Tile Annual Festival Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Improvement.

The Chairman said , he rose to thank the companions with feelings of real espect and deep gratitude , and for this reason , that he knew many of them , at all events , had been p leased to take him to a certain extent on trust . Livinrr so far

away , he must be unknown to many , not perhaps by name or report , but still actually and personally , then he could say—it was one of the very great pleasures of life that one had the opportunity these meetings offered , of being put into connection with those , whom , without such opportunity of meeting , one would not come in

contact with . He sincerely thanked them them for their kindness in accepting the health proposed by Comp . Hervey . It was quite true , as that Companion had said , that he endeavoured to promote the interests of the or der , and devoted a good deal of time to that object , He wished he had been able to devote r / crir but when he

came to think that he had dutits cf turner sort to perform , he could not suppose that it was required of him to follow Masonry closer than he did . With respect to his coining from Suffolk to attend this meeting , a subject also alluded to by Comp . Hervey , he could only add that he had

the greatest pleasure in doing so . Touching the same Companion ' s mention of his ( the Chairman ' s ) zeal in Masonry , he mig ht inform the companions , without self-laudation , that he had to start off" next morning early by train , and when he reached the station in Suffolk , would have to

drive 22 miles to attend the Provincial Grand Lodge which was to be held that day , to pass resolutions congratulating the Queen and Prince of Wales on the happy recovery of the latter . After this he would have to preside at his own lodge to perforin three initiations , a passing , and

a raising , in Craft Masonry . He was not altogether a drone in Masonry . Some months ago when he was asked to preside that evening , he said he would do his best , but wished they could find some one who would do it better . He had , however , done his best ; it was not much but

such as it was they were most heartily welcome to now and at any time . The Chairman next said—I will ask your permission to propose as a toast " Prosperity to the Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement , " which I am certain you will receive as I srive it , with all

cordiality . In the Chapter to-nig ht we have all of us—and I for one took the liberty of saying so—been delighted with the great treat we have had , and I am quite sure we shall all go awayat least I shall , impressed with all I have heard , determined , still more than I have hitherto been ,

to follow our Royal Arch Masonry , and make myself acquainted with the details of its evenpart . You must all konw pretty well , that the excellence could not have been arrived at but b y the most patient assiduity being bestowed on it b y Comps . Brett , Boyd and others in the Chapter ;

and as it has been said b y an old English proverb , that the proof of the pudding is in the eating , so the proof of Comp . Brett has been found in the admirable Masonic repast he has provided for us to-night . 1 give you " Prosperity to the Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement , " and couple with

it the names of Comps . Brett , Boyd , Dicketts , and the three Principals to ni ght , and also the health of all those of other Companions who have assisted so admirably—Comps . Self , West , Smith , and Green . We cannot single out one name in drinking this toast ; and I therefore think I shall have consult your wishes , as well as my own by giving

honour where honour is due , and proposing " The Health of Comp . Brett . " Comp . James Brett , G . D . C . said he felt that he could not return thanks as he ought for the toast which had just been drunk , if he had been responding only for himself , but there was an outlet for him when he saw other

Companions standing 111 acknowledgedment of the toast who had assisted him in the duties ol the Chapter . In the lirst place he thanked the M . E . for presiding that evening , and every member of the Chapter felt indebted to him for the able and graceful way in which it had been done .

Much had been said by the M . E . in praise in the way in which the evenings work had been conducted , and forthiscomplimenthe ( Comp . Brett , ) in the name of himself and of all those who had taken part in it , begged to thank him . On the point of the working of the Chapter he felt strongly . There were those present who were

Tile Annual Festival Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Improvement.

the first promoters of the Chapter—he might say the first to suggest it , as a societ y to which they might resort for instruction , in which smoking and drinking would not be permitted during the work . Ever since he had been a Royal Arch Freemason they had been in the habit of meeting

for instruction in taverns , where he must confess , he had learned a great deal , and where he ventured also to say they had enjoyed themselves in each other ' s company . But there were distinguished Masons who thought it was not a proper

thing for Royal Arch Masons to do , and they proposed to him a Chapter similar to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . At first he did not support the idea—he would not say he threw cold water on it ; but after a little consideration he said he would do all he could to further their

wishes . Soon a great number came forward who approved of the movement , and they met together and started it . A great many put down their names as founders , and , although he did not now stand up for the purpose of making a complaint , they must pardon him for saying , not

unkindly , that , with few exceptions , those who advised , persuaded , and induced the establishment of this Chapter , had not since supported it by their presence at the weekly meetings as he had hoped they would . . There were , however , he was proud to say , those present this evening who

had supported the projectors , and it was due to them that the Chapter stood in its present prosperous position . Still he thought they ought to meet in a much prouder and more prosperous position even than that ; a large number ought to attend both of founders and Grand

officers , men who had done good suit and service in Masonry , and were proud to be ranked among them . Sometimes they came among them , though he did not see many before him , but thev did not , as a rule , come forward and

help them . They must not understand him as complaining . He had given his own time to them , and had not been absent once last year , without leaving an efficient substitute to perform his duties , so that the companions had never suffered from hisabsence . To those brethren who

