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Article TO THE EDITOR. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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To The Editor.
management of the Lodges . Two are not to be found which work with any degree of uniformity ; and it is this perfect freedom in our Lodges that has fostered carelessness , indolence , and produced the natural consequence of both , and ignorance in others . And whilst this is the case , any one must see that there is something wrong in the Graud Lodge of Scotland—that there is something radically wrong in the laws and constitutionsand in the subordinate Lodges . We need not be astonished that
, Brethren , through interested motives in this quarter , should have availed themselves of the opportunity which this circumstance has afforded , of improving their own private interests by their connexion with the Masonic Parliament of Scotland . Indeed we need not be astonished at what may take place in private Lodges , when it was only at the last meeting of the Grand Lodge that a perfect stranger gained admittance without a single question being asked of him , whether he was a Mason
or not ; and the Brother who informed me of this fact stated that it was mentioned openly at a meeting of a number of the Craft . This I consider a greater evil than even giving the three degrees in one night , or even in addition granting to favoured individuals the degree of Arch Mason on the same or on the following evening . But I have no intention of entering upon Arch Masonry ; it is , happily , in a more healthy state than Craft Masonry . Whilst such a state of laxity prevails in the Grand Lodge , need we wonder at the private Lodges ? It is to the members of private Lodges , however , that we must look to correct the evils , and there is not a single
member of the Order who wishes it to prosper , that may not render efficient assistance to repair the errors and correct the abuses that have crept in amongst us . Every one is entitled to give his opinion , and to impress upon the Brethren the correctness of his views . It may cost time and trouble ; but is there any thing ever gained without time and trouble ? Let all the members of Lodges who are anxious to reform the Grand Lodge , look how they stand upon its books , and see that there are no dues to be paid up . Let them ask their Proxy-Masters and Wardens
, if they have them , what is doing in the Grand Lodge , and how they vote ; let them send motions to the Proxies , and ask whether they regularly attend the meetings of the Grand Lodge . Let tbe Lodges stir up their Proxies and get the use out of them . It would be very desirable to know the value of Proxy-Masters and Wardens . The opinion of many Brethren is , that they are of no use whatever . It is the duty of the Lodgeshoweverat once to test their value . And as I
, , heard that at the last meeting of the Grand Lodge a Brother made a doleful lament , upon what he called the system of doing away with Proxies , from our Masonic parliament , I shall show the Lodges the value of their Proxies , as regular attenders at the meetings of the Grand Lodge . On the roll at present , we find 170 Lodges ; this should give us 510 members in all . Now as there are a number of Wardenships vacant , to give them fair play we will take off 110 . This will leave 400
bona fide Proxies , who of course must take a great interest in the affairs of the Grand Lodge . How do they attend the meetings ? How many of them give their valuable time and able assistance to represent the interests of the 170 Lodges in the Masonic parliament , four times a year?—NOT THE FOURTH PART !—and 1 firmly believe that the average is considerably under 100—so much , then , for the value of the proxy system . The Lodges in the country do not know this . They are in a state of happy ignorance , which the Proxies here will most assuredly lend no
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
management of the Lodges . Two are not to be found which work with any degree of uniformity ; and it is this perfect freedom in our Lodges that has fostered carelessness , indolence , and produced the natural consequence of both , and ignorance in others . And whilst this is the case , any one must see that there is something wrong in the Graud Lodge of Scotland—that there is something radically wrong in the laws and constitutionsand in the subordinate Lodges . We need not be astonished that
, Brethren , through interested motives in this quarter , should have availed themselves of the opportunity which this circumstance has afforded , of improving their own private interests by their connexion with the Masonic Parliament of Scotland . Indeed we need not be astonished at what may take place in private Lodges , when it was only at the last meeting of the Grand Lodge that a perfect stranger gained admittance without a single question being asked of him , whether he was a Mason
or not ; and the Brother who informed me of this fact stated that it was mentioned openly at a meeting of a number of the Craft . This I consider a greater evil than even giving the three degrees in one night , or even in addition granting to favoured individuals the degree of Arch Mason on the same or on the following evening . But I have no intention of entering upon Arch Masonry ; it is , happily , in a more healthy state than Craft Masonry . Whilst such a state of laxity prevails in the Grand Lodge , need we wonder at the private Lodges ? It is to the members of private Lodges , however , that we must look to correct the evils , and there is not a single
member of the Order who wishes it to prosper , that may not render efficient assistance to repair the errors and correct the abuses that have crept in amongst us . Every one is entitled to give his opinion , and to impress upon the Brethren the correctness of his views . It may cost time and trouble ; but is there any thing ever gained without time and trouble ? Let all the members of Lodges who are anxious to reform the Grand Lodge , look how they stand upon its books , and see that there are no dues to be paid up . Let them ask their Proxy-Masters and Wardens
, if they have them , what is doing in the Grand Lodge , and how they vote ; let them send motions to the Proxies , and ask whether they regularly attend the meetings of the Grand Lodge . Let tbe Lodges stir up their Proxies and get the use out of them . It would be very desirable to know the value of Proxy-Masters and Wardens . The opinion of many Brethren is , that they are of no use whatever . It is the duty of the Lodgeshoweverat once to test their value . And as I
, , heard that at the last meeting of the Grand Lodge a Brother made a doleful lament , upon what he called the system of doing away with Proxies , from our Masonic parliament , I shall show the Lodges the value of their Proxies , as regular attenders at the meetings of the Grand Lodge . On the roll at present , we find 170 Lodges ; this should give us 510 members in all . Now as there are a number of Wardenships vacant , to give them fair play we will take off 110 . This will leave 400
bona fide Proxies , who of course must take a great interest in the affairs of the Grand Lodge . How do they attend the meetings ? How many of them give their valuable time and able assistance to represent the interests of the 170 Lodges in the Masonic parliament , four times a year?—NOT THE FOURTH PART !—and 1 firmly believe that the average is considerably under 100—so much , then , for the value of the proxy system . The Lodges in the country do not know this . They are in a state of happy ignorance , which the Proxies here will most assuredly lend no