Notices Of Meetings.

Sincerity Lodge , No . 174 . — " Yes , yes ; I will readily admit it ; there are Lodges and Lodges ; Masons and Masons ; but take you fellows in the bulk , you are a set of humbugs , and I am a great fool for mixing up with you . " Thus spoke a very old friend to us , a few evenings ago . We had been discussing matters Mascnic , and he had related incidents—to our miud far too circumstantially and

with too much warranty—as to how ho had been victimised and deceived by those who advanced to him the claims of " brotherhood . " We know our friend well ; he is ever ready to do a good action , and never chary iu loosing his pnrso strings . Yet withal he puts on what those who know him not are pleased to term a " crabbed " nature , and we have moro than once heard him described as an old

cynic , who iuvariably looks ou tho worst side of humanity , and would break his heart if he were compelled to give away his shoo strings . Somewhere or other our old friend had heard enunciated what he was pleased to call Bro . Terry ' s " Five Shilling Theory , " and wo had drawn his attention to tho magnificent gifts of some of our Lodges on behalf of the Charities : incidentally , also , we had

mentioned Lodge of Sincerity as one worthy of imitation . In his argumentative fashion , ho was content to agree with us , but—here came his great point—" what was the motive power that actuated the members ? " We argued that there was no very complicated machinery at work , nothing that was likely soon to be disarranged or disorganised , but merely an amount of largeheartedness backed np by

energy . "Ah ! " said he , " there you are right ; energy is what is wanted , and you ought to stir up to greater energy tbe numberless Lodges which fail to exercise this virtue of charity . However , let nio know what this Lodge has done during tho last few years , and something may be made of the statement . " With this long-winded preface we come to the more immediate business we have in hand , that is , to record the

doings of this Lodge at its installation meeting on Wednesday , the loth inst . Before , however , commencing with this duty we , in conformity with our promise to our " cynical " friend , append a list of the several Stewardships served by members of this Lodge during the last four years , together with the names of thoso brethren who filled them , and the amounts they severally collected : — Institution Date Steward Amount

R . M . B . I . January LS 75 G . J . Hilliard £ 51 10 0 R . M . I . G . May 1875 Chas . Lacoy 109 4 0 R . M . B . I . February 187 ( 5 W . T . Wells 100 0 0 R . M . I . G . Mny 1876 John Appleby 89 14 0 R . M . B . I . February 1877 S . H . Rawley 89 0 0 R . M . I . G . May 1 S 77 G . J . Hilliard 23 5 6 R . M . I . B . June 1877 C . Jas . Perceval 130 4 0 R M . B . I . February 1878 C . Jas . Perceval 109 15 0 R . M . I . B . July 1 S 78 G . J . Hilliard 72 9 0

£ 775 1 fi Our readers can see for themselves from this record that the " Sincerity " is true to its title , and worthily and sincerely fulfils tho essential obligation to be charitable on which Freemasons so generally pride themselves , but not always with jnstico . It will bo seen , later ou , that further good work is being done , in addition to what

has been achieved , thero being two members of the Lodge , namely , Bros . Seddon tho W . M ., and C . J . Perceval , who are actively engaged collecting funds , the former for the Festival next month of tho Royal Mas . nic Benevolent Institution , and tho latter for that of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , in April or May . Some of onr readers , however , will say we aro again wandering ; therefore we will at once to our record .

Tho Lodge was opened on this , the installation day , Wednesday the 15 th instant , by Bro . John Appleby , who was supported by the following Past Masters of the Lodge : —Bros . Samuel Rawley , Barlow , Charles Lacey , J . G . Hilliard , Bulmer and E . J . Moore ; thero was a good attendance of members , but the worthy Secretary , Bro . John Newton , was unavoidably absent through illness . Amongst tho

numerous Visitors were Bros . Geo . Withey 1382 , R . Smith 1694 , T . J . Barnes P . M . 554 , A . Brown 869 , J . J . Berrv P . M . 554 , George Brooks P . M . 902 , E . G . Legge W . M . 1196 , G . Mellison 1636 , Thos . Quint 749 , Frank Shapland 511 , F . Knight 1185 , J . F . Clark 217 , H . Wilson 217 , E . J . Anning 1625 , H . Massey P . M . 619 , G . J . Dunckley 1777 , J . H . Thorn W . M . 554 , Jas . Terry Sec . R . M . B . I ., John

