Herefordshire.

HEREFORDSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Leominster the end of last month , under the banner of the Royal Edward Lodge , No . 892 , when Brother Sir J . R . Bailey , Bart ., Provincial Grand Master presided .

The business was of the usual character . The Treasurer ' s accounts for the past year showed a slight decrease in the balance in hand , after paying about £ 30 to charity which was voted at the previous meeting . The report of the Herefordshire Charity Association was also read , showing that

a sum of £ 52 was remitted to the Masonic Boys and Girjs Schools during the past year ; a new Association had been formed for assisting distressed Brethren or their orphans otherwise than by the Masonic Schools and Benevolent Societies ; and that a fund of £ 150 had been raised by

subscriptions from members and Lodges , Bro . G . R . Godson P . Z . Paladian Chapter starting the scheme with a donation of £ 50 . This good work has already enabled the Committee to place the son of a deceased Brother ( who met with sudden death a short time since ) in one of the local schools .

The Provincial Grand Master appointed his Officers for the ensuing year as follow :

Bro . Rev . Douglas Seaton 338 - - - Senior Warden R . W . Stafford 892 - - - - Junior Warden Rev . W . S . Buckle 892 - - Chaplain J . E . S . Hewett 338 - - - Treasurer John Barns 120 ... . Registrar

E . Maddison 751 ... - Secretary T . Blinkhorn 120 - Senior Deacon W . T . Sale 829 - - - - Junior Deacon T . Godwin Chance 120 - - - Superintendent of Works W . S . Langford 892 - - - Director of Ceremonies

W . S . Hankins 751 ... Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies 8 . Wintle 338 - - Sword Bearor S . Mayor 892 Organist F . G . Young 2240 ... - Pursuivant

W . C . Gethen 120 - - - - ^ W . F . Morison 338 - J . D . Evans 751 - - - ¦ Stewards . P . Prince 892 .... J . W . Lloyd-2240 - - - - '

A sum of twenty guineas was voted from the funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge to the Hereford Masonic Local Charity , and a collection was made for the same object , amounting to £ 47 s 9 d .

At the close of the Lodge the Brethren adjourned to a banquet at the Royal Oak Hotel , which was served in excellent style by Mrs . Holman . '

Lincolnshire.

LINCOLNSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge will be held at Lincoln on Thursday , 27 th June , when Lord Yarborough , who was recently appointed Provincial Grand Master by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales Grand Master of England , will be installed by the Earl of Lathom Pro Grand Master .

Staffordshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE .

ON Wednesday , the Sth inst ., the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Walsall , and was attended by representatives from all parts of , the county . The gathering was held in the Drill Hall , which hacl been tastefully fitted up . It was not a great assembly like that of last year at

Wolverhampton , says the " Staffordshire Advertiser , when about 700 Masons came together to do honour to the Earl of Dartmouth on his installation as P . G . Master . But that was a very great occasion in the annals of the Craft , which may not be equalled for many a year . The present one was a good average

representative meeting for the P . G . Master ' s annual levee . In all about 340 Brethren signed the Tyler ' s book , and the attendance would have been larger but for the fact that many influential Masons were in London attending an annual festival in connection with

the Masonic charities . At half-past one o ' clock the Earl of Dartmouth Prov . G . Master , Lieut .-Col . Bindley D . P . G . Master and Past Grand Deacon of England , and the P . G . Officers present and past , entered the hall in procession , and the Lodge was opened according to ancient form .

The P . G . Lodge accounts , submitted by Bro . Newnham , showed that the finances were in a highly satisfactory state . Lord Dartmouth expressed the thanks of the P . G . Lodge to the Treasurer for his services to Masonry , and he was unanimously re-elected to the Office .

Lord Dartmouth , addressing the assembled Brethren , first offered a few words of thanks for the great consideration which had been shown to himself personally . since be had been appointed

Staffordshire.

to the headship of the Province , aud congratulated Staffordshire on the important position which it holds in Freemasonry . A . t the present time the condition of things throughout the Province was harmonious and satisfactory . Having referred , in feeling terms , to the loss sustained by the death of Bro . Busbridge , St .

