Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
The following lists , and additions to lists , have been received since last week , namely : Lodge LONDON . £ s . d . 174 Bro . G . A . W . Griffi'hs , additional ... ... 10 10 o ( raising his list to £ 193 3 s . ) ' 93 > J- W . Simeons , additional ... ... 1 1 o
, ( raiding his list to £ 43 ns . ) S 34 „ A . Williams , additional ... ... .. 5 5 o ( laising his list to £ 713 'oi . ) 101 7 „ H . Chatham ... ... ... ... 1 1 o ' ( raising his list to £ 4 6 125 . ) lfxjS „ Robert Colsell , additional ... ... 1 1 o
( raising his list to ^ . 43 lis . Gd . ) 24 ' 7 , > —Witts , M D ., new list ... ... 10 10 o Lodge of Instruction 1 GS 7 Bro . A . W . Humphreys ... ... ... 5 S ° Ladies Mrs . Trew , additional ... ... ... 210
( raising her list to £ 104 Ss . ) THE PROVINCES .
DEVONSHIRE . Bro . Rev . A . H . Hare , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( raising the Provincial total to £ . 21 . ) HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . BIO . J . \ V . Gieve , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( which with the Provincial money makes his list £ . _ 6 15 s . )
HERTFORDSHIRE . Unattached Bro . J . P . Taylor ... ... ... ... 10 10 o OXFORDSHIRE . Lodge 340 Joint list , additional ... ... ... 550 ( raising total to / " * ioG qs . )
SOMERSETSHIRE . Lodge Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . T . Perkins , additional 21 o o
( raising his list to ^ . 31 io =. ) STAFFORDSHIRE . 2140 Bro . Thomas Taylor , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( raising Provincial total to £ 21 . ) SURREY . 2444 Bro . A . Watkin , additional ... ... ... 100 ( raising his list to £ 24 is . )
Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.
ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE EMULATION LODGE OF IMPROVEMENT .
The annual festival of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement was held on the 25 th ult ., at Freemasons' Hall . Between . -300 and 400 brethren were present first at the working of the Second Lecture in the Temple , and afterwards at the supper at the Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., presided at the former , and Bro . R . D . M . Littler , Q . C , P . D . G . Reg ., at the latter , and among the distinguished company present were Bros . Charles Belton , E .
Letchworth , G . Sec , Treas . ; Rowland Plumbe , G . Supt . of Works ; J . A . Farnfield , P . G . Std . Br . ; James Boulton , P . A . G S . ; Walter Martin , A . G . P . ; J . J . Thomas , H . J . 1 ' . Dumas , W . A . Scurrah , W . Russell , W . P . Brown , H . Lovegrove , W . G . Kentish , Col . Hugh Gordon , H . Sadler , G . Tyler ; W . Vincent , J . H . Matthews , A . C . Spaull , C . E . Keyser , R . Horton Smith , Q . C , D . G . R . ; C . I . R . Tijou , J . S . Eastes , and Benj . Charles Smith , of Turk ' s Island , W . I .
Iu the lodge the officers who assisted Bro . Sudlow were llios . Rushton , P . M Charles Lewis , S . W . ; D . D . West , J . W . ; R . E . F . Lander , S . D . ; George it . Scott , J . D . ; and Major Badham , l . G . The Sections of the Second Lecture were worked as follows : 1 st Section ... ... Bro . A . D . K nnaby , 196 *; . 2 nd „ ... ... „ W . lt . Bennett , P . M " . 196 s . 3 rd ... „ It . E . F . Lander , W . M . 20 S 6 . 4 th „ ... ... „ C . Lewis , P . M . 1706 . 5 th „ ... ... „ T . W . AIlsop , P . M . S 3 .
At thc close of the working , which was all beautifully performed , Bro . LITTLER proposed a vote of thanks to the workers , and said he had never seen thc work done better . Uro . HORTON SMITH , Q . C , seconded the motion , and said that that was the second time hc had attendcu the festival , and that the work was done , if anything , better than on the last occasion when he was present . The motion having been carried ,
Bro . It . CI . AV SUDLOW , in acknowledging the compliment , said the brethren who had taken part in the working appreciated thc vole very highly . They had naturally been very anxious to sustain the prestige of the lodge lor good working , and now that their labours were over , and they had been accorded that vote , they considered themselves amply repaid for the trouble they had taken in making themselves perfect . If he was a judge of expression , hc should say there wcre a great many present who were anxious lo become members , and an opportunity
would at once bc given them to gratify their desire ; their names could be given in that nig ht with the names of their proposers and seconders , and they would be voted upon at the meeting of March 4 th . HalC-a-crown was the lite membershi p fee ; a shilling was charged each night of attendance ; but if they paid 5 s . a year the attendance fee per night was reduced to fid . After the expenses had been paid , every penny went to the Masonic Charities . After the lodge had been closed , the brethren adjourned to supper .
