Fraternal Intercourse.

FRATERNAL INTERCOURSE

"Ti yrUCH has been written in support of the injunction .- * - contained in Law 149 of the Book of Constitutions , which enjoins that the Master and Wardens of a Lodge shall visit other Lodges as often as they conveniently

can , 'in order that the same usages and customs may be observed throughout the Craft , and a good understanding cultivated among Freemasons ; and no Brother who has been present at a meeting attended by a numerous body

of visitors , and has noted the hearty welcome that has been accorded them , and the pleasant interchange of sentiment that has resulted , will doubt for one moment that very great advantage does result from the carrying out of this regulation .

It is seldom , however , that ' we notice a more gratifying arrangement than that recorded in the report , given elsewhere in this issue , of the meeting of the . St . Nicholas Lodge , at Scarborough , when the Worshipful

Masters of the three other Lodges which meet in the town took a prominent part in the ceremony of installation , the ruler of the oldest Lodge giving the address to the Worshipful Master , the W . M . of the Denison Lodge

addressing the Wardens , and the W . M . of the Leopold Lodge discharging the like duty to the Brethren generally , giving evidence of an amount of unanimity among the

different Lodges of Scarborough it would be difficult to improve upon , and probably almost unknown in any organisation other than that of Freemasonry .

We have frequently urged the advantage of dividing the work of the installation , and have pointed out how much better it is for different Past Masters to take up the addresses , but the particular division of the work among

the presiding Officers of neighbouring Lodges is a point that has hitherto escaped us , and we venture to think many of our readers will agree that it is a practice worthy

of imitation on each and every possible occasion , as a practical exemplification of the true Brotherhood that abounds among members of our ancient Institution .

We do not wish to imply that the course here referred to is a wholly new feature on the part of the St . Nicholas Lodge , but the arrangement will certainly prove a new

one to many Brethren coming forward for the chair , and may lead them to ask the question whether they might not profitably follow the example of their Yorkshire Brethren .

Gloucestershire.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Chapter was held at the Masonic Hall , Cheltenham , on Thursday , 2 nd inst ., and was attended by an unusually large assemblage of members of the Order , notwithstanding the counter-attractions of the great gathering of Masons in St . Paul ' s Cathedral on the same day .

Gloucestershire.

The Right Hon . Sir M . E . Hicks Beach , Bart ., M . P ., Grand Superintendent presided , and opened Prov . G . Chapter with the usual formalities . Comp . J . Bruton presented the Treasurer ' s report , which was of a satisfactory character . He was re-elected Treasurer by the unanimous vote of the Chapter .

After various routine business had been disposed of , the roll of the Chapters was called , and reports made on their behalf , and the Grand Superintendent then made his appointment of Officers for the ensuing year , as follow :

Comp . R . V . Vassar-Smith 82 839 - - H . Rev . P . Hattersley-Smith 82 - - ¦ ' J . J . B . Winterbotham 82 - - - Scribe E . C . G . Clark 493 - - - - Scribe N . J . Bruton 839 - - - - Treasurer J . L . Bretherton 839 ... Registrar R . W . K . Northcott 702 - - - Principal Sojourner

Col . R . Rogers 82 - - - - 1 st Assistant Sojourner E . Lea 493 ----- 2 nd Assistant Sojourner J . L . Tickell 82 - - - - Sword Bearer S . Millard 493 - ' - - - Standard Bearer •E . W . Henley 839 - - - - Director of Ceremonies F . Hannam-Clarke 839 - Organist LI . Evans 82 - - - - Assistant Scribe E . Carroll 82 - - - - - Janitor .

Prov . G . Chapter having been closed , a banquet was served in the dining hall , at which the Right Hon . Sir M . E . Hicks Beach presided .

Wiltshire.

WILTSHIRE .

ON the occasion of the annual meeting , reported in our last , the appointments of Officers for the Provincial Grand Lodge took place , as follow : Bro . G . L . Palmer 632 - - - - Senior Warden * Viscount Folkestone 586 - Junior Warden Rev . P . M . Smythe 2227 . - - - Chaplain E . B . Merriman 1533 ... Treasurer

W . E . N . Brown 355 ... Registrar H . Bevir 335 - Secretary Col . R . T . Gwyn 335 - - - Senior Deacon G . W . Harris 586 - - - - Junior Deacon P . I . Leader 1533 - - - - Superintendent of Works John Chandler 355 ... Director of Ceremonies

J . P . Martin 663 - - - - Assistant Dir . of Cers . H . Mead 2227 - - - - Sword Bearer A . H . Hancock 1271 ... Standard Bearer W . S . Baihbridge 1553 - - - Organist W . Webster 2227 - - - - Pursuivant T . Hogarth 1295 ... - Assistant Pursuivant Wm . Dean ---- - Tyler .

Columbia Chapter.

COLUMBIA CHAPTER .

A NEW Chapter , attached to the Anglo-American Lodge , No . 2191 , was consecrated on Tuesday , at the Hotel Cecil . The Consecrating Officer was Companion Letchworth Grand Scribe E ., assisted by Companions Horton Smith , Q . C ., as H ., Thomas Fenn—who delivered the oration—as J ., C . E . Keyser as S . N ., and Frank Richardson as D . C .

The new Chapter made a most auspicious beginning , the ceremony being attended by a large number of distinguished Arch Masons . On the conclusion of the impressive ceremony of Consecration Companions R . Clay Sudlow , Henry S « Wellcome , and F . C . Van Duzer were installed as the three Principals .

The Church And The Freemasons.

THE CHURCH AND THE FREEMASONS .

THE magnificent service of the Freemasons at bt . Paul s , in memory of the 200 th anniversary of that cabhedral opens