Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons

L . B . Hudson , 224 I W . 'I . Buxton , 234 ; Nelson Prower , 238 ; J . Clifton Thompson , 282 ; J . R . Eastwood , 302 ; T . F . Bland , 330 ; O . Papworth , 334 ; VV . H . Lovell , 425 ; W . J . Ebbetts , 454 ; and H . Tnomson Lyon , 47 6 . The following brethren were nominated by the M . W . Grand Master as members of the General Board : Bros . Gordon Miller , P . G . Treas . ; Chas . Bi-lton . P . G . O . ; Charles Henry Driver , P . G . W . ; Abraham Woudiwis ; , Prov . G . M . Derby ; Richatd Eve , P . G . O . ; and G . C W . FiUwilliam , Deputy Prov . G . M . Norths , and Hunts , and Beds .

The following brethren were elected as members of the General Board : Bros . Richard Clowes , P . G O . ; A . Slevvart Brown , P . G . D . ; Frederick West , Dp . Prov . G . M . Surrey ; T . P . Dorman , G . LG . ; and Frederick Cleeves , P . G . Sid . Br . Bro . MATIER announced the receipt of a telegram from Lord Fgerton of Tallin , M . W . P . G . M ., expressing his regret at not being able 10 be preseat at that Grand Lodge .

Grand Lodge was then closed in ample form , and the brethren proceeded to Freemasons' Tavern where a sumptuous banquet awaited them . The Earl of Euston presided . The usual toasts followed the dinner , and the speeches were interspersed with some beautiful singing by Bros . Frederick Bevan , P . G . O ., J . A . Brown , Edward Dalz > 11 , and Rcbert Hilton .

Bro . THOMAS FENN proposed " The M . W . Pro Grand Master , and the M . W . Past Grand Masters" and said the honour had been thrust upon him but although he highly appreciated it he felt it ntcessary to remonstrate against it because there were so many present who were more worthy than he . He did not understand why he had been selected , and could only conjecture that the reason

was that he was probably the oldest man m tne room . He was 7 G years of age , which was most likely no one else present was . The toast required very little eloquence to impress at least the first part of it upon the brethren . The Pro Grand Master bad made himself so popular in every Degree and place in Freemasonry , that there could be no doubt that his name would be received not onl y in Mark Masonry , but in every lodge and in every Degree where his health might be proposed . In everything he

undertook he did well , and that was what made him so popular , as he set a good example to others . The Past Grand Masters would also be well received , as they were good workers in Craft , Arch , and Mark . When he was President of the Baard of General Purposes he had the opportunity of witnessing how attentive Lord Lathom was to his duties , and if he had done his work as well in the Mark as he had in the other Degrees he was worth y of his name being well received . With these few observations he submitted the toast to the brethren .

The Earl of EUSTON , in reply , said he fully appreciated the kind words which had been used respecting him , because Bro . Fenn was a P . M . in the art of working which nobody had been able to touch yet , but he was afraid Bro . Fenn had given him more credit than he deserved . Certainly he had done his best and the brethren knew his heart was in Masonry . Whatever

he could do , wherever he was wanted , in whatever position they placed him he would always try to please and discharge the duties cast upon him . He could have no greater pleasure than when he was amongst the Masonic brethren . So long as he was Pro Grand Master if he was wanted in any part of the country and could do any good there , so long as it was compatible with his position he would be delighted to a ' . tend .

Bro . Col . A . B . COOK proposed " The K . W . Deputy Grand Master and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past . " Lord Dungarvan had stated to him that evening how sorry fe was he could not stop to the festival and asked him to express his apologies to the brethren for his absence . No one who knew Lord Dungarvan could help liking him and the brethren would congratulate him upon being appointed Deputy Grand Master for

another year , i"he . genia ) , kindly , and ever amusing way in which he presided at any assembly endeared his lordship to all who knew him . The Past Grand Officers had shown how well they always could fill any gap that mig ht occur . The present Grand Officers were many of them so new to him , some of them not being known to him by sight , he could not say whit

they could do , but some of them he knew could fill up gaps . It was through such brethren that Mark Masonry had proved so great a success . With this toast he should couple the name of a brother who had survived no less than five Parliaments , Bro . W . E . M . Tomlinson , M . P ., and a brother who had done that , he thought , could look forward to being a member of the Grand Officers' mess . ( Laughter ) .

