Consecration Of The St. Lawrence Council, No. 27, Allied Masonic Degrees.

suitable arrangements for his reception . Great was their disappointment when they heard that as he was confined to his . bed the visit was impossible . They , however , did not ihe less on that account give a hearty welcome to those Grand Officers whom his lordihip sent to represent him and to perform the

re emony . These comprised R . W . Bro . Charles Belton , Dep . G . Master ; R . W . Bro . C . F . Matier , P . D . G . M ., G . Sec ; W . Bro . N . Heywood , J . G . W . ; W . Bro . A . M . Jifferies , P . G . W . ; W . Bro . Wm . Vincent , G . D C . ; W . Bro . R . J . Voisey , P . A . G . D . C . ; and W . Bro . John Smith , P . G . Stwd .

Others present were W . Bro . R . Owen , P . G . S . D ., I . P . M . Concord Council ( T . I . ); Bros . J . T . Buck , W . M . Concord Council ( T . I . ) ; Thos . Uttley , W . M ., and Wm . Cockcroft , P . M ., Prince Edward Council ( T . I . ) ; C . Letch Mason , Prov . G . M . ( Mark ) , and his Daputy ( Bro . John Barker ) , Ebor Council ( T . I . ) . The founders were Bros . J . W . Monckman , J . P ., C . Cromack , Joshua Hilt , T . B . Salthouse , W . H . F . Schutte , John Cromack , F . H . Jones , J . H . Turton , and W . H . Banks .

Amongst other brethren we noticed Bros . Joseph Matthewman , T . Rowbotham , Lewis Crossley , B . Sykes Bailey , R . A . Pullan , W . Wagstaffe , C . Mason , W . Woodiwiss , A . Smith , E . H . Hodgson , J . Newell , J . Booth , E . H . Walker , and J . Nicholson .

Previous to the consecration , councils were opened , and 13 candidates were admitted to the Degree of St . Lawrence the Martyr , 13 to the Knights of Constantinople , 11 to the Red Cross of Babylon , two to the Grand High Priest , 22 to the Grand Tyler of King Solomon , and 25 to the Order of the Secret Monitor .

After a brief interval , the brethren all assembled , and the consecration of the St . Lawrence Council commenced . At the request of the D . G . M ., the chair was taken by Bro . C . F . Matier . He appointed B-os . N . Heywood to take S . W ., and A . M . Jefferies , J . W . Bro . W . Vincent most ably assisted as D . of C . Before commencing the

ceremony , Bro . C . F . MATIER expressed the sorrow he felt that , in consequence of the unfortunate illness of the Earl of Euston , the duty of Consecrating Officer had devolved upon him . He mentioned that at an interview with his lordship on the previous day , their Grand Master had desired him to express

to the brethren his regret that , through circumstances he could not control , he had been obliged to abandon his intention of personally visiting them , but he also asked him ( Bro . Matier ) to assure the St . Lawrence brethren that he had perfect confidence in their zeal , discretion , and ability , and he did not doubt that the destiny of the new council rested in able and worthy hands , adding earnest wishes for its success .

These remarks were received by the brethren with warm appreciation , after which Bro . Matier proceeded with the consecration . This , it is needless to say , was beautifully and most reverently performed . Bro . Matier then installed Bro . Joseph Wood head Monckman , J . P ., as the first W . M . of the St . Lawrence Council . Bro . Monckman ' s is a wellknown name in West Yorkshire and is honourably associated with all the principal Degrees in Freemasonry . As a D . C . it would be difficult in any

Degree to find his superior , whilst the success which has attended his efforts in the position of Chancellor to the Knights of the Temple , ccc , in West Yorkshire is too large a subject to enter upon here . The popularity of his selection as first W . M . of the new council was unmistakable , and when he informed the brethren that R . W . Bro . Charles Belton , Dep . G . Master of the Order , had graciously contented to accept the position of his Immediate Past Master , their satisfaction was most warmly expressed .

