Star In The East Lodge, No. 650.

Clowes heartily thanked the brethren for this mark of their goodwill , and promised to continue his efforts for the prosperity of Masonry generally , and Lodge 650 particularly . A vote of thanks was passed to W . Brother the Rev . E . H . Crate for so kindly undertaking the day ' s duty ; and he was presented with tho Lodge jewel as a token of the esteem in which the brethren hold him . A vote of thanks

was also passed to Brother Bedo Hntchinson for the zeal and ability he had shown as Secretary to tho Lodge Charity Association , through which no less a sum than £ 63 had during the year been contributed to the R . M . Institution for Boys , Lodge was afterwards closed and , later in the evening , between 40 and 50 brethren dined together at the Pier Hotel , a splendid repast being well served by Brother

Rule , tho host . After dinner , the usual Masonic toasts were proposed and responded to . In giving" the I . P . M . and P . M . ' s of No . 650 , the W . M . took occasion again to refer to tbe eminent services Brother Clowes had rendered to Lodge 650 during his year of office . It was chiefly owing to his energy and hard work that the son of their late Secretary—Bro . Basham—had been elected to the Royal

Masonic Institution for Boys ; he had borne the entire expense of the entertainment of Provincial Grand Lodge , and had rendered signal services in hundreds of ways both to the Lodge and also its members as individuals . It had consequently been thought by some ^ of them that tbe presentation of a P . M . ' s jewel was not a sufficient expression of the kind feeling they all entertained to

Brother Clowes , and the matter having been warmly taken up , had resulted in the purchase of tho Bilver goblet which he now had tho great pleasure to hand to Brother Clowes , and trusted he would live long to continue his services to Masonry . The cup , which had only a few minutes before been brought into the room , was then , amid great applause , handed to Brother Clowes , who in

acknowledging the gift spoke with considerable emotion . He said he had been so thoroughly taken by surprise at this extremely warm token of their kind feeling that he did not know how to reply . He conld assure them , however , that he should value their handsome gift most highly , and so would his family ; and his three boys , who he

hoped one day to see Masons , would , he felt sure , point with pride to that cup on the sideboard and say—That ' s what our father received at the end of his year of office from the brethren of the Star in the East Lodge , 650 . The cup , which is of solid si lver , gold lined , bears the following inscription : —

"Presented to W . Brother Clowes I . P . M . P . G . S . W ., by the membersof Star in the East Lodge , 650 , as a token of their appreciation of his valuable services to the Lodge , and as a mark of their personal regard . October , 1883 . " Among the brethren present during the day were—W . Brothers Thomas J . Railing P . M . 51 P . G . Secretary , R . D . Poppleton I . P . M .

433 P . G . S . D ., J . J . Cavill I . P . M . 1312 P . G . J . D , Thomas G . Mills I . P . M . 697 P . G . P ., E . Hennemeyer P . M . 51 P . P . G . S . W ., Alfred Welch P . M . 51 P . P . G . J . W ., John J . 0 . Turner P . M . 51 P . P . G . O ., 0 . Osmond W . M . 51 P . P . G . O ., J . P . Lewin P . M . 276 P . P . G . S . of W ., Thomas Rix P . M . and Secretary 697 P . P . G . S . B ., Thomas Eustace W . M . 1977 P . P . G . S . B ., G . A . Eustace W . M . 697 P . G . S ., A . A . Bennett W . M . 376 P . P . G . R . Suff ., W . O . Ward P . M . 650 P . P . G . P .,

J . H . Weston P . M . 1536 . Brothers C . H . Snelgar 697 , John Smith 225 , J . T . Bailey I . G . 697 , J . Steer 1536 , C . D . Marshall S . W . 697 , Tnrle Lee I . G . 766 , Charles Beckett 1300 , George F . Smith 1839 , George F . Smith jun . 1977 , F . Atkinson 376 , S . Munson Tyler 51 , & o . ; and the following members of 650—Bros . Rixon Ford , O . Broadberry , George Helsdon , Edgar Bonner , Thomas Dunn , and J . R . Watson . —Essex Standard .

Rothesay Lodge, No. 1687.

ROTHESAY LODGE , No . 1687 .

