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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 6 of 18 →
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Provincial.
to award me some small portion of fame as a speculative Mason . U pon the philosophy and literature of Masonry 1 had both read ancl written ; but it is to my connexion with St . Peter ' s Lodge that I owe my acquaintance with the practical ivorking of the Craft—iny ability to handle the tools with some degree of skill and ' wisdom—to officiate in its hidden rites ancl mysteries , ancl indeed , my rank as a Grancl Officer in our ancient and honourable Order . It istooa singular coincidence with the cir
, , - cumstance of to-day ' s festivity that I hold and have exercised for the first time in Lodge the distinguished office of D . P . G . M ., which appointment , though it be only joro tern ., is proof that our R . AV . P . G . AL has thought me worthy of being entrusted with so eminent a post , and competent to discharge its exalted duties . Now , my worthy friends ancl Brethren in the benignant fellowship of Freemasonry , I shall never look upon this mystic jewel which decorates my breast—the gift of your
spontaneous goodwill—ivithout remembering that it was to you , under the guidance of that all-seeing Eye whose beam penetrates the arcana of every Lodge , however closely tiled , I am indebted for my present eminent and honourable position in Alasonry ; that , through my probation of service in St . Peter ' s Lodge , I , atlast ( inthe wordsof the great Pythagoras , whose amazing discovery in geometry forms the symbol of the P . M . jewel ) , am able to say Eureka ; I have found the reward of Alasonic energy ancl industry . To my junior Brethren I would say , endeavour to _ excel my example— " Go , and do likewise . " My success is , to a certain extent , your encouragement . Some three years ancl a half ago I
was unanimously , without seeking it , elected a member of St . Peter ' s Lodge . It certainly , in point of numbers , was not in so flourishing a condition as a Lodge of Masons ought to be in a large , liberal , affluent , ancl populous town like AVolverhampton , neither is it so now . The apathy displayed towards so benevolent and enlightened an Institution is to me wholly unaccountable . I can only attribute it to a perfect ignorance of the principles of Masonry , or a taste for those to which our
Order is fundamentally opposed—I mean religious bigotry ancl political party virulence . Masonry totally discountenances irreligion , impiety , and immorality , but she equally rejects superstition , bigotry , and every opinion that militates against social harmony and happiness " . One would naturally suppose that scores of reputable well-informed persons of so numerous a community as this , would have rushed with eagerness to enjoy , on neutral ground , the peace from strife and discord which distracts
the world without ; ancl one can only pity those who , absorbed in the wretched turmoils of party cabel , cannot fly for refuge to our ark of unity and concord . Admitted into your Lodge , you were goocl enough to put me into the S . W . chair , ancl , after twelve months' service , you honoured me by electing me AV . AL of St . Peter ' s Lodge through two successive years . This responsible situation opened to me a wider sphere of Alasonic usefulness , and I am happy to say , with hearty thanks
for the cordial co-operation of my Officers and Brethren in the Lodge , especially P . Al . ' s Harris and Tottey , my S . and J . AV . ' s Bros . Moreton and Meyrick , the present AV . AL and the Secretary and Treasurer , Bros . Uicklin and Clark—that it enabled me to initiate a considerable increase
ol respectable members—to make various additions to the furnituie of the Lodge—to discipline the members into habits of punctuality and attention to their duties—to suggest and carry out several beneficial and creditable arrangements—and finally , to resign the chair to my worthy successor , with the Lodge funds in a steadily improving condition , free VOL . in . it K
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
to award me some small portion of fame as a speculative Mason . U pon the philosophy and literature of Masonry 1 had both read ancl written ; but it is to my connexion with St . Peter ' s Lodge that I owe my acquaintance with the practical ivorking of the Craft—iny ability to handle the tools with some degree of skill and ' wisdom—to officiate in its hidden rites ancl mysteries , ancl indeed , my rank as a Grancl Officer in our ancient and honourable Order . It istooa singular coincidence with the cir
, , - cumstance of to-day ' s festivity that I hold and have exercised for the first time in Lodge the distinguished office of D . P . G . M ., which appointment , though it be only joro tern ., is proof that our R . AV . P . G . AL has thought me worthy of being entrusted with so eminent a post , and competent to discharge its exalted duties . Now , my worthy friends ancl Brethren in the benignant fellowship of Freemasonry , I shall never look upon this mystic jewel which decorates my breast—the gift of your
spontaneous goodwill—ivithout remembering that it was to you , under the guidance of that all-seeing Eye whose beam penetrates the arcana of every Lodge , however closely tiled , I am indebted for my present eminent and honourable position in Alasonry ; that , through my probation of service in St . Peter ' s Lodge , I , atlast ( inthe wordsof the great Pythagoras , whose amazing discovery in geometry forms the symbol of the P . M . jewel ) , am able to say Eureka ; I have found the reward of Alasonic energy ancl industry . To my junior Brethren I would say , endeavour to _ excel my example— " Go , and do likewise . " My success is , to a certain extent , your encouragement . Some three years ancl a half ago I
was unanimously , without seeking it , elected a member of St . Peter ' s Lodge . It certainly , in point of numbers , was not in so flourishing a condition as a Lodge of Masons ought to be in a large , liberal , affluent , ancl populous town like AVolverhampton , neither is it so now . The apathy displayed towards so benevolent and enlightened an Institution is to me wholly unaccountable . I can only attribute it to a perfect ignorance of the principles of Masonry , or a taste for those to which our
Order is fundamentally opposed—I mean religious bigotry ancl political party virulence . Masonry totally discountenances irreligion , impiety , and immorality , but she equally rejects superstition , bigotry , and every opinion that militates against social harmony and happiness " . One would naturally suppose that scores of reputable well-informed persons of so numerous a community as this , would have rushed with eagerness to enjoy , on neutral ground , the peace from strife and discord which distracts
the world without ; ancl one can only pity those who , absorbed in the wretched turmoils of party cabel , cannot fly for refuge to our ark of unity and concord . Admitted into your Lodge , you were goocl enough to put me into the S . W . chair , ancl , after twelve months' service , you honoured me by electing me AV . AL of St . Peter ' s Lodge through two successive years . This responsible situation opened to me a wider sphere of Alasonic usefulness , and I am happy to say , with hearty thanks
for the cordial co-operation of my Officers and Brethren in the Lodge , especially P . Al . ' s Harris and Tottey , my S . and J . AV . ' s Bros . Moreton and Meyrick , the present AV . AL and the Secretary and Treasurer , Bros . Uicklin and Clark—that it enabled me to initiate a considerable increase
ol respectable members—to make various additions to the furnituie of the Lodge—to discipline the members into habits of punctuality and attention to their duties—to suggest and carry out several beneficial and creditable arrangements—and finally , to resign the chair to my worthy successor , with the Lodge funds in a steadily improving condition , free VOL . in . it K