Bro . W . E . M . T OMLINSON , M . P ., Junior Grand Overseer , responding , said he hardly expected , when he had the privilege of joining ths Mark Degree , that he would ever have to acknowledge the toast of the Grand Officers . He wished Lord Stanley had been present to respond . The brethren had heard that the principle of selection was the good work brethren had performed in the Order . Bro . Lord liuston therefore deserved his high position , as he was always ready , as he had said , to go

anywhere in the country if he could advance the good of Mark Masonry , to encourage by his example , by his height , and by his countenance other brethren to work in the Degree . It was the duty of the Grand Officers to retum the compliment paid to them by assisting wherever they could to raise the tone , improve the position , and sus ' ain the eminence of Mark Masonry . If they did that , the Grand Master would have no reason to regret appointing them to Grand Office .

The Earl of EUSTON proposed " Success lo the Mark Benevolent Fund . " As Masons , Charity was their first concern ; their hearts warmed to it , and whatever gcod they could do they did . In the Mark Degree they had a distinct fund , apart from the Craft , for annuities and for education , and the distribution was conducted without expense , and the money subscribed went absolutely to the objects for which it was intended . That was a great

feature of the fund . They had no buildings to keep up and no rates and taxes to pay . Such a Charity deserved the support of all Mark Masons . Bro . Charles Letch Mason , Prov . G . M . M . M . for West Yorkshire , would preside at the next festival on July 8 th , and he would respond to that toast . Long mig ht the Mark Benevolent Fund go on and prosper from year to year , increase in power , and do even more good in the future than it had done in the past , great though that had been .

Bro . C HARLES LETCH MASON , in the course of his response to the toast , said that , as the Pro Grand Master had informed ( he brethren , the Fund v a-i managed free of expense . None of the money subscribed went in r flicers or buildings . In educating children they were not taken out of their families . In Craft Masonry , wheie there was a large family , if one or two children were taken away from il and well educated , when they rejoined the family circle they were on a higher level than those who had been left at home , and there was a difference between the highly and the lowly edu-

Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons

cated . With the Mark Benevolent Fund they tried to do away with that and had the children educated in their own neighbourhood . Tne Pro Grand Master hoped the festival that year would be larger than its predecessors . His lordshi p had promised that when a festival exceeded the result of that over which he had presided , he would take the chair again , and try to exceed that—( cheers)—so that if they all united to make the coming festival the

greatest , they would secure Lord Euston for a Chairman on a future occasion . West Yorkshire was not a large province in the Mark Degree , having only 12 or 13 lodges , and the Mark Masons there were not a rich bod y , but they would try and do their duty . They gave £ 200 last year ; they would try and double it this year . He hoped the brethren present , who were not already Stewards would make up their minds and enrol themselves on the list .

Bro . the Earl of EUSTON proposed " The Visitors , " whom Mark Masons were always pleased to see , more especially if they came from forei gn climes . Bro . J . WAI . DIE PEIRSON , P . M . 744 , Johannesburg , in reply , said , although he came from that much maligned portion of the world—the Transvaal—he could not hel p feeling flattered at the honour done him by

being coupled with the toast of the visitors in Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , There was no part of Masonry which inspired so much loyalty in the hearts of the English in the Transvaal as Mark Masonry . Whenever they made the statement of the title of Grand Mark Lod ge , which included the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , they

always felt that , although they were nominally a foreign country , they were united to the British Empire and were an integral portion of it . Although the present was not an occasion when they could trench upon politics he might say that Mark Masons among the British colonists felt loyal to the Mother Country . He believed , too , that in Masonry would be found one of those uniting bonds between the two races in the Transvaal . At the

present time it was his proud boast to be the Master of a Dutch Craft lodge in the Transvaal—an honour which had seldom been enjoyed by any person claiming to be a British subject , and he had at all times and on all occasions in the Transvaal claimed that character . Since the present trouble had taken place there the Prince Frederick , the Dutch Lodge , forgot all their political trouble and met on the

broad standpoint of Masonry in the Transvaal . Although there was necessarily much tension he thought that that at least was a good sign and spoke well for the benefit of Freemasonry throughout the world . The Grand Secretary , Bro . Matier , was the father of Mark Masonry in the Colonies and he thanked him for his invitation to the present meeting . But for Bro .