Bro . R . D . M . LITTI . KK , Chairman , having proposed "The Queen and the Craft , " and "The M . W . Grand Master , " which were bjth heartily honoured , Bro . RLSHTON * proposed " The . M . W . Pro Grand Master , Dep . Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Odicers , Present and Past , " and said in that lodge the toast wculd n-ctivc a .--penal welccme from the close connection it had a ways had with that distinguished body ot brethren , llic Grand Ot ' l ' ucrs . Thuy had thc privilege to number among their members a great ninny Grand Ollicers , both present and past , and they had , as they knew , as their Treasurer , the hardest
worked , and the most important Executive Olhcer of Grand Lodge . Bro . Edward Letchworth , the Grand Secretary , had evidenced his interest in the working of that lodge on many occasions , and they were very proud lo have him in the position of their Treasurer . They were also very grateful to all thc Grand Ollicer . - * , who annually favoured them with their company at those gatherings ; it gave the members of the lodge great encouragement in the work they had to do , and lent a sort of ollicial stamp to the ritual , which they endeavoured to leach in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . On that occasion , too , the toast had a special jiitc-rcit for thc members of that lodge , for to the number of Grand Officers
Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.
had been added this year the name of one whose intimate connection with the Iodge was well-known—Bro . W . G . Kentish . ( Hear , hear . ) Among the distinguished brethren who were selected for past rank or . the occasion of the splendid meeting at Albert Hall , to vote a congratulatory address to her Majesty on completing her Diamond Jubilee year , none deserved the honour conferred upon him more than Bro . Kentish —( cheers)—and although his work in Freeemasonry , no doubt , had been most useful and important in other directions , he ( Bro . Rushton ) ventured to hope that Bro . Kentish ' s connection with that lodge had some influence in the selection which was made for giving him the purple .
Bro . R . HORTON- SMITH . Q . C , Dep . G . Reg ., responding , said with regard to the Pro G . M ., the brethren all felt for him in the calamity that had overtaken him , and it would be a great misfortune to the Craft if they did not see his face so often as they had seen it in times past . Lord Amherst , so far as he had been with them since his aopointment as Deputy Grand Master , had amply justified that appointment . All the Grand Officers were always ready to do all they could
for the Craft , and that was the reason the toast was always well honoured . But that nig ht the brethren had rather turned the tables , and instead of paying a compliment of that sort , they had given a good object lesson to them in the lodge by showing them the way in which they should perform their duties . As he said in lodge , he had never seen the work done better , and the Grand Officers would always be glad to come and see such work .
Bro . E . LKTCIIWORTII , G . Sec , Treas . of the lodge , proposed The Chairman . " The brethren knew how busy a man Bro . Littler was ; he was often surprised at the amount of work he got through , and how he managed in such an admirable manner the duties he undertook and discharged . He felt some little diffidence in asking Bro . Littler to take the office of Chairman at that meeting , as it was the commencement ot the Parliamentary session , when every moment
of his time was so valuable to him and those he advised ; but he knew that Bro . Littler was willing at all times , to thc utmost of his power , to help Freemasonry , and he knew he would make a sacrifice for its benefit . It was with very great pleasure he received a letter from him saying that he would take the chair . It only remained for him , the Committee , and the lodge to thank Bro . Littler for thc honour he had done them .
