Engineer Chapter.

following Officers were elected and invested by the M . E . Z .: j . K . Morgan acribt i ^ ., C . JB . Wasser bcribe iA ., J . Kearney f . z > ., J . coombs r ' irst Assistant , J ohn fitch becono Assistant , j-. ewib rl . Coles treasurer , M . J . Webb P . D . A . G . b . Malita JJ . C , i . Smaie Organist , I ' . ii . Watts and E . 1 " . Wilson btewards , George Austin Janitor .

The Charter and tne Regulations of Royal Arch Masonry were then handed to Comp . Walker , and a Committee , consisting of the three Principals and two Scribes , was appointed to irame the . bye-laws .

upon the proposition of the M . E . Z ., seconded by Comp . Percy White , a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the Consecrating Principals for their services , and a record of the same was ordered to be placed on the minutes . They were also elected as Honorary Members of the Chapter .

Comps . Letchworth and Brownrigg acknowledged the compliment , and expressed their pleasure at having been instrumental in launching the new Chapter , which they trusted would be successtul .

P ' ourteen candidates for exaltation , and one joining member were proposed , for whom an emergency meeting would shortly be called . The Visitors then tendered their congratulations , the Chapter was closed , and the convocation adjourned .

The Consecration banquet was held at the Criterion , Piccadilly Circus , W ., and was worthy of the reputation of Messrs . Spiers and Pond . The customary Loyal and complimentary speeches were made , and a very pleasant evening was passed .

Among those present , in addition to those above mentioned , were Comps . M . A . Mclnerny P . Z . 2346 P . G . S . B . Gibraltar , Capt . W . P . Dadson P . Z . 1383 , Col . E . J . Gardiner , Capt N . G . Philips P . G . S . N ., E . H . Lewis Z . 1789 , Orlton

Cooper Z . 1928 , C . G . Hawkes 2346 , G . M . Chimes J ^ , J Balfour 811 , F . Tibbetts 2191 , J . H . Watts 1341 , J . Coombs 1 ( Nova Scotia ) , W . F . Trydell 2621 , W . C . Peck 486 , J Bruce 1890 , J . Duffy 1383 , J . Clemons 2346 , E . Flynn 349 , & c . & c .

United Service Lodge Royal Ark Mariners.

UNITED SERVICE LODGE ROYAL ARK MARINERS .

rT 1 HIS new Lodge , No . 69 , was consecrated at New JL Brompton , on Wednesday , 7 th instant . An Ark Mariner Lodge having been opened at 4 p . m ., the Provincial Grand Master of Kent Lord Dungarvan was admitted and saluted in due form . Eight Brethren of the

United Service Mark Lodge were then elevated by Bro . J Percy White P . C . N . 3 64 , acting as N ., assisted by Bro . i < J . Beamish P . C . N . 364 J ., Bro . E . B . Wilks W . C . N . 364 S . E . Lake and J . R . Morgan Deacons , and j . Kearney G .

The Prov . G . M . M . Having accepted the gavel , appointed as his Assistant Officers , Bros . R . J . Beamish as J ., E . B . Wilks as S ., J . Percy White as Chaplain , Francis Powell as D . C ., Mills G . T . England as Deacon , and J . Kearney as G ., whereupon the new Lodge was consecrated and dedicated

in a most impressive manner , and on completion of the ceremony Bro . J . Percy White enthroned Brother Charles Woodger as W . C . N , of the Lodge for the coming year . The latter then invested his Officers as follow : —Enas Lake J ., j . R . Morgan S ., S . W . Elurst Treasurer , j . Kearney Scribe ,

J . Smart S . D ., j . D . Hull J . D ., W . Hughes D . C ., W . Jenkins

Organist , W . Corbett G ., PI . G . Croneen Steward , and J . Heath W . Hearty votes of thanks were tendered to the Prov . G . M . M ., and to Bro . J . Percy White , for the valuable services they had rendered .

The Consecrating Officers were elected Honorary Members of the Lodge , and after propositions for elevation had been given for the next meeting , the Lodge was closed , and the Brethren adjourned to the Balmoral Hotel , where , after a good dinner , the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured .

Beginnings Of Royal Arch Masonry In U.S.A.

BEGINNINGS OF ROYAL ARCH MASONRY IN U . S . A .

