Bricks Without Straw. '

to have tho opportunity of attending to them in due time , with , let us hope , results satisfactory alike to ourselves as well as to those for whom we endeavour to cater .

Province Of Ayrshire.

PROVINCE OF AYRSHIRE .

THE quarterly meeting of tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire was held on Tuesday , tho 4 th inst ., in the meeting-place of the St . Marnock Lodge , No . 109 . The attendance was not in proportion to tho nnmber of Lodges in the Province , bnt of the fonr meetings in the

year that held in August is proverbially the smallest . Tho brethren present numbered about 30 , and included Bros , the Hon . Thomas Cochrane R . W . Provincial Grand Master , presiding , Hugh B . Wallace D . P . G . M ., M . Arthur

S . P . G . M ., David Sneddon P . G . Secretary , M'Cosh P . G .

Treasurer , T . Davies Acting P . G . S . W ., A . Barr 506 Acting P . G . J . W ., J . W . Wallace Prov . G . Jeweller , A . M'Fadden P . G . D . of 0 ., J . M'Glashan P . G . Marshal , A . C . Harrison P . G . Standard Bearer , & o . Tho Lodge having been opened , the minutes of the last quarterly

meeting , held in Ayr on 5 th May were approved . The P . G . Secretary then read a very able and exhaustive report of tho doings of a Committee appointed to investigate complaints made to Provincial Grand Lodge by Brother M . M'B . Thomson against the Master and members of

Lodge St . James , Newton-on-Ayr , No . 125 . The report , which exonerated tho Lodge , but recommended a closer adherence to Grand Lodge Laws , was approved , and the Committee complimented on tho minute manner in which they had conducted the inqniry .

The Bye-Laws Committee having reported its approval of the bye-laws of Lodges St . Marnock , No . 109 ; St . John R . A ., Saltcoats and Ardrossan , No . 320 ; and St . John ' s Catrine , No . 497 , they were sanctioned b y the Lodge . The minutes of the proceedings at Ayr on the occasion of the

unveiling of the Burns statue by the M . W . Grand Master were also read and confirmed . It was reported by the P . G . Secretary that the Provincial Grand Lod ge now

possessed a complete set of jewels and clothing , and a complete set of working tools , all of which were in use at tho ceremony in Ayr on 8 th Juno . Iu reply to an inquiry from a brother , the P . G . Treasurer read the nnmes of the

Lodges for which the Provincial dues had been paid , and an appeal was made to those Lodges still in arrear to make paymont as early as possible . The report of the income and expenditure of the Ayrshire stall at tho Grand Masonio Bazaar in Edinburgh was submittod by the

P . G . Master . Tho report bore evidence of being very carefully drawn up , and showed a total income of cash from 18 of the 37 active Lodges in the Province of £ 302 2 s ; Lady Gertrude Cochrane and Mrs . Wallace of Clohcaird collected in cash £ 231 8 s 6 d ; Mrs . Arthur £ 170 10 s 9 d ; and there

was drawn in Bales at the bazaar daring the five days , £ 492 12 s lid , besides a revenue from the sale of raffle tickets , & c . The expenses , including £ 158 spent in the purchase of goods for the stall , amounted to something like £ 188 , and the total sum handed over to the Bazaar

Treasurer in Edinburgh amounted to within £ 4 of £ 1 , 100 . The total value of the goods contributed from the various Lodges , & c , for the Ayrshire stall was stated at £ 254 ; and goods valued at £ 70 waa handed over to the Supplementary Bazaar held in Glasgow . Bro . Davies R . W . M .

549 gave notice that at the next quarterly meeting he would move that this Provincial Grand Lodge recommend the Grand Lodge to raise the minimum initiation fee to £ 2 2 s . Bro . Porteous gave notice of motion , " That the bye-laws of Provincial Grand Lodge be remitted to Byelaws Committee for revision . " Bro . Davies 549 asked

information regarding a sum of money left by Bro . Col . Muir for the good of Masons' sons in Ayrshire over twenty years ago . The P . G . Treasurer informed the Lodge that the money had been lying since that time in the

Kilwinning Bank , and he understood it now amounted to over £ 300 . The P . G . Secretary and Treasurer were instructed to inquire into the conditions under which the fund was left , and report at next meeting . There being no further business , the Lodge was closed .

St. Andrew's Chapter, No. 110 (S.C.)

ST . ANDREW'S CHAPTER , No . 110 ( S . C . )

THE uBnal instruction meeting of this Chapter was held in Freemasons' Hall , Inverness , on the 28 th alt . Companion Francis

St. Andrew's Chapter, No. 110 (S.C.)

