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Article REPORT OF THE GRAND CHAPTER ROSE CROIX OF IRELAND. ← Page 2 of 2 Article REPORT OF THE GRAND CHAPTER ROSE CROIX OF IRELAND. Page 2 of 2 Article AN INTERESTING MEETING. Page 1 of 1 Article AN INTERESTING MEETING. Page 1 of 1 Article LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW SCHOOLS AT OLD CUMNOCK. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Report Of The Grand Chapter Rose Croix Of Ireland.
e jo understand it . Our ancient predecessors had no £ ' ; on of feeding lazy animals with pearls . Their symfls were meant to conceal as well as to instruct—the ncealment was meant for those too indolent to care for F ° -irUction . Our modern plan is to instruct all the world " like ; we cannot go back upon the system of ancient
I oug hti ' lt ls necessary to bear in mind that it differs I om ours . When I speak of the symbolism of Masonry , , jo not mean what is commonly called " Masonic work-• . „ " which is a mere matter of memory and practice ; I ' jean what that very working was intended to convey , liich is quite a different thing . Good workers arc tolerably p lenty ; good working is pleasant to see ; there is no
< rood reason why we should be without it , although we shall never have it where men trust to written or printed ceremonials , as I think we have all had experience . But if you who , as you were told , have been admitted to the inmost sanctuary of our Order , think the commonplace teaching of Masonic expositors worth listening to , your notions of the extent or capability of Masonic instruction
ca nnot be very exalted . Still , I do not like to see even ordinary teaching given up ; for it is surely better than none . We arc really like men who walk over undiscovered or long forgotten mines of precious ore ; it lies under our feet , and we know nothing of it . Perhaps I might better illustrate my meaning by an idea which struck me ! while reading one of Albert Pike ' s essays , already referred
! ( 0 . —A peasant , working in his fields , frequently finds a stone of somewhat peculiar shape , which he turns into Jime for manure , as did his fathers before him . It answers very well as a limestone—so far so good . But a skilful I geologist comes ; he strikes a similar stone with an experienced hand , and lo ! hidden within it lies the fossil form of what was once a living and moving creature , though it
has been locked up in darkness for ages . Form after form is thus revealed to our astonished eyes ; and by the light of the scientific knowledge of the master mind ws can recognize animals and plants like those around us—yet unlike too ;—of a different era—of antiquated pattern , so to speak ; yet they enable us to realize , though it may be dimly , the conception of a past creation . So we are now
enabled by the teaching of a man I am proud to call my Master—in whose school I learn with mute and delighted attention—to image forth the shadowy and often uncertain , but yet indisputable traces of ancient wisdom and ancient worship , in the trivial and unconsidered teaching of Masonic rites and symbols . I adverted at the last convocation , in too triumphant a
tone ( as now it appears ) , to an arrangement , which had existed since j 8 3 6 , by which the several governing bodies of the Masonic Order had agreed to recognize and act upon each other ' s orders of suspension or expulsion . That compact no longer exists . A brother suspended or expelled by this Grand Chapter may , notwithstanding , enjoy
all the privileges of fraternity in a Master ' s Lodge . This not being a place in which it would be becoming to discuss the measures which the Grand Lodge haveadopted , or shall think proper to adopt , I mention the fact merely to apprize my brethren of the change . I do not pretend to assign a reason for it , nor to predict its probable
conse-¦ quences . A still more important change is that by which my own position has been so much affected , that I mention it merely because it would be mere affectation to pass it over , and I shall speak of it , if possible , quite in the abstract . The dignity of Sovereign of this Order has , since the death of the late Duke of Leinstcr , been severed from that of
Grand Master of the Masons of Ireland , and ive are now a distinct and separate branch of the Masonic community , under our own head and with our own resources . This f change will probably render us more independent , active , and self-reliant ; consequently , more" powerful and more important' than before . Yet the want of a President of high position is a real want , not a mere fancied
disadvantage . It is probably felt here to-day by many ; and I think it impossible but that some regret and disappointment must be felt by those who remember the occasions on which the late Sovereign presided in our assemblies , giving them the lustre of his noble name and the honour of his dignified presence . I am not so blind as to underrate the advantages I have referred to , and I am , I hope ,
