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Article FREEMASONRY IN GLASGOW. ← Page 3 of 10 →
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Freemasonry In Glasgow.
claims at this time , aud by an active canvass—a procedure not less discordant to the principles of our free Order than to those which regulate the choice of a clergyman—secured , by a small majority , his election . The consequence was that the more influential portion of the members ceased at once to take any interest in the working of the lodge ; for whatever the zeal , merit , and practical ability of the successful competitorthey did not consider that either his position in the neutral world ,
, nor his early opportunities of mental culture , entitled him to place himself in opposition to a gentleman so favourably circumstanced to advance the interests and elevate the character of Freemasonry as Bro . Ramsey . His exertions since that time have been almost unparalleled , but , so completely neutralized by the false position in which he unhappily placed himself at the very first , that that ancient lodge has declined in influence and popularity ever since .
S imulated by the successful example of the Lodge St . Mark , which was the first in this province to fit up an appropriate lodge-room for itself , and to get rid of the odium which not unreasonably attaches to the general practice of holding masonic meetings in taverns , the Kilwinning No . 4 , in the hope of regaining its lost influence , also fitted up an elegant lodge-room and pertinents , at great expense , to which it added a new and costly set of jewels . But as no provision had been previousl
y made for meeting these heavy expenses , overwhelming embarrassment in the financial department was the inevitable consequence ; while , as yet , all endeavours to induce the more wealthy members to come forward with a liberal subscription , and rescue their mother lodge from its present humiliating position , have proved unavailing : we hope however , for the
credit of the Craft , that this will not long be the case . The Argyle Lodge , which for a time successfully rivalled the St . Mark ' s as the crack lodge of Glasgow , has now been dormant for several years ; and in the appendix to the recent edition of the Laws and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , we find its name included in the list of those that were . The other lodges here , with a few honourable exceptions , have , we have reason to believe , enough to do to keep
their heads above water . But we have reasonable ground for hope in the ability and activity of the new Prov . Grand Lodge , that a more prosperous era is not far distant . The office of P . G . M . of this district was held for more than a quarter of a century by the late Henry Monteath , Esq ., of Carstairs , than whom few men were more generally respected and beloved . The office , however , was looked upon in the light of an honorary sinecureof which the duties
, were merely nominal , and we doubt whether he once visited a lodge in his official capacity . A few years ago a necessity having arisen for bringing some matters connected with a change of locale , contemplated or made , by the Faifley and Duntocher Lodge , before a Provincial Meeting , the P . G . M . was written to upon the occasion . His advanced years and distant residence rendering it very inconvenient for him to take any part in the proceedings himselfhe deputed his authority to the
, W . M . of the oldest lodge in the province , the Glasgow Kilwinning , No . 4 , and at the same time expressed a desire to resign the office and make way for some one more favourabl y circumstanced than he was . The desire was too reasonable and natural not to be acceded to , and a formal resignation having been transmitted to the Grand Lodge , it was accepted . After some little delay a highly acceptable successor was found in Bro . Archibald Alison , the eloquent historian of Europe , who in that standard
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In Glasgow.
claims at this time , aud by an active canvass—a procedure not less discordant to the principles of our free Order than to those which regulate the choice of a clergyman—secured , by a small majority , his election . The consequence was that the more influential portion of the members ceased at once to take any interest in the working of the lodge ; for whatever the zeal , merit , and practical ability of the successful competitorthey did not consider that either his position in the neutral world ,
, nor his early opportunities of mental culture , entitled him to place himself in opposition to a gentleman so favourably circumstanced to advance the interests and elevate the character of Freemasonry as Bro . Ramsey . His exertions since that time have been almost unparalleled , but , so completely neutralized by the false position in which he unhappily placed himself at the very first , that that ancient lodge has declined in influence and popularity ever since .
S imulated by the successful example of the Lodge St . Mark , which was the first in this province to fit up an appropriate lodge-room for itself , and to get rid of the odium which not unreasonably attaches to the general practice of holding masonic meetings in taverns , the Kilwinning No . 4 , in the hope of regaining its lost influence , also fitted up an elegant lodge-room and pertinents , at great expense , to which it added a new and costly set of jewels . But as no provision had been previousl
y made for meeting these heavy expenses , overwhelming embarrassment in the financial department was the inevitable consequence ; while , as yet , all endeavours to induce the more wealthy members to come forward with a liberal subscription , and rescue their mother lodge from its present humiliating position , have proved unavailing : we hope however , for the
credit of the Craft , that this will not long be the case . The Argyle Lodge , which for a time successfully rivalled the St . Mark ' s as the crack lodge of Glasgow , has now been dormant for several years ; and in the appendix to the recent edition of the Laws and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , we find its name included in the list of those that were . The other lodges here , with a few honourable exceptions , have , we have reason to believe , enough to do to keep
their heads above water . But we have reasonable ground for hope in the ability and activity of the new Prov . Grand Lodge , that a more prosperous era is not far distant . The office of P . G . M . of this district was held for more than a quarter of a century by the late Henry Monteath , Esq ., of Carstairs , than whom few men were more generally respected and beloved . The office , however , was looked upon in the light of an honorary sinecureof which the duties
, were merely nominal , and we doubt whether he once visited a lodge in his official capacity . A few years ago a necessity having arisen for bringing some matters connected with a change of locale , contemplated or made , by the Faifley and Duntocher Lodge , before a Provincial Meeting , the P . G . M . was written to upon the occasion . His advanced years and distant residence rendering it very inconvenient for him to take any part in the proceedings himselfhe deputed his authority to the
, W . M . of the oldest lodge in the province , the Glasgow Kilwinning , No . 4 , and at the same time expressed a desire to resign the office and make way for some one more favourabl y circumstanced than he was . The desire was too reasonable and natural not to be acceded to , and a formal resignation having been transmitted to the Grand Lodge , it was accepted . After some little delay a highly acceptable successor was found in Bro . Archibald Alison , the eloquent historian of Europe , who in that standard