-
Articles/Ads
Article ATTENDANCE OF PAST MASTERS. ← Page 2 of 2 Article UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Page 1 of 1 Article UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Page 1 of 1 Article CONSECRATION OF THE SIR WILLIAM HARPUR LODGE, No. 2343, BEDFORD. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Attendance Of Past Masters.
are objectionable . No one can honestly assert that as a rule our provinces and private lodges are not well and fairly governed . Even in the case cited by " IGNOTUS" of the Provincial Grand Master who bestowed Provincial honours on " brethren who had only then recently passed the chair , " and , in one case , on a
brother who was still in the chair , though there were " many old and still active Past Masters " who were " still undistinguished by provincial rank , " he does not venture to say that it was the custom of this particular Prov . Grand Master to overlook the claims of the older and still active Past Masters , or that the
preference shown by him for the particular Past Masters and W . M . he appointed to Provincial Office was not justified by the superiority of their qualifications . But even if we accept his case without question , we must remind " IGNOTUS" that rules
are not intended to meet exceptional , but general cases . The rule we have objected to would undoubtedly have been general in its application , but - we fail to see that its chief advocate and those who supported him were successful in establishing a general necessity for its adoption .
United Grand Lodge Of England.
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .
The Quarterly Communication of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Hants and the Isle of Wight , presided ; Bro . Sir Edmund Lechmere , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Worcestershire , acted as Deputy Grand Master ; Bro . Thomas W . Tew , Prov . G . M . for West Yorkshire , as Past Grand Master ; Bro . Lieut .-Col . Orde Powlett , P . J . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C , D . P . G . M . for Suffolk , as J . G . W . ; and there were also present some 500 brethren .
The GRAND SECRETARY having read theminutes of the Quarterly Communication of 4 th December , 188 9 , they were put and confirmed . The GRAND SECRETARY then said it would be in the recollection of Grand Lodge , that , at the meeting of September last , a vote of congratulation was passed by Grand Lodge on the occasion of the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Louise of Wales with his Grace the Duke of Fife , which vote was ordered
to be engrossed . Owing to the illness of the artist who was employed to engross and illuminate that address , it was unfortunately somewhat delayed in its presentation , and , therefore , the acknowledgment from the M . W . G . M . was only received a few days after the meeting of Grand Lodge . With the permission of the M . W . G . M . in the chair , he would now read the gracious reply from the M . W . G . M . to that address , which was as follows : " Sandringham , Norfolk , 9 th December , 188 9 . —To Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Sir , —I am directed by the Prince of Wales
to acknowledge the receip t of a loyal and fraternal address from the United Grand Lodge of England , and , in reply , to request you to be so good as to express to its members his Royal Highness's best thanks for their kind wishes on the occasion of the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Louise of Wales with his Grace the Duke of Fife , Provincial Grand Master of Banffshire . —I am , Sir , your obedient servant ( signed ) Francis Knollys . " Sir E . LECHMERE moved that the reply be entered on the minutes . Bro . THOMAS W . TEW seconded the motion . He was sure the motion would
receive the approbation of every member of Grand Lodge . The motion was put , and'carried unanimously . Bro . Sir HENRY AARON ISAACS , Lord Mayor of London , W . M . Drury Lane Lodge , then said : Most Worshipful Grand Master in the chair , —I rise in pursuance of the nomination 1 had the privilege to make at the previous meeting of this Grand Lodge to move that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , our
M-W . G . M ., be elected our Most Worshipful Grand Master for the ensuing year , ( applause . ) I apprehend , sir , that this Grand Lodge will go with me when I say that it is our desire to elect as the head of our Fraternity the most popular member of that Fraternity . ( Cheers . ) 1 will not hesitate to say that in the person of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales we have not only the most popular member of our Order , but the most popular gentleman in all her Majesty ' s dominions . ( " Hear ,
hear , and cheers . ) One of our writers has described an ideal prince as " he who meditates the noblest purposes such as may benefit the public ' s weal and closer knit the ties of social man in blessed concord and sweet sympathy . " I venture to think that that description of an ideal prince is a grand portrait of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , whom I have now the greatest pride and pleasure of moving to be our Most Worshipful Grand Master for the eneuing year . ( Applause . )
Bro . J AIRD , M . P ., W . M . 259 : Most Worshipful Grand Master in the chair and Brethren , —I have the greatest possible pleasure in seconding the resolution which has been proposed by Bro . Sir Henry Isaacs ; and in doing so I desire to . say but a few words so unnecessary is it to speak of the merits of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales in an assembly of Masons . At the same time 1 crave permission
to record the fact that this is the 15 th year that the Masons will have had the great honour of asking H . R . H . to be their Grand Master for the year . I feel very proud to think that on the 15 th occasion the good fortune has fallen upon me to second the resolution which has been placed before this Grand Lodge . I have the greatest pleasure in seconding the motion , Most Worshi pful Master in the chair .
The motion was put , and carried unanimously , and the Prince of Wales was proclaimed by Sir ALBERT WOODS ( Garter ) , G . D . C , as duly elected M . W . G . M . of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England for the year ensuing . Bro . BEACH then announced that the next business was the election of Grand Treasurer , but as there was no other candidate proposed but Bro . Augustus GIossop Harris , P . M . 2127 , he declared Bro . Augustus Harris elected Grand Treasurer for
the ensuing year . The following report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants , was adopted : — A brother of the Lodge True Friendship , No . 160 , Rochford ... ^ 50 o o A brother of the Union Waterloo Lodge , No . 13 , Woolwich ... so o 0
A brother of the Royal Lancashire Lodge , No . 116 , Colne ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Forest Lodge , No . 1852 , Mansfield 50 o 0 A brother of the Constitutional Lodge , No . 55 , London 50 o o A brother of the Great City Lodge , No . 1426 , London 60 o o A brother of the Clerkenwell Lodge , No . 1964 , London 75 0 o A brother of the Pythagorean Lodge , No . 79 , Greenwich 70 o o
The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , ordered to be received , and entered on the minutes :
To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that they have had under their consideration the rate of salary at present received by Brother Adam John Berry , fifth clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office , who has served them for 14 years , and arrived four years ago at the maximum rate of ^ 200 a year—as fixed for all the junior clerks by Grand
United Grand Lodge Of England.