superior to the silly affectation of underrating myself ; the approbation of my brethren is sufficient proof that they do not think me unfit for my present high office here . Yet none of us can be insensible to the great advantage of having one of the like high station occupying the same place amongst us as the Duke of Leinster long did . Like all the rest of the world , I think we would be sufficiently
indulgent to the shortcomings , and even to the occasional neglect , of a man of rank ; for by appointing a competent and accessible Vice-President he might not only provide for the proper administration of our affairs , but sustain his own popularity with our community . We shall see how matters get on under the present arrangement . If it be hereafter found advisable to do so there will be nothing to
prevent our reverting to that system , which for a number ° { years worked very well . The union of all great Masonic di gnities in the same individual tends , no doubt , to keep things quiet ; and quiet , order , and regularity are great matters in themselves , and are also main objects of all "cemasonry . I know that at least one most zealous and experienced member of our Order disapproved of filling up
'ne vacant Presidency of it ; but yet , would it have been consistent with our just pretensions , or our open professions of independence , to leave our highest honours in the dust , until some sufficiently dignified hand might be extended ) ° take them up ? If not , still less should we lay them at
"ie teet of a man who would merely think them as unworth y his notice . For the present they ate in the hands ? ° ne who deems them the highest and best compliment Jf , wMch the services of twenty years can be recompensed , 'he future will take care of the things of itself . I take 'cave to read for you a few lines from a letter I recentl y
Report Of The Grand Chapter Rose Croix Of Ireland.
received from the eminent gentleman 1 already alluded to , and I do so , not merely for the pleasure of telling you what he has said of the measure the Grand Chapter has adopted , but for the sake of the just and generous sentiments he expresses . " 1 am not , " says Bro . Pike , " one of those republicans who affect to see no value , nor any right to deference , in ancestral honours and hereditary
titles . It is right they should have due honour ; but , I think , that to make Masonry the recipient of patronage is not to exalt it : the noble should not be held to honour it , but it the noble . If one who bears a noble nanie is a true brother to the brethren , and loves Masonry enough to be a faithful worker , it is for the good and honour of the Craft to have him at its head ; but Masonry ' should not
purchase patronage with its dignities . " And he kindly adds a few words of which I am very proud , expressing his satisfaction that I have become Sovereign of this Order , whether a much more distinguished person would or would not have felt honoured by the nomination . I need only add , that at your bidding I have taken that high office ; at your bidding I shall gratefully lay it down , sufficiently
honoured in that you deemed me worthy to hold it at all . I have now laid before you as well as I could a statement of our condition and our prospects . Whatever may be in store for me , or for any of us , I most earnestly , hope that our condition , good as it is , may be improved ; that those prospects , fair as they are , may yet be fairer when our brethren shall assemble next , on a similar occasion to
this . I must honestly admit that my efforts to improve our ritual , as I suggested some years ago , have signally failed . But , after all , I am not one who lays much stress on external ceremonies , and to the essential part of the association I had rather turn your attention . Our Rose Croix Order , like all the philosophical grades , inculcates the great principles of all spiritual life—the existence of a
Supreme God , incomprehensibly and unchangeably wise , merciful and good ; the redemption of the world from evil , sin , and death ; cuul the hope of lifp hereafter . If we never have been able to discern its object , or if we have lost sight of it , our philosophic Masonry , with or without its forms and ceremonies , is but an empty name . We may look at the externals of the higher degrees as we may gaze on the
figures carved on an Egyptian temple or tomb—with indifference , or perhaps with curiosity or admiration , but with very little enlightenment . There are the designs of the old , dim centuries , Jong vanished away into the eternity of the past—to us only strange , grotesque , monstrous forms . We do not discern the purer principles they were intended to conceal from the profane , but to convey to the
