Attacking The Foundations Of The Royal Arch.

ATTACKING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ROYAL ARCH .

riTEIE agenda for next Wednesday ' s meeting of J- Supreme Grand Chapter contains a recommendation from the Committee of General Purposes

which may be said to cut at the very root of Royal Arch Masonry as practiced in this country at the present time , but wo do not wish to imply that the suggestion put forth is likely to have any detrimental

effect on the Supreme Degree , or that it need occasion any particular alarm among members of this section of English Freemasonry . On the contrary , it may be regarded , as a sort of nruninp- process , adonted for

» - * -A W X " X the purpose of ultimately strengthening the body on which it is proposed to operate , and has , without question , boen very carefully considered by those in authority before being submitted for the consideration

of tho members of Graud Chapter . In proof of this we need only refer again to the fact that the Committee of General Purposes recommend the alteration it is proposed to make , which is best expressed in the actual notice of motion on the subject .

which stands on the agenda in the name of the President of the Board himself , and is to the following effect " That Brethren may be exalted into the Degree of the Royal Arch after the expiration of four weeks from tho time thev have received the Master Mason's

degree ,. instead of twelve calendar months , as provided by Rule 73 of the Royal Arch Regulations ; that Rule 73 be altered accordingly , and Rule 74 expunged . ' As we have said , this proposed alteration need not

occasion any alarm among Royal Arch Masons of the country , but there is no gainsaying the fact that the change is one of the very greatest moment , and is likely to have far reaching effects ; therefore , we may be allowed to ask , what is the necessity for the

alteration ? and what the motive . that has induced the leaders of the Degree to take such a prominent part in bringing it forward ? We cannot see any other reason for the suggested alteration than a desire to popularise the degree among

newly-made Masons , men who have had no time to appreciate the lessons of the Craft , and who desire to go forward more for the purpose of gratifying their curiosity than with any real desire for further enlightenment . At first , blush , t . hnn . \ vn ran liii . vdlv

* ~ J J „—v ... j ,, v VW ^ A HlVi ^ i J recognise that the suggested alteration is a good one ; it either goes too far , or not far enough ; and unless it is contemplated to make the Royal Arch decree a

part of the regular system of Freemasonry , in fact as well as in theory , by conferring it on all candidates as a ^ matter of course , just as the third degree is now given , we cannot believe that the change is likely to

prove beneficial , for the reason that it savours too much of an attempt to depreciate what has always been regarded as a sort of upper chamber in Freemasonry .

Attacking The Foundations Of The Royal Arch.

Our remarks , however , must not be accepted as showing opposition to the views of the Committee . of General Purposes . The proposition now made has come just as much of a surprise to us as to members

of the degree in general , but that does not imply that the proposed alteration is unsound or undesirable . No doubt the President of the Board will have something to say in support of his proposition , and other

members of the Committee of General Purposes will be able to further enlighten Companions . In doing so they will probably have little or no difficulty . in convincing the members of Grand and subordinate

Chapters that the change is likely to prove beneficial and popular . That we can imagine is their idea ; and although it does not coincide with the opinion we have thus early formed on the subject , we are quite ready to hear the other side of the story , and are by no means averse to be persuaded that we have taken a

mistaken view of the case . Another matter which will call for special consideration—if not at next week ' s meeting at least at an early one—is the absence of proper returns from some of the subordinate Chapters . The result of

neglect in making these returns is forcibly brought under notice in consequence of the Petitioners for a new warrant being disqualified through not being registered at Grand Chapter . As a result the

Committee of * Xieneral Purposes recommend that consideration of their Petition shall be deferred until the returns have been made . Other items of business are of a formal nature , as will be seen from the agenda paper , a copy of which we publish elsewhere in this issue .

A Notable Celebration.

A NOTABLE CELEBRATION .

RESPONDING to the toast of his health , on the occasion of the installation of the new Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom referred to the fact that the present year marked his coming of age as Provincial

Grand Master of West Lancashire , and we can well imagine the event will be locally celebrated with more than the usual ceremony and rejoicing . Bearing in mind , however , the distinguished position occupied by his lordship as regards the English Craft as a whole , it

may well be asked whether the event does not call for more than local recognition ; whether , in fact , the whole of the Lodges which for many year ' s honoured him as Deputy Grand Master , and more recently as Pro Grand Master would not eagerly avail themselves

of the opportunity of showing their appreciation of his services by uuiting with the brethren of his Province in any movement promoted in celebration of this coming event ? It is true Lord Lathom ' s twenty-one year's service as Provincial Master will not be completed until