Provincial Grand Lodge Of Herts.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HERTS .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Hert . i was held on the 27 th July , a : Barnet , the Ri _ ht Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master , Brer . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., prrsiding . By | t „ e c _ u . rt . _ sy c >{ the Rev . Mr . Hutton , vicar of Barnet , thc j Provincial Grand Lodge was accommodated wilh the use

of the National School Rooms , which , by the grace and kindness of the laeliesof Barnet , were beautifully decorated for the occasion with flags , cmldems , and flowers . The parish church also was placed at the disposal of the Provincial Grand Chaplain , the Rev . George Finch , Vicar of Leverstock Green , for a special service , in which he was assisted by the Incumbent , Organist , and full

choir . Provincial Grand Lodge having been duly opened at the National School Rooms , the ofiicers for the year were apprinted and invested as follows : J . Sedgwick , 404 D . Prov . G . M . 1- Livingston , 1 " 85 Prov . S . G . W . P . W . Taylor , 409 ' . Prov . J . G . W .

Rev . H . F . H . Burchell Heme , 404 ... I ' rov . G . Chap . Rev . G . Finch , 404 Prov . G . Chap . A . J . Copeland , 404 Prov . G . Treas . H C . Finch , 404 Prov . G . Reg . F . H . Wilson lies , 404 Prov . G . Sec . Geo . Askew , 1385 Prov . G . S . D . Edgar Bowyer , i ' _ , So Prov . G . J . D .

E . A . Simson , 403 Prov . G . S . of W . Janus Terry , 1327 Prov . G . D . C . D . C . Foster , 504 Prov . G . S . B . W . 1 . Fitch , 504 Prov . G . Org . F . Venables , " 138 s Prov . G . Purst . J . E . Dawson , 404 Prov . G . A . Puist . J . Parrott , 118- ; Prov . G . Stwd .

J . Brittain , 1385 „ W . J . Green , 404 ,, W . Wtbb , 1580 „ Bernhard , 8 G 9 „ W . J . Crutch , 1580 „ T . Thoma ., 404 Prov . G . Tyler . T . Wright , 403 „

The Prov . Grand Officers and brethren were then marshalled in due order , and marched in procession to the parish church to attend Divine service , as above stated . The sermon , preached by Bro . Finch , Prov . Grand Chap ., was taken from the text " God , I thank Thee that I am not as other men are : " xviii . Luke , part of I ith verse . " Was this , " said the preacher , " thanksgiving , or was it mere

boasting ? If the speaker felt within himself that God in His mercy had done a great dea ! for him , that he had kept him from the presumptuous sins that those about him were devoted to , and that this goodness demanded praise and thanksgiving from him , then he said surely in no better words could such beautiful gratitude be expressed than ' I thank Thee 1 am not as other men are , ' hut if on

the contrary it was nothing but pride , nothing but selfesteem , which drew from his lips the opinion he had formed of himself , and if it was only in a spirit of boasting that he spoke of himself as being different from others , his language was ill-chosen , his appeal to the Most Hi gh irreverent and his sweeping denunciation of others quite out of place in a house of prayer . " Passing by the more

particular examination of the position of thc speaker and the puhlican . the preacher proce-eded to consieler what it was that prompted this prayer , if prayer it might be called , ' God , 1 thank Thee I am not as other men are , ' and said it must be borne in mind that the man was a Pharisee , a 11 ember of a strictly religious body , by profession a separatist , one also who believed most strictly in

tradition , and in performing to the letter the ceremonial law . Taught from his y- > uth up to see with his particular sect the truth of God as it had he-en revealeel tothe fathers , the Pharisee clung most tenaciously to the persuasion that he was not , inelced , as "ther men were , because he believed himself to be much mire highly instructed in those things which it became them to know ,

and also that he believed lvmsrlf better than others , because he lived more stricrly wirhin the letter of the Divine Law . Addressing the brethren around him he said that those who had met to-day in that house of God might be jusii . ed in saying just what this man said of himself—that they were not as other men art . Theirs , just like his , was a religious body ; they , as