enlightened—principles whose freshness dissipates the darkness of ages and the sepulchral air of the tomb ; principles as strong and living at this day as when the foundations of the pyramids were laid ; as strong they will be when those strange monuments of superstition and perseverance shall be mixed with the dust of the desert . We cannot all become masters of the symbolism of Masonry
few will even attempt to understand it ; fewer still will thoroughly succeed . But each of us , in the small duties and petty grievances of daily life—in the common intercourse of business and the common cares of a humble home—may do something worthy of a noble nature , something that will survive , if not in itself , in its results , when he has gone where neither wealth , rank , nor station
can confer distinction . This very association of ours , with its many advantages to start with , ought to have great power ; power as valuable as great , nay rather power which would be actually inestimable in its good effects upon society if we were to be always actuated by the principles we profess . Is that too ambitious an aspiration ? Then let us look at home , within our own pale . Shall it be said
that all we have learned and professed has not taught us to quench the petty dissensions which may arise among ourselves ? It must needs be that offences come among us as everywhere else ; but , surely , they should not subsist among men joined by such ties as ours—no , not for ona hour after the first flush of irritation has passed away . I am not here to preach to you ; but I felt bound to speak
what may probably be of use , and what it is my duty to say—who can tell whether I may have another opportunity ? I have now said enough to give you some general idea of what has been done and what is doing amongst us ; and as that is all I proposed to do , I will prolong my address no further than to express my earnest wish that the
noble Order of the Rose and Cross may be to each what those sacred symbols mean , and have meant from an antiquity too remote to be ascertained . If any present does not know that meaning , let him enquire , but not of me , lest I should think the enquiry a proof that , however
proudly he may wear the decoration of a " Knight of the Eagle and Pelican , Prince Grand Rose Croix , " he does not , as yet , quite deserve to be recognisedas a true and worthy member of that noble Order ? J . F . TOWNSHENU , 33 , Sovereign of the Order of Rose Croix in Ireland .
An Interesting Meeting.
AN INTERESTING MEETING .
A few evenings since a very interesting ceremony was witnessed at the Coach and Horses Tavern , Lower Tottenham , where various Masonic meetings take place . Bro . Thompson , who is the W . M . of the Enfield Lodge , has displayed a very warm and active interest in a
benevolent association held at the above house in connection with the Tottenham and Enfield Lodges ; and having recently been elevated to the position of Grand Sword Bearer of the Province of Middlesex , a suggestion was made that the brethren of the two lodges with which he was
associated should present him with his official clothing , as a slight recognition of the services he had rendered to the cause of charity , so dear to the heart of every Freemason . The idea took a practical form at once ; the necessary funds were soon obtained ; and the presentation was fixed
An Interesting Meeting.
for Tuesday evening last . A numerous company assembled , including Bros . J . Mailer , W . M . of the Tottenham Lodge ( who was requested to preside ) , Matthison , P . M ., Enfield Lodge ( vice-chairman ); Wells , P . M ., Jones , P . M . ; Roberts , P . M . ; Dance , Secretary of the Tottenham Lodge ; Bros . Brown , Cocksedge , Burford , Farrin , Peckham , 0 'Brien , Clements , Fowler and others . Considerable regret was expressed at the absence of Bro . Linzell ,
P . M ., who was not only the principal founder of the institution , butmainly instrumental in obtaining Bro . Thompson his provincial honour . The presentation was preceded by a nicely-arranged and well-served repast , furnished by Bro . J . Smith , of Lower Tottenham , and , 011 the cloth being cleared , the usual loyal toasts were given by Bro . Mailer with his genial perspipcuousness , and received with proper
enthusiasm . Subsequently came "The Health of Bro . Thompson , " proposed by the chairman , and accepted with the greatest cordiality . Bro . Mailer paid a just tribute to the high qualities of Bro . Thompson as a Mason , and , with special reference to the benevolent institution with which he was closely identified , mentioned that the number of members