Thomas ' s Lodge , Kidsgrove , and Bro . Woodhouse P . P . G . W . Stafford , he called attention to a proposition on the agenda that a sum of 50 guineas be voted from the funds of P . G . Lod ge towards providing a foundation at the Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum for the children of Masons in fche Province—a matter

which had been explained in a circular addressed to the various Lodges . It would be in their recollection that the first official ceremony he was called upon to perform after his installation took place at the Wolverhampton Orphanage . Speaking merel y of his own personal feelings , he admitted that he should take

very much pleasure in knowing that his first official ceremony would be commemorated in some way or other . He therefore entered into the proposal very heartily that a circular should be sent round inviting the opinion of the Lodges as to establishing a foundation for the orphans of Masons at that institution . He

wished to make it clear that there was no desire on fche part of those who originated the idea to press unduly on the various Lodges . They could well appreciate the fact that every Lodge must have its own local difficulties , and it was not suggested for a moment that every Lodge would be able to contribute in the

same proportion . Four or five Lodges had expressed regret , and he could say from personal knowledge , that in every case the reason alleged was a perfectly indisputable one . In most cases the various Lodges would , he was informed , do what they could , in one way or another , to forward the movement ; and he was

convinced there was a general desire in the Province that the proposal should be carried to a satisfactory result . As it would be satisfactory to Brethren to know how the movement stood at the present time , he mentioned that contributions had been promised of 9 gs . from St . Martin ' s , Burslem ; 9 gs . from

Sutherland Lodge of Unity , Newcastle ; St . James s , Handsworth , lOgs . ; Portland , Stoke , 9 gs . ; Dartmouth , West Bromwich , lOgs . ; Tudor , Harborne , 9 gs . ; Gordon , Hanley , 2 gs . ; and Hatherton , Walsall , lOgs . ( a generous contribution from a very young Lodge ) . There were several other Lodges who would contribute ,

but had not yet announced the amount of their contribution . Bro . Pepper had contributed 5 gs ., and the Staffordshire Knot Lodge , Stafford , by private contributions , had collected some 35 gs . The P . G . Lodge , it was proposed , would contribute 50 gs .,

and the Lodge of Honour , Wolverhampton , had promised £ 50 . The objection had been raised by one Lodge that the sum of £ 735 which it was proposed to subscribe , was too large an amount in order to secure a return of less than £ 20 . No doubt their

Treasurer would not be satisfied with a return of not quite 3 per cent ., but in a case of this kind they could not guage the actual value by the money value . With regard to the carrying out of the scheme , it was proposed by one of the Lodges that the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association , representing every

Lodge in the Province , should recommend cases . Another proposal was thafc votes should be given to the various Lodges in proportion to their contributions . These were matters of detail which could not be settled for some time , but he was convinced fchat the general scheme would meet with the approval of the majority of the Brethren of the Province .

Bro . J . B . Ashwell intimated that Portland Lodge , Stoke , had decided to subscribe 5 gs . for each of two years . The announsement was also made that Smith Child Lodge , Tunstall , would subscribe 9 gs ., Tudor Lodge of Volunteers , Wolverhampton , lOgs . for each of two years ; and that Sfc . Peter ' s Lodge , Wolverhampton , would contribute .

On the motion of Lieut .-Col . Bindley , the Auditors , Bros . J . Bodenbam , J . F . Pepper and T . J . Barnett , were re-appointed , and a cordial vote of thanks was passed to them for their

. Lord Dartmouth appointed and invested his Officers for fche ensuing year , the honours being conferred as follow : — Bro . E . V . Greatbatch - Senior Warden C . Taylor --- -- Junior Warden

Rev . W . McGregor - - - ) / -iu „„ i „ . * „„ Rev . O . M . Holden - - - ) " P »* C . A . Newnham - Treasurer G . Bennion .... Registrar Major G . W . Walker - - - Secretary J Moseley .... i

W . H . Bainber - j * - """* - "" ~ " -- *'"" - ' CaptainR Longden - - - I Junior Deacons Major T . C . Bird - ) S . Jenkins .... Superintendent of Works

J . Wooldridge ... - Director of Ceremonies F . T . Beck .... Doputy Dir . of Ceremonies G . H . Tortorshell .... Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies D . Mould ..... Sword Bearer

E . Martin Scott .... ) T . M . Heape - - - - i

W . Edwards , A . R . C . O . - - - Organist J . Dunbar Steen .... Assistant Secretary G . W . Bradford .... Pursuivant J . Whito .... - Assistant Pursuivant