Gloucestershire.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

WE briefly reported the annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge in our issue of 12 th inst ., and now append further interesting particulars of the meeting . This Provincial Grand Lodge , which was founded in 1856 , with five Lodges under its jurisdiction , now controls sixteen flourishing Lodges , in all parts of the county , from Tewkesbury in the north to Avonmouth

m the south , and members of all these Lodges were present to the number of over 200 . This number is a much larger one than can be received in the Masonic Hall , where the Cheltenham Freemasons usually assemble , and the arrangements made on this occasion were similar to those made four years ago , when

Provincial Grand Lodge last met in Cheltenham . The large Assembly room was utilised as a Lodge room , and the subsequent entertainment of the visitors took place in the Pump Eoom at Pittville , which had been kindly lent for the occasion by the Corporation . Both rooms were appropriately and tastefully decorated .

The customary formalities at opening of Provincial Grand Lodge having been observed , the report of the Prov . Gr . Treasurer Bro . Bruton was presented , from which it appeared that after making the usual payments and contributions to charitable purposes , with a special vote of 40 guineas to the Operative

Masonry fund , there remained a balance of £ 61 in hand . Bro . Bruton also presented a separate report upon the work of Operative Masonry undertaken . The public is already aware that this work had been the restoration of the North Cloister in Gloucester Cathedral . It was estimated by the Cathedral

architect that the cost of the restoration would be about £ 500 . Including a memorial brass placed in the wall of the cloister , by permission of the Dean and Chapter , the total cost had been £ 546 , and Bro . Bruton was able to make the satisfactory statement that after meeting all demands upon the fund , he bad a

surplus of two or three pounds , which he suggested ( and the suggestion was at once acquiesced in ) should be handed to the Benevolent Fund of the Province . It should be stated that the work of restoration undertaken by the Province had been supplemented by the generous gift of stained glass for the windows of

the cloister from Bro . the Baron de Ferrieres P . G . D ., whose absence on the Continent prevented his attendance on this occasion , but whose generous help was cordially acknowledged by the Prov . G . Master . The work now completed is the second distinctive mark of operative zeal which modern Freemasonry

has placed upon the old Cathedral , says the " Cheltenham Examiner . " The beautiful reredos ( erected twenty-four years ago , and since gilded and coloured ) was the gift of the Province , at a cost of nearly £ 3 , 000 . In congratulating Bro . Bruton on the manner in which he had carried oufc the financial arrangements , the Prov . G . Master

recalled with pleasure the fact that the initiative of Prov . Grand Lodge had been so loyally followed that every Lodge in the Province had contributed to the fund . The result was in every way satisfactory . No one could see the work , now that it had been completed , without being struck by its beauty and by the fidelity and skill with which Bro . Waller , the architect , had carried out the work as one of restoration only .

Following the reports of the Treasurer , Bro . Sumner , as Charity Secretary , presented his record of the labours of the Committee during the past year . It was a very satisfactory one . Two candidates from the Province had been elected to the Boys and Girls Schools respectively , while the position of a third had

been made secure for the next election in October ; the voting strength of the Province had been well maintained ; and , notwithstanding the claims made upon it , there had been a considerable augmentation of the Benevolent Fund of the Province . Whilst this was so , Bro . Sumner referred to the fact that the

Grand Master H . E . H . the Prince of Wales had undertaken to preside at the Centenary of the Boys School next year , and he said he had no doubt tbat the Province would make a special effort in connection with that event , and the concurrent movement for the removal of the School to a more suitable site than

that at Wood Green . The Prov . G . Master also gave expression to the confident hope that the Province would do justice to its reputation on the occasion referred to , and he incidentally justified the action of the School Committee in deciding to remove the School from its present situation to a greater distance from London .

Bro . Bruton having been unanimously re-elected Treasurer , and the usual charity votes having been passed , the roll of the Lodges was called and their reports taken . These were in every case satisfactory . The Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge for the ensuing year were then appointed .

