Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

CEAET : PEOVINCIAL .

GOOD FELLOWSHIP LODGE , No . 276 . A MEETING was held at the White Hart Hotel , Chelmsford , on the 14 th inst ., when Mr . F . W . B . Stocker and Mr . H . H . Reynolds were

initiated , the ceremony being performed by the Immediate Past Master Bro . Robert Cook . The members of the Lodge , with several visitors , afterwards sat down to an excellent supper , under the presidency of Bro . T . J . D . Cramphorn W . M .

ST . DAVID LODGE , No . 384 . THE closing meeting of the season was hold on the 20 th , at Bangor , the attendance of the Brethren , said to be tho largest known for many years , testifying to the popularity of the W . M . Bro . W . P . Matthews . Some forty Brethren sat down to a banquet , served by Bro . Eendick .

FAWCETT LODGE , No . 661 . AT a meeting held in the Masonic Hall , Seaham Harbour , on Wednesday , 12 th inst ., Bro . Candlish I . P . M . was presented with a handsome Past Master ' s jewel . The W . M . Bro . West presided , and the presentation was made by Bro . W . J . Malcolm P . M . A contingent of Brethren attended from Sunderland .

SYMPATHY LODGE , No . 855 . THE annual meeting was held in the Town Hall , Wotton-under-Edge , on the 18 th inst ., when the installation ceremony was performed by Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith D . Prov . G . M . The Rev . Bro . F . W . Morris having been duly installed , invested his Officers .

SUN AND SECTOR LODGE , No . 962 . AT a meeting at Workington , on Wednesday , 19 th inst ., Bro . G . A . Langford Skerry S . W . was unanimously elected Worshipful Master for the ensuing year . Bro . J . Paterson P . M . P . P . G . J . W . was elected Treasurer , and Bro . W . Whitehead P . P . G . Tyler Tyler . The installation will take place next month .

UNDERLEY LODGE , No . 1074 . THE annual meeting was held at Kirkby Lonsdale , on Friday , 14 th inst ., when Bro . G . S . Tatham was installed as W . M . for the year . Bro . J . Kassell P . M . P . G . A . S . officiated as Installing Master . At the invitation of

the newly installed Master the Brethren adjourned to the Royal Hotel , where a banquet was supplied by Mrs . J . Wilman . The toast list included the Loyal toasts , which were received with great enthusiasm , and the usual Masonic toasts . The proceedings closed with " Auld Lang Syne . "

ERASMUS WILSON LODGE , No . 1464 . THE annual installation meeting was held at the Old Falcon , Gravesend , on Thursday , 20 th inst ., when Bro . Dr . H . T . Sells was installed as

Worshipful Master and appointed the following Officers : —Fred Mitchell S . W ., J . Macartney J . W ., G . J . Lucas S . D ., George Newman J . D ., E . C . Paine I . G ., William Russell Prov . G . Tr . Treasurer , Arthur Ronaldson P . M . Secretary , and George Martin Tyler .

ST . GILES LODGE , No . 1587 . THE festival of St . John the Evangelist and the installation of Bro . E . E . Almond as Worshipful Master took place at the Town Hall , Chcadle , on Tuesday , 18 th inst . The occasion was of special interest as marking the attainment of the majority of the Lodge , which was consecrated on the 17 th May 1876 , by the

late Earl of Shrewsbury Provincial Grand Master , and the Earl of Dartmouth , the present Provincial Grand Master , now attended to do honour to the anniversary . St . Giles's Lodge has never been numerically strong , and , like most institutions , it has had its vicissitudes . In its first year it had eighteen members ; it has been down to eleven ; last year , under

the Mastership of Bro . Brickel , it attained the highest point , with a membership of twenty-six . The founders of the Lodge , which was an offshoot from the Foresters , Uttoxeter , were Bros . H . Wardle ( who became its first Master ) , Robert Plant , H . Wilson , J . Payne Hall , Charles Bunting

George Cooper , William Vernon , and James Williams , of whom four—Bros Wardle , Wilson , Bunting , and Cooper have died . Bros . John Payne Hall , second Master , and William Vernon , Master in 1877 , and again in 1892 , are still active members , and were present at Tuesday's ceremonial .

Lieut .-Col . Bindley Deputy Provincial Grand Master , writing to the Secretary Bro . Cull , said : — " It would personally have given me much pleasure had I been able to attend on so auspicious an occasion as St . Giles ' s coming-of-age . Pray convey my heartiest greetings to the Brethren on the success which the Lodge has achieved under adverse circumstances . To no one more than yourself is that success due . "

The Lodge having been opened , the Provincial Grand Master and his Officers entered and were saluted , after which the Worshipful Master was duly installed by his predecessor , Bro . Brickel . This is the second time that Bro . Almond has occupied the chair , a quality which has also been shared by Bros . Vernon , Cull , and Welsh . The W . M . appointed and invested his Officers .

During the proceedings in Lodge addresses and charges were given by various Brethren , Bro . J . Payne Hall acting as Director of Ceremonies with conspicuous ability . The I . P . M . Bro . Brickel was presented by the Lodge with a Past Master ' s jewel , as a token of the high appreciation in which his services to

Reports Of Meetings.

the Lodge aro held . The presentation was made by Bro , Cull . Bro . Brickel feelingly acknowledged the compliment . Following the proceedings in Lodge a banquet was provided in the Board room , and was catered for in excellent style by Mr . Kirkham , the new host of the Wheat Sheaf Hotel . The W . M . presided , and the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured .

Fitting reference was made by the W . M . to the recent visit of the Prince of Wales to Longton , and to the strong rally of Masons to the support of the Grand Master , which was so distinguishing a feature of the great ceremonial of the 7 th January . The Earl of Lathom and Officers of Grand Lodge was proposed by Bro .

Cooper , and responded to by Bro . G . C . Kent , who was most cordially congratulated upon his appointment to an office in the Grand Lodge of England , and in returning thanks frankly confessed that he considered that a very great honour had been done to him , and expressed his great appreciation of the position which had been accorded him .

The health of the Earl of Dartmouth was given by the W . M ., and was very cordially pledged with Masonic honours . Lord Dartmouth , in reply , expressed the pleasure which he felt at renewing his acquaintance with Cheadle and its neighbourhood , and at being present , at tho Lodge on the interesting occasion of its attaining its majority . He asked the members to reflect that in the case of Lodges , as of

individuals , when they attained their majority they became fully responsible for their ovm actions . He hoped that the Lodge had got through its time of stress and difficulty , and that its future would be one of continued and continuous success . Referring to the Longton ceremony , he remarked that everyone connected with it would agree that the honour which had been

conferred on Bro . Kent was most worthily bestowed . They regarded the appointment as an honour to the Province , and were convinced that in the person of Bro . Kent the Province was worthily represented . In conclusion , he congratulated the Lodge and the Installing Master on the excellent way in which the work had been done , and the W . M . upon his appointment . Other toasts followed .

During the proceedings it was announced that Bro . Vernon had kindly promised to mark the majority of the Lodge by presenting it with a banner , and that a portrait of the Earl of Dartmouth was to be placed in the Lodge room .

URMSTON LODGE , No . 1730 . THE regular meeting was held at the Victoria Hotel , Urmston , on Monday , 10 th inst ., Bro . George G . Mends W . M . After the reading and confirmation of minutes , Bro . John Goodwin was passed to the degree of F . C . by the W . M ., this ceremony being followed by the raising of Bro . Alfred Edwards . The latter function was undertaken by Bro . John Walton P . M . In each instance the Working Tools were presented and explained by Bro . James Ormrod S . W .

At' the festive board many of the Brethren were brought under contribution ' for songs , & c , a very pleasant evening being spent .

PRUDENCE AND INDUSTRY LODGE , No . 1953 . THE annual meeting was held at Chard on the 12 th inst ., when Bro . G . Bailey Toms was installed as Worshipful Master by Bro . L . G . Derrick Secretary of the . Lodge , who officiated in the unavoidable absence of Bro , R . C . Else Deputy Prov . G . M . Somerset .

EARL OF LEICESTER LODGE , No . 2237 . THE members held their last meeting for . this season in the New Hall , Wells-next-thc-Sea , on Monday , 17 th inst . A pleasing feature in the proceedings was the presentation to the Lodge by Bro . Colonel H . W . Eielden of a field officer's sword . After the business of the Lodge was concluded the Brethren adjourned to the Crown Hotel , where a capital supper was prepared by Mr . J . A . Davidson .

MANCHESTER DRAMATIC LODGE , No . 23 S 7 . THE regular meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Manchester , on Thursday , the 13 th inst ., Bro . John H . Greenwood W . M . The circular convening the meeting having been read , and the minutes confirmed , Mr . John Norton Benson was initiated in excellent form by the W . M ., the first attempt of the latter . A further ceremony , the initiation of Mr . Alfred Deakin Carter , was undertaken by tho I . P . M .

Bro . T . B . Cavanah P . M . gave notice of motion that the sum of £ 5 be given to the widow of a deceased Brother , and this was carried . The Auditors' report was afterwards presented and favourably received .

VECTIS LODGE OF INSTRUCTION . ON Thursday , 13 th inst ., the 15 fch Annual Festival of this Lodge of Instruction , held under the Warrant of the East Medina Lodge , No . 170 , took place at tho Masonic Hall , Kyde . The Officers present included Past Masters Bros . F . Newman P . G . Std . Br . England P . P . S . G . W . W . M ., Durrant P . P . J . G . W . S . W ., Long S . D ., Stroud J . D ., Tenison Smith D . C . J . W .,

G . Mullins I . G . Under the able direction of the President of the Lodge Bro . Francis Newman the whole of the sections of the first , second , and third lectures wore admirably worked by members of the Lodge . Tea and coffee wore served during the afternoon , and at the conclusion of the ceremony tho Brethren sat down to a well-served dinner , Bros . Stroud and Marlow ably carrying out the duties of Stewards .

METEQPOLITAN .

WEST SM 1 THFIELD LODGE , No . 1623 . THE regular meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , W . C , on Thursday , 20 th inst ., under tho presidency of Bro . T . G . Hodges P . M . 1695 W . M ., who was supported by S . II . C . liuniball I . P . M ., B . F . Sinnett S . W ., C . W . Fink J . W ., H . J . Howes P . M . Treas ., H . H . Lardner P . M . Sec , Clinch S . D ., C . A . Barter D . C , F . E . Roberts P . M . 017 Organist , P . H .