represented ultimate contributions to the Masonic charities of £ 600 , £ 300 of which had already been devoted to the noble purposes for which the money was intended . Bro . Thompson had exerted himself to the utmost to render the association a success , and he was entitled to some mark of their esteem . Whether at Enfield or Tottenham , Bro . Thompson was ever ready to assist in any good work ;
and it was one of the most pleasing duties he ( the chairman ) had ever performed in Masonry to invest him with the clothing which had been so spontaneously subscribed for by the members of the Tottenham and Enfield Lodges . Bro . Thompson expressed his sincere thanks for the great kindness which had been evinced towards him . He
was much gratified at receiving the congratulations of so many brethren on his receiving Provincial office ; and , if any acts of his in the past had rendered him worthy of their approbation , he would show , by his conduct in the future , that the confidence reposed in him had not been misplaced . As to the benevolent institutions , all he had done had been a labour of pure love , and he should never
weary of pursuing the same path . The "Visitors" were next toasted , and Bro . Lee responded . Bro . Roberts , in proposing " The Health of the Brethren from Enfield , " spoke in high terms of Bro . Thompson , who , he said , had laboured hard in Freemasonry for seven years . Although he belonged to the Enfield Lodge , he was often in Tottenham , and , come when he would , he
would always receive a cordial welcome , because he came in the name of charity , lt was through the exertions of such men as Bro . Thompson that the great Masonic Institutions were supported , and he trusted he would long be spared to work in the grand field of benevolence . Bros . Matthison , Thompson , Brown , and Farrin returned
thanks . " The Health of Bro . Mailer , " proposed by Bro . Matthison , who said the W . M . of the Tottenham Lodge was known amongst the Craft as a most worthy man and a good Mason , brought the toasts to a close . Bro . Mailer responded , and a very pleasant meeting was brought to a close .
Laying The Foundation Stone Of New Schools At Old Cumnock.
LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW SCHOOLS AT OLD CUMNOCK .
On Thursday 19 th ult . the usually quiet little village of Old Cumnock was the scene ol an event of considerable interest , namely , the laying of the memorial stone of a , public school in course of erection there . The building , which is situated on the Barrhill Road , in close proximity
to the old graveyard , is of the Gothic style of architecture . It is a handsome structure ,, similar to the other School Board schools , and , being designed to accommodate upwards of 800 scholars , will supply the requisite school accommodation for the children residing in the district . It has been erected at a cost of nearly £ 4000 , and will supply a want in the locality which has been felt for some time
past . To witness the ceremony of laying the memorial stone of the school the inhabitants turned out en masse on Thursday . In the forenoon contingents from Kilmarnock , Ayr , Troon , Catrine , and a number of other Masonic lodges began to arrive , and by mid-day the streets of the village were crowded with visitors . Shortly after two o ' clock the procession , headed by a brass band , left the
Black Bull Hotel for the new building . Among the lodges represented were St . John's , 22 , Kilmarnock ; Navigation , 86 , Troon ; St . James' , 125 , Ayr ; St . Andrew's , 126 , Kilmarnock ; St . James' , 135 , Kilwinning , Tarbolton ; St . Mungo , 179 , Mauchline ; St . Andrew ' s , 245 , Muirkirk ; St . John ' s , 334 ,. New Cumnock ; St . Thomas , 433 , Kilwinning , Dalmellington ; St . John ' s , 497 , Catrine ;
St . Barnabas , 230 , Old Cumnock . Among the gentlemen present were Colonel Mure , M . P ., R . W . M ., Mother Lodge , Kilwinning , and , as such , Provincial Grand Master for Ayrshire ; Mr . Hatricfc , of Woodside , D . P . G . M . for Ayrshire ; Mr . R . Wylie , Provincial Grand Secretary ; Mr . John Mackay , Past R . W . M . of St . John's , Kilwinning , Kilmarnock , and acting P . G . Senior Warden ; Mr . P . Burns , of
Auchinharvie , acting P . G . Junior Warden ; Mr . J . A . Ferguson , Proxy S . W . of Mother Lodge , Kilwinning ; Mr . John Tweed , Proxy J . W . of Kilwinning Grand Lodge , Edinburgh , and about twenty brethren horn Lodge Kilwinning . On the arrival of the procession at the building ,
the Freemasons and others took up their positions around the school . The usual preliminary Masonic ceremonies having been completed , Mr . Weir presented to Colonel Mure a silver trowel , with which to lay the memorial stone . He expressed the pleasure which Colonel Mure ' s presence afforded the Freemasons and the inhabitants of Cumnock ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Report Of The Grand Chapter Rose Croix Of Ireland.