From Address of Warren B . £ llis G . H . P . Massachusetts . BEFORE entering on the history of our body it may be interesting to briefly consider the condition of the capitular rite as it was in 1798 . Freemasonry was not a new thing in Massachusetts at that time ; sixty-five years had passed since the first Lodge had been opened . During that period two Grand Lodges had been established and sixty-

Beginnings Of Royal Arch Masonry In U.S.A.

six subordinate Lodges chartered , many of which , however , were located outside of the state . ' 1 he first Royal Arch Lodge was organised in 1769 by members of the JLodge of St . Andrew , assisted by several British soldiers who were then stationed in Boston . Royal Arch Masonry did not grow

rapidly at first , tor , as has been mentioned , only two Chapters had been established when this Grand Chapter was instituted . Although this branch of Masonry grew slowly , its establishment is an evidence of a growing interest in Freemasonry , which appears to have been started by the union of the St .

John ' s and the Massachusetts Grand Lodge , 5 th March 1792 . This was one of the most important events in the history of Freemasonry in our state , for by this act the jealously and rivalry of two Grand . Lodges occupying the same territory was eliminated and their interests united and

harmonised in one body . The increased interest in Craft Masonry resulting from this union would naturally extend to the higher degrees and lead to the adoption of some plan by which their usefulness could be extended and perpetuated . No plan could accomplish this result as well as the

organisation of a grand body ; in no other way could uniformity of work be assured or the dignity of the Institution maintained . Both of the Chapters whose early members recognised this

fact are existing to-day , and both are interesting to all who rejoice in the prosperity of our rite as links connecting the period of its organisation with the end of a century of successtul achievement .

The history of St . Andrew ' s Chapter is well known ; its records from its beginning as the Royal Arch Lodge of Boston until the present time have been preserved and afford valuable information regarding the capitular rite in our country . Its history is both unique and interesting , for

it was the first regular Royal Arch Lodge established in this country . We say this without forgetting the body now known as Jerusalem Chapter , No . 3 , of Philadelphia . The latter body was not from its beginning a Royal Arch Lodge in the sense in which the term is now understood , for ,

according to its own records , it was accustomed to initiate apprentices and raise Master Masons , while the knowledge of the Royal Arch was in the possession of only a portion of its members , by whom , with the approval of the rest of

the Brethren , it was conferred upon suitable candidates . The Royal Arch Lodge of Boston was from the start entirely free from Lodge control and Lodge ritual , and , as such , ante-dates all other Royal Arch bodies in this country .

The degrees first known in this body were the Excellent , Super-Excellent , Royal Arch and Knight Templar . The Templar degree was last mentioned 6 th November 1774 , but the Excellent and Super-Excellent degrees were retained until the Grand Chapter was established . In addition to

these degrees , all those named in our present system were worked at various times prior to the organisation of our Grand Chapter . The Mark degree was authorised 28 th November

1 793 , the Past Master ' s degree was worked in 1 796 , and the Most Excellent Master ' s degree in 1797 . These last degrees were regularly worked by chapters in adjoining states before they were in St . Andrew ' s .

There is a good reason for believing that a knowledge of the Royal Arch followed very closely the introduction of Freemasonry in all the states . We have the evidence of an ancient diploma in the archives of the Grand Encampment of South Carolina , that the Royal Arch was worked in St .

Andrew ' s Lodge , No . 40 , at Charleston , as early as 1783 . In Virginia there was a Royal Arch Lodge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , 5 th April 1775 . The degree was in existence in North Carolina in 1788 ; it was also conferred in Royal Arch Encampments in Washington , D . C ., from 1795

to 1798 . The oldest record of the degree is found in Fredericksburg Lodge , Va ., where it was conferred , 22 nd December 1753 , by a visiting Brother on three members of that Lodge . A knowledge of the Royal Arch was spread by

the army Lodges . In this way it was planted in Marietta , Ohio , in 1 792 , by members of American Union Lodge , an army Lodge , that was organised in Roxbury , of this state . — " American Tyler . "

We are asked to announce that Thursday , 6 th prox ., is the latest day by which petitions for the next April election of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls can be received at the Office at Freemasons' Hall . It is desirable , however , that applications should be received as much before that date as possible .