Bro . LITTLER , in acknowledging tlie toast , said Bro . Letchworth was entirely in the right when he said that anything he ( Bro . Littler )' could possibly do for the advancement of the interests of the Craft was heartily at the service of every brother composing the Craft . But he was bound to say that Bro . Letchworth rather exaggerated him , because if anything could be more pleasing to any one who took interest in the Craft than anything else it was the admirable working of that evening ; everything was put aside by the splendid sight and hearing of
what went on to show the proper way of doing the work of the Craft . He only wished that some lodges he knew of would induce all their members to pay half , a-crown , and instruct their officers , because it would be worth five shillings to them . To any one who liked the working it was a delight and pleasure , and he was more pleased in addition to the drinking of the health by what he siw before they came from labour to refreshment . Anything more interesting or more valuable for Masons , anything more instructive to those less advanced or likely
to arouse in them the spirit of emulation he could not well conceive . He had had some experience in the Craft , and the pleasure of initiating an ' ex-Lord Chancellor , the present Speaker , and , he believed , the raising of the heaviest brother that Masons had amongst them . ( Laughter . ) Most of the brethren knew that brother's genial face and all who knew him loved him thoroughly—he was referring to his dear old friend , Bro . Samuel Pope . He could not help remembering that in one of the rooms in Freemasons' Hall there was a certain lack of
irreverence amongst the brethren , which was scarcely preventible , even although in such an important ceremony when his Wardens reported to him that it proved a slip . ( Laughter . ) He thought the brethren would all agree—his experience was at all events varied , but there was one thing he thought would be appreciated in this room—he had the honour of being Master two successive years in his own lodge , and two years in the Northern Bar Lodge , but he never allowed more than one candidate to take a ceremony at the same time : he never allowed
two candidates to take a ceremony in company with each other ; if they did it was a most mischievous practice ; it destroyed all the solemnity and all the interest ; and he did not think it would meet with the approval of the members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . He had now had the honour of being a Mason a great many years ; hc had appreciated highly all the successive honours he had received ; but he was bound to say that , however highly he appreciated them , he did not know that he appreciated any honour so much as the time
he had spent in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement that night . It was a matter to be remembered by any one to see the work done so well , so steadily , and so accurately -, and not with the painful accidents one sometimes saw . He was speaking now of counselling perfection ; he had hrtrdly been able to realise it himself ; but one could admire perfection when one could not attain to it . He remembered when Sir Cresswell Cresswell was Judge of the Divorce Court , and one counsel said to the learned Judge— " Well , we cannot all be perfect , like your
lordship ; " the counsel who said so was a Serjeant ; and Sir Cresswell Cresswell said to him— " Brother , no one will impute perfection to you ; but there is no reason why thc Court should not endeavour to improve you . " ( Laughter . ) That was what he ( Bro . Littler ) found in himself that night ; he hoped to obtain improvement from his visit ; hc was too old to improve , or too hardened a sinner to do so ; but he had had much pleasure , and that had bcen added to by the very kind way in which brethren , very good workers in thc Craft , had drank his health .
Bro . LITTLER ncxt said : After the great honour and pleasure bestowed on him that night , he now had the privilege of proposing that which •was the toast ol the evening " Success to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement and the Health of its Officers . " With regard to the lodge the idea had bcen regarded as one of excellence ; but it had not been until recent years that the full value of this lodge in connection with Grand Lodge and the London lodges had been so much appreciated as it wan * now . Thc Emulation Lodge of
Improvement was what he considered the very backbone of the whole institution of Masonry . What they got in this lodge and what they , saw and heard they did not get , see , or hear in other lodges ; but they were able at all events to attempt something like an accurate and a perfect ritu il . If one went to some lodges they would find everything was halting , perhaps hearing two I ' . ist Masters by distributing themsi-lves in different ijuarters trying to keep the officers somewhat up to the mark ; but it was somewhat disappointing to many who took an interest in
thc Craft to find the Master and Wardens listening to a separate and distinct Preceptor , not only visibie to thc naked eye but audible to thc naked car . That was not conducive to the respect of Masonry ; the essence of Masonry was to have the . thing well done . It was always said lhat if anything WAS worth doin ? at all it was worth doing well ; if that was applicable to the ordinary things of the world it was more applicable to the solemn ceremonies of Masonry ; it oug ht to be so with every one ; but if it were not for the Emulation Lodgeof Improvethe
ment he thought very few lodges would do their work so well as they did ; if brethren of the lodges attended this lodge , their lodges would go on better traineJ and better conducted . We could only say he trusted this lodge would long prospsr , that it would long have the number of members it hid now , that it mig ht have a great accession to that numbir and have thegratitude it deserved of the Craft at large . In coupling Bro . Sudlow s name with the toast , he believed that any one in the lodge could see by the promptness of Bro . Sudlow ' s ( j / tusUons and the emp hatic manner in which he put them he had a thorough acquaintance and knowledge o '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
The following lists , and additions to lists , have been received since last week , namely : Lodge LONDON . £ s . d . 174 Bro . G . A . W . Griffi'hs , additional ... ... 10 10 o ( raising his list to £ 193 3 s . ) ' 93 > J- W . Simeons , additional ... ... 1 1 o
, ( raiding his list to £ 43 ns . ) S 34 „ A . Williams , additional ... ... .. 5 5 o ( laising his list to £ 713 'oi . ) 101 7 „ H . Chatham ... ... ... ... 1 1 o ' ( raising his list to £ 4 6 125 . ) lfxjS „ Robert Colsell , additional ... ... 1 1 o
( raising his list to ^ . 43 lis . Gd . ) 24 ' 7 , > —Witts , M D ., new list ... ... 10 10 o Lodge of Instruction 1 GS 7 Bro . A . W . Humphreys ... ... ... 5 S ° Ladies Mrs . Trew , additional ... ... ... 210
( raising her list to £ 104 Ss . ) THE PROVINCES .