Freemasons , believed in one God , the Great Architect of this Universe , thc Maker and Preserver uf all things visii le and invisible , the Great "I Am . " the first and ihe last , in whom we live and m-ve and have our being . The Volume of the Sacred Law was their guide also , by following whose precepts they hope to ascend at last to the throne of Go . l , and shine as the stars for ever and ever . Religion

pervaded all their rites and ceremonies , and was , in fact , the mainstay of their fabric , and they , like this man , if they cared to boast ( which , thank God , they did not ) , they might boast that they were not as thc outside world ; that they arc men with higher , ltiftieraims than the uninitiated ; that from remotest ages the members of this Society have lavished their gold for good , have passed their lives in

kindly affection one to another , with brotherly love ; being considerate to the poor and needy , speaking the truth from the heart : princip les which as they approximate to the Divine love , having , lie trusted , lost none ; of their hold over them , their children , but being just as firmly believed as they were in the lodges of old , can carry us no higher . It was not with feelings of persona ! superiority , it was not

a consciousness of higher woiih , that prompted a Freemason to compare himself with others who do not belong to this Craft . If , as the possessor of certain secrets , he believed himself wiser than his uninitiated brethren , the worthy Mason is the last person in the world to act in the presumptuous spirit indicated in the words " Stand by , for I am holier than thou , " A Mason may be proud , but it is

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Herts.

the pride nf the brotherhood . He wished , however , to impress upon them that it was impossible to preserve the elignity eif the Order unless lhey individually endeavoured to dve up to what they professed . Any breach e > f the laws of meT-lity , anv deviation from the paths of uprightness , must being disgrace upon the Order . The outside .- world were naturally curious about a secret society , anil it

naturally expected much of those who were ready to confess that ro them much had been given . As ih ir Chaplain he mig ht be pardoned on an occasion like ills if he reminded them ol the importance of admitting none but uprig ht and true men into the Order , because it was true of the Masonic as well as the natural body , lhat if one member suffer all the members suffer with it . Least

of all among Masons could it be said " Am I my brother s keeper ? "' Connected hy indissoluble forms they were bound together , they were many members but one body , therefore he . woulel urge upon them to see that the badge of innocence shoulil cover no un-Masonic breast , but the truly spiritual ana Masonic jewels iif a meek and quiet spirit and an honest and true heart . He reminded his

hearers that on this occasion they met in an historically famous town , near to the spot where the fourth Edward met in battle the King-maker , the Eail of Warwick . They had not come , as the others did , with anger raging in their breasts , but with brotherly love in their hearts and the emblems of peace in their hands , very different from those whieh animated the rival factions in those unsettled

times , and they mig ht thank their God that they were not as those others were . In one respect he would call upon the members of the Provincial Grand Lodge to emulate those to whom he had referred . As those others grew famous by the triumphs wrought upon that ground , let those before him seize this present occasion to do some present good . The Masonic heart was always open to the

cry for help , and , therefore , in appealing to them to-day on behalf of the Barnet National Schools hc knew that he needed not to unlock the Masonic breast , which was ahvays open to relief . The schools were very much in need of funds , anil if a Freemason in certain respects is not as other men are ( and as a Freemason he must be content to be a separatist ) , yet in his heart he is not as thc I'hari-ee

vvas , hut always ready to relieve suffering of every form , always reat ' y to listen to the tale of destitution and sorrow and woe , alivays willing to do good unto all men , but most especially unto them that are of the household of faith . At the conclusion of the service thc brethren were again marshalled and returned in procession to the lodge room .

The R . W . Prov . Grand Master said that he should now proceed with the motion , notices ot which had been given and were entered on the agenda paper ; he therefore called upon Bro . T . S . Carter , P . P . G . S . D ., to propose the motion that stood in his name . Bro . T . S . Carter rose , and with a few appropriate

remarks moved " that the sum of twenty pourirls be g iven from the funds of I ' rov . G . Lodge to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the amount be placed on the list of the Prov . G . Seen tary , Steward for the Province , at the next festival , " and the motion having been duly seconded , was put from the chair and carried nem

con . The Prov . G . S-cntary , ( in the absence of Bio . J . L . Mather , W . M .. No . 1580 ., moved "A vote of £ 10 tothe Gladsmuir Lodge , towards the expenses of receiving Prov . G . Lodge . " The Prov . G . Master , in putting this motion to the Prov . G . Lodge , said I should not be doing right if I left

unexpressed my own satisfaction at ihe excellent arrangements that have been made , and at ihe cordial manner in which everything up to the present time has been eleme to contribute to thc convenience of Prov . G . Lodge , and to the comfort and p leasure of the vidtors to thc Glailsmuir Lodge . The Prov . G . Master then read the motion , which was carrieel unanimously .

