A New Season.

A NEW SEASON .

rpiHE close of the present month on Tuesday next may be _ l _ said to mark the division between winter and summer Masonry , and for a time many of the Lodges meeting in London and other great centres of population will be closed ,

the work of our Order being for a period transferred to the more congenial atmosphere of the country , either in the form of regular meetings of suburban and country Lodges , or p ic-nics and summer outings of town ones . Whatever may

be the object of these gatherings away from the busy haunts of civilisation it is recognised that the change is most desirable , and as the system of thus varying the seasons of our Lodges

has led to many successes' in the past we have little doubt of its popularity continuing in the future . We hope we shall have many such assemblies to record during the " off season " we are now entering upon .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE annual Installation and Festival of Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , London , when the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe Deputy Grand Master occupied the throne , supported by Eear Admiral Markham D . G . M . Malta as Deputy Grand Master , and a numerous assembly .

H . E . H . the Prince of Wales was formally declared as Grand Master for the year , and was regularly proclaimed . The re-appointment of the Earl of Lathom as Pro Grand Master and

the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe as Deputy Grand Master was announced , and then the other Offices of Grand Lodge were filled by the following appointments : General Lord Roberts of Candahar - - Senior Warden Lord Barnard ¦ - Junior Warden

Dr . Wade , Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness - - ) „ , . . Dr . Spence , Dean of Gloucester - - - ) ^ Plains W . M . Stiles ------ Treasurer P . A . Philbrick , Q . C Eegistrar T . T . Bucknill , Q . C , M . P Deputy Registrar R . Loveland Loveland .... pres . Bd . Gen . Purps Ei

¦ . . Letcriworth ..... Secretary Robert Grey Pres . Bd . Benevolence Sir W . T . Marriott , Q . C ) SirF . Seager-Hunt , M . P . - - - - Senior Deacons C . F . Marshall i Col . L . G . Dundas - . . . . >

Lieut . -Col . W . Newton - - . I Junior Deacons Alfred S . Tomkins - - - . . ) Herbert T . Steward Supt . of Works bir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) - - . Dir . of Ceremonies Dr . F . E . Pocock Deputy Dir . of Cers

waiter Hughes - -- .., George E . Fairchild- .- - - ' - I Assist . Dir . of Cers . W . H . Rylands - - . . . j Col James Ward , C . B Sword Bearer J . S . Cumberland Deputy Sword Bearer « . H . Room -- ... } Standard

Joseph Todd - - - . . f Bearers & . *• Frost " . Organist vvuiiam Lake Assistant Secretary John Newton Pursuivant ttarry Tipper Assistant Pursuivant iienry Sadler - Tyler .

The rank of Past Grand Warden was conferred on Lieutken . J . W . Lawrie Past Grand Master of Nova Scotia , who acts as representative of the Grand Lodge of New York at the Grand ^ od ge of England , and that of Past Senior Grand Deacon on ^ ol . H . Studholme Brownrigg . The Grand Festival was afterwards celebrated .

New Temple At Kelvedon.

NEW TEMPLE AT KELVEDON .

FOR some months past an unpretentious-looking building has been in the course of erection in the High Street of Kelvedon , about which much interest has been awakened amongst Freemasons throughout the county . it being known that it was destined for Masonic purposes—in fact is the first temple dedicated solely to Masonic purposes in Essex .

The building is of the classic order , is executed with red brick and Bath stone , and is of handsome proportion and design . The Temple is approached from without by a stone portico , and from this you enter through a vestibule into an inner hall and corridor 10 ft wide . On the south side is the robing and Tyler ' s

rooms ; from this you enter the Temple , the shape of which is that of a parallelogram , being one-third larger from east to west than it is from north to south . The ceiling ia lofty , to give dignity to the appearance of the room , and ib will be painted to represent the " celestial canopy . " The whole of the east end is elevated

from the floor by a platform running across the room and ascended by three steps . The windows are on the south side , are high up from the floor , and filled with stained glass from the Architect ' s design . The decorations of the room are all Masonic , the pilasters at the east end have Ionic capitals ; on south and

north side Corinthian with acanthus leaves ; and the west end Doric Capitals . The floor is laid with oak battens , narrow widths , and in the centre a Masonic panel parquet to represent the " square pavement . " At the back of the Master ' s chair a panel is formed in the wall having an open volume , upon which

will be inscribed the names of the W . Ms . The Banqueting Eoom is 30 ft long and 20 ft wide and 17 ft high , and will comfortably seat about eighty persons . This room is lighted with a large window at the east end , and also windows in the north and south side , all filled with specially designed stained glass , and

in the centre of each light are Masonic emblems representing the various Degrees of Craft , Arch , and Mark Masonry . Kitchen , serving room , and lavatories are also provided . The whole building is heated by means of hot water pipes , and radiators . The first design for the building was made by the late Mr .

Allan Stewart , of Maldon ; and after his death the work was placed in the hands of Bro . Frank Whitmore , Architect , of Chelmsford , and P . M . of Lodge 276 , who , under instructions from Bro . Dr . Salter P . M . of the Easterford Lodge , prepared fresh

plans and designs , and has superintended and carried out the whole of the work . The builder is Bro . 0 . T . Thorn , Messing , a Founder and past S . W . of the Easterford Lodge . The furniture has been made by Mr . Polley , of Coggeshall , from special designs .

Bro . Sir William N . Abdy , Bart ' ., W . M ., has most liberally found the whole of the money necessary to carry out the work ; and Bro . Dr . Salter P . M . P . P . J . G . W . has , from first to last , been indefatigable in directing and arranging all matters connected therewith .

On Thursday , 18 th inst ., the Earl of Warwick Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons of Essex , visited Kelvedon for the purpose of dedicating the building to the purposes of Freemasonry . His Lordship travelled from Liverpool Street accompanied

by the D . P . G . M . Bro . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C , Bro . Sir Francis Alston P . G . W ., Bro . E . Letchworth Grand Secretary of England and other Brethren , and on reaching Kelvedon at once proceeded to the new Hall , of which the party made an inspection , and expressed themselves as delighted with all they saw .

On entering the Lodge Eoom , accompanied by his Officers , his Lordship was received with the honours due to his rank , and the hymn " Hail Eternal , by whose aid" having been sung , The Provincial Grand Master briefly addressed the Brethren .

His Lordship said that was a red letter day , not only to the members of the Easterford Lodge , but also to the Province generally . It was most satisfactory to himself , as it must be to all Freemasons , that the Brethren here would be able in tbe