Installation Meetings, &C.

INSTALLATION MEETINGS , & c .

ST . JOHN LODGE , No . 70 .

THE installation meeting of this , the oldest Lodge in South Devon , W : IH held on Monday , the 4 th inst ., at the Hiiyshe Temple , Plymouth , when , in conseqnence of the death of Bro . P . P . Holmes P . M . P . P . O . Supt . of Works , the brethren appeared in Masonic mourning . There was a goodly master of the brethren , under the

presidency of the retiring Worshipful Master , Bro . T . King , and after the ordinary routine business , Bro . G . Succombe was regularly installed into the chair , the ceremony being carried out in most efficient manner by Bros . J . Gover P . P . G . D . C ., R . Pengelly P . P . G . A . D . C ., J . Moysey P . G . D ., L . D . Westcott P . P . G . S . Wks . and

J . Griffin P . G . J . D . Having been saluted with the usual honours , the newly-installed Worshipful Master invested his Officers , as follow : — Bros . T . King I . P . M ., W . P . Westcott S . W ., W . T . Hooking J . W ., L . D . Westcott Treasurer , J . B . Gover Secretary , W . King S . D ., P . Wreford J . D ., W . H . D . Colling D . C ., J . Hicks A . D . C ., J . Newman

Organist , J . II . Evans I . G ., J . Goad and ' E . Radden Stewards , and W . II . Phillips Tyler . Bro . L . D . Wescottwas elected representative of tho Lodge at the Committee of Petitions , Bro . P . W . Westcott the Charity Steward , and Bros . J . B . Gover , L . D . Westcott , R . Pengelly , E . A . Lean , and the Worshipful Master , the representatives of the

Lodge on the Committee of Associated Lodge ? . A Past Master ' s jewel was voted to be presented to the retiring Worshipful Master Brother T . King . At the closo of tho Lodge the brethren and their Visitors dined together at the Temple , when a most enjoyable evening was spent . Amongst the Visitors present

were Bros . E . Tout and W . Odam P . M ' s 70 , G . Rosovearo 97-1 P . P . G . S . of Works , G . R . Barrett 1255 P . P . G . D , W . L . LaversLP . M .. W . IT . Crimp W . M . 1255 , Rev . T . W . Lomon 189 P . P . G . Chaplain , R

Pike 230 , T . Goodall 1550 P . P . G . O ., J . R , Lord 1247 P . P . G . S . B ., A . J . Rider W . M . 1247 , J . H . Blaekell 1099 , E . Pillar W . M . and J Gifford I . P . M . 105 , J . Gidley 2025 , W . II . Hunt 1205 , aud many others .

OLD CONCORD LODGE , No . 172 .

THE installation meeting of this Lodge was held on Tuesday , at Freemasons' Hall , Lincolns Inn Fields , under the presidency of Bro . nenry R . Cope W . M ., who was supported by Bros . John Stedman S . W ., John Whaley J . W ., John Hancock Treasurer , Geo . King Secretary , Thomas Whaley S . D ., G . F . Davis J . D ., G . Evans I . G ., Carl T . Fleck D . C ., and the following Past Masters : W . O . Beazley ,

G . M . Gurton , W . H . Harris , R . D . Hilton , A . J . Dottrtdge , H . L Dixon , Geo . Hockley . In due course Bio . John Stedman was installed as Worshipful Master , and he invested the following aa the Officers for the year :-J . Whaley S . W ., T . Whaley J . W .. J . Hancock Treasurer , King P . M . Secretary , Davis S . D ., G . Evans J . D ., C . T .

Fleck I . G ., J . A . Armour D . C ., Morriott Organist , C . Couchman Tyler . After the closing of the Lodge the brethren and visitors adjourned to the Holborn Restaurant for banquet , which was served under tho personal direction of Brother Hamp , in the admirable manner customary at this establishment . Among the visitors

were Brothers Edwin M . Lotfc Grand Organist , W . M . L . Seaman 193 , Alfred Harvey 1963 , Edwin Bryant ( Alexandra Palace Lodge ) , Joseph Storey P . M . 1107 P . P . G . S . of W . Kent , W . Cambden 228 , H . A . Sawyer 1612 , J . T . Pilditch P . M . and T . 1257 , E . Flovd 902 , F . Izant 27 , A . T . Randall 20 , E . G . Coleman S . D . 11 . W . J . Mason 132 S ,