The Prov . G . Secretary : I beg to move " a vole of £ 10 to the funds of the National Schools , Wood-street , Barnet . " These schools arc very much in want of funds , the rooms belonging to wbich schools we have thc use of to-day , hy the kind courtesy of ihe Vicar , who has rendered all Ihe assistance in his power to secure the comfort of the Prov . G . Lodge on thc occasion of its meeting

today . This motion having becn seconded was put and carried unanimously . The 1 'iov . G . Chaplain , Bro . Geo . Finch , announced that the collection made in the church , in aid of the lunds of ihe Barnet National Schools amounted to a little over rid . ( Applause ) .

The Proi . Grand Secretary said lhat at the meeting last year it was decided to publish a Mnsonic Calendar for the pre ) vince , and a committee ; was appointed to carry the n-solution ii . to effect ; and hc had now to report the results of that wort , because it was necessaiy before deciding to continue it , to look a little into the past , and also into the demand in ihe province for such a publication ;

and in ortter to place himself in the right hc would say that it was a very valuable publication , that it was exceedingly useful , and , he believed , had proved a great convenience to the Provincial Grand Master . It would not do , however , for the cost of maintaining it to fall almost wholly upon thc funds of Provincial Grand Lodge . The receipts from the sale ofthe Calendar during the year were £ c 11 s ., which , with 12 s . due for same from the

Gladsmuir Lodge , gave a total of £ 6 3 s . on this side of the account . Was that a satisfactory state of things ? Out eif nine lodges in the province , five lodges had taken copies ; thc other four were not represented . Of those lodges two were very important lodges—lodges to which the proposer and the father of the Calendar belonged ; and he thought that the least these brethren could elo , after coming forward to propose a considerable expenditure , was to take some steps to secure a satisfactory circulation of

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Herts.

the work . Now with regard to the cost , the printing came to £ 21 19 s . 6 d . From evidence he had been able lo ol ,. tain this appeared rath , r a large sum . Nothing coul I bbetter than the way in which ihe work was brought out " but the quelle . r . was whether it could not l : e done at _ smaller -nst if it ws to be continueil for another year He knew there were many difficulties in the way of the firs' publication of such a book—thc diffictihies of met .

ling in returns , Arc , which increased the cost very much . The P . G . Secretary then read " a communication from Cornwall , showing that the Masonic Directory for that province was produced at a cost of £ t ) , and concluded by moving " That in the event of Provincial Grand Lod ge deciding to continue its oublication , every lodge be invitee ! to contribute a fixed sum , according to thc number of its members . "

After some conversation , from which it appeared that the notices respecting the publication of the Calendar had not been generally responded to , anel that the Secretaries of some lodges had not made the publication known tothe members , The Prov . Grand Master made some observations upon the usefulness of the work , which he cordially approved of ,

and upon the method adopted in the province of Oxford , which also published a book of this kind , it was agreed that the p-ihlication should be repeated for the next year , the publisher stating that the cost u-euld not be so great in the second year , and the P . G . Secretary ' s motion was put and carried . Bro . Captain Dick , P . M . No . 40 , ; moved " that the

brethren eif ( he Province be invited to subscribe , as a bod y , to a fund to be devoted towards the restoration of St . Alban's Abbey . " The tnotijn was seconded by the W . M . ' of the Hertford Lodge , who referred to the action taken in Ihe matter by the lodge over which hc presided , which as the oldest lodge in the province had taken a forward part in the

movement ; and at his request the Prov . G . Sec . read a copy of a resolution eif the Hertford Lodge anel a committee appointed for promoting the object . After some conversation , in , the course of which it was suggested that as tne professional and Masonic duties of the Prov . Grand Sec . were already sufficiently onerous , Bro . Capt . Dick should be constituted ar . Assistant Sec .

