Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE .

A SPECIAL meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Masons was held at the Masonic Hall , Cheltenham , on Monday , 24 th inst ., by command and under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master Bro . E . V . Vassar-Smith , for the

reception of the Pro Grand Master the Earl of Euston , and the Deputy Grand Master Viscount Dungarvan , who had intimated their intention to visit the Province , attended by other Officers of Grand Mark Lodge . The gathering was one of the largest assemblies of the Order yet held in Gloucestershire .

Prov . G . Lodge having been opened with the usual formalities , the reception of Grand Lodge took place . The local members of the Order who take rank in Grand Lodge , viz ., Bros , the Baron de Ferrieres P . G . O . P . Prov . G . M ., W . Forth P . D . Prov . G . M ., G . Norman P . G . D ., Deputy-Surgeon-General Einger P . G . S . B .,

W . C . Ferris P . G . I . G ., and E . Lea ( High Sheriff of Gloucester ) P . G . Std . were deputed to meet the Deputy Grand Master and the Brethren accompanying him , viz ., Bro . Matier P . G . W . Grand Secretary , Bro . C . Belton P . G . O ., Major C . W . Carrell G . D . C ., and attend them into Lodge , and then the Eight Hon . the Earl of Euston was himself received with the honours due

to his high rank as the first representative of the M . W . Grand Master H . E . H . the Prince of Wales . Similar formalities were observed when the Grand Lodge visitors withdrew from the Lodge room . The interval had given the opportunity for a kindly exchange of fraternal courtesies between the Pro Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Master , the latter expressing , in graceful terms , the appreciation of himself and the Province

of the honour % vhieh Lord Euston had done them in thus paying them a visit , and the former thanking the Provincial Grand Master , on behalf of Grand Lodge , for the cordial welcome which the Lodge had given them , and congratulating him on the vigour and good organisation of the Province . After the Grand Lodge Officers had retired , Provincial Grand Lodge resumed its usual course and was closed in due form .

Later in the evening the Brethren * dined together in the banqueting room of the Hall , under the presidency of the Prov . G . Master . The tables had been elegantly decorated with flowers . The after-dinner proceedings were pleasantly varied by a musical programme , both speeches and music having appropriate colouring from the fact that the day was the birthday of the Queen in this memorable year of her reign .

In reference to one toast , that of the Mark Benevolent Fund , responded to by its Secretary Bro . Matier , the Prov . G . Master stated the interesting fact that so well had the Fund been supported and so well was it administered that no election had ever yet been necessary , while no deserving applicant entitled to the benefits either of its old age or educational branch had ever been refused .

The London visitors were the guests of Bro . Vassar-Smith at tho Queen ' s Hotel , and on Tuesday morning he invited a few members of the Craft to meet them at breakfast . The party included the Baron de Ferrieres , Eev . Dr . Childe Grand Chaplain of England , Bro . J . B . Winterbotham , Bro . Sumner : Bro . Jas .

Brutou , Dep .-burg .-Gen . Eiuger , Bro . Butler , and Bro . Norman At noon the Earl of Euston left for Bristol , to attend a special meeting of the Provincial Priory of Knights Templar , of which order ho is the Grand Master . He was attended by a numerous party of London and Cheltenham members . — " Cheltenham Examiner . "

Past Masons.

PAST MASONS .

SOME Freemasons have passed everything , and are so far past that they may be justly denominated Past Masons . We are all familiar with Past Masters , Past High Priests and Past Commanders , and some of these are Past Masons . It is strange , but true—strange that any Brother who has had experience in Masonry should neglect , or forget his first love :

strange that honours should be sought and enjoyed and not afterwards properly acknowledged ; strange , that Masonic jewels should be treasured up in their cases , instead of being worn ;

strange that the principles of Masonry , which in themselves are so pure , and in their symbolism so beautiful , and in their effects so ennobling , should vanish from the minds and hearts of their once enraptured votaries .