THE installation meeting of this flonrishing Lodge was held on 3 rd instant , at tho Inns of Court Hotel , High Holborn . Bros . W . C . Parsons W . M ., E . Duret S . W ., Green sen . J . W ., L . Beck P . P . G . O . Middlesex Treasurer , Docker P . M . Secretary , Valeriani S . D . Green jan . J . D ., Mole I . G . Smith M . C . Lodge was opened , and the minutes were confirmed . Brother Duret S . W . and W . M . elect was

presented ; a Board of Installed Masters opened , and he was duly installed into the chair by the I . P . M ., Brother W . C . Parsons , who was deservedly complimented by the brethren and visitors . The newly installed Worshipful Master , in appropriate terms , appointed and invested his Officers : —Bros . W . C . Parsons I . P . M ., Green sen .

S . W ., Valeriani J . W ., L . Beck P . P . G . O . Middlesex Treasurer , W . C . Parsons P . M . Secretary , Green jun . S . D ., Mole J . D ., Shaw I . G . A pplause followed the investiture of the several Officors . A candidate was proposed for initiation , and soon afterwards Lodge was closed . The brethren sat down to a snmptnous and recherche

banquet , superintended by Brother Gosden . Grace having been said , the Worshipful Master in eloqnent terms proposed the Loyal and Masonic toasts . Brother Parsons I . P . M ., in proposing the health of tho Worshipfnl Master said , they were pleased to have Bro . Dnret

occupying the chair ; from his general ability they might rest assured the Lodge would prosper under his direction . The Worshipful Master briefly and appropriately returned thanks . The W . M . in Proposing the toast of the Visitors said , the Rothesay Lodge was alway s pleased to see Visitors ; when he looked around and saw so

many familiar faces , sevpral of whom had done him the honour to come from Warwick and Leamington to see hiin installed , he felt a great compliment was paid him . With the toast he wonld couple the names of Bros . Boddington and Coombs . These brethren responded ; and in the course of their remarks allusion was made to the respect in which the Worshipfnl Master was held , not only in London , but

also in the Guys Lodge , at Leamington . The toast of the Past Masters came next ; the Worshipful Master was sure it would meet w'th a hearty reception . Before they honoured the toast , however , he had great pleasnre in presenting Brother W . C . Parsons with a gold Past Master ' s jewel . He ( the W . M . ) hoped Brother Parsons might live for many years to wear it , Brother Parsons in a charac

Rothesay Lodge, No. 1687.

teristic speech thanked the Worship ful Master and the brethren for their valuable gift . He alluded to tho ploasing fact that the Master now occupying tho chair was tbe first initiate of the Lodge . Brother L . Beck P . M . followed . Tho Worshipful Master in proposing the toast of the Officers said , this was a very important one ; ho hoped the selection he had made would be for tho advantage of the Lodge .

Tho Officers were known for their Masonic ability ; attendance at tho Lodge of Instrnction had gone far towards perfecting them . The toast was enthusiastically received , and wa 3 ably responded to by Bros . Green sen . and Valeriani . Tho Tyler's toast closed an agreoable and harmonious evening . Bro 3 . Stalward , Percy , L . Beck ,

Coombs , and Frankton contributed to tho harmony . Among the Visitors were Bros . Boddington P . M . 567 P . P . G . D . C . Warwick , Rnf P . M . 12 , Coombs P . M . 12 , Franklin P . M . 567 , Noel 6 , Monck 567 , Johnston 1608 , Levey 231 , Shaw 1471 , Madell 1201 , H . Harvey 749 , Dallay 1475 , Oswald 1670 , Walby 395 , Deacon 25 , and H . M . Levy P . M . 188 .

Montague Guest Lodge, No. 1900.

MONTAGUE GUEST LODGE , No . 1900 .