Constable P . M . 185 , Thomas Mortlock P . M . 1306 , W . W . Morgan Sec . 211 . Lodge was opened at three o ' clock , and Bro . Appleby called on Bro . Walter Rawley , who acted as Secretary daring the evening , to read the minutes of last meeting , which were confirmed . The Auditors ' report was then read ; it showed the Lodgo was in a very prosperous condition ; ifc was duly confirmed and adopted by tbe members . Bro .

William Cecil , a candidate for the third , was advanced in Bro . Appleby ' s careful and impressive style . The S . W . Bro . George T . H . Seddon was then introduced as the W . M . elect . He was duly obligated , and a Board of Installed Masters formed , Bro . Appleby completing his labours as W . M . by installing his successor . On the readmission of the brethren , the Officers were appointed , as follow : —

Bro . C . H . Webb S . W ., G . Jones J . W ., S . Rawley P . M . Treas ., J . Newton P . M . Sec , F . Brown S . D ., J . S . Fraser J . D ., A . H . Brown I . G ., T . F . Harvey D . C , J . Miller W . S ., Verry Tyler . Bro . Seddon was -very happy in hia choice of words as be addressed each brother on installing him , and his remarks were appreciated by all whr . heard them . The addresses to tho Master , Wardens , and Brethren were

"then delivered by Bro . Appleby , and betook his seat , amid the congratulations of all present . The first duty of the W . M . was to present to his immediate predecessor the handsome jewel voted by the members in recognition of his untiriug exertions to promote the welare of tho Lodge dnring the past year , and this mark of

cnnsHeration was acknowledged most gracefully by tho recipient . The ballot , was now taken for two candidates for our mysteries—Messrs . James Benson and John William Fearnhall Mumford . It proved satisfactory in each case , aud the former gentleman , who was present , gave Bro . Seddon an opportunity of displaying his skill as a worker . Of Bro . Seddon ' s abilities for the distinguished position he had inst been

placed in , there was no question , and the effective manner in which ho performed the ceremony , for the first time , assured the members the Lodgo would lose none of its prestige under his rule . Routine business followed , and the death of Bro . Dicker , an old and much respected member , was reported . A letter of condolence was ordered to bo sent to his surviving relatives . Lodge was then closed . A capital banquet was served by the proprietors of the Guildhall Tavern , and

ample justice was done to the good things provided . Bro . Seddon presided in right genial fashion , and gave the toasts with great heartiness . In speaking to that of Her Most Gracious Majesty , ho remarked that it was one wo delight to honour . It was a happyidea , uniting with tho toast Prosperity to the Craft , as we are no less loyal to our Queen than we are to our Order . After the National Anthem , the second toast—the M . W . G . M . H . R . H . tho Prince of Wales—was

given . The Grand Master conducts his duties with dignity , and it was with great pleasure the W . M . called on the brethren to drink his health . After Bro . Hall had favoured the brethren with " God Bless the Prince of Wales , " the W . M . offered the toast of the Pro Grand Master , remarking that when a prince of tho blood royal accepts the

chair of Grand Lodge , it is customary to appoint a " Pro , or acting Master , who may preside in his absence . The wisdom of tho choice the Grand Master had made in selecting the Earl of Carnarvon for this post must bo evident to all . The Earl takes a deep interest in Freemasonry , and in everything that relates to the welfare of the Craft . The next toast the W . M . had to direct the attention of the

brethren to was , The Right Worshipful the Deputy Grand Master Lord Skelmersdale , and the rest of the Grand Officers . He ( Bro . Seddon ) was a Lancashire lad himself , and well knew tho esteem which Lord Skelmersdale was held in throughout the whole of his Province . In speaking to the newly-iniated brother , the "W . M . said that it was a well recognised axiom that all assemblages , to be well

