Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

— : o : — PROV . GRAND CHAPTER OF WEST LANCASHIRE . T 11 HE Annual Convocation of the Province of West I Lancashire was held at Barrow-in-Furness on tho 18 th inst ., tho Earl of Crawford Provincial Grand H .

presiding . After the transaction of tho usual business the following Officers wero invested for the year : — Comp . Earl of Crawford ... ... H . S . G . Sinclair ... ... J . W . Goodacre ... ... S . E .

Eev . H . G . Vernon ... ... S . N . J . H . Walker ... ... Treasurer II . Cook ... ... Eegistrar H . Mageo Ormsby ... ... Sojourner Eev . L . E . Ayre ... ... lat-A . Srj .

T . Sutton ... ... 2 nd A . S ( j . Alfred D . Hesketh ... ... Sword Bearer T . K . Hughes ... ... D . of 0 . J . L . Houghton ... ... A . D . of C . . . William Piatt ... ... Organist ; Charles Bargery .. ... Assistant S . E .

Prov. G. Chapter Of Somerset.

PROV . G . CHAPTER OF SOMERSET .

FTYHLE annual meeting was held on tho 20 th instant , at JL Clovedon , under the banner of tho Adair Chapter , No . 1750 , when there was a large gathering of Companions from all parts of the Province . Companion Colonel

Shadwell H . Gierke , Grand Scribe E . of England , presided , having for his second and third Principals Companion Captain Homfray ( Province of Monmouth ) and Companion Rev . J . A . Lloyd ( Grand Chaplain of England ) . Among those present were the following Officers of Provincial Grand Chapter : —

Comps . E . C . Else , B . H . Watts Treasurer , W . Bidgood S . N ., W . Long Scribe E ., T . G . Williams Assistant Scribe E ., W . J . Noseworthy P . S ., G . Glossop 1 st Assist . Sij ., A . J . Salter Janitor , S . Bigwood Assist . Janitor , and the following Companions : —C . W . Eadway , C . F . Marshall , A . W . N . Weatherly , ' J . Randle Ford , J . A .

Sawyer , G . K . Foster , A . F . Rose , F . Glover , W . Montague , J . Rubie , J . C . Moncrieff , T . Meyler , J . Westlake , H . B . Farington , W . M . Rice , J . B . Marwood , E . D . Barnes , E . Noke , W . F . Langwortby , T . Lloyd Norris , L . Howe , W . B . Gregory , G . H . Perrett , S . R . Basket ! , F . T .

Elworthy , J . Gill , L . Ringer , E . J . B . Mercer , E . Winter , W . T . Male , J . A . Bright , W . Reece , J . Burnett , J . Allan Tucker , J . A . Timmine , W . F . Guuld , G . Baskett , J . Knight , T . J . Sedones , W . H . Fisher , A . L . Wade , E . Bath , E . A . Hington , J . Cornwall , T . B . Montrie , T . Hearne , E . Fry Wade , & c .

Tho Treasurer ' s account , showing a balance of £ 110 in f ivour of tho Prov . Grand Chapter , was adopted . Comp . Shadwell H . Gierke then installed Comp . R . C . Else as Grand Superintendent of the Province in the place of the late Brigadier-General Adair , and complimented him upon

the distinguished position to which he had attained , and tho patent appointing Comp . Else to that position having been read , all offices were declared vacant , and the following were elected and invested as Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year by the Provincial Grand Superintendent : —

Comp . Colonel Long ... ... 1 st Principal T . Barnes ... ... 2 nd Principal Noke ... ... ... S . E . Rev . J . A . Lloyd ... ... S . N .

Glover ' ... ... ... Eegistrar W . Wright ... ... P . S . A . Law-Wade ... ... 1 st A . S . E . F . Wado ... ... 2 nd A . S .

If . G . Crowe ... ... Sword Bearer W . Reece ... ... Standard Bearer J . Gill ... ... ... D . C . T . G . Williams ... ... Assistant Scribe E , Salter ... ... ... Janitor Bigwood ... ... Assistant Janitor Nos worthy ... ... Organist

On the motion of Comp . Colonel Long , seconded by Comp . R . C . Else ( Grand Superintendent ) the Provincial Grand Chapter recorded their grief at the loss to Royal and the

Arch Masonry Province of Somerset through the lamented death of their Graud Superintendent , the late Brigadier-General Adair , after whom the entertaining Chapter was named . The alms taken were given to

Clevedon Cottage Hospital . The Provincial Grand Chapter was then closed in due form . Subsequently the Companions diued together , under the presidency of the Pro-

Prov. G. Chapter Of Somerset.

vincial Graud Superintendent , iu the Town-hall , when the usual Masonic toasts were gone through .

Star Chapter of Instruction , No . 1275 . —On Friday , the 20 th inst ., at the Stirling Castle , Camberwell . Present : —Comps . F . Hilton P . Z . Preceptor , G . L . Moore Z . 169 M . E . Z ., T . Grummant P . Z . H ., Captain Vincent P . Z . J ., C . H . Stone S . E ., Stone S . N ., Woods P . S ., aud Addington . Tho Chapter was regularly opened by

tho Principals , and the ceremony of installation of H . waa re . hearsed by Comp . Mcore . The Companions woro admitted . The coremot . y of exaltation was rehearsed , Comp . Addington candidate . Comp Grummant promised to work the ceremony of installation of J . on Friday evening next ( 27 th inst . )

Dedication Of The Kimberley Masonic Temple.