DEVONSHIRE . Bro . Rev . A . H . Hare , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( raising the Provincial total to £ . 21 . ) HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . BIO . J . \ V . Gieve , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( which with the Provincial money makes his list £ . _ 6 15 s . )
HERTFORDSHIRE . Unattached Bro . J . P . Taylor ... ... ... ... 10 10 o OXFORDSHIRE . Lodge 340 Joint list , additional ... ... ... 550 ( raising total to / " * ioG qs . )
SOMERSETSHIRE . Lodge Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . T . Perkins , additional 21 o o
( raising his list to ^ . 31 io =. ) STAFFORDSHIRE . 2140 Bro . Thomas Taylor , new Steward ... ... 10 10 o ( raising Provincial total to £ 21 . ) SURREY . 2444 Bro . A . Watkin , additional ... ... ... 100 ( raising his list to £ 24 is . )
Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.
ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE EMULATION LODGE OF IMPROVEMENT .
The annual festival of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement was held on the 25 th ult ., at Freemasons' Hall . Between . -300 and 400 brethren were present first at the working of the Second Lecture in the Temple , and afterwards at the supper at the Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., presided at the former , and Bro . R . D . M . Littler , Q . C , P . D . G . Reg ., at the latter , and among the distinguished company present were Bros . Charles Belton , E .
Letchworth , G . Sec , Treas . ; Rowland Plumbe , G . Supt . of Works ; J . A . Farnfield , P . G . Std . Br . ; James Boulton , P . A . G S . ; Walter Martin , A . G . P . ; J . J . Thomas , H . J . 1 ' . Dumas , W . A . Scurrah , W . Russell , W . P . Brown , H . Lovegrove , W . G . Kentish , Col . Hugh Gordon , H . Sadler , G . Tyler ; W . Vincent , J . H . Matthews , A . C . Spaull , C . E . Keyser , R . Horton Smith , Q . C , D . G . R . ; C . I . R . Tijou , J . S . Eastes , and Benj . Charles Smith , of Turk ' s Island , W . I .
Iu the lodge the officers who assisted Bro . Sudlow were llios . Rushton , P . M Charles Lewis , S . W . ; D . D . West , J . W . ; R . E . F . Lander , S . D . ; George it . Scott , J . D . ; and Major Badham , l . G . The Sections of the Second Lecture were worked as follows : 1 st Section ... ... Bro . A . D . K nnaby , 196 *; . 2 nd „ ... ... „ W . lt . Bennett , P . M " . 196 s . 3 rd ... „ It . E . F . Lander , W . M . 20 S 6 . 4 th „ ... ... „ C . Lewis , P . M . 1706 . 5 th „ ... ... „ T . W . AIlsop , P . M . S 3 .
At thc close of the working , which was all beautifully performed , Bro . LITTLER proposed a vote of thanks to the workers , and said he had never seen thc work done better . Uro . HORTON SMITH , Q . C , seconded the motion , and said that that was the second time hc had attendcu the festival , and that the work was done , if anything , better than on the last occasion when he was present . The motion having been carried ,
Bro . It . CI . AV SUDLOW , in acknowledging the compliment , said the brethren who had taken part in the working appreciated thc vole very highly . They had naturally been very anxious to sustain the prestige of the lodge lor good working , and now that their labours were over , and they had been accorded that vote , they considered themselves amply repaid for the trouble they had taken in making themselves perfect . If he was a judge of expression , hc should say there wcre a great many present who were anxious lo become members , and an opportunity
would at once bc given them to gratify their desire ; their names could be given in that nig ht with the names of their proposers and seconders , and they would be voted upon at the meeting of March 4 th . HalC-a-crown was the lite membershi p fee ; a shilling was charged each night of attendance ; but if they paid 5 s . a year the attendance fee per night was reduced to fid . After the expenses had been paid , every penny went to the Masonic Charities . After the lodge had been closed , the brethren adjourned to supper .
