Resignation Of The Grand Secretary.

RESIGNATION OF THE GRAND SECRETARY .

IN another column we announce the fact that our esteemed Bro . John Hervey has tendered his resignation of the position of Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of England to which he was appointed in August 1868 . For some time past the state of health of Bro .

Hervey has been such as to prevent his taking so active a part in the duties of his office as he desired . Daring the eleven years in which our Brother has occupied the position of Grand Secretary he has shown kindness of disposition and sound judgment which has won for

him the respect and esteem of the Brotherhood , both in this country and abroad , whenever his business duties have brought him in contact with the Craft . When we take into consideration the many and varied labours which Bro . Hervey has been called upon

officially to perform , and the number of interests he must have had to consolidate , we can but look upon his achievement as a great undertaking . When we say that we believe he has performed his duties without making a single enemy , we have said all that can be urged in praise of any

man . We have no doubt that his services to English Freemasonry will be suitably recognised at the next meeting of Grand Lodge , and that our Brother will retire amid

the heartiest wishes of every Craftsman for his future health . We trust he may long enjoy the rest and comfort of the retirement he now seeks , and which his past efforts so worthily entitle him to receive .

Responsibility Of The Master In The Appointment Of Officers.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MASTER IN THE APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS .

rpENNYSON , in his famous poem , " The Charge of the J- Light Brigade , " has immortalised one of the grandest military acts the world has ever known , if , indeed , the mere record of that daring feat would not have sufficed

to have handed it down to all time ; while the few words in which he describes the true discipline of the noble body of men who made the charge affords us a splendid example of the need for obedience : —

" Forward , the Light Brigade ! " Was there a man dismay'd ? Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blnnder'd : Their's not to mate reply , Their ' s not to reason why , Their ' s but to do , and die .

Although these words were written with reference to a military command , they are equally applicable in every other sphere of life , and no less in Freemasonry than elsewhere ; for here immediate and full obedience to the dictum of the ruler is both necessary for the comfort of the Lodo-e

in particular and the welfare of the Craft at large . In a recent article Ave endeavoured to impress on our readers the need for the governor of a Lodge to assume a bold front in any case of emergency that might arise in his midst ; and on several occasions of late we have extracted

articles from our contemporaries bearing on the same sub - ject ; but it is also necessary that the members should stand by their elected head and do all in their power to support him

and prevent the display of opposition from any source . Happily it is not often that anything really serious does occur to disturb the harmony , but as it is impossible to know when or where we may be opposed , it is as well to be ever

Responsibility Of The Master In The Appointment Of Officers.

on guard . One of the most prolific sources of discontent is perhaps the distribution of the collars of office , and however a Master may act in this respect he may rest assured he will offend some individual , even if not a body of members of his Lodsre . If we refer to the " Antient

Charges , " and as Freemasons we cannot possibly have a better source from whence to gain advice , we find it there specially set down that "ALT , preferment among Masons is grounded upon real worth and personal merit only ; that so the lords may bo well served , the brethren not put to

shame , nor the royal craft despised ; therefore no master or warden is chosen by seniority , but for his merit . " These sentiments are reproduced in the Book of Constitutions , and really form one of the most essential parts of the groundwork of the Order , and yet we find brethren who

consider they are justified in questioning the action of the Master in carrying out this special part of his duty —whether from ignorance of the law , or want of respect for the chair , we cannot say . As this question , if broached at all , is one which is naturally brought

forward on an installation night , and often in the presence of numerous Visitors , tho newly installed Master may feel somewhat at a loss to kuow how to proceed , finding , as he does , his first act questioned by those who placed him in the chair . To such we would say—be firm , and at once

stamp out the discontent . As given iu the lines we havo quoted above , it is the duty of subordinates " to do , and die , " if need be , to support their rulers . Once hesitate

and the whole Lodge is upset , it may be because au undeserving brother has justly been passed over in tho appointment of officers , in favour of some one more suited for the position .

It may be the fear of causing open rupture on tho occasion of occupying the chair for the first time that prevents a Master following the course he conscienciously considers best for the Lodge , bnt were he to take into account the stake at issue such considerations would not be allowed to influence him for a moment . He should

remember that he is placed m a position where an error at the outset may cause ruin to the Lodge he is appointed to sustain . If , in his opinion , it be necessary to upset all the

appointments of his predecessors , and select au entirely new set of officers , he is justified in so doing if he , at all times , pays due regard to justice and consistency . Should he deem such a course the best for the interests of the

Lodge he should come fully prepared to have his action questioned by some of the aggrieved brethren , or their friends , and therefore he should not be at a loss to

know how to proceed when such opposition manifests itself . In governing a Lodge it is not only necessary for a Brother to be an adept in remedying abuses , but also needful that he should be able to brincr all the members

into a fit state of mind to bow to the dictum of the chair . If reference is made at the outset of a discussion to one or other of the rules of the Order which govern the question , and still without securing respect for the chair , immediate silence should be obtained by the use of the gavel . At the

same time the Master may remind the brethren that remedy for any abuse of power , if proved , can be obtained without causing a disturbance . In any case it displays bad taste to question the prerogative of the Master , who , for all such

purposes , is wisely looked upon as unable to err , and whenever occasions do occur on which a brother for the time refuses to obey the order of his ruler , the brethren should one and all combine to support the chair , though they might feel " Some one had blnnder'd . "