Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Quarterly Magazine And Review.
and negligently performed . The Board of Grand Stewards had acted during the year with singular inattention to their relative duties ; and as they had gone through the year , so they completed it on the 28 th of April . On that occasion a larger number of Brethren attended at the banquet in
Freemasons' Hall than usual ; and the duties of the Grand Stewards on this account naturally became more onerous . On that evening , we believe , every member of the Board of Stewards was at his post ; but most assuredly , as far as the happiness and comfort of the meeting were concerned , they had
far better have retained their character for nesiiffence , and kept away altogether from the Festival , as they had abstained from taking any part whatever in the proceedings of the previous Grand Lodge meetings . For many years past the Grand Festival has been looked
forward to as anything but an auspicious event , — -as a gathering from which every member of the Craft , who must of necessity attend , would gladly be excused , and for which every Brother , who can remain away , feels devoutly thankful that he is at liberty to escape . To such an extent has the
annoyance been carried , —so . "fast and furious" has the noise become , —so disorderly are the proceedings , and so devoid of common courtesy to those in authority , as well as to those who seek to increase the harmony of the evening , that the moment of the Festival ' s termination becomes a perfect relief , and is felt to be a release from a kind of purgatory .
A few years ago an unseemly squabble disgraced the proceedings , and called forth a lengthened and painful inquiry . The character of those proceedings caused a slight improvement to be introduced in succeeding years ; and last year , upon the confession of all then present , the evening went off
more harmoniously than it ever had been known to do ; whilst every Brother , who was compelled to attend , anticipated that a decided change for the better had at length been effected . The cause assigned for that improvement was doubtless the right one . On that year the M . W . the Grand Master had given the appointment of Grand Organist to a Brother of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Quarterly Magazine And Review.
and negligently performed . The Board of Grand Stewards had acted during the year with singular inattention to their relative duties ; and as they had gone through the year , so they completed it on the 28 th of April . On that occasion a larger number of Brethren attended at the banquet in
Freemasons' Hall than usual ; and the duties of the Grand Stewards on this account naturally became more onerous . On that evening , we believe , every member of the Board of Stewards was at his post ; but most assuredly , as far as the happiness and comfort of the meeting were concerned , they had
far better have retained their character for nesiiffence , and kept away altogether from the Festival , as they had abstained from taking any part whatever in the proceedings of the previous Grand Lodge meetings . For many years past the Grand Festival has been looked
forward to as anything but an auspicious event , — -as a gathering from which every member of the Craft , who must of necessity attend , would gladly be excused , and for which every Brother , who can remain away , feels devoutly thankful that he is at liberty to escape . To such an extent has the
annoyance been carried , —so . "fast and furious" has the noise become , —so disorderly are the proceedings , and so devoid of common courtesy to those in authority , as well as to those who seek to increase the harmony of the evening , that the moment of the Festival ' s termination becomes a perfect relief , and is felt to be a release from a kind of purgatory .
A few years ago an unseemly squabble disgraced the proceedings , and called forth a lengthened and painful inquiry . The character of those proceedings caused a slight improvement to be introduced in succeeding years ; and last year , upon the confession of all then present , the evening went off
more harmoniously than it ever had been known to do ; whilst every Brother , who was compelled to attend , anticipated that a decided change for the better had at length been effected . The cause assigned for that improvement was doubtless the right one . On that year the M . W . the Grand Master had given the appointment of Grand Organist to a Brother of