e jo understand it . Our ancient predecessors had no £ ' ; on of feeding lazy animals with pearls . Their symfls were meant to conceal as well as to instruct—the ncealment was meant for those too indolent to care for F ° -irUction . Our modern plan is to instruct all the world " like ; we cannot go back upon the system of ancient
I oug hti ' lt ls necessary to bear in mind that it differs I om ours . When I speak of the symbolism of Masonry , , jo not mean what is commonly called " Masonic work-• . „ " which is a mere matter of memory and practice ; I ' jean what that very working was intended to convey , liich is quite a different thing . Good workers arc tolerably p lenty ; good working is pleasant to see ; there is no
< rood reason why we should be without it , although we shall never have it where men trust to written or printed ceremonials , as I think we have all had experience . But if you who , as you were told , have been admitted to the inmost sanctuary of our Order , think the commonplace teaching of Masonic expositors worth listening to , your notions of the extent or capability of Masonic instruction
ca nnot be very exalted . Still , I do not like to see even ordinary teaching given up ; for it is surely better than none . We arc really like men who walk over undiscovered or long forgotten mines of precious ore ; it lies under our feet , and we know nothing of it . Perhaps I might better illustrate my meaning by an idea which struck me ! while reading one of Albert Pike ' s essays , already referred
! ( 0 . —A peasant , working in his fields , frequently finds a stone of somewhat peculiar shape , which he turns into Jime for manure , as did his fathers before him . It answers very well as a limestone—so far so good . But a skilful I geologist comes ; he strikes a similar stone with an experienced hand , and lo ! hidden within it lies the fossil form of what was once a living and moving creature , though it
has been locked up in darkness for ages . Form after form is thus revealed to our astonished eyes ; and by the light of the scientific knowledge of the master mind ws can recognize animals and plants like those around us—yet unlike too ;—of a different era—of antiquated pattern , so to speak ; yet they enable us to realize , though it may be dimly , the conception of a past creation . So we are now
enabled by the teaching of a man I am proud to call my Master—in whose school I learn with mute and delighted attention—to image forth the shadowy and often uncertain , but yet indisputable traces of ancient wisdom and ancient worship , in the trivial and unconsidered teaching of Masonic rites and symbols . I adverted at the last convocation , in too triumphant a
tone ( as now it appears ) , to an arrangement , which had existed since j 8 3 6 , by which the several governing bodies of the Masonic Order had agreed to recognize and act upon each other ' s orders of suspension or expulsion . That compact no longer exists . A brother suspended or expelled by this Grand Chapter may , notwithstanding , enjoy
all the privileges of fraternity in a Master ' s Lodge . This not being a place in which it would be becoming to discuss the measures which the Grand Lodge haveadopted , or shall think proper to adopt , I mention the fact merely to apprize my brethren of the change . I do not pretend to assign a reason for it , nor to predict its probable
conse-¦ quences . A still more important change is that by which my own position has been so much affected , that I mention it merely because it would be mere affectation to pass it over , and I shall speak of it , if possible , quite in the abstract . The dignity of Sovereign of this Order has , since the death of the late Duke of Leinstcr , been severed from that of
Grand Master of the Masons of Ireland , and ive are now a distinct and separate branch of the Masonic community , under our own head and with our own resources . This f change will probably render us more independent , active , and self-reliant ; consequently , more" powerful and more important' than before . Yet the want of a President of high position is a real want , not a mere fancied
disadvantage . It is probably felt here to-day by many ; and I think it impossible but that some regret and disappointment must be felt by those who remember the occasions on which the late Sovereign presided in our assemblies , giving them the lustre of his noble name and the honour of his dignified presence . I am not so blind as to underrate the advantages I have referred to , and I am , I hope ,