In taking the collar , the R . W . DEP . G . MASTER thanked Bro . Monckman for the honour conferred upon him and expressed the kindest possible wishes for the piospsrity of the councl . The W . M . then invested his officers as follows : Bros . C . Cronack , S . W . ; Joshua Hill , J . W . ; T . B . Salthouse , Treas . ; W . H . F . Schiite , Sec ; John Cromack , S . D . ; F . H . Jones , J . D . ; J . H . Turton , I . G . ; and W . H . Banks , O . G . ; each of whom Bro . Monckman addressed in

suitable and courteous terms . The W . M . next proposed a hearty vote of thanks to R . W . Bros . Belton , Matier , and the other officers , who had come from London to inaugurate the new council , and hoped they would permit their names to be added to the St . Lawrence roll as honorary members . This was seconded by the S . W ., Bro . CHAS . CROMACK , and carried by acclamation .

Bros . BELTON and MATIER replied , and expressed the satisfaction it had given them ( 0 be present and the willingness of himself and his colleagues to accept the honorary membership conferred upon them . Propositions followed , and amongst the names mentioned as joining members were Bros . C Letch Mason , Prov . G . M ark Master , and John Barker , Dep . Prov . G . Master for West Yorkshire .

The council was then closed , and the visitors were driven to the Great Noiihern Victoria Station Hotel in Bradford , where a sumptuous dinner awaited them and the brethren . About 30 s 3 t down , the W . M . presiding . After justice had been done to an excellent repast , the CHAIRMAN proposed the toasts of "The Queen , " and "Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family . " These were heartily diunk .

" The M . W . the Grand Master , Lord Euston , the R . W . ihe Deputy Giand Master , Bro . C Belton , and the Officers of Grand Council , Present and Past , " was entrusted to the S . W ., Bro . C . CROMACK , who ably performed his task , express ' ng his great regret at the Grand Master ' s illness ,

and his hope that on some other occasion they would have the satisfaction of receiving his lordship . He could not repress his admiration of the beautiful way in which the Grand Officers had acquitted thems : lves , and asked the brethren to join with him in drinking their very good health . This the brethren did most heartily .

R . W . Bro . C BELTON , who responded , after giving some particulars as to Lord Fusion's health and condition , assured the brethren that his lordship would experience the greatest satisfaction when he received from him a report of the proceedings of that day . That report he should hasten to deliver on his return to town . He then rderredto previous visits which he

and others had paid to West Yorkshire , and the many kindnesses he had reaived from the brethren , and especially from their Prov . Grand Master , Bro . C . Le ' ch Ma > on . He thought that Freemasonry alone had the power to draw away from London so many of them at once , and yet it was a great p leasure to come and carry out the wishes of their Grand Master .

"The Health of the Worshipful Mas ' . er ' was proposed by Bro . C . F . Matier , G . Sec . This , he sa d , was a toast which had never been proposed before , but he hoped that there would in the future be many W . Ms .

Consecration Of The St. Lawrence Council, No. 27, Allied Masonic Degrees.

of St . Lawrence Council , and that year by year their healths would be drunk . As to Bro . Monckman , he was , of course , much better known to the brethren of West Yorkshire than he was to himself , but evea he ( Bro . Matier ) had had many opportunities of becoming acquainted with the good qualities of their W . M . He respected him highly . In the K . T ., as

Provincial Chancellor ; in the Mark , as Grand Steward ; as well as in other Degrees , they had met , and he thought the brethren had not only shown appreciation , but also excellent good sense in calling Bro . Monckman to fulfil the duty of first W . M . of the St . Lawrence Council . He would propose not the health of the W . M . only , but also " Prosperity to the Council . "

Bro . MONCKMAN , on rising to respond , had a very warm greeting . He said : Bro . Matier , R . W . Deputy , Officers , and Brethren , —I thank you most heartily for the reception which the remarks on my behalf uttered by Bro . Matier have met with , and I thank him particularly for his kindly reference to myself . The formation of a council of the Allied Degrees at Pudsey , instead of at Leeds , Bradford , or some other large town in West

Yorkshire , may be somewhat difficult to understand ; but it arose in this way . I had the pleasure of being present , as one of the acting Provincial Officers , when the Craft Lodge of St . Lawrence was consecrated by our late lamented Prov . Grand Master , R . W . Bro . Thomas William Tew , on the 17 th of December , 1 S 89 . He on that occasion alluded to the fact that

the founders had consulted him as to the selection of a name , and that he had suggested St . Lawrence , he being the patron saint of the district , and the one to whom their church was dedicated . Bro . Tew , in his usual pleasant way , gave a short history of the martyr Lawrence , told us when he lived and how he died , and pointed out how interesting his career must prove to us as Freemasons . He also informed us that there was a Masonic Order of

