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Article VEXED QUESTIONS. Page 1 of 2 Article VEXED QUESTIONS. Page 1 of 2 →
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Vexed Questions.
VEXED QUESTIONS .
IT is quite clear that the question as to the status of a Past Masfer who becomes a joining member of a Lodge separated from his Masonic birthplace and the scene of his labours and honours is a long way from being settled . At the special meeting of Grand Lodge on the 8 th
ultimo the Provincial brethren bad it all their own way . They had been challenged , and they took np tbe gage of battle ; they had been placed in a hostile position , and they fonght and -won . Through the unwisdom of a contemporary a question , difficult of itself to
determine , has resolved itself into a heated contention . Hard words break no bones , but they exasperate to resistance , and not nnfrequently prevent matters being clearly understood and dealt with . This is preciselythe case in the
instance now before us . By pooh poohing the Provincial brethren , by attributing selfish motives to them , by using the language of ridicule against them , they have been aroused to a passionate defence of their views , and to a condition of mind that is not calculated to secure sound
legislation on a troublesome matter . It is unwise to threaten men who claim equal authority with their opponents , and it is the height of imprudence to endeavour to set one section of the brotherhood by tbe ears with another . Owing to the absence of members of the London Lodges
in August , and to the large muster of the Provincial brethren , who refused to be dragooned into compliance with the dictation of any one man or clique of men , the motion was carried which places joining Past Masters in the position of Past Masters of the Lodges they join ,
ranking next after the I . P . M . and the W . M . in the chair . The whole question had been fully mooted , and it was not the fault of the Provincial brethren that it was brought on at a time when their London brethren were likely to be out of town . The absence of the latter , although natural , was
not to operate to the exclusion of business . Besides , there was the invitation to the Metropolitan members to resist the contemplated change , and the Provinces replied by a strong muster , armed with unity of purpose and the determination to settle the question . They did their duty , and
although we think their action unwise , and likely to be hurtful , we honour their pluck and perseverance , and are disposed to deal lightly with the excrescences that are hidden , but which are nevertheless working mischief . Their temper has been soured ; this time alone can correct .
The meeting of Grand Lodge , on Wednesday night , was presided over by Bro . Gen . J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Master of Surrey . There was a large gathering of the brethren , brought together no donbt to vote upon the status question . Bro . Matthews , P . M . 109
aud 143 , in a temperate speech , moved— " That in order to afford the Craft sufficient time for due consideration of the amendments in the proposed Revise of the Book of Constitutions , as carried at the Special Grand Lodges of 29 th June and 8 th Augustand the proceedings of which
, Special Grand Lodges conld only be issued a few days before the meeting of this Grand Lodge , resolved that the confirmation of the minutes of such Special Grand Lodges
be postponed until the Quarterly Communication in December next . " Bro . Matthews alluded to the brethren in the Colonies under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , and pointed out that it would be impossible for
Vexed Questions.
them to know anything officially about the great change thafc had been made in the Rules , ancl that unless delay were granted they would be entirely shut out from expressing an opinion upon a matter in which they were equally , and perhaps more , interested than the brethren at home . This
argument was unanswerable , but it was met with loud cries of " No , no , " and evidently there was a disposition to carry matters with a high hand . Tho friends of delay united with the opponents of the change , and carried Bro . Matthews' motion , and so the matter rests until December .
The question has assumed several different aspects , and they may be summarised as follows : —The Conservative members of the Craft , men of experience , of knowledge , and of honour , contend for things as they were . In this they are unwise . They are too slow in recognising new claims
and wants , not because they desire to encourage abuses or to perpetuate inequalities ; but because they know what evils they have to bear , and hesitate to fly to those they
know not of . Old form prosperity to them is too great a reality to be lightly jeopardised , hence their jealousy of innovations ; and hence , it may also be stated , their somewhat narrow view of matters . In contradistinction to this
class there are the extreme men , who would cast aside the traditions and customs of the past and thrust upon a Lodge two extreme courses—either to ^ refuse admission to a would-be joining P . M ., or to give him all the honours earned by a Pasfc Master of their own Lodge without doing
one bit of labour in the Lodge . They would assign him a fixed position in the Lodge of his adoption , and although this arrangement would do no injustice to those who had already obtained , or were on the eve of obtaining rank as Past Masters , it would necessarily jar upon tho Wardens ,
especially to find an elected Past Master ranking before them . Another section of Grand Lodge favour the views of Bro . the Rev . John Studholme Brownrigg P . G . C , who proposed , at the Special Grand Lodge held in August , that a Past Master joining another Lodge should hold bis title
as a P . M . of that Lodge , but shonld always rank after the I . P . M ., so that a W . M . of a Lodge would immediately upon becoming I . P . M . take his rank just in front of the joining Past Master or Masters , as the caso- might be . This proposition was rejected , a very unwise act on the part of
the Provincial brethren , for it seems to indicate that they are not satisfied with a joining Past Master retaining his position , but demand to define the order of his rank . Possibly these two sections may combine in December , and , if so , they will stand a very fair chance of carrying their
point ; that is if the hard-heads yield to the compromisers . There are others again in Grand Lodge who believe ifc would be wise to make legal what has now only the sanction of partial custom . Bro . Havers very pertinently drew attention to the fact , at fche August meeting , that he had
known instances in which private Lodges had voluntarily assigned rank to joining Past Masters . Bro . Macintyre , Grand Registrar , confirmed this experience , but he declined to give an opinion upon the legality of the custom . He asserted that there was no written law either for or against .
All , therefore , that need to be clone is to make the custom legal , leaving the right of bestowing rank upon joining members to the Lodge that admit them . Every claim
would thus stand upon its own merits , ana a Lodge granting rank wouldhave the satisfaction of conferring a favour where they felt it was deserved , ancl would escape the annoyance of either rejecting a brother or being
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Vexed Questions.