superior to the silly affectation of underrating myself ; the approbation of my brethren is sufficient proof that they do not think me unfit for my present high office here . Yet none of us can be insensible to the great advantage of having one of the like high station occupying the same place amongst us as the Duke of Leinster long did . Like all the rest of the world , I think we would be sufficiently
indulgent to the shortcomings , and even to the occasional neglect , of a man of rank ; for by appointing a competent and accessible Vice-President he might not only provide for the proper administration of our affairs , but sustain his own popularity with our community . We shall see how matters get on under the present arrangement . If it be hereafter found advisable to do so there will be nothing to
prevent our reverting to that system , which for a number ° { years worked very well . The union of all great Masonic di gnities in the same individual tends , no doubt , to keep things quiet ; and quiet , order , and regularity are great matters in themselves , and are also main objects of all "cemasonry . I know that at least one most zealous and experienced member of our Order disapproved of filling up
'ne vacant Presidency of it ; but yet , would it have been consistent with our just pretensions , or our open professions of independence , to leave our highest honours in the dust , until some sufficiently dignified hand might be extended ) ° take them up ? If not , still less should we lay them at
"ie teet of a man who would merely think them as unworth y his notice . For the present they ate in the hands ? ° ne who deems them the highest and best compliment Jf , wMch the services of twenty years can be recompensed , 'he future will take care of the things of itself . I take 'cave to read for you a few lines from a letter I recentl y
Report Of The Grand Chapter Rose Croix Of Ireland.
received from the eminent gentleman 1 already alluded to , and I do so , not merely for the pleasure of telling you what he has said of the measure the Grand Chapter has adopted , but for the sake of the just and generous sentiments he expresses . " 1 am not , " says Bro . Pike , " one of those republicans who affect to see no value , nor any right to deference , in ancestral honours and hereditary
titles . It is right they should have due honour ; but , I think , that to make Masonry the recipient of patronage is not to exalt it : the noble should not be held to honour it , but it the noble . If one who bears a noble nanie is a true brother to the brethren , and loves Masonry enough to be a faithful worker , it is for the good and honour of the Craft to have him at its head ; but Masonry ' should not
purchase patronage with its dignities . " And he kindly adds a few words of which I am very proud , expressing his satisfaction that I have become Sovereign of this Order , whether a much more distinguished person would or would not have felt honoured by the nomination . I need only add , that at your bidding I have taken that high office ; at your bidding I shall gratefully lay it down , sufficiently
honoured in that you deemed me worthy to hold it at all . I have now laid before you as well as I could a statement of our condition and our prospects . Whatever may be in store for me , or for any of us , I most earnestly , hope that our condition , good as it is , may be improved ; that those prospects , fair as they are , may yet be fairer when our brethren shall assemble next , on a similar occasion to
this . I must honestly admit that my efforts to improve our ritual , as I suggested some years ago , have signally failed . But , after all , I am not one who lays much stress on external ceremonies , and to the essential part of the association I had rather turn your attention . Our Rose Croix Order , like all the philosophical grades , inculcates the great principles of all spiritual life—the existence of a
Supreme God , incomprehensibly and unchangeably wise , merciful and good ; the redemption of the world from evil , sin , and death ; cuul the hope of lifp hereafter . If we never have been able to discern its object , or if we have lost sight of it , our philosophic Masonry , with or without its forms and ceremonies , is but an empty name . We may look at the externals of the higher degrees as we may gaze on the
figures carved on an Egyptian temple or tomb—with indifference , or perhaps with curiosity or admiration , but with very little enlightenment . There are the designs of the old , dim centuries , Jong vanished away into the eternity of the past—to us only strange , grotesque , monstrous forms . We do not discern the purer principles they were intended to conceal from the profane , but to convey to the