had honoured him by taking his place he returned his best thanks . Allow him to return thanks for the companions , who had helped him to perform the ceremonies this evening . Comp . Boyd , one of them , he might say , was the father , or the founder , or the Frst Principal , of

the Chapter of Improvement . He was the first M . E . of the Prudent Brethren Chapter , under whose warrant , those , who were visitors here for the first time , might learn the Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement . That chapter was established but three years ago , and it became very

numerous . That chapter was the first to have a public night , to explain to Royal ArchMasonsthe working of the Royal Arch , and those public nights had given universal satisfaction . Comp . States , the S . E . of the Chapter , Comp . Boyd , and others , were at the head of the movement

and the Royal Arch ( ) rder generally had much to thank them for , as also Comp . Dicketts , the J . of the same Chapter . They were all satisfied with the way in which he had done his work . Then thev came to Comp . Self , who was capable of taking any office ; he was one of the

companions who started the Chapter , and had never deserted it . Comps . West , Smith , and Green , had left the banqueting room , but they were also deserving of the thanks of the companions . Comps . Warrington , Thomas , and Finney , who belonged to the committee , and had worked hard

for the Chapter , were equally deserving of the companions' recognition of their services . In conclusion , he would say he hoped they would meet in still larger numbers in future , for the companions must bear in mind that when the pereeptors came there to perform the ceremonies , it was ncccssarv to have an audience as well as

performers , and nothing would give him greater pleasure that others gave assistance as well as himself . ( Frequent cheers greeted Comp . Brett during the delivery of this address . ) The Chairman , proceeding with the toasts , gave

"The health of Visitors , " and prefaced his speech with the observation that he himself most heartily merited the condemnation of Comp . Brett for having assisted in founding the Chapter , and not having frequently attended subsequently . He confessed himself one of the erring ones , but

Tile Annual Festival Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Improvement.

regretted there were many who followed his example . His own excuse was that he lived a great way oft " . On the subject of the tocst , he would remark on the great use visitors were , and said it frequently happened that they became joining members . Such was the case with Comp .

Nicholas , whom he associated with this toast . To those who did not know him , he ( the Chairman ) would say he was the indefetigable and hard working Secretary of the Asylum for Idiots at Earlswood . Diverting for a moment from his subject , he begged the Comps . to consider the great and glorious gifts of reason

possessed by themselves , and to think on the wants of those who were admitted into th _> Asylum for Idiots . No more religions no more Masonic duty could have been performed than that to which Com ]) . Nicholas' life had been devoted , and as a worthy visitor , of whom he would have said more in his absence , he begged to propose Comp . Nicholas' health .

Comp . Nicholas replied . This was his first visit to the Chapter , and as a member he should come as often as he could to attend to his duties . He hoped to become faithful and diligent and try to follow the footsteps of the Illustrious Preceptor , Comp . Brett . The Earlswood Asylum ,

to which the Chairman had been kind enough to allude , would shortl y be put before the order as a Masonic Institution . It was intended shortl y to erect an Infirmary [ to it . and the Prince of Wales had promised to lay the first stone ; on account of his illness , however , it would not be

done this year . The Infirmary would cost £ 3000 , and it was proposed to raise this sum among the craft of this country . Just a word or two on its being a Masonic charity . He had just heard it said that in a Masonic sense it was not legal . He Mould answer that everything that was good was Masonic , and therefore that it was legal .

Moreover the Asylum for Idiots might be said to supplement the Freemasons' Boys' and Girls' School , for it admitted within its walls those Freemasons ' children , the weakness of whose intellect excluded them from those Institutions . The Asylum for Idiots scarcely ever had an election at which some of the candidates were the children of Freemasons .

A clergyman , one of the subscribers to the Asylum , always asked him if there any clergymen ' s children on the list to whom he could give his vote , and if there were not , then he would give them to Freemasons' children , because he considered it his duty as a clergyman and a

Freemason to give them to these before all others . He ( Comp . Nicholas ) hoped that when the time came the Freemasons would feel proud to point to an inscription which it was intended to put in the front of the building that it was erected b y the Masons of Great Britain as a tribute of respect to their Brother His Royal Highness who would

lay the first stone , and as an expression of thankfulness to the Almi ghty that He had restored him to health . He ( Comp . Nicholas ) felt himself unduly honoured [ by this toast being . proposed , but he took it not so much as in honour to himself as to the Institution of which he was Secretary .

THE CHAIRMAN . — Companions , be good enough to do all honour to the toast of " The Officers of this Chapter of Improvement . " There are several of them , and they all commend themselves to your attention . They are Comp . Hervey , G . S . E ., the Treasurer ; Comp . Little ,

whose name is always received with great delight in masonic Circles , and whose services many masons are looking forward to reward in a more substantial way than with mere words . There is also one companion upon whom the greatest amount of work connected with this happy and

successful gathering has fallen—Comp . Thomas W . White , the Assistant S . E . He , in his turn , has been assisted by Comp . Finney , and I am sure that these two last companions especially , are entitled to your thanks for the admirable arrangements which have made everyone so comfortable this eveninrr .

COMP . THOMAS W . WHITE . —On behalf of myself and the officers of the Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement , I beg to thank you most sincerely for the manner in which you have drunk our health . With respect to myself , all I can say is anything I can do to further the interests of this Chapter in particular , and Royal Arch Masonry