Matier he did not know what Mark Masonry would be able to do in the Colonies . They were placed there under greater difficulty than they were in England ; they had not the people there to guide and advise them and they had to look to Bro . Matier for guidance . As he had been in the past he hoped Bro . Matier would in the future be the support of Mark Masonry throughout the world .

Bro . J . J . THOMAS , President of the Board of Stewards , responded to the toast ot "The Stewards , " which was proposed in flattering terms by Lord Euston . He said the Stewards had endeavoured to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors to make this festival a success . It had been a success , but that was due to the very great exertions of Bro . John Smith ,

the Secretary . The Stewards had depended on Bro . Smith and his great experience in Secretarial duties . They had done the ri ght thing and Bro . Smith had managed with a very great degree of acumen . The Stewards as a body had but little to do . The proceedings then terminated .

The Stewards were Bros . J . J . Thomas , 458 , President ; Dr . H . W . Roberts , 448 , Treasurer ; John Smith , 434 , Secretnry ; H . J . Macfarlane , 5 ; H . J . Rolls , 17 ; V . T . Murche , 22 ; J . S . Tamburini , 10 4 ; G . H . Parke , no ; J . D . Terson , 152 ; Charles James , 176 ; Robert Lawson , 211 ; Major J . H . Leslie , 219 ; J . Badger Clarke , 234 ; and Capt . Geo . Hearn , 454 .

Kingsiey ' s " Westward Ho" was requisitioned in the following lines , printed on the envelopes in which the cigars were enclosed : " With the Stewards' Hearty Good Wishes . When all things were made , none were made better than Tobacco ; to be a lone man ' s Companion , a bachelor ' s Friend ; a hungry man ' s Food , a sad man ' s Cordial , a wakeful man ' s Sleep , and a chilly man ' s Fire . There ' s no herb like it under the canopy of Heaven . "

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Guernsey And Alderney.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY .

CONSECRATION OF ST . SAMPSON'S LODGE , E . C , No . 259 S . A ceremony of a most imposing character took place at the Masonic Temple , Le Marchant-street , Guernsey , when St . Sampson ' s Lodge , No . 259 8 , was solemnly consecrated in the presence of about 120 brethren by Bro . Dr . J . B . Cockburn , ' M . D ., Prov . Grand Master , assisted by Bros . C . W . Carrcll , P . S . G . W . ; Thomas Cohu , P . J . G . VV . ; the Rev . C . Stuart Stitt , M . A ., Curate of St . Helier ' s , Jersey : C F . Matier , !'• G . Std . Br . ; H . Wilkins , P . G . D . C . ; and R . Rowcliffe , P . G . P .

The hour for the ceremony was fixed for 5 p . m ., but , owing to various delays , the consecration did not begin until about 5 . 30 . Amongst those present we noticed Bros . R . Berridge , P . G . D . ; Dr . J . Le Cronier , D . P < G . M . Jersey ; J . C Barette , P . G . D . Jersey ; Dr . Maxwell Le Cronier ,

P . J . G . D . Jersey ; Arthur W . Godfray , Sec . 877 ; C . G . Vatcher , S . U-8 77 ; A . Woodiwiss , P . P . S . G . W . Derbyshire ; J . P . Dorman , P . M . i / 'Mi P . S . G . W . Norths and Hunts ; Clifford Probyn , P . M . 18 ; G . Powell , P . M . 142 ; besides a great number of Worshipful Masters and Past Masters of lodges of that island .

The ceremony of consecration was then proceeded with , and the patriarchial benediction by the Provincial Grand Master closed the interesting ceremony . The Provincial Ciand Master also congratulated the W . Mdesignate of St . Sampson ' s Lodge upon the very large number of influential and distinguished brethren who had gathered to grace the consecration ceremony by their presence . The consecration having been concluded , the lodge business was coinmenced , and Bro . Wm . Stranger , P . M . 1809 , was installed as Worship 1 "