Shortly afterwards , with the usual ceremonial , Provincial Grand Lodge was closed . Brakes and carriages were in waiting to convey such of the Brethren as could remain , to Pittville , where a party of about 150 sat down to an excellent cold col \ a , tion , in the Pump Room .

Gloucestershire.

In giving the Queen and the Craft , the Provincial Grand Master said he usually employed as few words as possible in proposing that toast , because he felt that no words could adequately express the loyal devotion of Masons to their Queen , or their love for the honoured and ancient Craft of which they were proud . But they were approaching a very

memorial epoch in the reign of their Queen . Comparisons and statements without end had been made as to the advantages to this country of Her Majesty ' s great and glorious reign . He would not attempt to paint the lily , but this he would say , that there never was a queen , there never was a sovereign in the whole history of the world , who lived more

completely in the affection of her subjects , or whose conduct , throughout a span of years longer than the lives of nine-tenths of those over whom she now reigned , had commanded to so great an extent the universal regard and admiration of the world . And this , at any rate , Masons could remember with pleasure and with pride , that during the Queen ' s reign , perhaps not the least of the many benefits which that reign had brought to England

was found in the fact that the Craft , of which they were proud , had increased its numbers and extended its ancient borders , and that the light of Masonry , which in their own Province , for instance , was sixty years ago upheld by a few choice spirits alone , had spread , and was spreading daily , until it had come to be recognised as a force and a power in the land for good , hardly second even to the Churches of our country .

In acknowledging the toast of his health , which had been proposed by Sir Brook Kay , Bart ., Sir Michael Hicks Beach said it was true , as Bro . Sir Brook Kay had said , that he found something to do , and that it was not every day he was able to make time to come amongst the Masons of Gloucestershire ; but when the happy day came that he was no longer Chancellor of the

Exchequer , and had , as some great man once said , " A position of greater freedom and less responsibility "— then he hoped to resume those visits to the Lodges of the Province , which he could assure them were a very great pleasure to him . He trusted it might be many years before the connection between the Province and himself was severed , for he could assure them that in all the

storms and troubles of political life it was the deepest delight to him to feel that he had a kind haven of friendship among his Gloucestershire Brethren . It was no work to him to come among them , it was pure relaxation . It was a pleasure to him to find himself among those who had known him for a good many years as their Provincial Grand Master , and he hoped they had

not found his rule in that capacity a very disagreeable one . He valued the connection more than he could tell them , and if it should be , as it possibly might be , tbat before long he should again find himself a resident in the Province , he should only feel that the tie between them was closer , and trust it might endure for many years to come .

Sir Michael concluded by proposing the health of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . Vassar-Smith , remarking that if they searched all England through they would not find a man who possessed more completely the confidence of the Brethren of his Province , or who was better able to extend by his knowledge and experience the valued truths of Freemasonry .

In his response to the toast , Bro . Vassar-Smith stated the facfc that fchere were now 700 subscribing members in the Province .

A prompt , intelligent , energetic , and obliging Secretary of a Lodge can do much to secure its prosperity . He should be a brother of large and varied information , and of considerable experience , so that all the officers , from the W M . to the Tyler , may draw upon his fund of knowledge and find ample supplies .

Not only should he be thoroughly posted as to the ritual and the conduct of the Lodge , & c , but he should always have such a good knowledge of the members—their individualities and idiosyncracies—as to know just how to approach them in any

manner respecting the collection of dues or other related subject . Of course he should be accurate and discreet in performing the duties of his office , ready to answer all proper questions , and never in a perverse temper . Blessed is the Lodge that has such a Secretary . —Exchange .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

fTHHE funeral of Bro . James Edward Petifer P . M . Royal Lodge 1 of Faith and Friendship , No . 270 , Berkeley , Glos ., took place on Wednesday , 16 th inst ., the whole of the Brethren of the district attending . There were many floral emblems , including a handsome wreath from his Lodge .

In Memoriam . MORGAN . —In memory of Brother William Wray Morgan , founder of the FBBBMASON ' CHRONICLE , who died 23 rd June 1893 .