Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

— : o : — SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER . THE Quarterly Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter will be held at Freemasons' Hall , London , on

Wednesday , 6 th November next , at 6 p . m . The following is the Agenda of business : The Minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation to be read for confirmation .

THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES .

To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the Accounts from the iSth July , to the 15 th October 1 9 01 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows : To Balance , Grand Chapter - - . £ 348 5 9 To Balance , Unappropriated Account 231 15 6 Subsequent Receipts - - 37 S 18 o £ 95 8 19 3

By Disbursements during the Quarter . £ 392 11 6 By Balance ----- 325 jg g By Balance , Unappropriated Account 240 11 o ^ 95 8 19 3 which Balances are in the Bank of England , Law Courts Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following Petitions -.

1 st . From Companions Wallace Ellwood Haworth as Z ., John Meikle as H ., Harry Baskerville Watkins as J ., and ten others for a Chapter to be attached to the Manica Lodge , No . 26 78 , and to meet at Umtali , Rhodesia , South Africa . 2 nd . From Companions Richard Fox Warner as Z ., the Rev . Samuel Theodore Ward as H ., William Harry Seymour Cutler as J ., and nine others for a Chapter to be attached to the Staines Lodge , No . 2536 , and to meet at the Town Hall , Staines , Middlesex .

The foregoing Petitions being regular , the Committee recommend that the prayers thereof be respectively granted . The Committee have likewise received memorials , with extracts of Minutes , for permission to remove the following Chapters :

The Charnwood Chapter , No . 1007 , from the Bull ' s Head , to the Town Hall , Loughborough . The Richard Newhouse Chapter , No . 2433 , from Hamilton Street , Birkenhead , to the Hotel Victoria , New Brighton .

The Royal Albert Chapter , No . 907 , from the White Hart , Cannon Street , to Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , London . The Starkie Chapter , No . 935 , from the Masonic Hall , Adelphi Street , to the Town Hall , Salford .

The Engineer Chapter , No . 2599 , from 22 Golden Square , to the Frascati Restaurant , Oxford Street , London . The St . Peter Chapter , No . 481 , from the Masonic Hall , Pilgrim Street , to the Masonic Hall , Maple Street , Newcastle-on-Tync . The Bedford Chapter , No . 282 , from Freemasons' Hall , West Street , to the New Freemasons' Hall , Barley Market Street , Tavistock .

The Harmony Chapter , No . 178 , from the Masonic Hall , King Street , to the Town Buildings , Wallgate , Wigan . The Strong Man Chapter , No . 45 , from the Holborn Restaurant , to , the Cafe Monico , Piccadilly , London . The Committee having satisfied themselves of the reasonableness of the requests recommend that the removal of these Chapters be sanctioned .

A Memorial , with particulars , has been received from Companions Thomas Atkinson Z ., Richard Monkhouse H ., George Johnson J ., and six other Members of the Nicholson Chapter , No . 371 , Maryport , for a Charter of Confirmation , the original Charter having been destroyed by fire . The Committee recommend that the prayer of the petition be granted .

( Signed ) GEORGE DAVID HARRIS , „ President Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 16 th October 1901 .

Suffolk.

SUFFOLK .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapter was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Soane Street , Ipswich , on Wednesday afternoon , 2 nd inst , when a fairly representative gathering of the Province assembled .

The principal business before the Chapter was the installation of Comp . Rev . J . Holme Pilkington , of Framlingham , into the Provincial Grand Superintendent ' s chair , vacant by lamented

the death of the Rev . C . J . Martyn . The installation ceremony was most ably and impressively performed by Comp . Philbrick G . Supt . of Essex , for which service the Chapter recorded its hearty thanks . After his installation , the Provincial Superintendent appointed and invested his Officers , as follows —

Suffolk.

Comp . N . Tracy 376 ... H . J . Youngman 305 ... J . S . R . Anness 376 ... Scribe E . E . W . Lynch 555 , ... Scribe N .

