United Grand Lodge

UNITED GRAND LODGE

THE following is the Agenda of Business to be transacted in Grand Lodge , at the Quarterly Communication on Wednesday next , 4 th December , at six for seven p . m .: 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of tho 4 th September for confirmation .

2 . Nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year . 3 . Nomination of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . 4 . Appointment and Investment of a President of tho Board of Benevolence . 5 . Election of a Senior and a Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence .

6 . Election of twelve Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence for the year ensuing . 7 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following Grants , viz .:

—The Widow of a Brother of the Vitruvian Lodge , No . 87 , London £ 50 0 0 A Brother of tho Lodge of Emulation , No . 1505 , Liverpool ... 150 0 0 A Brother of tho West Middlesex Lodge , No . 1612 , Ealing ... 50 0 0 Eight Children of a Brother of Lodge Love and Honour , No . 494 , Axminster .. ... 75 0 0

And a resolution of a vote of thanks to the President V . W . Bro . Robert Grey , for the courteous manner iu which he has , during'the past year , presided over the meetings of the Board . 8 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES .

To the United Grand Ladgo of Free and Accepted Masons of England . Tho Board beg to report that in compliance with the resolution of Grand Lodge on the 6 th March last , viz ., " That the Board of General Purposes be requested to submit to Grand Lodge proposals for the purpose of bringing the jurisdiction of the Colonial Board under that of the General Board , and unifying tho affairs of the general Craft , as was the case before 1838 " ; and

in compliance with the resolution of Grand Lodge on the 5 th June last , that the consideration of the proposals of the Board of General Purposes at that meeting submitted to Grand Lodge be deferred until the meeting of Grand Lodge in December , in order to give the Colonies an opportunity of considering the questions , they recommend the following alterations in the Book of Constitutions : —

( 1 ) That rule 254 Book of Constitutions be altered to read as follows : — The Board shall consist of the Grand Master , Pro Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , the Grand Wardens of the year , the Grand Treasurer , the Grand Registrar , the Deputy Grand Registrar , a President , Past Presidents , the President of the Board of Benevolence , the Grand Director of Ceremonies , and twenty-four other members .

( 2 ) That rule 255 be altered to read as follows : — The President and six of such other members shall be annually appointed by the Grand Master at the Quarterly Grand Lodge in June , and the Grand Lodge shall on the same day elect the remaining eighteen members from among the actual Masters and Past Masters of Lodges . A Master and Past Master , or more than one Past

Master of the same Lodge , shall not be elected on the same Board , but this shall not disqualify any Past Master being a subscribing member and Master of another Lodge from being elected for and representing such other Lodge as Master . ( 3 ) That the word " elected " be inserted before the word " members " in rule 256 .

( 4 ) That rule 271 bo altered to read as follows : — The Board shall appoint , from amongst its members , a Committee of seven to consider all Colonial , Indian and Foreign matters that may be referred to it , whose duty it shall be to report their proceedings to the Board at its next meeting . Such Committee to be composed as far as can be of Masters or Past Masters of Colonial , Indian or Foreign Lodges under tho English Constitution .

The Board may also appoint Committees for specific purposes who shall report to tho Board in like manner . ( 5 ) That rules 282 to 287 be repealed . The Board have further to report that copies of , the Reports of the proceedings of Grand Lodge at its meetings on the 6 th March and the 5 th Juno were , in due course , sent to every District Grand Master , Deputy

District Grand Master , and District Grand Secretary of the 28 District Grand Lodges , and also to the Worshipful Masters of all Lodges in India , the Colonies , and foreign parts , numbering about 450 , and that the only communications in reference to the above proposals received from any of the District Grand Lodges or Lodges in foreign parts have been—( 1 ) From the District Grand Secretary of South Africa ( Western

Division ) , pointing out the desirability of having Brethren with Colonial experience on the newly-constituted Board . ( 2 ) From the District Grand Lodge of Queensland , expressing an opinion that the abolition of the Colonial Board was undesirable , and recommending that in the event of the proposed change being carried the Board should contain five Past Masters having Colonial

experience . ( 3 ) From the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , stating that it appeared to it to be a matter of perfect indifference whether the affairs of Lodges abroad are administered by a Colonial Board , tho Board of General Purposes , or a Sub-Committee of the latter . ( 4 ) From the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipeligo , expressing its approval oi the proposed alteration .

( 5 ) From the Cambrian Lodge , N . S . Wales , expressing an opinion that the Colonial Board should be continued . The Board havo to report that tho following presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks : —

TITLE OR OBJECT . BY WHOM PRESENTED . Two Old Masonic Aprons ( Scotch ) . —John Lane P . A . G . D . C . Bound Volume of Prov . G . L . Reports ( Suffolk ) . —N . Tracy Prov . G . Secretary . Old Masonic Apron ( Scotch ) . —G . W . Bam P . P . G . Reg . Durham . Old Prov . G . Officer ' s Clothing and sundry other Relics . —F . F . Schnitger P . M ., & c .