Bro . R . D . M . LITTI . KK , Chairman , having proposed "The Queen and the Craft , " and "The M . W . Grand Master , " which were bjth heartily honoured , Bro . RLSHTON * proposed " The . M . W . Pro Grand Master , Dep . Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Odicers , Present and Past , " and said in that lodge the toast wculd n-ctivc a .--penal welccme from the close connection it had a ways had with that distinguished body ot brethren , llic Grand Ot ' l ' ucrs . Thuy had thc privilege to number among their members a great ninny Grand Ollicers , both present and past , and they had , as they knew , as their Treasurer , the hardest
worked , and the most important Executive Olhcer of Grand Lodge . Bro . Edward Letchworth , the Grand Secretary , had evidenced his interest in the working of that lodge on many occasions , and they were very proud lo have him in the position of their Treasurer . They were also very grateful to all thc Grand Ollicer . - * , who annually favoured them with their company at those gatherings ; it gave the members of the lodge great encouragement in the work they had to do , and lent a sort of ollicial stamp to the ritual , which they endeavoured to leach in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . On that occasion , too , the toast had a special jiitc-rcit for thc members of that lodge , for to the number of Grand Officers
Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.
had been added this year the name of one whose intimate connection with the Iodge was well-known—Bro . W . G . Kentish . ( Hear , hear . ) Among the distinguished brethren who were selected for past rank or . the occasion of the splendid meeting at Albert Hall , to vote a congratulatory address to her Majesty on completing her Diamond Jubilee year , none deserved the honour conferred upon him more than Bro . Kentish —( cheers)—and although his work in Freeemasonry , no doubt , had been most useful and important in other directions , he ( Bro . Rushton ) ventured to hope that Bro . Kentish ' s connection with that lodge had some influence in the selection which was made for giving him the purple .
Bro . R . HORTON- SMITH . Q . C , Dep . G . Reg ., responding , said with regard to the Pro G . M ., the brethren all felt for him in the calamity that had overtaken him , and it would be a great misfortune to the Craft if they did not see his face so often as they had seen it in times past . Lord Amherst , so far as he had been with them since his aopointment as Deputy Grand Master , had amply justified that appointment . All the Grand Officers were always ready to do all they could
for the Craft , and that was the reason the toast was always well honoured . But that nig ht the brethren had rather turned the tables , and instead of paying a compliment of that sort , they had given a good object lesson to them in the lodge by showing them the way in which they should perform their duties . As he said in lodge , he had never seen the work done better , and the Grand Officers would always be glad to come and see such work .
Bro . E . LKTCIIWORTII , G . Sec , Treas . of the lodge , proposed The Chairman . " The brethren knew how busy a man Bro . Littler was ; he was often surprised at the amount of work he got through , and how he managed in such an admirable manner the duties he undertook and discharged . He felt some little diffidence in asking Bro . Littler to take the office of Chairman at that meeting , as it was the commencement ot the Parliamentary session , when every moment
of his time was so valuable to him and those he advised ; but he knew that Bro . Littler was willing at all times , to thc utmost of his power , to help Freemasonry , and he knew he would make a sacrifice for its benefit . It was with very great pleasure he received a letter from him saying that he would take the chair . It only remained for him , the Committee , and the lodge to thank Bro . Littler for thc honour he had done them .
