Consecration.

CONSECRATION .

— : o : — LEG 6 E LODGE . ON Monday , 18 th inst ., this new Lodge was opened at West Bromwich , and at the dinner , which was given in the Masonic Hall in celebration of the event , some 130 or 140 representatives from various Lodges in the county sat down , including Lord Dartmouth . The new Lodge will commence with a membership of twenty-five .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — BERKS AND OXON . THE annual communication of this Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Masons was held in the University Masonic Hall , Oxford , on Monday , 4 th inst . The Provincial Grand Master Viscount Valentia , M . P ., presided , and there was a large attendance of past and present Officers .

The Secretary reported an increase in membership , and the Treasurer Bro . E . Margrett produced a satisfactory balance-sheet . The invitation to hold the next Provincial Grand Lodge at Windsor was accepted . The Provincial Grand Master appointed and invested his Officers , as follow : —

Bro . J . Tomkins ----- Deputy G . H . Morland ... . Senior Warden W . Hicke .-. - - - - Junior Warden E . Margrett - ---- Treasurer H ; Collison - - - - - Master Overseer

E . B . Oldfleld .. . . Senior Overseer E . Marshall ---- - Junior Overseer Bev . F . Fitzpatrick Penruddock - - Chaplain J . Stradling ----- Registrar of Marks W . Ravenscroffc .... Secretary ' F . P . Nunnely .... Senior Deacon

H . Matthews .... Junior Deacon E . W . Goddard ... . Director of Ceremonies A . D . Mosley - - - - Assistant Dir . of Cers . T . Sawyer -- --- Sword Bearer G . T . Phillips .... Standard Bearer J . G . Burnett .... Organist

W . C Long --- - - Assistant Secretary W . H . Castle .... Inner Guard H . D . Tilley - - ' - - - " ) S . W . Bowles - - - C Stewards W . G . Crombie - - - - ) W . Hemmings - - - ) m , G . R . Norwood jun . - - - - \ Tylers

-After Lodge , the Brethren and several ladies partook of luncheon at the Randolph Hotel , and subsequently visited various Colleges and other places of interest in Oxford , under the guidance of Bros . R . E . Baynes and P . Colville Smith . Tea was afterwards served in the Masonic Hall .

MERIDIAN LODGE , No 73 . AT Redruth , on the 28 th ult ., Bro . W . Hall S . W . was installed as W . M , by Bro . Sampson Hill . Bro . Sampson Hill , on behalf of the Lodge , presented Bro . W . L , Chegwidden with his Prov . G . L . regalia in appreciation of his valued servioes to the Lodge .

A large gathering of Brethren included several recently returned from South Africa . The Lodge voted two guineas to tho Earl of Mount Edgcumbe ' s War Fund . The Lodge having been closed , the Brethren adjourned to Tabb ' s Hotel , where the annual dinner was served .

UNITED SERVICE LODGE , No . 489 . THE installation meeting was held at Mark Masons' Hall , on Wednesday , 13 th inst ., when Bro . Sergeant Major W . F . Trydell , R . E ., was duly installed as ruler for the year in succession to Captain 3 ? . S . Hanson , the ceremony being very creditably performed by Bro . Percy White Prov . G . D . C Kent , who received a vote of thanks for his services .

The following were appointed and invested as the assistant Officers for the year : Bros . E . W . I . Peterson S . W ., P . White P . M . Prov . G . D . CKent J . W ., Staff Sergt . E . J . Walker M . O ., Lieut . H . D . Smalley S . O ., Corpl . Major H . Rowntree , 1 st Life Guard * , J . O ., Rev . Stuart-Stitt , M . A ., Chaplain to the Forces , Chaplain , Capt . C de M . Franklyn , R . E .. P . M . G . Steward Treas ..

Capt . G . Hearn P . M . P . P . G . J . O . Hants and I . of Wight Sec , J . Maitland P . M . P . D . G . S . D . Bombay R . M ., Capt . R . A . Marshall P . M . P . P . G . M . O . Surrey D . C , T . O . Hutchinson S . D ., G . A . Sumner J . D ., J . Brampton I . G ., Corpl . Major Quigley , 1 st Life Guards , Steward , M . O . Moulton Tyler . A banquet followed the proceedings , which was attended by a large number of Brethren .