United Grand Lodge

The Alnwick MS . Reproduction and Transcript . —The Newcastle College , per Bro . Schnitger . Minutes of Prov . G . L . N . Wales and Shropshire . —W . H . Spaull P . A . G . D . C . Historical Sketch of St . John's Lodge , No . 279— Walter D . Grant W . M . No . 279 . Masonic Apron of the late Charles Matthews . —Will E . Chapman P . P . S . G . W .

Bucks . Seven Old Masonic Certificates . —Barnard Levy Sec . No . 1502 . Freemasonry " in Northern China and Shanghai . —F . M . Gratton P . D . S . G . W . Proceedings in au Indian Law Case with Old Printed Ritual in evidence . — Major G . W . Mortimer Secretary No . 112 . Illustrated Guide to Rosslyn Chapel and Castle . —R . S . Brown G . S . E . Scotland .

Sketch of the History of the Lodge of Friendship , No . 44 . —Nathan Heywood P . M . No . 44 . The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of tho Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 15 th day of November instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of £ 8 , 609 Is 5 d , and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for Petty Cash £ 100 , and for Servants' Wages £ 100 .

( Signed ) RICHARD LOVELAND LOVELAND , President . 20 th November 1895 . 9 . REPORT OF THE COLONIAL BOARD .

To the United Grand Lodge of England . The Board beg to report that they have received from the District Grand Master of Natal , South Africa , a formal notification that St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1886 , Kokstad , had , under the authority delegated to the District Grand Lodge of Natal , by Art . 106 of tho Book of Constitutions , been duly erased from the Roll of the United Grand Lodge of England , and that the Warrant of the said Lodge had been returned to the Grand Secretary .

( Signed ) GEO . D . HARRIS , Chairman . Freemasons' Hall , 5 th November 1895 . 10 .

APPEALBy Bro . George Thompson Senior Vice-Pres . D . B . G . Purposes , from & decision of the District Grand Master in appointing Bro . G . A . Derrick as President of the District Board of General Purposes , on the occasion of a vacancy during the year arising from the resignation of the former President .

11 . NOTICES OF MOTION . By W . Bro . W . F . Lamonby P . M . 962 and 1924 . That the following addition be made to the Book of Constitutions , to follow Art . 75 . 75 A . Canvassing by or for a Candidate for any elective office , or for a Board or Committee in Grand Lodge , a Provincial or District Grand

Lodge , or Private Lodge , is unconstitutional and therefore not to be permitted . Any Brother or Brethren so offending , shall be dealt with as the Board of General Purposes , or similar District , or Provincial Authority may decide . By R . W . Bro . Sir John B . Monckton P . G . W .

That the sum of Two Hundred Guineas be given from the Funds of Grand Lodge towards the proposed establishment and permanent endowment of a Scholarship in connection with the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , the funds for which are now in course of being raised .

Names of Brethren nominated to the Offices of Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence . Bro . Henry Garrod P . G . P . ... ... ) o •-,,. T > - J ' ± Bro . David Dixon Mercer P . G . P . ... j as Semor Vice-President . Bro . Charles Alexander Cottebrune P . G . P . ) ¦ , . -.-,. -r , •¦ , . Bro . Charles J . R . Tijou P . Asst . G . P . ... j as Jumor Vice-President . Names of Past Masters nominated to serve on the Board of Benevolence :

Bro . George Granby - 834 Walter Martin - - - - 879 George R . Langley - - - 2381 George B . Chapman - - - 27 Charles Dairy ... 141 William Fisher - - - 834

James Bunker . . .. 1158 William Vincent - 1194 Simon II . Goldschmidt - - - 1329 Robert A . Gowan - - - . 2029 Robert H . Evans - 1139 William Kipps .... 1275

And no more than twelve were nominated . List of Lodges for which Warrants have bejn granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : No . 2582 . —The Lewisham Lodge , Smethwick . 2583 . —The St . Thomas Lodge , Tibshelf , Derbyshire . 2584 . —The Queen Victoria Lodge , Manchester .

2585 . —The Doornfontein Lodge , Doornfontein , South Africa . 2586 . —Tho St . Nicholas Lodge , Scarborough . 2587 .-The B , adnor Lodge , Folkestone . 2588 . —Tho Beauaraba Lodge , Pittsworth , Queensland . 2589 . —Tho Borough Lodge , London Bridge . 2590 . —The Nirnava Lodge , Ghazipur , Bengal .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

rpHE Quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge o £ Mark Master X . Masons of England and Wales , & c , will be held on Tuesday next , 3 rd December , at Mark Masons' Hall , Great

Queen street , at 0 for b p . m ., the following being the Agenda or Business : 1 . Read and , if approved , confirm Minutes of Quarterly Communication of 3 rd September 1895 .

2 . REPORT OF THE GENERAL BOARD . During the three months ending 30 th September 1895 , there have been issued : —Mark Certificates , 205 ; total number registered , 34 , 678 .