enlightened—principles whose freshness dissipates the darkness of ages and the sepulchral air of the tomb ; principles as strong and living at this day as when the foundations of the pyramids were laid ; as strong they will be when those strange monuments of superstition and perseverance shall be mixed with the dust of the desert . We cannot all become masters of the symbolism of Masonry
few will even attempt to understand it ; fewer still will thoroughly succeed . But each of us , in the small duties and petty grievances of daily life—in the common intercourse of business and the common cares of a humble home—may do something worthy of a noble nature , something that will survive , if not in itself , in its results , when he has gone where neither wealth , rank , nor station
can confer distinction . This very association of ours , with its many advantages to start with , ought to have great power ; power as valuable as great , nay rather power which would be actually inestimable in its good effects upon society if we were to be always actuated by the principles we profess . Is that too ambitious an aspiration ? Then let us look at home , within our own pale . Shall it be said
that all we have learned and professed has not taught us to quench the petty dissensions which may arise among ourselves ? It must needs be that offences come among us as everywhere else ; but , surely , they should not subsist among men joined by such ties as ours—no , not for ona hour after the first flush of irritation has passed away . I am not here to preach to you ; but I felt bound to speak
what may probably be of use , and what it is my duty to say—who can tell whether I may have another opportunity ? I have now said enough to give you some general idea of what has been done and what is doing amongst us ; and as that is all I proposed to do , I will prolong my address no further than to express my earnest wish that the
noble Order of the Rose and Cross may be to each what those sacred symbols mean , and have meant from an antiquity too remote to be ascertained . If any present does not know that meaning , let him enquire , but not of me , lest I should think the enquiry a proof that , however
proudly he may wear the decoration of a " Knight of the Eagle and Pelican , Prince Grand Rose Croix , " he does not , as yet , quite deserve to be recognisedas a true and worthy member of that noble Order ? J . F . TOWNSHENU , 33 , Sovereign of the Order of Rose Croix in Ireland .
An Interesting Meeting.
AN INTERESTING MEETING .
A few evenings since a very interesting ceremony was witnessed at the Coach and Horses Tavern , Lower Tottenham , where various Masonic meetings take place . Bro . Thompson , who is the W . M . of the Enfield Lodge , has displayed a very warm and active interest in a
benevolent association held at the above house in connection with the Tottenham and Enfield Lodges ; and having recently been elevated to the position of Grand Sword Bearer of the Province of Middlesex , a suggestion was made that the brethren of the two lodges with which he was
associated should present him with his official clothing , as a slight recognition of the services he had rendered to the cause of charity , so dear to the heart of every Freemason . The idea took a practical form at once ; the necessary funds were soon obtained ; and the presentation was fixed
An Interesting Meeting.
for Tuesday evening last . A numerous company assembled , including Bros . J . Mailer , W . M . of the Tottenham Lodge ( who was requested to preside ) , Matthison , P . M ., Enfield Lodge ( vice-chairman ); Wells , P . M ., Jones , P . M . ; Roberts , P . M . ; Dance , Secretary of the Tottenham Lodge ; Bros . Brown , Cocksedge , Burford , Farrin , Peckham , 0 'Brien , Clements , Fowler and others . Considerable regret was expressed at the absence of Bro . Linzell ,
P . M ., who was not only the principal founder of the institution , butmainly instrumental in obtaining Bro . Thompson his provincial honour . The presentation was preceded by a nicely-arranged and well-served repast , furnished by Bro . J . Smith , of Lower Tottenham , and , 011 the cloth being cleared , the usual loyal toasts were given by Bro . Mailer with his genial perspipcuousness , and received with proper
enthusiasm . Subsequently came "The Health of Bro . Thompson , " proposed by the chairman , and accepted with the greatest cordiality . Bro . Mailer paid a just tribute to the high qualities of Bro . Thompson as a Mason , and , with special reference to the benevolent institution with which he was closely identified , mentioned that the number of members