Who are these Past Masons ? They are all around us , but so disguised by their neglect of the Craft that often we do not even know them as Masons . We will attempt to classify a few of them . The rarest body of Past Masons is composed of those who have received only the first degree in Masonry . They are so few

Past Masons.

that it is a wonder they exist at all . We suppose the explanation is , that they formed in their minds in advance some singular , extraordinary view of what Freemasonry is , and since their peculiar preconceived idea was not fulfilled , they at once lost their interest , and as soon as they were made Masons became at once Past Masons . What some require years to accomplish ,

and ought never to accomplish , they attain in a single night—a supreme indifference for our Ancient and Honourable Fraternity , and the secret Art and Mystery of the Eoyal Craft . The fact is , Masons , like poets , are born , not made . If a man be not first a Masou iu his heart , if he have not a natural love for his kind , if he be not gifted with a charitable instinct , if he love not

symbology and allegory , if he be not upright and of good report , it in vain that Masonic degrees are conferred upon him . Degrees cannot make a Mason—the most that they can make is a member of a Lodge . After all , it is the Grand Architect of the Universe that makes the Mason , and all the Craft can do is to recognise him after he is made .

The next class , in size , of Past Masons includes those who strove for office in vain . Our congratulations go out towards these Brethren . They sought place and found it not . They felt that they were carved out by nature for figureheads , and yet they were never permitted to adorn a Masonic body .

They electioneered in vain—the fates were against them They were convinced that ambition is not rewarded in the Craft , and so they went to the " rear , and became Past Masons . They are not dead , or wounded , but only missing . It is astonishing how many life-members in the Lodges are Past Masons . Moral : discourage life-membership , by the size of the life membership fee , or else abolish life membership

altogether . How usual it is for a Brother when he ceases to pay to cease to feel an interest in his Masonic body . He feels he is " all right " after he is a life-member , and like a king , " can do no wrong . " His membership is not impared or imperilled by his remaining away , and the result is that as soon as he pays his principal he loses his interest , and he , too , goes to the rear among the deserters .

Most astonishing of all , however , it is to note the number of Past Masters who are Past Masons . Past Masters ! Brethren

who have attained the loftiest position and the highest honours in the Lodge ! Brethren who have been decorated with the jewel of a Past Master ! Brethren who are permanent members of Grand Lodge ! Brethren who by their training and their experience are fitted to be the Mentors of their fellow-members , and the advisers of their successors in the Oriental Chair

Such Brethren Freemasonry cannot afford to lose from her counsels . They should be her pillars . They should , by their continual attendance at the Lodge , make a generous return to it for the many honours conferred upon them . Some Masonic bodies have decayed , and perhaps surrendered their warrants , because their Past Masters were recreant to their trust . There

is a great responsibility resting upon every Brother who has been the Master of a Lodge . Every Mason should be true to the Craft , but the Past Master above all others . He has learned so much , he has been so much , he can do so much . He is a sort of epitome of Masonry , a walking ritual , a Solomon among Masons . For him to habitually absent himself from meetings of the Craft

is to be ungenerous and ungrateful . The Master looks for his presence , and the Brethren always welcome him with gladness . He is not " on the shelf" in the Lodge . He has a power which may always make itself felt . The Lodge is , in fact , in the hands of its Past Masters . Suppose they were all Past Masons ! Could it even live ? We cannot conceive of such a case . Let every Past Master realise the weight of responsibility which rests upon

him , and do all that he can to upbuild his Lodge . Let him regularly attend its meetings , and counsel it as ha best knows how . Let him contribute his full share towards making every meeting interesting , and then shall the number of Past Masons be lessened , and Freemasonry shall continue to hold the high place it has attained in the estimate of all true Brethren , as the best Fraternity ever devised by men . — " Keystone . "

The Eoyal Alfred Lodge of Instruction , No . 780 , meets at the Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Bridge , every Thursday throughout the year , at 7 * 45 p . m ., and most enjoyable meetings they invariably prove . The Lodge is under the Preceptorship of Bro . E . H . Williams P . M . P . P . J . G . D . Middlesex , who is ably supported by Bro . F . J . Larkman W . M . Treasurer and Bro . J . H . Ctimming P . M ., who fills the office of Secretary . It is many years since

we attended this Lodge , but we hear the same hearty good fellowship is to be found there to-day as marked it then . The Star and Garter is close to the Station , is easily reached by Brethren in the west end of London , and is one of the best " homes" of Masonry we know of for summer meetings . We also call to mind more than one occasion when we have taken part in most successful " summer outings " here .