Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

INSTALLATION .

—; o ;—ACACIA LODGE , No . 1314 . Be-installation of Brother A . E . Purkis . THE installation meeting of this Lodge was held at the Royal Bell Hotel , Bromley . Kent , on Tuesday , when Bro . Purkis started on a second term of service as Master of the Lodge , his efforts as ruler having been so very successful during the past year as to induce the members to re-elect him to the high dignity .

Those present included Bros . A . E . Purkis W . M ., J . D . Webb I . P . M ., H . Hiscott S . W ., H . Gross P . M . J . W ., J . Wyer P . M . Treas ., Edward Coste P . M . Sec , H . P . Hill J . D ., A . Payne I . G ., J , Jefferson as Org ., H . J . Mogridge Steward ; Past Masters A . Gross , E . T . Pargetis , S . Cotterill , G . King , G . R . Bolton P . M . P . P . GJ . W . Kent , G . R . Hoare ; Bros . A . Schaumloffel , Karl Bass , C . Herwin , F . W . Henderson , Oliver Till , Francis Hahn .

Visitors : Bros . T . Dutton 554 , G . W . Bamford 192 , J . Jefferson ' 2271 Organist , J . Jeffrie D . C . 1437 , John King P . P . A . D . C . Kent , C . E . Ingall I . G . 1692 , E . M-Garner 1692 , J . Maynard W . M . 16 92 , W . Reeves J . W . 901 , J . Wynman , & c .

The Lodge being duly formed was opened with solemn prayer , and the W . M . proceeded to have ' the ballot taken for Mr . Francis Hann , which proved unanimous in his favour ; and he was regularly admitted and initiated into the mysteries of Ancient Freemasonry , the ceremony being impressively performed .

The Lodge was opened in the second degree , and the Installing Master Bro . J . D . Webb I . P . M . Prov . G . S . assumed command . He said that in consequence of the W . M .-elect Bro . Purkis having been installed last year , and re-elected for the coming twelve months , the work of installation would be curtailed , it only being necessary to

repeat the obligation , and perform one or two matters of ceremony , which were done in regular order ; after which the W . M . proceeded to invest his Assistant Officers , as follow : H . Hiscott S . W ., H . P . Hill J . W ., John Wyer P . M . Treas ., E . Coste P . M . Sec , Alfred Payne S . D ., H . J . Mogridge J . D ., F . W . Henderson I . G ., W . Seaman P . M . D . C ., E . J . Towner and J . Pike Stewards , R . Whiting P . M . Tyler .

Preliminary to the W . M . closing the Lodge Bro . J . D . Webb I . P . M . said it was an event worthy of special notice in the Acacia Lodge that their Brother E . Coste P . M . had acted as its Secretary for a period of thirty years ; it was indeed a notable event , and he considered it an honour few Lodges could boast of—having so worthy a Brother in the Office for so long a period . Bro . Coste had assisted

every Master of the Lodge during that long occupation of the Secretaryship , and had set the Brethren a good example in very many ways , being at all times most assiduous in his duties . Ten years ago the members of the Lodge had made him a little present , which he was pleased to see still glistened on their Brother ' s breast ; and now , in the name of the Worshipful Master , Past Masters , and other members

of the Lodge , he had very much pleasure in presenting him with a jewel , which he felt was richly deserved , and was intended to mark the high appreciation of the members for all that their Brother Coste had done , and the esteem in which he was held by all associated with the Lodge . He trusted he might be spared to be among them for many years yet to come , and that at all times the Lodge would enjoy

the benefit of his experience and kindly assistance . In acknowledgment Bro . Coste tendered his thanks . He said he was taken completely by surprise . Had he known what was ' intended he would have prepared a lengthy speech , but on the present occasion he found it really difficult to say anything , as his heart was too full . The-2 nd of July thirty years ago he had the honour of first

thanking the members of the Lodge for first investing him as their Secretary , and every Master that had since been installed in the Acacia Lodge had repeated the compliment . He was pleased to say he had worked in harmony with each one of them . He had been a Charity Representative for nearly twenty-one years and felt that were

he to continue speaking for a day he could not do more than express his sincere thanks for the very handsome jewel they had been pleased to award him . As long as . the Great Architect of the Universe gave him health and strength he hoped to continue to discharge the duties of the Office which he had had the honour of filling for so many years . The jewel was inscribed as follows :

Presented to W . BRO . E . COSTE P . M . by the Brethren of the Acacia Lod ge , No . 1314 , for the faithful services rendered as Secretary , for 30 consecutive years . July 1900 .

The Lodge was afterwards closed in regular form , and the Brethren proceeded to a participation in the social side of the meeting . They were first of all photographed : one group consisting of the subscribers to the Coste Testimonial Fund , and another including the whole of the members and their visitors ; the photographer being Bro .

R . V . Harman , of 75 High Street , Bromley . The Brethren now proceeded to the Hotel banquet ' room , which was most tastily decorated and presented a very pleasing appearance . After a most enjoyable banquet the W . M . submitted the toast of the Queen and the Craft , which was followed by the singing of the National Anthem .

