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Article TO THE EDITOR. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
December 1 , 1 ( 149 . SIR AND BROTHER ., —Nearly a year has elapsed since any notice has been taken in your pages of the subject of the Red Apron , but I trust that Bro . Bigg and his supporters have not abandoned the good cause ; for surely they cannot consider the vote of the Granil Lodge in April last year , as deciding the real question at issue—not whether the privilege should be extended to all the London lodges , but whether any and
what alteration should be made in the present system . Bro . Bigg ' s motion deserved its fate , for it was not based on a sound principle , he merely attempted to displace one monopoly by substituting another . I can see no reason whatever for confining the privilege of the Red Apron to the London lodges ; the argument that the provincial brethren have the opportunity of becoming Stewards in their provinces , might be applied with equal propriety to the distinction of the Purple . Now that
railroads afford such facilities of communication between London and the provinces , there would be no difficulty in brethren from Berwick , or the Land ' s-End , performing their duties as Grand Stewards , if disposed to incur the expense of the requisite journeys . " The absurdity of giving West India or China Lodges the right of sending Stewards to attend the banquet in London , " would provide its own remedy , and no practical inconvenience need arise from it . The following appears to
me a very simple and equitable plan of meeting the views of those brethren who advocate the extension of the privilege , and may be so managed as to obviate all anticipated difficulties . Let all the lodges under the constitution of England , be required to elect , whether they
will be placed on the rota of lodges who are to have the privilege of electing the Grand Stewards ; these lodges , being placed according to their numbers , may then be required in succession to supply the requisite number of Stewards . Any lodge on the rota , not supplying a Steward when called upon , should be subjected to a fine , and erased from the list ; while , to obviate any injustice in this respect , it may be competent for any lodge , on giving proper notice , to renounce the privilege if
circumstances should render it desirable for them to do so . By this plan , there would be no difficulty in having a regular supply of Stewards , and in all probability the number of lodges availing themselves of the privilege would be comparatively few . I would also suggest , for the consideration of the Stewards , either under the present or any other system , the propriety of abandoning the practice of selling tickets for the Grand Festival at so low a price ; no consistent Mason can wish to
dine at the expense of the Stewards , and if the raising the price of the tickets were to have the effect of reducing the number of brethren at the festival , the lesser number dining at their own expense would be much more creditable to the Craft . Another argument in favour of extending the privilege of electing the Stewards , is that the honour ( which in some of the privileged lodges , from the limited number of their membershas become a mere matter of course ) would from its
, , comparatively rare occurrence in each lodge , become a real badge of distinction , and be conferred only on those who shall have proved themselves worthy of a distinguishing mark of the approbation of their brethren . I am > y 0 urs fraternally , A LONDON MASON .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
December 1 , 1 ( 149 . SIR AND BROTHER ., —Nearly a year has elapsed since any notice has been taken in your pages of the subject of the Red Apron , but I trust that Bro . Bigg and his supporters have not abandoned the good cause ; for surely they cannot consider the vote of the Granil Lodge in April last year , as deciding the real question at issue—not whether the privilege should be extended to all the London lodges , but whether any and
what alteration should be made in the present system . Bro . Bigg ' s motion deserved its fate , for it was not based on a sound principle , he merely attempted to displace one monopoly by substituting another . I can see no reason whatever for confining the privilege of the Red Apron to the London lodges ; the argument that the provincial brethren have the opportunity of becoming Stewards in their provinces , might be applied with equal propriety to the distinction of the Purple . Now that
railroads afford such facilities of communication between London and the provinces , there would be no difficulty in brethren from Berwick , or the Land ' s-End , performing their duties as Grand Stewards , if disposed to incur the expense of the requisite journeys . " The absurdity of giving West India or China Lodges the right of sending Stewards to attend the banquet in London , " would provide its own remedy , and no practical inconvenience need arise from it . The following appears to
me a very simple and equitable plan of meeting the views of those brethren who advocate the extension of the privilege , and may be so managed as to obviate all anticipated difficulties . Let all the lodges under the constitution of England , be required to elect , whether they
will be placed on the rota of lodges who are to have the privilege of electing the Grand Stewards ; these lodges , being placed according to their numbers , may then be required in succession to supply the requisite number of Stewards . Any lodge on the rota , not supplying a Steward when called upon , should be subjected to a fine , and erased from the list ; while , to obviate any injustice in this respect , it may be competent for any lodge , on giving proper notice , to renounce the privilege if
circumstances should render it desirable for them to do so . By this plan , there would be no difficulty in having a regular supply of Stewards , and in all probability the number of lodges availing themselves of the privilege would be comparatively few . I would also suggest , for the consideration of the Stewards , either under the present or any other system , the propriety of abandoning the practice of selling tickets for the Grand Festival at so low a price ; no consistent Mason can wish to
dine at the expense of the Stewards , and if the raising the price of the tickets were to have the effect of reducing the number of brethren at the festival , the lesser number dining at their own expense would be much more creditable to the Craft . Another argument in favour of extending the privilege of electing the Stewards , is that the honour ( which in some of the privileged lodges , from the limited number of their membershas become a mere matter of course ) would from its
, , comparatively rare occurrence in each lodge , become a real badge of distinction , and be conferred only on those who shall have proved themselves worthy of a distinguishing mark of the approbation of their brethren . I am > y 0 urs fraternally , A LONDON MASON .