DEDICATION OF THE KIMBERLEY MASONIC TEMPLE .

WHAT is probably the handsomest and most complete Masonio Temple in South Africa was recently dedicated ab Kimberloy , whero an excellent site was secured in the Du Toifcs Pan-road . The Temple occupies two full stands extending from tho front boundary north , in Du Toifc's Pan-road , to the roadway running parallel at the

south end , in rear , and covers an area of 7000 superficial feefc , exclusive of the Tyler's house , which will be detached from the tempel . The facade is from the Romau-Corinthian order of architecture , and tho details of the window , dressings , entrance , doorway , portico ( whioh is a very handsome feature of the structure ) , and the

entablatures and pondiment of tho front and side facades are elaborately and effectively designed . The stained-glass window , which is noticeable as soon as the visitor enters the building , is a splendid piece of artistic workmanship , appropriate in design , and showing a most tasteful combination of delicate colouring . The hall measures thirty

feet in length by twenty in breadth , having at one end two spacious semi-circular-headod doorways opening into an inner vestibule to be occupied by the Tyler in guarding tho Temple and degree-rooms on each side . Two sels of preparation and degree-rooms flack the main building , and afc firsfc storey height there are four additional

degreerooms for conducting ceremonies in the higher degrees of Freemasonry . The lighting , ventilating , and sanitary arrangements aro all that could be desired , and the work reflects great credit on tho architect , Mr . H . A . Reid , of Port Elizabeth ; the contractors , Messrs . Beckett and Morgan ; Mr . Mills , the clerk of works : as well

as upon Mr . Coombes , of Do Beer's-road , for fche exceedingly creditable manner in which he has turned out the ornamental iron railings in front of the building . The building , the foundation-stone of which was laid in October last , will probably cost about £ 7000 . The members of the Committee , who have indefatigably worked on

behalf of this important project , somo of whom are at present absent from the Diamond Fields , are the following : —Bros . D . J . Haarhoff ( Chairman ) , George Richards ( Honorary Treasurer ) , John Hampton ( Honorary Secretary ) , 11 . F . E . Pistorius , C . A . Aburrow . J . Lawrense , A . Bayne , H . W . Peters , A . Yockmonitz , B .

Klissor , W . M . Willis , and W . II . Craven . The dedicatory ceremony waa ably conducted by Bro . D . J . Haarhoff , in the presence of about 400 brethren from aU parts of the colony , including Cape Town , Pott Elizibeth , Barkly West , King William ' s Town , East London , & c Lodge having been opened in due form in the three degrees by Bro .

Richards , Bro . Haarhoff took the chair of K . S . The Ven . Archdeacon Gaul having offered up prayer , the dedicatory ceremonial was procsecled with , the Ven . Archdeacon Gaul S . W . of the Cosmopolitan Lodgo ably assisting in the impressive service . The hymns sung were "Behold , how good a thing it is , " " Snpreme Grand Master ,

God of Power , " and "Guide us , 0 Thou Great Jehovah ! " Tho solemn procession round the interior of the Grand Hall , accompanied by music , vocal and instrumental , was witnessed in awe-inspiring silence . The brethren taking part in the procession- were Bros . Yockmouitz , Beaton , Lawrence , Peters , Gaul , and the dedicating Officer ,

Bro . D . J . Haarhoff . The appropriate gifts of corn , wino , and oil were supplemented by the parading of a censor containing incense three or four times round the hall , by Bro . Archdeacon Gaul , Bro . Tregarthen meanwhile playing a ceremonial march specially composed by him for the occasion . Bro . D . J . Haarhoff then addressed

tho brethren , giving a sketch of the negotiations connected with the Temple since fche first inception in August 1887 , the difficulties which those engaged in its promotion had to contend wifch , and tho pleasing , though arduous , work of tho Building Committee since its formation up till the previous evening , when their labours were so

grandly consummated . Bro . Richards was then presented with an address , handsomely engrossed and framed , expressing fche profound regret of the brethren at his intention shortly to take his departure from Kimberley , and adding , " We deem this important occasion in tho history of Freemasonry on the Diamond Fields a fitting

opportunity of expressing our high appreciation of your qualities as a citizen , friend , and brother , and our deep sense of the manifold services you have rendered to our beloved Craft . " Brother Richards , in responding to the remarks of Bro . Lawrence , delivered au eloquent and telling oration , and his words of gratitude and farewell were

characterised by a ring of genuine sincerity and depth of feeling which went to the heart of every brother present . It was announced by Bro .- Richards that telegrams of congratulation and apology for unavoidable absence had been received from District Grand Masters in various parts of South Africa , and from other leading brethren

who had from the firsfc taken a warm interest in the progress of the work , so thaf , as Bro . Richards expressed it , " Wo havo now ended as wo began , with the hearty good wishes of the whole of fche Craffc

in South Africa . Lodge was then closed in due and ancient form , and refreshments were partaken of in the side-rooms , the health of Bros . Eichards and Haarhoff being cordially toasted in brimming bumpers .