The W . M . then gave the toast of the Prince of Wales Grand 'Master , saying that wherever the Prince was he aroused the heartiest and happiest feelings among the Brethren . The Pro Grand Master the Deputy , and the other Grand Officers were also honoured , '

Reports Of Meetings.

The W . M . called upon his predecessor to give the toast of the Provincial Grand Master of Kent , and that Brother , in proposing the toast , said , there was no Masonic ruler like Earl Amherst , of whom they were all proud ; it was indeed an honour to serve under him , and he trusted the Great Architect of the Universe would grant him long life to rule over them , and happiness for many years to come .

The W . M . in well measured terms proposed the health of Bro . J . S . Eastes P . G . D . Deputy Prov . G . M . and the other Officers of the Province present and past . They had several Provincial Officers among them , the youngest being their own Immediate Past Master , whom he had lately seen honoured by appointment to Office by the Provincial Grand Master . He called upon Bros . J . King P . P . A . D . C . and Bolton P . P . J . G . W . to respond , which they did , most sincerely thanking the Brethren for the hearty reception of the toast .

The Immediate Past Master Bro . Webb said he felt in rather an awkward position , for instead of having to receive a jewel , as was so customary for the I . P . M . to do on installation evenings , he had to present one to the Worshipful Master—but as he considered the jewel was thoroughly well deserved he appreciated the honour which had

devolved upon him in having to present it . The W . M . had so far won their approval during the past year that they had elected him to a second term of Office , and he sincerely expressed the hope of the Brethren that he would live to give them the benefit of his services in that second year , and that he , his wife , and his children might long enjoy a full measure of happiness .

It was here announced that the contents of the Charity box , which had been passed round , amounted to one guinea . The W . M . was heartily received on rising to respond . Pie hardly knew what to say in answer to all their kindness , but he hoped to wear the jewel he had just been presented with for many years among them . When he first attended the Lodge at the old Bell , at Bromley , he

intended to endeavour to work up to the honourable position of Master , but he did not expect such a compliment as election for a second term of office . He hoped to see the present Senior Warden Bro . Hiscott in the chair that time next year . Bro . Webb and he had worked in Masonic harness side by side , and he was proud to continue doing so . If his working during the past year had met with their approval he was

delighted , and he was more than proud in being elected for a second time to the post of Worshipful Master . Whatever it was in his power to do for the welfare of the Acacia Lodge or its members he should be most happy to undertake . The toast of the I . P . M . was next given , Bro . Webb thanking the company for receiving it so heartily as thev did .

The W . M . next had much pleasure in submitting the toast of the Visitors . The Lodge was always proud to welcome guests , and on behalf of the members he tendered them a most hearty welcome . He

was most particularly pleased to see among them some of the members of the Hervey Lodge , No . 16 92 , of Bromley , as evidence of the good feeling that always existed between their Lodge and the Acacia ; he trusted such harmonious feelings would continue to actuate the members of the two Lodges for all time .

Bro . Maynard W . M . of the Hervey Lodge said that was the second occasion on which he had been present at the Lodge , and he felt somewhat strange as a visitor , inasmuch as his own Lodge held its meetings in the same room . It was very gratifying the two Lodges worked . so harmoniously side by side .

Bro . King was pleased to see the W . M . commencing a second term of service in the chair , as he was an ardent admirer of that Brother's working in Lodge . He was also pleased to sec his esteemed friend Brother Coste honoured as he had been . that day , by the presentation of the very handsome jewel given him by the members . It showed the high appreciation and respect entertained by the Brethren towards their Secretary .

Bro . Reeves J . W . 901 said it was not the first time on which he liad enjoyed a visit to the Lodge . He also had the pleasure of meeting the W . M . each Tuesday at the Instruction Lodge . The W . M . next proposed the toast of the Initiate , feeling sure the newly made Brother would become an ornament to the Craft and a : redit to the Lodge .

The Initiate thanked all the Brethren for the kind reception recorded him , and hoped to become a worth y member of the Acacia Lodsre .

The Past Masters were next toasted , the W . M . saying how pleased : hey were at all times to see those Brethren present in the Lodge . The members were really proud of their Past Masters . The I . P . M . Bro . Webb had had little or no installation work to do that day , but it vould have been immaterial to him had he been called upon for the ull ceremony , for the way in which he had performed the installation ast year would never be forgotten by those present on that occasion n the Acacia Lodge . Bro . J . D . Webb responded .

The toast of the Masonic Charities was next given , and was acknowledged by Bro . Coste P . M . Sec , who said he had responded to L similar sentiment for very many years past . He expressed the great ileasure he experienced in doing so , and took the opportunity of again hanking the Brethren for the handsome jewel they had given him in -odge .

The toast of the Officers of the Lod ge was responded to by Bro . lill J . W ., and that by the Tyler brought the proceedings to a close . Bros . Fred Noakes , Will Ballord , Garner , and several others . dded to the enjoyment of the meeting by displays of their musical alent , and Bro . J . Jeffries presided at the piano in his usual able aanner .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

BROMLEY ST . LEONARD LODGE , No . 1805 . ON Wednesday , 20 th ult ., this Lodge held their summer outing . Six well-appointed brakes had been chartered for the occasion , and the company , which numbered nearly eighty ladies and gentlemen , attired m full