kept up , must have fresh blood infnsed into them . Bro . Benson he could look upon as his first bairn in Freemasonry , and he sincerely trusted he might prove a credit to the Order . After the song by Mattei , " Oh ! hear tho wind blow , " well given by Bro . Hansen Thorn , Bro . Benson rose to reply ; he thanked the members most heartily for having olected him a member of their Lodge , and hoped he might be

found worthy of the kind things the W . M . had said of him . Ou Bro . Appleby now devolved tho duty of proposing the health of the W . M ., which he did most ably . It was gratifying to him to know that Bro . Seddon had had an opportunity to exhibit his proficiency at this early stage of his Mastership . During the last twelvemonths , and , indeed , so long as he had held office , the W . M . 's dnties had always been

performed in a capable manner , and personally ho ( Bro . Appleby ) had derived -reat pleasure and gratification in installing him into tbe chair of the Lodge . At this stage of the proceedings , Bro . W . B . Stirling played a solo on the violin , " Cloches de Corneville , " by Pliinquetto , which deservedly drew forth the applause of all present . Tho W . M . theu assured Bro . Appleby and the brethren how much he

appreciated their kind expressions of approval . He conld fully endorse one remark made by their Immediate Past Master , that was , that he had always striven to do his duty . He believed in whatever position he had been called on to fulfil he had met with their approval , and he trusted in his present position he might not when placed in the balance be found wanting . His main desire was , and wonld be , to

bo h . ippy himself , and to strive to make others happy . Our worthy brother then took a retrospective glance , and alluded to the timo when , six years ago , he had been compelled to Tctire from active participation in the duties of tho Lodgo . However , he could not regret this now , as though he might have reached his present exalted position at an earlier stage of his career , ho felt tho period that

bad necessarily elapsed had tended to matnro his experience . Should the brethren , however , bo able to detect any serious failings in his conduct of the Lodge during the year of his Mastership , he conld assure them they would not be likely to arise through errors of the heart . He sincerely thanked one and all for the kindly reception they had given the toast . The health of the Immediate Past Master

was next given , and after a song by Bro . C . E . Hall , Bro . Appleby rose to respond . He thanked the brethren for their kindness , and assured all of the great gratification it gave him to know that his endeavours to succeed had met with their satisfaction . The W . M , then gavo " Prosperity to the Masonic Institutions . " Surely every true Mason from his heart of heart wished well to the Masonic Institu .

tions . He knew no better themo on which he could dilate than that of our Charities . In the dual capacity he had been filling that evening , —of President and Accompanyist , —ho had been compelled to entrust to Bro . Charles Lacey the more forcible urging of the claims of the Benevolent Institution , for which he had undertaken a Stewardship at the next Festival . However , it had been

intimated to him by Bro . Lacey that the members with their accustomed liberality had responded , aud for their support he thanked them . With the toast he would associate the name of Bro . C . J . Perceval who , this year , would again ask for their contributions ; this time acting on behalf of tho Royal Masouic Institution for Girls . Before resuming his seat , ho would ask Bro . Morgan to favour the

company with Tennyson s lines " In Memoriam . " Yonng a 3 the year already was , the Craft had lost two or more of its ablest supporters , and even in their own Lodge that ereniog the death had been announced of one of their most esteemed members . He thonght therefore the selection would be a most suitable one . Bro . Morgan complied with the W . M . ' s request , and Bro . Perceval having replied to

tho toast , the W . M . guve tho Visitors , to which Bros . T . J . Barnes , John Berry , Thorn , Legge anil Morgan responded ; the litter aUudod to the absence of Bro . John Newton , who he was convinced would be with thein in sympathy , though , throngli the illness , which all so much regretted , unable to tcke part that evening iu i , hoh'

proceedings . The 'J rcastu-er , Bro S . Rawley , replied for tho Past Masters . It was gratifying to know that he had been afforded this opportunity once more . It was twenty-oue years sinco lie h-ul filled tho chair of the Lodge . Ho was proud to see the generosity displayed by the brethren in the cause of r . ' ia Charities . In old times the Institutions received tho support of l . nt a few individual members of the Craft