Prov. Grand Chapter Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

PROV . GRAND CHAPTER OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

rt THE Annual Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter -JL of Leicestershire and Rutland was held at the Bull ' s Head Hotel , Loughborough , on Tuesday , the 24 th May , by the invitation of the Churn wood Chapter , No . 1007 , M . E . Companion William Kelley , Grand Superintendent , presided , and was supported by

E . Comps . George Toller Prov . G . H ., Wm . Vial as Prov . G . J ., S . S . Partridge Prov . G . S . E ., Joseph Young Prov . G . S . N ., J . Tncklield Prov . G . Treas ., T . Halliday Prov . G . P . S ., Edgar Taylor Prov . G . Std . Br ., M . J . Walker Prov . G . D . C ., VV . S . Allen P . P . G . N ., Rev . C . Henton Wood P . P . G . Rea ., R . Dagleish P . P . G . P . S ., A . P . Wood

P . P . A . G . S ., T . Coltmau P . P . G . Treas ., C . J . Wilkinson P . P . G . A . D . C . R . L . Gibson P . Z . 1007 , 0 . Oliver J . 1007 , J . II . Marshall S . E . 1007 C . Lowenstein P . S . 1007 , T . Corcoran A . S . 1007 , G . C . Oliver A . S 1007 , W . H . Goodwin 1130 , and others . Amongst the visitors wen E . Comps . T . E . Yeoman Z . 731 and Edgar Home J . 731 P . P . G . Org Derbyshire .

The Charnwood Chapter having been previously opened , the Grand Superintendent and his Officers enlered the Chapter room and were received with the customary honours . The Provincial Grand Chapter was then opened in due form and the Rolls of Chapters and Provincial

Grand Officers were called and duly answered , after which the minutes of the previous Annual Convocation were submitted and confirmed . Pursuant to Bye Law Vf . of P . G . Chapter , Comp . W . J . Freer was installed as third Principal of the De Mowbray Chapter 1130 . The report

of the Audit Committee upon the Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s account , which showed a balance in hand of £ 21 4 s 6 d , was read , and upon motion duly made the Treasurer ' s account was passed , and a vote of thanks accorded to him for his services . The Provincial Grand

Registrar ' s report was read , showing a slight falling off iu the number of subscribing members in tho Province E . Comp . J . Tuckfield was re-elected Provincial Grand Treasurer . The Grand Superintendent then appointed aud invested his Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing . C "

_ ... . year , as follows : — Comp . S . S . Partridge P . Z . 279 ... 2 nd Principal W . S . Allen P . Z . 779 3 rd Prinoip . il Rev . C . Henton Wood P . Z . 779 ... Scribe E .

W . Vial __ . 1 U . 7 Scribe N . J . Tnckfield J . 779 ... ... Treasurer W . A . Musson Z . 779 Registrar C . J . Wilkinson P . Z . 1007 ... Principal Sojourner W . J . . Freer J . 1130 1 st Assist , do .

C . Oliver J . 1007 2 nd do . Maj . J G . F . Richardson J . 15 G 0 Sword Bearer J . D . Harris H . 279 Standard Bearer M . J . Walker Z . 1130 Dir . of Cers . J . H . Thompson J . 279 Assist , do . J . H . Marshall Scribe E . 1007 ... Organist T . Dunn 279 ) , .. J . Tanser 279 j Janitors

Comp . Partridge having given notice of motion to revise the Provincial Grand Chapter Bye-laws , and some otherformal business having been disposed of , the Provincial

Grand Chapter was duly closed . An excellent banquet was afterward served , at which the Grand Superintendent presided , and the proceedings passed off with the utmost harmony .

Knight Templars

KNIGHT TEMPLARS

JTHE APPENDANT ORDERS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND .

IN a bulky and well arranged volume we have before us a comprehensive Report of the Proceedings of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templars aud tho Appendant Orders of Massachusetts and Rhode Island during the last year . The semiannual Conclave was held in the city of Providence , R . I ., on 21 st

May 1886 , when the R . E . Grand Commander , Sir Georgo H . Bnrnham , was supported by a numerous body of Sir Knights , Past Grand Officers and Past Eminent Commanders . The Grand Commandery was formed in due array , and the Grand Asylum opened for the despatch of business . After uniting in devotions with E . Sir Rev .

J . W . Dadman Grand Prelate , tho records of the previous year ' s proceedings were approved , and the R . E . Grand Commander stated that he had appointed E . Sir Clinton D . Sellew and J . O . Earle to provide a collation , to be served at one o ' clock . In opening his address the Grand Commander congratulated the Craftsmen upon

being able to meet in the new and spacious building lately erected in that city . He then referred to the death , since their last Conclave , of E . Sir Gilbert Nurse , Grand Captain General 1834 , Grand Generalissimo 1835 , adding that he had appointed a Committee to prepare a minute referring to the life and services of that

Knight Templars

distinguished frater . Having enumerated the inspections that had taken place during the year , he expressed the opinion that the Grand Wardens , being elective Officers of Grand Commandery and filling important stations , shonld be assigned to duty aa inspecting Officers . Such assignments would lighten somewhat the duties of tho Officers

now designated by the Constitution for such service , and render the office of Grand Warden useful as well as ornamental . E . Sir Eben D . Bancroft , appointed Grand Standard Bearer , E . Sir Win . H . H . Sonle , appointed Grand Captain of the Guards , and E . Sir S . G . Stinoss , appointed Grand Loctnrer , being absent from the annual

