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CONTENTS . PAGE . L EADERSThe Province of Gloucestershire ... ... ... ¦•• 587 Leicestershire and Rutland ... ... ... •¦• 5 8 7 The Craft in Kentucky ... ... ... ... ... 588 Supreme Grand Chapter of England ( Quarterly Convocation ) ... ... 5 S 8 Provincial Grand Chapter of Northumberland ... ... ... 5 SS Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Sussex ... ... ... ... 589

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of West Yorkshire ... ... ... 58 9 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Somerset ... ... ... ... 590 Consecration of the Star Lodge of Mark Master Masons , No . 499 ... ... 590 Freemasonry and Local Charities ... ... ... ... ... 591 Provincial Grand Lodge of Forfarshire ... ... ... ... ^ gi MASONIC NOTESQuarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of England ... 593

Dates ot Annual Provincial Meetings ... ... ... ... 593 Removal of the Boys'School ... ... ... ... ... 593 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys'Scholarship Fund ... ... 593 Installation Meeting of Lodge Quatuor Coronati , No . 207 < i ... ... 5 93 Consecration of the Alfred Wootton Chapter , No . 127 ... ... 593 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 594 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... ... 594

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys'Scholarship Fund ... ... ... 594 Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 594 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 595 Consecration of the Alfred Wootton Chapter , No . 127 ... ... ... 595 Lodges and Chapter of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... 597 Royal Arch Masonry ... ... ... ... ... .., 59 S Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 598 Our Portrait Gallery ... ... ... ... ... ... 598 Masonic and General Tidings ... ,.. ,.. ... ... 600

The Province Of Gloucestershire.

THE PROVINCE OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

We published last week a summary of the proceedings at the recent annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire , in which we referred to the Operative Masonic work which the brethren of the Province have undertaken to carry out in connection with Gloucester Cathedral . We stated that the

estimated cost of this work was about £ 520 , and that the amount subscribed by the lodges and brethren was £ 422 . We also mentioned that Prov . Grand Lodge voted 40 guineas ( £ 42 ) from its funds towards this worthy object , the balance remaining to

be subscribed in order to complete the estimated cost being thus very inconsiderable . We have since been favoured with a full report relating to this work , from which it appears that the Province having for some time past confined its attention

almost exclusivel y to charitable objects , the brethren felt that the time had arrived when they might undertake yet another of those works of Operative Masonry with which on many previous occasions their Prov . Grand Lodge had been so honourably

associated . Accordingly , at last year ' s annual meeting , a Committee consisting of the heads of the lodges and chapters in the Province , the principal Prov . G . Officers , and a few other brethren , was appointed "to choose and carry out some further work of

restoration on behalf of the Province , and it being determined that in this instance the Cathedral should be thc object of the brethren ' s beneficent intentions , a Sub-Committee , of which Bros . V ' ASSAR SMITH . P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., and the Baron DE FERRIERES ,

P . G . D ., were the most prominent members , was chosen to confer on the subject with Bro . WALLER , the Cathedral Architect . A conference was held in October 18 95 , at which V . W . Bro . the Dean of GLOUCESTER , Past G . Chaplain of England , was

present , and after sundry schemes had been considered , thc Committee decided upon restoring the North Walk of the Cloisters , " to make it match the work done in the East Walk , b yrestoring themullions and tracery of the windows , opening them

where they had been bricked up and glazing them , and restoring ^ e pinnacles to the lavatory . " Bro . WALLER was requested to draw up an estimate of the probable cost , and at the same time 0 nave , if possible , a small portion of the work done , so that

l » e Sub-Committee mi ght have the opportunity of judging of the general effect before anything definite was arranged . The Subcommittee met again in February last , when Bro . WALLER submitted a portion of the work , with which the brethren were So struck that they at once resolved that it was " a work worthy

The Province Of Gloucestershire.

to be undertaken by the brethren of the Province , " while Bro , the Dean of GLOUCESTER added that he proposed , with a view to making the work as distinctive as possible , to insert a brass plate in the wall , with a record inscribed upon it to show that the work had been done bv the brethren of the Province . At

the same time , Bro . WALLER stated the estimated cost of the restoration at £ 580 , but as Bro . Baron DE FERRIERES generously undertook to do a portion of the glazing , the sum to be subscribed by the Province was reduced to £ 520 . The

recommendation of the Sub-Committee was forthwith endorsed by the Committee , and a subscription list having been opened , the work was at once commenced , ancl is now fast approaching

completion , while from the figures we have before quoted , it will be seen that only a very small portion of the estimated cost remains to be subscribed .

This , as we have before hinted , is by no means the first occasion on which our Gloucestershire brethren have shown their respect for the magnificent structures erected by our Operative predecessors , the most prominent of the works with

which they are associated being the beautiful reredos of the Cathedral , which was subscribed for b y them during the Prov . Grand Mastership of the late Bro . Lord SHERBORNE . Nor are they the only Province that has shown this respect , while there

are several instances in which the Craft as a body have exhibited a similar feeling . But in the case of Gloucestershire it seems to be almost a part of their Masonic profession of faith that the Free and Accepted or Speculative Masons of lo-dav should dn

honour to the works which have been handed down to us from the Middle Ages . It is a feeling un which I hey may yen properly be congratulated , and we trust the particular work ol restoration which is now being carried out in their behalf will

redound , as the others before it have done , to their credit , and , at the same time , serve as additional evidence that Masons generally are not the graceless , Godless Society they have been described by their enemies .

Leicestershire And Rutland.

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

The annual meeting ofthe Provincial Grand Lodgeof Leicestershire and Eutland , which was held at Hinckley , on the 8 th ult ., and of which we published a full report last week , passed off , as usual , most satisfactorily , the main subject of regretamongtho . se

who attended being that the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . the Right Hon . Earl FERRERS , was unable to preside . However , his lordshi p ' s place was ably filled by his respected Deputy , Bro . S . S . PARTRIDGE , P . A . G . D . C , and there was a full muster of the

brethren from all parts of the Province , together with a fair show of visitors . According to the report of the Committee of General Purposes , there were on the 24 th June last 73 8 subscribing brethren in the Province , while the record of the work done b y

the several lodges testified to the great zeal and activity shown b y them in the discharge of their duties during the past year . The increase in membership over the previous year was very slight , but the Acting Provincial Grand Master , in reviewing , as

he did at a later period of the meeting , what had happened during the year ancl the position of the Province , expressed his great personal gratification at the smallness of the increase , which he regarded as evidence that proper care and judgment

had been exercised in the acceptance of candidates for initiation . " Freemasonry , " he said , " was not a benefit society , and candidates should not be approved who would not be acceptable in one ' s own home . " We are glad to find the leading brethren in the Provinces thus forcibl y impressing upon their