for the special object of tliis resolution but which Bro lies ilecliueei , hc having already ample aid in the efficient assistance of Bio . Dawson , the motion was put and carried unanimously . A vote of thanks was passed to the Rev . Mr . Mutton , Vicar of Barnet fur his kindness in placing his church at the disposal of I ' rov . Grand Lodge for the special service

which they had attended . The Prov . Grand Master : —For the work of decorating the rooms in which we meet to-day , which has becn done by the laelies of this neighbourhood , I feel lhat we should be warning in duty if we eliil not propose a vote of thanks , requesting Bro . Livingston to communicate it to them . Thc vote having been cartied with applause , a vote of

thanks to Ihe respected Chaplain , Rro . Finch , for the aide sermon he had preached , was also proposed and carried , and Bro . Finch returned thanks . The Prov . Grand Master : —Before I close this Prov . Grand Lodge I am sotry to have to announce to you that lhat it is quite out of my pow- * r to do myself the pleasure of presiding at the banquet table this evening , my eluty as a member of Parliament demands my presence in another

place . I have no wish or intention of introducing politics , hut you as Masons , being friends of order and decorum will , I am sure acknowledge that the very important business coming before the house to-night renders it incumlent upon me to be in my place Ihe re this evening . I am exfcmely sorry that this necessity exists for my absenting myself from your festivities , but uwlcr the circumstances I fee ! sure you will excuse me . In the ahrencc of the Deputy Prov . Grand Master I will ask our Prov . Senior Grand

Warden to lake my place at the banquet table , where 1 am sure he will preside most efficiently . Thc Prov . Grand Lodge was then closed in ample form and with solemn prayer . Among the visitors present were , Bros . M . Edward , 1471 ;; T . Kent , 1479 ; C . Drummnnil , 403 ; K . Baxler , 1 : 04 ; P . A . Connl , 90 ; T . 1 " . Carter 403 ; I * . Till , JC 3 J Willsnn , 401 ; J . W . Bonus , , ; Ko ; It . ' -.

Young , 138 5 ; K . F . Francis , 403 ; J . Askew , 158 5 ; . ] . "• Cocus , 403 ; T . Dorian ' , STii ) ; J . S . Copestick , Sun ; , !• Robinson , 4 ( 17 ; G . F . Barretl , 3 O 7 ; D . C . Foster , 504 ; . (• Brittain , 1 . 85 ; J . Livingston , 13 H 3 ; W . C . M-. tlde-ur , 804 ; G . Chambers , 504 ; J . G . Haker / joo ; T . H . Hill , f , _ 4 * A . l . eattct 1385 ; A . j . Small , 403 ; G . Nicoll , 120 R ; . 1- - Haile , 127 ; t . D . Cox , 1 : 80 ' : W . J . Fitch , 499 , J- -

Massey , ( Finmason ) , and others . The brethren were then ushered into Ihe banquet rouin , which , like the lodge r- _ o _ n , vvas elegantly decorated wilh flags anil flowers for the occasion , where they sat down I " a handsome banquet , whieh , with thc exception cf soups and fish , was cold . The tables were le . adcd wilh all l ' ' ' good things in season , and arranged in a very tasteful

and supeiior manner , and the attention paid by the brethren of the Gladsmuir Lodge to their visiting fiie »''* and their evident desire to make them abundantly welcome , were beyond praise . The company having done ample justice tothe excellent viands , the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were proposed and duly honored . Bro . Livingston . I rise tn propose " The Health of t | ie

Rt . W . Prov . G . Master , Bro . Hulsey , " ( app lause ) . I k »™ when I mentioned our R . W . P . G . M . ' s name , that it vvouW be icccived with enthusiasm . I elo not know a man who more highly respected . 1 wish he was among us evening personally , as he would have presided over J ' much better than I could hope to ele ) . Vou all knovv ; ' ve good qualities as well as I do , some much better . 1 L , ^ you " Our Rt . W . Prov . G . Master , Bro . Hasky , " wisni * * o him health and happiness . This toast having been ,.