Dorset Charity.

DORSET CHARITY .

THE following is the nineteenth annual report of the General Committee of the Dorset Masonic Charity ,

Dorset Charity.

presented to Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Blandford , on Monday , 27 th ult . : " Your Committee have pleasure in reporting that whilst the past year's working shows a slight decrease in the number of Subscribers , the amount subscribed is nearly the same as in 1897 . Your Committee wish ,

however , to call the attention of the Lodges to the fact that the actual per-centage of Subscribers is still considerably below what ought reasonably to be expected . The per-centage for

the Province shown by the table is only 43 , as against 4 . 6 in 1897 . This is partly to be accounted for by the fact ot the Branksome Lodge having as yet made no return , though its members are included in the total membership of the Province .

It will be seen that the donors number 4 , and the subscribers 324 , as against 5 and 333 in 18 97 . The total receipts for the 3 ^ ear , as against 1897 , are shown below :

1897 . 18 9 8 . Donations £ 14 7 7 £ 63 3 o Interest and Dividends 9 8 8 2 102 14 o Return of Income tax 920 — Subscriptions 85 17 o 82 7 0

Total ... £ 207 14 9 £ 248 4 o a result which speaks well for the continued activity of the various local correspondents , to whom your Committee ask to be allowed to tender the warmest thanks of the Province , for performing an arduous task with fervency and zeal .

Four Petitioners have been relieved during the year , at a total cost of £ 70 , viz . : —

Lodge 170 , Widow J . £ 10 ,, 665-, Bro . R . 20 ,, 707 , Mrs . G . T 20 „ 622 , Widow L . 20

The abstract of the accounts will show the exact state of the finances on the 31 st December . The special thanks of your Committee are due to P . G . L . for a donation of £ 50 , to qualify W . Bro . W . D . Dugdale as a Vice-President .

Also to the late W . Bro . W . L . Matthews , W . M . of 707 , for a Legacy of £ 5 , the first , it is believed , which has been left to the Charity . In the hopes that this may lead other Brethren to follow such a good example , your Committee append to their report a form of legacy which may be adopted if" desired .

Your Committee trust that the tabular statement at the commencement of the report will be carefully compared with the statement in last year ' s report , and if only the Brethren in each Lodge who are Subscribers will exert themselves to master the figures and bring them home to the members of their own Lodge who do not yet subscribe , there will next

year be that increase of the number of subscribers which is necessary to the continued welfare of the Charity . Your Committee would ask the W . M . of each Lodge to call the particular attention of his Brethren to the position their Lodge holds as to its per-centage of subscribers , and to

endeavour to arouse a spirit of emulation and a desire that their Lodge should take or keep the best place in the list . This year All Souls is still steadily working up in the list , and increases its per-centage to ninety-two , being just headed by Beaminster Manor with ninety-six , whilst St . Mary is a good third with seventy-eight .

There should be no difficulty in getting all new members to subscribe during their first year , nor , when they have once subscribed , in getting them to continue ; and your Committee venture to hope that each local correspondent will endeavour to secure at all events all new members . The work , being a local one , should have the warmest sympathy and active assistance of every Brother in the Province .

Your Committee , for the reason given last year , make no report as to the working for i 8 gg ; but the Hon . Sec . will be pleased at any time to give any information to the Lodges , Lodge Collectors , or Subscribers , that may be desired . ( Signed ) W . D . DUGDALE , Chairman . S . R . BASKETT , Hon . Secretary .

Church Service.

CHURCH SERVICE .

ON Thursday evening , 30 th ult , members of the Gilbert Greenall Lodge attended service at St . Peter ' s Church , when a sermon was preached by the Vicar ( the Rev . B . Percival ) from the words " Be of good courage , and let us play the men for our people , and for the cities of our God ;