St . Lawrence , of which he was a member , and that he would be pleased if some day a council of the Order was formed in connection with the lodge . The brethren would then be able to wear the gridiron—the emblem of the Order . The brethren of the lodge have never forgotten these remarks , and have kept steadily in their minds the intention of carrying out Bro . Tew ' s suggestion . To-day , I rejoice to say , their efforts have been rewarded and

crowned with success . Though not a member of St . Lawrence Craft Lodge , they have done me the honour of nominating me as the first W . M . of the new council , and I feel that honour very much . I am much gratified , too , at the presence to-day of so many eminent members of our Order , and I can assure them , as well as my brethren at home , that nothing shall be wanting on my part to promote the success of the Allied Degrees , and the especial prosperity of the council , for appointing me to the head of which

I now once more most gratefully thank them . We are situated in a highlypopulous neighbourhood , surrounded by large towns , from all of which we shall doubtless draw recruits , so that in coming down to consecrate our council the officers of Grand Lodge will find not only that their services are appreciated , but also that their labours have not been in vain . " The Visitors " was proposed by Bro . J OSHUA HILL , the J . W ., and replied to , in the absence of several eminent brethren who had trains to catch , by Bro . PULLAN only .

" The Officers " was the next toast , which was gracefully proposed by Bro . WM . VINCENT . He expressed the pleasure he had experienced in witnessing the interest displayed by the brethren in the various ceremonies of that day , and hoped to have an opportunity ol seeing the officers of the St . Lawrence Council go through the work which they had so intelligently listened to that afternoon .

Bro . SCHUTTE , in replying , thanked Bro . Vincent for the advice and encouragement he had sa kindly given them , and spoke in the highest terms of the help which Bro . Matier had so readily and so promptly afforded them throughout all the preliminary proceedings . He had looked forward to that day for some time , and its successful issue had been a great gratification to him .

The evening passed rapidly and pleasantly . Bro . Pullan gave some very pathetic as well as humorous recitations , which were well received . The general arrangements were in the hands of a small Committee , of which Bro . Schiitte was Secretary , and all agreed that it was largely to Bro . Schiitte ' s diligence and painstaking efforts that the great success of the entire day ' s procedure was due . The St . Lawrence Council has commenced under most favourable auspices , and we doubt not has a career of continued prosperity before it .

Annual Dinner Of The Old Masonians.

ANNUAL DINNER OF THE OLD MASONIANS .

The 12 th annual dinner of the above Association of the old pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys took place on Thursday , the 21 st ultimo , at Anderton ' s Hotel . Amongst those present were Bros . Lieut .-Colonel Clifford Probyn , J . P ., L . C . C ., President of the Association , in the chair ; J . Morrison McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B . ; G . MicUley , M . D ., P . A . G . D . C ; R . Harold

Williams , R . S . Chandler , C . P . O'Doherty , G . Allison , H . Bowler , and A , Watkins ; and Messrs . j . S . Francis , R . Riley , W . ] . Packer , C . W . Barber , G . L . Gallott , H . S . Wilson , J . E . Walters , A . S . West , H . J . M . Lillywhite , H . Lewis , E . A . B . Gough , G . M . Harrison , F . A . Moorcroft , R . P . Deeley , and A . O . Crompton . After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts had been heartily honoured ,

The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Old Masonians . " He said that the meeting might be regarded by some as that of a little mutual admiration society , and very properly so , when one considered the aims and objects of the Association which was the subject of the toast . Old boys could not do better than band themselves together for the assistance of one another generally , and especially of thos ; who were not in such fortunate positions as most present . To his mind , the Association deserved a great deal of attention , not merely because of its pleasant social

functions , but because it was the offspring of such a grand and noble Institution —the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . As most were aware , that was the 12 th year of its life , and be considered it was in a very healthy state , for progress was made every year , and the members might well be satisfied with the result-, because ot it still bv ! ing in existence , and had not shared the fate of a sitniw 1 society which had been lor . neJ bjforo the present , but had found an early gr- ' He considered that with such enthusiastic officers a good future must be in store for the Association . The toast was drun '< with ore it enthuiasm .