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CONTENTS . LEADERDispensations to wear Masonic Clothing ... ¦¦•— -73 The Craft in Greater Britain ... ... ... •••- 2 73 A Remarkable Work ... ... ... ... •••"" •••2 74 United Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... •••— 2 74 Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons ( Agenda Paper ) ... •••275 Great Priory of the United Religious and Military Orders of the Temple ... 275 Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset ... ... •¦¦ ••¦ 2 77

M ASONIC NOTESAgenda Paper of United Grand Lodge ... ... ... •••27 § Report of the General Board of Mark Master Masons ... ... W Masonic Service in Battle Church ... ... ¦•••••2 79 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Essex ... ... ••••••2 79

Boys'School Athletic Sports ... ... ... ¦•••¦•2 79 Correspondence ... ... •••¦••••••¦ •2 ^ ° Instruction ... ... ... ¦••¦••••••••2 £° Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Essex ... ,.. •¦•¦¦•2 b 0 Consecration of the Old York Council Allied Degrees and the Loidis

Conclave Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ¦•••••2 St Craft Masonry ... ... ••¦ •••••••••2 % 3 Royal Aich ... ... ... ... •¦• - - 2 S 3 Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... ¦•¦ ¦¦•2 » 4 The Maddison Memorial Window in Ledbury Church ... ... ... 2 » 4 Dispensations Io wear Masonic Clothing ... ... •••2 $ j Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... — •••2 ° "

Dispensations To Wear Masonic Clothing.

DISPENSATIONS TO WEAR MASONIC CLOTHING .

We are not surprised that our Grand Lodge authorities should have at length set their faces against the growing custom which , of late years , has found favour with the lodges , of applying for dispensations to wear Masonic clothing at

o-atherings to which the general public arc able to obtain admission . No one can have watched the proceedings of the Craft during the last quarter of a century without noticing the marked difference of feeling that has come upon the brethren

in this particular respect . Formerly , the laying the foundation stone of some building of public utility , or of one to be devoted to pious , charitable , or kindred purposes , with the attendance at

Divine service of a Provincial Grand Lodge on the day of its annual meeting , and now and again a ball or a concert in aid of a Masonic Charitable Institution , were about the only occasions

on which it was considered fitting that the necessary dispensation for brethren to wear their Masonic clothing and other insignia in the presence of non-Masons , should be applied for , and the authorities were invariably ready and willing to grant the

application . But of late years lodges have exhibited a steadily increasing tendency towards another kind of Masonic display , and quite a number of them have for years adopted the practice of inviting ladies and non-Masons

to an annual banquet , ball , or concert , at which , having previously sought and obtained the sanction of the authorities , the members appear in all the glory of full-blown Masons . There is , too , we regret to say , a still more reprehensible habit , which

has been adopted by local bodies . Knowing hill well how attractive is the sight of a more or less numerous array of Masons wearing their regalia , these bodies approach the local lodge or lod ges with the request that the members will attend what is

commonly called a Masonic Service at tins or that church or ' liapel , or be present at some public function , in order that the incumbent or local authorities may the better be enabled to raise

the funds required for a new steeple to the church or chapel , or for establishing a new dispensary . Our lodges have generally shown a kindl y disposition towards furthering these local objects , and the authorities have as invariabl y given the necessary

Dispensations To Wear Masonic Clothing.

permission for them to attend as Masons . But we cannot conceal from ourselves the fact that this kind of invitation is addressed to us , not from any special leelingof love and respect for our Order ,

but from the belief that the local public will be the more read y to contribute to the proposed object , if something in the way of an attraction is offered as an inducement to contribution .

Doubtless , there are those who will say that this is an uncomplimentary view to take of these public displays of Masonry , but however unpalatabie the view may be , it is the true one . This inducement to contribute cannot , of course , be held out to the

brethren , who , moreover , are , for the most part , men of influence , and would give according to their means to any object intended for the general good ; nor does it detract from the kindness of

the brethren that they should thus good-naturedly take part in these displays to promote a worth y object , but it cannot add to the dignity of Freemasonry that it should be made use of for purposes of mere public display .

At all events , when formerly the occasions on which Masonic bodies were seen in public as Masons , were restricted to the ceremonies of laying foundation and memorial stones of churches , hospitals , and , speaking generally , of buildings of recognised

public utility ; to the attendance of Provincial Grand Lodges once a year at divine service ; or for the purpose of our Charitable Institutions , no objection was or could be raised , and the applications for permission to wear Masonic clothing were granted

as soon as made . But the practice of applying for such permission on occasions when no special purpose is served and the pleasure of the non-Masonic guests or visitors will be as great without the display of collars , aprons , and jewels as with it has

grown to inordinate lengths and it will be seen from a circular addressed by the Grand Secretary to the Worshipful Masters of lodges on the subject , that the advisers of his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master are of opinion that "the wearing of

Masonic Clothing and Regalia both at Reli gious Services in Churches and at places of entertainment when ladies and others who are not Masons are present is not calculated to increase the dignity of the Order or to raise it in the estimation of those who

have not been admitted to its secrets and mysteries . " They desire it to be understood that they have no desire " to discourage the meeting of brethren , either for reli gious worshi p or on occasions

of their extending hospitality to those who are not members of the Order . " Their sole object is « to check the exhibition in public of a costume intended to be worn only in private during the performance of Masonic Rites and Ceremonies "

The Craft In Greater Britain.

THE CRAFT IN GREATER BRITAIN .

( COMMUNICATED ) . I . INDIA . In the following survey of Freemasonry in Greater Britain there are two important reasons wh y it will be found more convenient to discuss Freemasonry in our great Eastern Dependency apart from our other Colonics . One of these is that India is in closer touch with the old country and her relations with it are

more continuous , and the other is , that in India , there is a vast alien population , which , nominally comprising British subjects , differs in creed , social ethics , customs , manners , and every other

important particular , from the dominant race . It may safely be said that in course of time every one of the other colonies in which the Craft nourishes , will be governed b y a Grand Lodge of its own . In India this will probabl y never be the case .