Conclave , had subsequently been installed by him . Amendments to tho bye laws of several Commanderies had been approved , and dispensations had been granted to Sutton Commandery to hold a public installation of its Officers ; to De Molay Commandery fco fill a vacancy existing in the Board of Trustees of its

permanent fund ; to William Parktnan Commandery to appear in Templar costume for the purpose of paying a fraternal visit to a neighbouring Commandery ; to Holy Sepulchre Commandery to appear in Templar costume , but without banners or music , for tha purpose of attending Divine Service on Easter Day ; to Washington

Commandery to transact business ( including balloting ) at a special conclave ; to Bristol and Bethany Commanderies , shortening the time of balloting on certain petitions —insisting , however , in these cases that notice shonld be given of the proposed balloting , and that no ballot should be tnken on any petition until a Committee had

reported thereon . He added that he had received several requests for permission to receive , refer , and ballot npon petitions at the same conclave , but had in all cases declined to grant such requests . Having touched briefly on minor matters , including the appointment of representatives of the Grand Commandery , rituals , jurisdiction , & c ,

he intimated that the triennial session of Grand Encampment was close at hand , and the notes of preparation for that auspicious event were sounding on all sides . Suggestions of many radical changes in its laws wero heard , and their representative had already been instructed as to some of these . The address havinsr been referred to

Committees , the R . E . Grand Commander retired from the Committee on Constitution and Digest , and appointed Sir Samuel Ames to fill the vacancy . The report of the bye-laws was accepted , and the

recommendations adopted . The Committee appointed to prepare a memorial of their late venerable Companion , E . Sir Gilbert Nurse , presented the following brief abstract of his life , and of his services in the several degrees and orders in Freemasonry : —

"Our lamented Frater was born in Royalston , Mass ., in 1798 , and died in Pepperell , Mass ., 6 t . h November 1885 . He was bnried in Cambiidge Cemetery 9 th November , a detachment of Sir Knights from Boston Commandery accompanying his remains to their final resting-place . Brother Nurse was made a Mason in Fredonia Lodge ,

Northboro , Mass ., in 1822 . He was admitted to membership in Mount Lebanon Lodge , Boston , 28 th October 1822 . He was Senior Warden in 1826 ; W . M . in 1827 , 1828 , and 1844 ; Honorary member 31 st October 1836 . lie had sustained a continuous membership in that Lodjje for over sixty-three years , at the time of his decease .

While residing in St . Louis ho pursued his Masonic work so ardently that he was elected W . M . of Napthali Lodge in 1839 ; in that , and in other positions filled by him , be rendered excellent service to the cause of Freemasonry in that section of the country . Comp . Nurse was exalted in St . Paul ' s Royal Arch Chapter , Boston , in 1824 , and

was elected High Priest in 1829-1830 ; he served as Secretary from 1832 to 1836 . Eminent Sir Knight Norse was created a Knight Templar in Boston Commandery Knights Templars , 1 st September 1821 , admitted to membershipl'Jth November 1828 , elected Eminent Commander October 1835 , and honorary member 19 th October 1836 .

Our Illustrious Brother had also received all the grades of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite , including that of Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the 33 rd and last degree . In the several Grand Bodies he had held the following offices : —Iu tlie Grand Lodge of Massachusetts he was Grand Lecturer in 1812 , 1843 ; District Deputy Grand Master ,

1843 ; in the Grand Chapter of Massachusetts , Deputy Grand High Priest , 1818 , 1849 ; iu the Grand Commandery of Massachusetts and Rhode Island , that of Grand Recorder in 1842 and 1849 ; Grand Captain-General iu 1834 , and Grand Generalissimo in 1835 . An excellent ritualist , an impartial and dignified presiding officer , tolerant

of the opinions of others , yet firm in his own convictions of right , he made at once a desirable and venerable officer , one whose influence was only for good toonr whole fraternity , nor has it yet lost its sweet aroma of love and fidelity to duty . For over half a century after his election to

the office of Grand Generalissimo he lived , serene and happy 'in the reflections consequent on a well spent life , ' and when the Angel of Death called him hence , he cheerfully departed this life , rich in the ripe years of a good old age , and dying ' in the hope of a glorious immortality . '"

The report was accepted and ordered to be entered on the records * Several matters of minor importance were disposed of , when the Sir Knights withdrew for refreshment . On their re-assembling for duty , in Commandery Hall , it was announced that Washington Commandery , Sir W . H . Cotton E . C , was in waiting aud ready to

exemplify the work of the Order of the Temple . The Commandery was forthwith admitted into tho Grund Asylum , the several Officers repaired to the respective stations , and the exemplification was given in a painstaking and highly creditable manner . At the conclusion the Commandery retired , after which the Grand Commandery

resumed business , and it was resolved that the Grand Commandery does hereby express its appreciation of the impressive manner in which the Order of the Temple had been exemplified by the Washington Commandery , and also for the commendable examples of adherence to the text of the ritual . " At this point R . E . Sir Nelson

VV . Aldrich I . G . C . entered the Grand Asylum , accompanied by Sir Knight John A . Logan , of Chevalier Bayard Commandery , of Chicago , both of whom were welcomed by the Grand Commander , who gave an opportunity for all the Sir Kuights to greet the distinguished visitor from Illinois . One hundred and thirty representatives and seven other Sir Knights signed the register , one