Squair Z . presided , and waa supported by John Cameron H *> James Austin J ., and Companions Falconer and Mackenzie Past Z . ' s , and others . A short course of instruction was crone through in the

Royal Aroh degree . Thereafter Bro . Jacobs , Master Mason of Lodge Wahab , No . 988 , and Mark Master of Lodge Wahab , No . 201 , Sialkote , East India , was duly admitted to the Chapter , and received the degrees of Excellent Master and Royal Aroh Mason .

No Pun In Masonry.

NO PUN IN MASONRY .

HOW true it is that many join onr Order for the sake of the banquets , suppers , & c . Tho following paragraph bearing upon this subject is going the round of our American Masonio contemporaries : — " Bro . Smirky has been a Mason for two years , but he is now Been so nnfroquently at tho Lodge , and takes so little interest in the Craft , that we have some doubts as to whether he remembers why he was made a Mason . On asking him this question ,

however , we find he knows right well , and he feels sore over the knowledge . He shall speak for himself : — "I joined the Masons , because I imagined they were a lot of ' hail fellows well met , ' always ready for a jollification , conferring tho degrees more for their own sport than for the edification of the initiated , and never dosing a meeting without a banquet . I soon

found out , however , how awfully I was mistaken . I never saw a more solemn set of fellows , and wonld as soon go to a ohurch as to a Lodge . I waa made a Mason for fan , and there is no fun in Masonry—to speak of . " Of a truth , there is no fun in Masonry ! It is a most solemn undertaking ' . The Lodge is a place were true friendship is

cemented—not where members are merely " hail fellows well met , always ready for a jollifioation , mere boon companions . Those roquiring suoh companions must go to taverns and bar-rooms . A Mason enjoys himself more pleasantly and more profitably . Bnt yet , with all that , we fear there are many Brother Smirkies in onr ranks . Better for themselves—far better for ns had they never joined

us , that they had sought their fnn and jollifioation elsewhere . What wero the members of their Lodge doing when they admitted them P What examinations were made into their characters and habits of life when they songht admission ? Is it possible , too , that snoh brethren as these are so callous and hard hearted , that the beautiful and edifying lessons and oeremonials of Masonry made no impression

upon them ? Alas . ' alas . ' that such things should be . flow necessary it is for us to guard well onr portals lest we bring disgrace npon ourselves and the Craft . Let as take a warning , then , from the above and mend our ways . If , in spito of duo euro , snoh an one should bo initiated , the other two degrees should be denied him . Degrees in Masonry

are not conferred as a right , but as a reward of merit and ability . What evil is there , then , in conferring three degrees in one night without any instruction ? What need of a time of probation . In all trades and professions a young man has to undergo snoh a probation . Why , then , should be be hastily pitchforked into Masonry , when , with more careful preparation and instruction , he might have given

promise of turning out a bright and shining light ? Again , too , these brother Smirkies , who say , " they would as soon go to a ohuroh as a Lodge , " would keep aloof from both—the fear of God is not iu them . Mon snch as these are scoffers at holy things . From their ranks come the profane swearers , drunkards , and the like . These are not tho material out of which to fashion God-fearing , lBW-abiding , Masons . Truly , there is no fun iu Masonry . —Scottish , Freemason .

On Tuesday , the 11 th of August , the Prov . G . M . has decided that the new Masonic Hall at Paignton shall bo consecrated , and the following day ( Wednesday ) the Grand

Superintendent of Devon will consecrate a new Royal Arch Chapter at tho Freemasons' Hall , Plymouth , to be called the " Unity" Chapter , and attached to the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1247 .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire will be held at Blackpool , on Wednesday , 28 th October next . A very large attendance of Masons is anticipated , and the festivities in connection therewith will probably include a banquet and a ball .

The annual meeting of the Herefordshire Masonic Charity Association was held at the Green Dragon Hotel , on Wednesday , the 29 th ult ., under tho presidency of Bro . J . S . Norton . The annual report stated that since August 1878 , when the association was formed ,

it had remitted to the Masonic Institutions £ 740 5 s . A . ballot was taken , and resulted in the following Life-Memberships in the Masonic Institutions , viz .: —Brothers J . Barnes , B . Culluick , J . S . Norton , E . V . Gunnoll , I . Meredith , T . G . Chance of the Arrow Lodge , Kington .

Ar00205

IMPORTANT NOTICE . —Confidential Advice free per post to all in weak and failing health , with loss of strength and vitality . Fifty years experience in Nervous Ailments . Address , the Secretary , 3 Fitzallan Square . Sheffield . Form of Correspondence Free . Write to-dav . CO years experience , All diseases arising from impurity of the blood absolutely cured .