , only about eight Brethren present to receive them . The large number of Past Masters were conspicuous by their

absence , and this must have been somewhat of an " eye-opener " to the Grand Lodge Officers present ; they must now see that a Provincial Grand Lodge does not go down with the elite of the

Craft , aud that the Past Masters were sincere and in earnest when they petitioned against its formation . The whole thing went very fiat , it could not be otherwise , seeing that apart from the Officers there were scarcely half a dozen present .

A curious and perhaps unique incident occurred recently here . The P . G . Master was petitioned for a dispensation to initiate the son ( a Lewis ) of the W . M . of one of the Lodges . This was granted , but when the ballot was taken , the candidate was not accepted . It is said the W . M . ( a P . M . ) , who was

placed in the chair for the express purpose of supporting the Lodge ' s petition against a Provincial Grand Lodge , hadbetween the time of getting the dispensation and the meeting of the Lodge—accepted Provincial honours . Sometimes a straw indicates which way the wind blows .

Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

rT ^ HE installation meeting of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master _ 1 _ Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the Bntish Crown was held on Tucs-day , at

Grand Mark Lodge.

Mark Masons Hall , London , the Eight Hon . the Earl of Euston Pro Grand Master presiding . The preliminary business as set oufc in the Agenda we published last week having beeu disposed of , and the Prince of Wales declared as regularly re-installed as Grand Master , the Earl of Euston announced his re-appointment as Pro Grand

Master , and Viscount Dungarvan as Deputy Grand Master , after which the following were appointed as the Officers for the year : Bro . Earl of Portarlington - - - Senior Warden Victor Cavendish .... Junior Warden Kenneth K . Murchison - - - Master Overseer Morland ..... Senior Overseer

W . P . Morrison .... Junior Overseer So ° v : w : Srer : : : : } <*¦**» Percy Wallis .... Treasurer Frank Richardson .... Registrar

Richard Loveland Loveland - - President General Board 0 . F . Matier .... Secretary Thomas Armstrong - - - 1 Soniol . Deacons Clement Godson , M . D . - - - ) Alex . Stewart Brown - - - ) j unior Deacons Bowles

H . J . .... j Charles H . Driver .... Inspector of Works Dr . Balfour Cockburn ... Director of Ceremonies Sunday " ' . ' . ' . ' . } Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies Captain C . J . Knightloy - - - Sword Bearer 11

w-n ' ^ iT - - - - . Standard Bearers Will E . Chapman - J W . K . Barron .... Organist W . C . Fenn .... Inner Guard

Thomas T . Dawn - - - - Assistant Inner Guard Henry Macfarlane 5 - - - - j Herbert Joseph Row 17 T . B . Murchey 102 ... Tambnrini 104 ... .

Hart 110 John G . Terson 152 ... Charles James 176 - - - - , ( ,. „„„„ , „ Robert Lawson 211 - - - ^ towards Captain J . H . Besley , R . A ., 217 -

Clark 254 John Smith 434 - H . W . Roberts , M . P ., 448 - J . J . Thomas 458 - - - - i Captain George Hearn 464 - - - E . J . Mills Tyler

Grand Mark Lodge was subsequently closed , and the annual banquet followed at the Freemasons' Tavern . In proposing the toast of the Mark Benevolent Fund Bro Baron de Ferrieres referred to the difference existing between the Mark Fund and the Masonic Schools—the former paying for the instruction of children at the localities in which their parents lived , which he thought was most desirable .

It is curious how prone Lodges are to go contrary to Grand Lodge rules , and it is more curious that Brethren who are in all respects loyal in their own personal connection with the Craft eschew the duty of correcting errors in the Lodge . Grand Lodge lays down the rule that the Mark Degree , when conferred on its

Lodges , shall be regarded as a part of St . John ' s Freemasonry , and that , save for a diploma , there shall be no extra charge beyond the initiation fee . Notwithstanding , I found in a Lodge

last week that members wishing the Mark must first pay a florin —not a voluntary contribution , but a charge ! The only reason given for thus disregarding the rule was the feminine one , " jist . " — " The Mallet , " in the " Glasgow Evening News . "

CHARITY LODGE , No . 430 . AT the ordinary meeting of the Lodge , held at the Masonic Hall , Birmingham , on the 5 th inst ., Sir James Sawyer Worshipful Master , on behalf of the Past Masters , Officers and Brethren , presented Bro . Edward Mallard with a handsome oil portrait , by Mr . Vivian Crome , and an illuminated address , which was as follows :

" This is to record that the accompanying portrait was presented by tbe Worshipful Master , Worshipful Past Masters , Officers , and Brethren of the Lodge to the Worshipful Brother Edward Mallard P . M . P . M . 115 , P . C . N . 115 P . Provincial G . W ., the chief founder and first Worshipful Master , in token

of their affectionate fraternal esteem , and in recognition of his great services to Mark Masonry in general and to the Charity Mark Lodge in particular . The address was signed by Sir James Sawyer and the Officers of the Lodgo . The portrait also bore a suitable inscription .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA

THE Province of Somerset has lost another prominent member in Dr . G . E . Alford , who died on the 28 th ult . Our Brother was a Past Master of the St . Kew Lodge , No . 1224 Weston-Suner-Mare . and had held various Offices both in Prov .

G . Lodge and Prov . G . Chapter . At his funeral there were upwards of forty members of the St . Kew Lodge present , va addition to the Dep . Prov . G . M . Bro . E . C . Else , and others .