R . J . Carthew Si ... Treasurer G . W . Normandale . 1224 ... Registrar H . Jones 376 ... Principal Sojourner W . H . Hunt 71 ... 1 st Assist . Soj . C . S . Brown 225 ... 2 nd Assist . Soj .

M . Reid 1224 ... Sword Bearer J . Green 1631 ... Standard Bearer Alma Cocks 959 ... Dir . of Ceremonies T . Ste . venson 19 S 3 ... Asst . Dir . of Cers . E . Hills 959 ... Assist . Scribe E . Geo . Gould 959 ... Janitor .

New Hall At Oswestry.

NEW HALL AT OSWESTRY .

ON the 17 th inst , the foundation stone of the Freemasons' Hall , which is to be erected at the junction of Roft Street and Market Street , Oswestry , was laid by the Prov .

Grand Master Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , Bart . Bro . W . H . Spaull , F . R . I . B . A ., Prov . G . Sec . has designed a handsome building , which will be a worthy addition to the architecture of the town . The building will consist of a Hall 33 ft . by 22 ft , and a dining room 23 ft . by 18 ft , which can be thrown

into the Plan when required , with retiring rooms and other conveniences . On the first floor there will be a large room , to be used for Masonic purposes only , 33 ft . by 23 ft , and a Tyler ' s room 23 ft . by 18 ft . A caretaker ' s house will also be attached , containing five bedrooms , kitchen , bathroom , & c . The Roft Street front will be carried out in the renaissance

style , and the rest of the treatment will be domestic renaissance . The building will be faced with red brick and buff terra-cotta dressings . It will be warmed throughout by hot water , and fitted with the electric light . The cost is estimated at about £ 2 , 000 . Messrs . Griffiths and Sons , of Ellesmere , are the contractors .

Previous to the stone-laying ceremony , a special communication of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the Victoria Rooms . This over , the members , who were attired in full Masonic clothing , formed in procession , and on arrival at the site of the building the Brethren opened ' to the right

and left , forming an avenue for the Provincial Grand Master to pass up the centre ,: preceded by his Standard and Sword Bearers , with the Grand Officers and the Provincial Grand Officers , following from the rear . Awaiting their , arrival

was the Mayor ( Mr . R . Daniel ) , who was accompanied by his Chaplain ( the Rev . J . J . Poynter ) , the Deputy Town Clerk ( Mr . A . VV . Morris ) , and members of the Corporation . A numerous company surrounded the enclosure . The Provincial Grand Master took his stand on the east of the

stone , supported by Bro . Lord Harlech ( Chairman of the Masonic Hall Company ) , the Deputy Prov . G . Master , the Prov . Grand Senior Deacon , and the Prov . Grand Chaplains . Fortunately the weather was fine at this time , although there

had been frequent ram storms during the morning and just previous to the ceremony . The proceedings began by the choir and Brethren , accompanied by Bro . H . Byolin , singing an appropriate hymn .

Lord Harlech Prov . G . M . North Wales , as Chairman of the Masonic Hall Company , said it afforded him great pleasure to offer for the acceptance of the Prov . Grand Master a silver trowel and to ask him to favour them by laying the foundation stone . He was sure it must be an

object of great gratification to the Provincial Grand Master to see the amount of activity and enterprise in that portion of the Province as evidenced by the assembly they had there that day . Moreover , it seemed to him that throughout the whole of England and Wales the spirit ; of Freemasonry was

extending its auspicious' sway , and he . looked forward to a greater increase in that , county in consequence of ceremonies similar to that they were engaged in , which from time to

time were held . Charity was the motive power of the Brotherhood ; peace , love , and harmony were their proverbs , and if they proved faithful to the everlasting bond of charity they would be loyal to their God , loyal to their King , loyal to their Order , and loyal one man to another .

Sir Offley Wakeman , in reply , said he was very much obliged to the Oswestry Masonic Hall Company for the handsome trowel they had presented to him , and lie readily complied with the request to lay the foundation stone of

the building . After a brief exposition of the principles of Freemasonry , he said they were met there that day in the face of all to lay the first stone of a house in which they might meet to practise ceremonies according to the ancient