Knights Templar.

Knights Templar .

DARLINGTON . ' St . Cuthbert ' s Preceptory ( No . 139 ) . — The annual meeting of this preceptory was held at the Masonic Hall , on Tuesday , the 19 th ult ., the chair being occupied , in the absence of E . P . Sir Knight Sharp , by Dr . Hill Drury , J . P ., Prov . Sub-Prior . The preceptory being ooened and the minutes of the last meeting read and

confirmed . Sir Knight Luck , Grand Aide-de-Camp , presented Sir Knight Rev . R . Coulton , E . P . elect , to be installed . The ceremony was duly performed by Sir Knight Dr . Hill Drury , P . Sub-Prior , and the E . P . having been siluted be appointed his officers as follows : Sir Knights C . Jackson , B . A ., Prelate ; Hv . Warwick , Constable ; J .

Robinson , Maishat ; J . j . VVilkes . P . G . Chamberlain , Treas . ; R . Luck , M . A ., G . Aide-de-Camp , Reg .: VV . Barron , Sub-Marshal ; and W . N . Cochrane , B . A ., Capt . of Guard . There being no further business the preceptory was dostd , and the sir knights adjourned to the Refrtctory to paitake of the hcspitality ol the K . Preceptor .

Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement

ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE EMULATION LODGE OF IMPROVEMENT

The annual festival of this premier lodge for the instruction and improvement of the brethren was held on Friday , the 22 nd ult ., at F ' reemasons' Hall , when Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., presided in the lodge , and Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . G . M . Somersetshire , at the subsequent supper . There was a large

attendance of brethren , and the following G . officers were present : Bros . E . Letchworth , Major-General F . Gadsden , Frank Richardson , C . E . Keyser , J . H . Matthews , A . C . Spaull , George Read , H . Garrod , Walter Hopekirk . Lennox Browne , Frederick Mead , C . F . Hogard , Rudolph Glover , W . P . Brown , P . G .

Std . Br . ; F . R . W . Hedges , R . Loveland Loveland , Capt . Thos . C . Walls , J . A . Farnfield , C . F . Matier , and W . Lake , P . Prov . G . Reg . Cornwall . The First Lecture was worked as follows : 1 st Section by Bro . M . B . Evans , S . D . 8 ; 2 nd Section by Bro . D . D . West , W . M . 108 ; 3 rd Section by Bro . E . P . Debenham ,

P . M . 1479 , P . P . G . Reg . Herts ( in place of Bro . H . S . Wellcome , P . M . 3 , and W . M . 2397 , absent through illness ) ; 4 th Section by Bro , S . G . Budd , S . W . 1818 : 5 th Section by Bro . W . H . Kirby , P . M ., Sec . 16 95 Gth Section by Bro . Charles Lewis , 1706 ; and the 7 th Section by Bro . J . C . Mortimer , 889 . All the work

was unfalteringly performed , and at its ch se Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the working brethren . He said he had long taken a great interest in FVeemascnry , but that night he had for the first time experienced what the charms of Masonry really were . Bro . C . E . KEYSER seconded the motion , remarking

that though all the brethren present were workers in the Craft they had had an especial treat that . night , and that they would go away with a better knowled ge of the work than they had before . Bro . R . CLAY SUDLOW acknowledged the compliment , and said it had bien a matter of anxiety to the

working brethren to maintain the prestige of the lodge for correct woiking . For himsslf he must say he was very grateful to them . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to Freemasons' Tavern to an excellent supper , under the presidency of Viscount Dungarvan , and honoured the usual toasts .

After the toasts of " The Queen and the Craft" and "The M . W . G . M . " had been duly honoured . Bro . GEORGE BOOTH HF . MIKU , P . M . and Sec . 256 , proposed "The M . W . Pro G . M ,, the Deputy G . M ., and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " and said it was a toast which fortunately for him

required but little recommendation , as these brethren by their de « ds alone had gained the respect of the M . W . G . M ., who had thought lit to bestow upon them the honour of the purple . The large array of Grand Officeis who were honouring the Emulation Lodge of Improvement with their presence proved their love of

the working part of Masonry , for which the Emulation Lodge was pre-eminent . Bro . the Rev . J . N . PAL . MKK , P . G . C , in responding , said he thought after the highly-finished oratory the brethren had heard that night , many words from him who was not an orator would be " a weariness to the

flesh , " and therefore he would simply thank the brethren for the kind way in which they had received the toast . Bro . EDWARD LETCHWORTH , Grand Sec , proposed " 1 he Chairman , " who had with such geniality and grace presided thtt evening . Before such an assembly it was unnecessary to refer to the great services rendered

by Lord Dungarvan to the Craft . All the brethren knew how well he presided over the Province of Somerset , of which now for some years he had been Provincial Grand Master . They all knew , too , how during the following week he had consented to preside

over the Festival of one of the important Masonic Charities—a Festival which , he was quite sure , would prove a very great success . It was some three years since the members of this lodge looked forward with pleasure to be presided over by Lord Dungarvan , but unfortunately his lordship fell a victim to that disease

Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement

which was prevalent then , and was again prevalent now . They would therefore now give him a double welcome . Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN , acknowledged the toast and expressed the pleasure he had experienced at what he had seen and heard that evening . Some years ago he had the honour of being invited to

preside over a meeting of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . Owing , however , to the disease referred to by the Treasurer of this lodge , he was unable to attend . The other day he went down to his province , and he was again attacked not by the disease but by a chill , but it allowed him the privilege of coming there that evening , and he was very

proud to come . He returned the brethren his most grateful thanks for allowing him to be among them , and for the cordial welcome they had accorded him . He had now a much more important duty to perform—to propose the toast of "The Emulation Lodge of Improvement . " It would be presumptuous in such a Mason as he was to dwell on the Masonic history of

those he saw around him ; but at the same time he might say he had learned , perhaps not so long ago that which most of the brethren knew , that for more than 70 years the Emulation Lodge of Improvement had expounded to the Freemasons of England the true ritual of Freemasonry . Nothing was perfect under the sun ; but as nearly perfect as mortals possibly could

be were those brethren who had performed that night . They had achieved success . Personally , perhaps not altogether unbiassed , and perhaps with the hope of favours to come , he knew that the Emulation Lodge of Improvement was very liberal to the Charities , as doubtless next week would find . But apart from that , that lodge was one whose fame , when he mentioned the names of Bros . Peter Gilkes , Stephen Barton , Wilson ,

Charles Murton , A . B . Richards , Thomas Fenn , and last but not least , Bro . Sudlow , would be handed down from generation to generation , and he was sure they would accord the toast a hearty welcome . They had had that evening food of two kinds—food for the mind and food for the body , and both foods had been of the very best , and he asked the brethren to give the toast a most hearty welcome .

Bro . R . CLAY SUDLOW , P . G . Std . Br ., replying , said the Grand Secretary had accorded him the privilege of responding to the toast which had been so eloquently proposed and so kindly received . The heartiness of the brethren ' s applause convinced him that they fully appreciated the growing importance of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement and the value of the work

which was carried on at its weekly meetings . Several important changes had taken place in the personnel of the Committee , and with respect to those changes , he hoped they would allow him to say a few words ; in fact it was absolutely necessary that he should do so . Bro . Frank Spaull had not been among them for a very considerable time , owing , he regretted to say , to

illhealth , and he had now found it necessary to withdraw his name altogether from the Committee . In his place they had elected Bro . W . G . Kentish , who having acted as their Secretary for seven years— . 1 truly Masonic term of service—desired to be relieved from the very arduous duties of that position . He said , without hesitation , that during Bro . Keniish ' s tenure

of ofiice , he proved himself one of the best Secretaries the lodge ever had , and it was mainly owing to his untiring efforts that the annual festivals had gained the large measure of success that they had seen . Bro . Kentish ' s place was a very difficult one to fill , but the Committee had found a successor in Bro . Joseph Russell , a Past Master of No . S , which lodge , by the way ,

had already given them a member of the Committee in Bro . Rushton . Bro . Russell was such an enthusiast in all matters appertaining to Masonry in general , and to this Lodge of Emulation in particular , that a short time only was necessary to prove to all who took an inteiest in that lodge that the Committee had made a wise selection . It was with

profound regret that towards the close of last year the Committee received the resignation of Bro . Thomas Fenn as Treasurer . For nearly 40 years Bro . Fenn had taken a prominent and an active part in the management of the affairs of that lodge . Not a few of those then present owed all the Masonic knowledge they possessed principally to Bro . Fenn , one of the

greatest masters of Masonic ritual that Masonry had known and ever would know . It was not necessary for him ( Bro . Sudlow ) to speak of the splendid services rendered by Bro . Fenn to that lodge , those services were known to all of them , and would cause the name of Bro . Thomas Fenn to be remembered gratefully as long as that lodge itself remained . Bro . Fenn

promised him only a few days since that he would be with them that night at their working , but he ( Bro . Sudlow ) had jnst received a letter from him , in which he said that " for the lirst time in 12 months I have to leave business at noon and place myself under the doctor's hands . " For many years past the position of Treasurer of that lodge had been held by brethren

eminent in the Cralt , and occupying prominent positions in the executive of Grand Lodge . That fact at once solved Ihe problem as to a suitable successor to Bro . Fenn , the Committee invited Bro . Letchworth , the Grand Secretary , to fill the vacancy , and he ( Bro . Sudlow ) felt sure that the Highest

and best interests of that Lodge were safi * in the hands of ( heir new chief . He understood that some disappointment was caused to their Provincial Brethren last year because he made no reference to them when speaking of the influence exerted by that Lodge . It was a fact that the Emulation system was being rapidly adopted by the Provinces . It was no unusual thing for

Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement

Provincial Preceptors to be present at the meetings of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , with the view of studying and making themselves perfect in the ritual and competent to teach it in their lodges in the Provinces . Moreover , the committee frequentl y got letters from abroad , in fact he might say literall y that " From Greenland's Icy Mountains , to India ' s

Coral Strand " they received requests for information as to the lodge ' s teaching on this or that point of Masonic ritual and procedure . One word more and he had done . They were encouraged very much by the presence , in spite of the prevailing epidemic , of so many Grand Oflicers and so large an assemblage of

brethren , and they felt sure that if they adhered faith , fullv to their trust , if they maintained—absolutel y unaltered—the traditions which had come down to them from such men as Bros . Peter Gilkes , Stephen Barton Wilson , Fenn , Murton and Richards , they should certainly have a continuance of the success which had characterised that Lodge from its very foundation , now

over seventy years ago . Bro . FREDERICK MEAD , P . G . S . B ., proposed the toast of " The Lodge of Unions , " and said there were unions of different kinds , and the union of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement with the Lod ge of Unions had been a very happy one . The offspring was a very important olive branch . The highly

important branch of Freemasonry , the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , was 72 years old , and the children of the Lodge of Unions now begged to extend best wishes to their great parent . They belonged to the parent lodge with pride , and they were particularl y proud of those seven brethren who had given such a magnificent performance that evening in the lodge . It

was very welcome to all the brethren to find that of those seven brethren there were four who were , so to speak , in their swaddling clothes—they had only rtsatte . " , not levels , on their aprons . That was a great incentive to younger brethren to work , for however young Masons they were if they undertook duties such as they had undertaken that evening , they showed

that they could perform the full duties of a Master . Bro . J . A . FARNFIELD , P . A . G . D . C , Treas . 256 , responded . If the child was proud of its parent , he could only say the parent was very proud of the child . But the child had attained the patriarchal age of 77 . There was this , however , to be said that the parent was

109 years of age . The parent was proud that in having given birth to that child it had been able to disseminate a knowledge of true Freemasonry far and wide ; and so long as the Emulation Lodge of Improvement was not ashamed of its parent , he was perfectly certain the parent would not be ashamed of the child .

Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , P . G . D ., proposed " The Masonic Charities . " It was a triple toast . The brethren present had already carried out the precepts instilled into them when they were initiated to practice Charity , and , therefore , he felt he could say but little in presenting that toast to them . Masonry had three important Charities which required support .

Supported they had been in the past most munificently , and he had no doubt they would be in the future . Bui they had first of all to consider there were 4011 aged Freemasons and widows to be maintained Masons who had borne the heat and burden of the day and subscribed , whom they desired to make comfortable in their old age . But , in looking

alter the old people , they must not forget to look after the young , and Masons had more than 260 bovs and 260 girls in their Institutions . The boys were b = ing brought up and educated to take their place in life , to become good members of society , and perhaps gojd Masons . The girls likewise , and their education was

more difficult , and the duties they had to learn were not so easily attained ; their position in life was more difficult . He knew those brethren who had subscribed would yet subscribe ; but he wanted to impress on those who had not subscribed that they should do so . He would remind them that blessed was he who gives as well as he who receives .

Bro . F . R . W . HEDGES , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . G ., responded . A brother more competent to propose that toast than Bro . Frank Richardson he did not know . On Wednesday next the Festival of the Benevolent Institution would be held , and he asked for it the earnest support of the brethren that it might be the most successful Festival the Institution had yet held .

There were a large number of annuitants dependent on the Institution . No doubt the invested tunds ol that Institution were better than those of the other two Institutions , but still there was a large margin , and in addition to the permanent income , £ 12 , 000 annually was required before they could pay all the annuitants . He hoped that Bro . Terry would have the pleasure of

announcing a sum in excess of the amount required . The other two Institutions were equally in need of support , but he felt to-night that the Beneiolint Institution had the first claim . He would therefore content himself on their behalf by thanking the brethren for the toast , and wishing success to the Benevolent Institulioii , the Boys' and the Girls' Schools .

Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., proposed "The Brethren who Worked the Sections . " Tho brethren who had assembled that night , had conn : in order to show their appreciation of the Emulation working , and they nevei had had an opportunity of seeing the Seven Section '"'

worked more carefully or perfectly than by the seven liiethron whom he included in the toast . Bro-Debenham , a brother he knew very well , undertook one of the Sections in the absence of Bro . H . S . Wellcome , who would have done it but for the illness which had kept him away . Bro . Debenham was to be congraM'