M . Mildred W . M . 2024 , J . Stephens W . M . 1425 , 0 . W . Hunt P . M 1425 , C . H . Searle 1298 , W . T . P . Montgomery S . W . 1475 , W . W Leo 1897 , G . Adams , T . Whaley 55 , A . J . Probyn P . M . 11 , W . Rad cliffe P . M . 211 , H . Hambling 2030 , J . Packer 73 , John Brown W . M 975 , John Parker 217 , J . J . Woolley W . M . 15 , P . Skar S . D . 1891 , J

Hampton 145 , E . Brooks 766 , J . W . Ray S . D . 1624 , J . Garner P . M . 975 , VV . J . Collens P . M . 766 , W . J . Edwards 916 , J . Parkes 217 , T . P . Collings P . M . 22 , F . Binckes P . M . P . G . Steward , J . Donaldson Treasurer 1963 , T . Bowley 1963 , C . Jones 1420 , W . Angus 619 , G . Howard 72 , J . S . Thompson 1326 , J . F . J . Sykes 180 , & c . At the

conclusion of tbe banquet , Bro . Stedman W . M . gave the usual toasts . The Queen having been honoured , the health of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was submitted . They were all deeply indebted to the Grand Master of England , both for his services to the Craft , and for the good he did in the country generally . Speaking of the Earl of

Carnarvon , the Pro Grand Master , Bro . Stedman said the work done by his Lordship in the Craft was Avell known ; both this and his general work was much appreciated . He felt that so long as such a Mason ns the Earl of Carnarvon filled the office , the toast of the Pro Grand Master would be sure of a hearty welcome . The toast of the Deputy

Grand Master , and the other Grand Officers , Present and Past , followed . The Grand Officers of England were men who had done well and had earned the places they occupied in the Craft . They had the pleasure that evening of numbering among their visitors a distinguished Grand Officer in the person of Bro . Dr . Lott Grand

Organist . He was a fair example of the Grand Officers who had worked their way up , and who had been rewarded for their merit . His talent , as a musician , had -won for him the post of Grand Organist . Bro . Lott , in acknowledging the toast , assured the brethren nothing gave the Grand Officers greater pleasure than to bo present at

Lodges , and to have the opportunity of acknowledging the kind sentiments which were univereally expressed in them towards the Officers of Grand Lodge . Bro . Cope , the I . P . M ., proposed the health of the Worshipful Master . One of the greatest pleasures he could

have enjoyed that day was to instal so worthy a representative of the Old Concord Lodge as they had in Bro . Stedman . He hoped he would have a successfnl year of office , and that he wonld follow in the footsteps of those who had preceded him , and who had securpd for the Lodge its present high position , Bro . Stedman tendered his

Installation Meetings, &C.

sincere thanks for the toast . He was exiremely grateful for the high office conferred on him that day . He felt very great pride in occupying the chair of the Lodge in whioh he had been initiated . Having

attained to the high honour , he assured the brethren all his endeavours would be thrown into the work of securing the happiness of the members and the prosperity of tho Lodge . He trnsted that when he came to leave the chair he should have done sufficient to merit , the

upproval of all tho brethren . The next toast was that of tho I . P . M ., Bro . Cope . Brother Stedman was sure the health of the ruler of the Lodge for the past year would be drunk in an enthusiastic manner . A better Master it would not be possible to find than Brother Copo had proved himself in the Old Concord Lodge . Dmiog his occupancy

of the chair ho had maintained the reputation of the Lodge , and had looked after tho comforts of tho brethren as well as any Mason oonld have doue . Brother Stodman had much pleasure iu presenting to his predecessor tho Past Master ' s jowel of the Lodge , and iu doing so assured Brother Cope it was presented with the heartiest

good wishes of the members . Brother Cope tendered his thanks He was very much obliged to the brethren for the kind present they had made him that evening , and hoped that he might be spared for many years to wear it in their midst . The Past Masters of the Lodge were next toasted , and this having been replied to , tho W . M .