THE annual meeting of this young , yet prosperous Lodge , was held on Wednesday , the 10 th inst ., at tho Inns of Court Hotel , and the fact that Bro . Hedges , tho respected Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was to bo installed in the chair of K . S . had the effect of securing a more than ordinarily large attendance of members , while among the visitors thore was an unusually strong muster of past and present Grand Officers . Tho chair was taken at

tho appointed time by Bvo . Festa W . M ., and Lodge having been opened , the minutes of the last stated meeting , as well as of an emergency meeting , were read and confirmed . The Auditors' report showed the financial state of the Lodge to bo most satisfactory , and this having been submitted and accepted , Bro . Festa entered on the duty of installing his successor , Bro . Hedges , and this duty ho

carried out in a highly commendable manner , and with great earnestness . After the customary salutations , Bro . Hedges proceeded to appoint and invest the following brethren as his officers for the year , namely—Brts . H . J . Capon S . W ., H . Slyman P . M . J . W ., W . H . Dean P . M . Treasurer ( eleoted ) , J . D . Collier P . M . Sec , W . H . Gardener S . D ., S . Brooks P . M . J . D ., G . M . Doble I . G ., 0 . M . Tait

M . C , W . H . Staff Org ., H . N . Pratt Steward , and Banks Tyler . The next duty that devolved on Bro . Hedges was that of presenting the I . P . M ., Bro . Festa , with a very elegant Past Master ' s jewel , set with brilliants , together with a collar and solid silver square , in recognition of his valuable services during his tenure of office as W . M ., the inscription on the jewel being as follows : — " Viro ornatissimo Johanni

Panlo Festa , pro Liboralitate ejus et Urbanitate et Fidelitate , curato munere , sodales sodali ; D . D . Montague Guest Societas 1900 , D . D . Oct . MDCCCLXXXIII . " Bro . Hedges having expressed 'the pleasure with which he fulfilled this particular duty , and Bro . Festa having feelingly acknowledged the compliment paid him by the brethren of the Lodge , the other business was dispatched ,

Lodge was closed , and the brethren sat down to banquet . On the removal of the cloth , the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were proposed and honoured , that of the " Grand Officers " being acknowledged by Sir John B . Monckton , President of the Board of General Purposes , who expressed the pleasnre which he felt sure his brother G . Officers , present and past ,

experienced at being present on that occasion . There were , ho remarked , three reasons which conduced to this feeling . There was , in the first place , their desire to show their sympathy with the Lodge which , albeit one of tho youngest of the Lodges , was very vigorous and energetic in its work . Then they were able to show their sympathy with , he might almost venture to say , the mo 3 t engaging of their

Charities ; and lastly , they could evince their respect for Brother Hedges , the able Secretary of that Institution , and now W . Master of the Lodge . It was this third reason which had prompted him to attend , though at some personal inconvenience , so that he—and with him the other Grand Officers—might 3 how their respect for a most excellent Mason , and also a most excellent servant of the Craft . True ,

they were all of them servants one way or another , and he was one himself in another sphere , and he felt that those who faithfully discharged the duties entrusted to them merited recognition : hence the pleasure they experienced in bearing testimony to the ability and faithfulness of Bro . Hedges . Bro . Festa I . P . M . briefly proposed the health of the W . M ., remarking that , in such an assembly , and espeoially after the speech with which they had just been favoured , there

was no necessity to speak npon it at any length . Bro . Hedges , in reply , thanked them very heartily for their kindness , though he confessed he felt some difficulty in doing so . He considered the Mastership of the Lodge was a great honour . He had long desired to occupy such a position , and he trusted ho should succeed in discharging its duties with credit to himself and advantage to the Lodge . And as it was to Bro . Festa that he was indebted for his introduction into the

Montague Gnest Lodge , he felt that he might take that opportunity of thanking him for his kindness and telling him how much lie appreciated it . In conclusion , be gave the toast of the I . P . M ., whose services to the Lodge were known to all the brethren . It had afforded him the greatest pleasure in presenting him with the jewel he was then wearing , and he cordially invited the brethren to

supplement the presentation of the jewel by giving the toast a cordial welcome . The request having been complied with , Brother Festa expressed the gratification he had derived from his connection with Freemasonry , and the pleasure he had felt in installing a brother for whom from the moment he joined the Craft lie had formed a sincere friendship , which had lasted ever since , and which ,

ho trusted , might last for many years . He admitted he wa 3 -very enthusiastic , and he had striven to do his duty and be a credit to the Order as well as to afford all possible pleasure to the brethren of the Lodge . Any faults or shortcomings he might have shown they must kindly set down to his nationality and to the greater sensitiveness of his temperament . However , he was glad that what had been done