Bro . LITTLER , in acknowledging tlie toast , said Bro . Letchworth was entirely in the right when he said that anything he ( Bro . Littler )' could possibly do for the advancement of the interests of the Craft was heartily at the service of every brother composing the Craft . But he was bound to say that Bro . Letchworth rather exaggerated him , because if anything could be more pleasing to any one who took interest in the Craft than anything else it was the admirable working of that evening ; everything was put aside by the splendid sight and hearing of
what went on to show the proper way of doing the work of the Craft . He only wished that some lodges he knew of would induce all their members to pay half , a-crown , and instruct their officers , because it would be worth five shillings to them . To any one who liked the working it was a delight and pleasure , and he was more pleased in addition to the drinking of the health by what he siw before they came from labour to refreshment . Anything more interesting or more valuable for Masons , anything more instructive to those less advanced or likely
to arouse in them the spirit of emulation he could not well conceive . He had had some experience in the Craft , and the pleasure of initiating an ' ex-Lord Chancellor , the present Speaker , and , he believed , the raising of the heaviest brother that Masons had amongst them . ( Laughter . ) Most of the brethren knew that brother's genial face and all who knew him loved him thoroughly—he was referring to his dear old friend , Bro . Samuel Pope . He could not help remembering that in one of the rooms in Freemasons' Hall there was a certain lack of
irreverence amongst the brethren , which was scarcely preventible , even although in such an important ceremony when his Wardens reported to him that it proved a slip . ( Laughter . ) He thought the brethren would all agree—his experience was at all events varied , but there was one thing he thought would be appreciated in this room—he had the honour of being Master two successive years in his own lodge , and two years in the Northern Bar Lodge , but he never allowed more than one candidate to take a ceremony at the same time : he never allowed
two candidates to take a ceremony in company with each other ; if they did it was a most mischievous practice ; it destroyed all the solemnity and all the interest ; and he did not think it would meet with the approval of the members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . He had now had the honour of being a Mason a great many years ; hc had appreciated highly all the successive honours he had received ; but he was bound to say that , however highly he appreciated them , he did not know that he appreciated any honour so much as the time
he had spent in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement that night . It was a matter to be remembered by any one to see the work done so well , so steadily , and so accurately -, and not with the painful accidents one sometimes saw . He was speaking now of counselling perfection ; he had hrtrdly been able to realise it himself ; but one could admire perfection when one could not attain to it . He remembered when Sir Cresswell Cresswell was Judge of the Divorce Court , and one counsel said to the learned Judge— " Well , we cannot all be perfect , like your
lordship ; " the counsel who said so was a Serjeant ; and Sir Cresswell Cresswell said to him— " Brother , no one will impute perfection to you ; but there is no reason why thc Court should not endeavour to improve you . " ( Laughter . ) That was what he ( Bro . Littler ) found in himself that night ; he hoped to obtain improvement from his visit ; hc was too old to improve , or too hardened a sinner to do so ; but he had had much pleasure , and that had bcen added to by the very kind way in which brethren , very good workers in thc Craft , had drank his health .
Bro . LITTLER ncxt said : After the great honour and pleasure bestowed on him that night , he now had the privilege of proposing that which •was the toast ol the evening " Success to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement and the Health of its Officers . " With regard to the lodge the idea had bcen regarded as one of excellence ; but it had not been until recent years that the full value of this lodge in connection with Grand Lodge and the London lodges had been so much appreciated as it wan * now . Thc Emulation Lodge of
Improvement was what he considered the very backbone of the whole institution of Masonry . What they got in this lodge and what they , saw and heard they did not get , see , or hear in other lodges ; but they were able at all events to attempt something like an accurate and a perfect ritu il . If one went to some lodges they would find everything was halting , perhaps hearing two I ' . ist Masters by distributing themsi-lves in different ijuarters trying to keep the officers somewhat up to the mark ; but it was somewhat disappointing to many who took an interest in
thc Craft to find the Master and Wardens listening to a separate and distinct Preceptor , not only visibie to thc naked eye but audible to thc naked car . That was not conducive to the respect of Masonry ; the essence of Masonry was to have the . thing well done . It was always said lhat if anything WAS worth doin ? at all it was worth doing well ; if that was applicable to the ordinary things of the world it was more applicable to the solemn ceremonies of Masonry ; it oug ht to be so with every one ; but if it were not for the Emulation Lodgeof Improvethe
ment he thought very few lodges would do their work so well as they did ; if brethren of the lodges attended this lodge , their lodges would go on better traineJ and better conducted . We could only say he trusted this lodge would long prospsr , that it would long have the number of members it hid now , that it mig ht have a great accession to that numbir and have thegratitude it deserved of the Craft at large . In coupling Bro . Sudlow s name with the toast , he believed that any one in the lodge could see by the promptness of Bro . Sudlow ' s ( j / tusUons and the emp hatic manner in which he put them he had a thorough acquaintance and knowledge o '