VEXED QUESTIONS .
IT is quite clear that the question as to the status of a Past Masfer who becomes a joining member of a Lodge separated from his Masonic birthplace and the scene of his labours and honours is a long way from being settled . At the special meeting of Grand Lodge on the 8 th
ultimo the Provincial brethren bad it all their own way . They had been challenged , and they took np tbe gage of battle ; they had been placed in a hostile position , and they fonght and -won . Through the unwisdom of a contemporary a question , difficult of itself to
determine , has resolved itself into a heated contention . Hard words break no bones , but they exasperate to resistance , and not nnfrequently prevent matters being clearly understood and dealt with . This is preciselythe case in the
instance now before us . By pooh poohing the Provincial brethren , by attributing selfish motives to them , by using the language of ridicule against them , they have been aroused to a passionate defence of their views , and to a condition of mind that is not calculated to secure sound
legislation on a troublesome matter . It is unwise to threaten men who claim equal authority with their opponents , and it is the height of imprudence to endeavour to set one section of the brotherhood by tbe ears with another . Owing to the absence of members of the London Lodges
in August , and to the large muster of the Provincial brethren , who refused to be dragooned into compliance with the dictation of any one man or clique of men , the motion was carried which places joining Past Masters in the position of Past Masters of the Lodges they join ,
ranking next after the I . P . M . and the W . M . in the chair . The whole question had been fully mooted , and it was not the fault of the Provincial brethren that it was brought on at a time when their London brethren were likely to be out of town . The absence of the latter , although natural , was
not to operate to the exclusion of business . Besides , there was the invitation to the Metropolitan members to resist the contemplated change , and the Provinces replied by a strong muster , armed with unity of purpose and the determination to settle the question . They did their duty , and
although we think their action unwise , and likely to be hurtful , we honour their pluck and perseverance , and are disposed to deal lightly with the excrescences that are hidden , but which are nevertheless working mischief . Their temper has been soured ; this time alone can correct .
The meeting of Grand Lodge , on Wednesday night , was presided over by Bro . Gen . J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Master of Surrey . There was a large gathering of the brethren , brought together no donbt to vote upon the status question . Bro . Matthews , P . M . 109
aud 143 , in a temperate speech , moved— " That in order to afford the Craft sufficient time for due consideration of the amendments in the proposed Revise of the Book of Constitutions , as carried at the Special Grand Lodges of 29 th June and 8 th Augustand the proceedings of which
, Special Grand Lodges conld only be issued a few days before the meeting of this Grand Lodge , resolved that the confirmation of the minutes of such Special Grand Lodges
be postponed until the Quarterly Communication in December next . " Bro . Matthews alluded to the brethren in the Colonies under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , and pointed out that it would be impossible for
Vexed Questions.
them to know anything officially about the great change thafc had been made in the Rules , ancl that unless delay were granted they would be entirely shut out from expressing an opinion upon a matter in which they were equally , and perhaps more , interested than the brethren at home . This
argument was unanswerable , but it was met with loud cries of " No , no , " and evidently there was a disposition to carry matters with a high hand . Tho friends of delay united with the opponents of the change , and carried Bro . Matthews' motion , and so the matter rests until December .
The question has assumed several different aspects , and they may be summarised as follows : —The Conservative members of the Craft , men of experience , of knowledge , and of honour , contend for things as they were . In this they are unwise . They are too slow in recognising new claims
and wants , not because they desire to encourage abuses or to perpetuate inequalities ; but because they know what evils they have to bear , and hesitate to fly to those they
know not of . Old form prosperity to them is too great a reality to be lightly jeopardised , hence their jealousy of innovations ; and hence , it may also be stated , their somewhat narrow view of matters . In contradistinction to this
class there are the extreme men , who would cast aside the traditions and customs of the past and thrust upon a Lodge two extreme courses—either to ^ refuse admission to a would-be joining P . M ., or to give him all the honours earned by a Pasfc Master of their own Lodge without doing
one bit of labour in the Lodge . They would assign him a fixed position in the Lodge of his adoption , and although this arrangement would do no injustice to those who had already obtained , or were on the eve of obtaining rank as Past Masters , it would necessarily jar upon tho Wardens ,
especially to find an elected Past Master ranking before them . Another section of Grand Lodge favour the views of Bro . the Rev . John Studholme Brownrigg P . G . C , who proposed , at the Special Grand Lodge held in August , that a Past Master joining another Lodge should hold bis title
as a P . M . of that Lodge , but shonld always rank after the I . P . M ., so that a W . M . of a Lodge would immediately upon becoming I . P . M . take his rank just in front of the joining Past Master or Masters , as the caso- might be . This proposition was rejected , a very unwise act on the part of
the Provincial brethren , for it seems to indicate that they are not satisfied with a joining Past Master retaining his position , but demand to define the order of his rank . Possibly these two sections may combine in December , and , if so , they will stand a very fair chance of carrying their
point ; that is if the hard-heads yield to the compromisers . There are others again in Grand Lodge who believe ifc would be wise to make legal what has now only the sanction of partial custom . Bro . Havers very pertinently drew attention to the fact , at fche August meeting , that he had
known instances in which private Lodges had voluntarily assigned rank to joining Past Masters . Bro . Macintyre , Grand Registrar , confirmed this experience , but he declined to give an opinion upon the legality of the custom . He asserted that there was no written law either for or against .
All , therefore , that need to be clone is to make the custom legal , leaving the right of bestowing rank upon joining members to the Lodge that admit them . Every claim
would thus stand upon its own merits , ana a Lodge granting rank wouldhave the satisfaction of conferring a favour where they felt it was deserved , ancl would escape the annoyance of either rejecting a brother or being