proposed the Charities . The members of the Old Concord Lodge were very glad to see among them so warm an advocate for the Charities as Bro . Binckes , who would , he was sure , do his best to enlist the support of those present on behalf of the Institutions ; not that much persuasion was needed to ensure support from the Old

Concord . Brother Fleck would represent the Lodge at the next Festival of the Boys' School , and the members had that evening appointed another brother as Steward for tho Girls' Sohool . Bra . Binckes replied . With a Worshipful Master with such a sonl for mnsio as the present Master of the Old Concord , he had hardly dared to

hope that time would be found for tho proposition of the toast of tho Masonic Institutions . Its proposition had shown him that the trarli . tions of tho Old Concord Lodge in this respect wonld not suffer while tho Lodge was under the guidance of its present Master . The spirit which had secured for the Lodge the reputation it had gained in tho

past was still fresh , and he doubted not would manifest itself in tho future as strongly as it had in the past . Bro . Binckes referred to the very large total v ? hieh had been contributed by the Masons of Eugland towards the support of the Benevolent Institutions of tho Crafo

during tho past year , upwards of £ 54 , 000 , and that , be it understood , dnriug a year which had not been one of prosperity . This magnificent result must be taken as a proof that the hearts of Masor . s beat true to that Charity which bound all members of the Order together . There were some who considered too much time was taken in makim ?

appeals on behalf of tho Institutions . He considered it would be a bad time for Freemasonry when there should bo no mention of the dark side of the Order—that side which , although it always had a silver lining , brought them face to face with their responsibilities as Freemasons . Bro . Binckes

hoped that the members of the Lodge would rally to the snpport of their Steward , Bro . Fleck , and that his list at the next Festival might be such as the Lodge would be proud of . It was hard to say which of the three Institutions was the rno 3 t deserving , bnt he felt that if they took the son of a Mason—the one who should be the man of the

future—they were acting wisely . On him . would depend the support of many of tho other sex in the future , either as sister , wife or daughter , while on tho boys of to-day would depend the future of tho Institutions themselves . He believed the three Institutions occupied a common platform , and that in such a Lodge as the Old Concord

neither of them would ever lack support or sympathy . In conclusion , he would urge on all present never to forget thoso who needed their aympathy , and who , from their peculiar position , could not plead for themselves . Tho W . M . then proposed the toast of the visitors , of whom he was pleased to see no less than fifty present . Ho coupled

with the toast the name of Bro . Whaley , the father of the Constitutional Lodge , No . 55 , but more intimately associated with the Old Concord Lodge as tbe father of its two Wardens , congratulating him on being present on such an interesting occasion , as the meeting of that day must have been to him when he witnessed two of his sons

promoted to the highest offices in the Lodge below that of Master , The name of Bro . Collings P . M . 22 was also associated with the toast . Bro . Whaley replied , asking the brethren to accept the warmest thanks of the Visitors for the grand entertainment provided for their enjoyment . As the W . M . had told them , he happened to be tho

father of the Constitutional Lodge , which numbered about 130 members . As the father of such a Lodge he bad naturally had some experience of Masonic meetings . At the installation it was usual to expect a little treat , but that night they had had a great one . There were special circumstances which enhanced his pleasure .

It so happened that two of his sons had been promoted to high office in this Lodge that night . He knew they had the interests of Freemasonry at heart , and also the intorests of their fellow creatures . They had not only followed in his footsteps , but had advanced far beyond what he had achieved , for while during tho many years he

had been associated with the Constitutional Lodge he had never taken office , they had risen high in their Lodge , and no doubt would eventually rise to the chair . Bro . Collings having replied , the toast of Treasurer and Secretary was given . These two brethren having replied , tho Officers were toasted , and the proceedings were brought to

a conclusion iu the usual way . Bro . Stedman ' s reputation as a musician was sufficient to induce ns to expect a musical treat , but he had provided a programme which exceeded even the most sanguine expectations . His efforts were deservedly appreciated , while tbe solos and choruses of his " Choir Boys" brought forth the heartiest

applause . Miss Efrie Clements , Miss Bertha Colnaghi , and Miss Alice Davies were good in the parts they essayed , and they were well supported by Bro . Franklin Clivo and Mr . Sam Wright ; indeed , we may say that the music of the evening was the best we have listened to at a Masonic meeting .