represented ultimate contributions to the Masonic charities of £ 600 , £ 300 of which had already been devoted to the noble purposes for which the money was intended . Bro . Thompson had exerted himself to the utmost to render the association a success , and he was entitled to some mark of their esteem . Whether at Enfield or Tottenham , Bro . Thompson was ever ready to assist in any good work ;
and it was one of the most pleasing duties he ( the chairman ) had ever performed in Masonry to invest him with the clothing which had been so spontaneously subscribed for by the members of the Tottenham and Enfield Lodges . Bro . Thompson expressed his sincere thanks for the great kindness which had been evinced towards him . He
was much gratified at receiving the congratulations of so many brethren on his receiving Provincial office ; and , if any acts of his in the past had rendered him worthy of their approbation , he would show , by his conduct in the future , that the confidence reposed in him had not been misplaced . As to the benevolent institutions , all he had done had been a labour of pure love , and he should never
weary of pursuing the same path . The "Visitors" were next toasted , and Bro . Lee responded . Bro . Roberts , in proposing " The Health of the Brethren from Enfield , " spoke in high terms of Bro . Thompson , who , he said , had laboured hard in Freemasonry for seven years . Although he belonged to the Enfield Lodge , he was often in Tottenham , and , come when he would , he
would always receive a cordial welcome , because he came in the name of charity , lt was through the exertions of such men as Bro . Thompson that the great Masonic Institutions were supported , and he trusted he would long be spared to work in the grand field of benevolence . Bros . Matthison , Thompson , Brown , and Farrin returned
thanks . " The Health of Bro . Mailer , " proposed by Bro . Matthison , who said the W . M . of the Tottenham Lodge was known amongst the Craft as a most worthy man and a good Mason , brought the toasts to a close . Bro . Mailer responded , and a very pleasant meeting was brought to a close .
Laying The Foundation Stone Of New Schools At Old Cumnock.
LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW SCHOOLS AT OLD CUMNOCK .
On Thursday 19 th ult . the usually quiet little village of Old Cumnock was the scene ol an event of considerable interest , namely , the laying of the memorial stone of a , public school in course of erection there . The building , which is situated on the Barrhill Road , in close proximity
to the old graveyard , is of the Gothic style of architecture . It is a handsome structure ,, similar to the other School Board schools , and , being designed to accommodate upwards of 800 scholars , will supply the requisite school accommodation for the children residing in the district . It has been erected at a cost of nearly £ 4000 , and will supply a want in the locality which has been felt for some time
past . To witness the ceremony of laying the memorial stone of the school the inhabitants turned out en masse on Thursday . In the forenoon contingents from Kilmarnock , Ayr , Troon , Catrine , and a number of other Masonic lodges began to arrive , and by mid-day the streets of the village were crowded with visitors . Shortly after two o ' clock the procession , headed by a brass band , left the
Black Bull Hotel for the new building . Among the lodges represented were St . John's , 22 , Kilmarnock ; Navigation , 86 , Troon ; St . James' , 125 , Ayr ; St . Andrew's , 126 , Kilmarnock ; St . James' , 135 , Kilwinning , Tarbolton ; St . Mungo , 179 , Mauchline ; St . Andrew ' s , 245 , Muirkirk ; St . John ' s , 334 ,. New Cumnock ; St . Thomas , 433 , Kilwinning , Dalmellington ; St . John ' s , 497 , Catrine ;
St . Barnabas , 230 , Old Cumnock . Among the gentlemen present were Colonel Mure , M . P ., R . W . M ., Mother Lodge , Kilwinning , and , as such , Provincial Grand Master for Ayrshire ; Mr . Hatricfc , of Woodside , D . P . G . M . for Ayrshire ; Mr . R . Wylie , Provincial Grand Secretary ; Mr . John Mackay , Past R . W . M . of St . John's , Kilwinning , Kilmarnock , and acting P . G . Senior Warden ; Mr . P . Burns , of
Auchinharvie , acting P . G . Junior Warden ; Mr . J . A . Ferguson , Proxy S . W . of Mother Lodge , Kilwinning ; Mr . John Tweed , Proxy J . W . of Kilwinning Grand Lodge , Edinburgh , and about twenty brethren horn Lodge Kilwinning . On the arrival of the procession at the building ,
the Freemasons and others took up their positions around the school . The usual preliminary Masonic ceremonies having been completed , Mr . Weir presented to Colonel Mure a silver trowel , with which to lay the memorial stone . He expressed the pleasure which Colonel Mure ' s presence afforded the Freemasons and the inhabitants of Cumnock ,