Fraternal Visitations.

FRATERNAL VISITATIONS .

IN another part of this issue we report a meeting of the Crook Lodge , No . 2019 , wherein it is recorded that the special feature of the meeting was

a fraternal visit from another Lodge , the Master , Officers and Brethren of which attended in force , so as to make the event more noticeable than would be

possible if but two or three individual members had been present . It may easily be imagined how enjoyable a feature this " united visiting" might be made , if it were more

generally practised in our Lodges , where guests and hosts alike would derive profit and pleasure from the custom , and would soon get to look upon a reception

or a visit as matters of almost regular occurrence , productive of interesting experiences , and tending to foster that spirit of Masonic Brotherhood it should be our constant effort to encourage .

Although there is hardly a Lodge meeting held without reference being made to the pleasure of entertaining Visitors , we think it may truly be said no systematic interchange of cordialities between

Lodges is attempted , that . is to say , one seldom hears of the Master and Officers , with such lay members as choose to accompany them , being invited to attend the meeting of a neighbouring Lodge . It is true that in some of the Provinces it is the custom to invite

the Master of Lodges in the same district to the Installation meeting , but nothing in the way of general invitations are issued , the reason in this case being obvious , for it would be impossible to entertain

such large numbers as might be expected to accept a general invitation on the occasion of the annual banquet . But on an off night the case would be different , as then light refreshment only would be

needed , if , indeed , anything at all was required to add to the pleasures of a busy working evening , but we can hardly believe that considerations under this head

would have sufficient weight to stop the practice , if the system of making Lodge visits from time to time was seriously entertained as desirable .

We would suggest as a ready means of testing the practice and also encouraging it , that our Lodges of Instruction should extend the idea that has been carried out by many of them , of inviting another such

Lodge to attend and conduct some special ceremony , or undertake the regular work of the evening . Of course this would to a certain extent upset the routine of appointment that is customary in the Instruction

Lodges , but that could be arranged for , just as is the case when the members of the Lodge itself decide to work the Sections , or rehearse the ceremony of Consecration or Installation .

Fraternal Visitations.

We have for the present left out of consideration the question of surprise visiting , but no doubt many would like to see what could be done in that direction —it would certainly prove a pleasing diversion to the

regular routine of our Instruction meetings and , if it did no further good than make Brethen better acquainted with each other , it would amply recompense those who troubled themselves in arranging for its practice .

The subject is one capable of unlimited development , but whether it will find any favour or not remains to be seen . We should certainly like to see it put to the test , particularly in connection with

Lodges of Instruction , where no arrangements beyond those generally made need be attempted in order to provide for the proper entertainment of Visiting Brethren .

Church Service.

CHURCH SERVICE .

A Masonic Service , conducted by Archdeacon Sinclair Grand Chaplain , and attended by the Lord Mayor , the Lady Mayoress , and the Sheriffs , in state , was held at St . Helen ' s , Bishopsgate , on Monday afternoon .

The occasion was the un veiling of a mural tablet to the memory of the late Rev . John Edmund Cox , D . D ., who was for thirty-nine years vicar and vicar-in-charge of the parish of St . Helen ' s , Bishopsgate , and for ten years in succession Grand Chaplain of England . There was present a large attendance of Masons and others ,

the members of the Craft , by virtue of a special dispensation , wearing Masonic clothing . The Archdeacon and the clergy assisting him—the Rev . Canon Benham , the Rev . J . A . L . Airey ( rector of St . Helen ' s , Bishopsgate ) , the Rev . H . J . H . Tniscott , and the Rev . J . H . Smith ( Master of the Alliance Lodge )

—wore their regalia of Office , and the Archdeacon preached in apron , gauntlets , and collar . A shortened form of evensong was gone through , the lessons being read by Canon Benham and the Rev . J . A . L . Airey .

The anthem was " Behold How Good and Joyful , " and immediately following it the tablet , which is close to the pulpit on the south wall of the church , was unveiled by Dr . Turtle Pigott . It is a marble tablet , and bears the following inscription * .

" This tablet was erected by a few Masonic friends to the memory of the Rev . John Edmund Cox , D . D ., of AU Souls College , Oxford , who for twenty-four years was Vicar , and subsequently , for fourteen years , vicar-in-charge of this parish , ancl for ten years

Grand Chaplain of the Freemasons of England . Born 9 th October 1812 ; died , 27 th October 1890 . Preaching from II Kings iii 17 , Archdeacon Sinclair put forward three great considerations as a reason why

men who had done good work m their day should have monuments erected to their memory . The first was that the nation owed a debt of gratitude to such men ;

the second , that the historical associations of the past , whether local or national , were in many ways a treasure to the present , and monuments were the grappling irons