Lodge in the year 1874—and whose age renders his prospects of future advancement very remote . It appears to the Board that under the circumstances some small addition might fairly be made to his present rate , and they therefore recommend the following arrangement for the approval of Grand Lodge : — " That the salary of Brother Adam John Berry be raised to ^ 225 from the ist January last . "
The Board have further to report that R . W . Brother Sir John Braddick Monckton , P . G . W ., has offered for the acceptance of Grand Lodge a portrait of himself , painted by Brother B . S . Marks , and which was presented to him some years ago by the Buckingham and Chandos Lodge , No . 1150 . The Board are much gratified that an opportunity should occur of placing in some honourable position , the portrait of the eminent brother who presided over the Board for a
period of 10 years with such distinguished ability , and have great pleasure in recommending that it be accepted with thanks by Grand Lodge , and placed on the walls of the Board Room . ( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 1 Sth February , 1890 .
To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts , at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 14 th day of February inst ., showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 5319 14 s . 5 ^ ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash . £ 100 , and for servants ' wages £ 100 , and balance of annual allowance for library £ 23 8 s . lid .
Bro . THOMAS FENN , President of the Board of General Purposes , said there were two propositions arising out of the report which it was his duty to make , but he thought they required only a few words from him in support of what had already been reported before . The first was the recommendation for the addition to the salary of Bro . Adam John Berry , fifth clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office ,
who had given , he could say , from his own personal experience and observation , very great assistance to their Grand Secretary , more particularly in the arrangement of his correspondence . He was sure that small addition to the salary of Bro . Berry could not possibly meet with any opposition . He therefore begged to propose that the salary of Bro . Adam John Berry be raised to ^ 225 from the ist of January last .
Bro . ROBERT GREY , President of the Board of Benevolence , seconded the motion . The motion was put , and carried unanimously . Bro . THOMAS FENN then said the next proposition was with reference to the portrait of their esteemed Bro . Sir John Monckton , and he could quite anticipate that the Grand Lodge would be g lad to adopt the Report of the Board of General
Purposes and receive the portrait as a present from Sir John Monckton . The brethren would also agree with him that it could not be p laced in a better situation than on the walls of the Board Room , where Sir John Monckton's abilities were most conspicuous . He moved that the portrait be accepted with thanks by the Grand Lodge , and placed on the walls of the Board Room . Bro . ROBERT GREY seconded the motion , which was carried ncm . con .
On the motion of Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , G . S ., the Report of Bro . John Smith , Auditor of the Grand Lodge accounts , of receipts and disbursements during the year 18 S 9 , was taken as read , arid ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . Grand Lodge was then closed .
Consecration Of The Sir William Harpur Lodge, No. 2343, Bedford.
CONSECRATION OF THE SIR WILLIAM HARPUR LODGE , No . 2343 , BEDFORD .
It is well on to half-a-century since the Stuart Lodge , of good renown for work , was consecrated in Bedford , and the event which was so successfully completed last week naturall y excited deep interest on the part of the Craft , not only in the town of Bedford , but throughout the province . Some two months since the first steps were taken to carry into effect the long and well-thought ideas of some of the younger brethren of the Stuart Lodge , and from the first the project has swam easily to port .
The new lodge was unanimously named after the greatest benefactor the borough ever had , and its place of meeting fixed for the Assembl y Rooms , where a most appropriate and convenient suite of rooms has been secured , with a noble entrance from Harpur-street , and immediately facing the world-renowned Bedford Schools founded b y Sir William Harpur .
The brethren assembled in the lodge room soon after 4 p . m ., and , at the request of the Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . W . Stuart , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Sec , assisted by Bros . Mark Whyley , P . S . G . W ., as S . W . ; Jas . Gladwell , P . J . G . W ., as J . W . ; the Rev . Dr . Poole , P . G . C , as Chap . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . C . ; R . B . Stafford , as I . G . ; and Thurley , as Tyler , opened the lodge , and were accorded Grand honours .
The lodge having been opened in the Three Degrees , The CONSECRATING OFFICER addressed the brethren , and said they had met for an object that must be deeply interesting to all who had the welfare of the Craft at heart . It was a particularly fitting coincidence that the Sir William Harpur Lodge , which they had met to found , should be consecrated on that very day , which was the 317 th anniversary of the death of that generous man , to whose gift the town in which they were met owed so much . He had no doubt that with the brethren named in the warrant as its first officers the new lodge would achieve an honoured and honourable position .
The usual formalities having been observed , the PROV . G . CHAPLAIN gave an oration , and said : He observed that it was the custom on these occasions for the Chaplain to offer a few remarks on the nature of the Institution , but , as the ceremony was necessarily a long one , he would make those remarks as short as possible . The antiquity of Masonry was beyond all question , and the Chaplain traced it through the earliest times , from the reign of King Solomon onwards , remarking upon the great works of the Middle Ages fostered by the
Craft guilds , and suggested that possibly some of the great arts of practical Masonry had been lost , such as the means for raising into position the enormous stones found in ancient buildings . He then proceeded to point out that Masonry in the present day was not practical , but speculative—a system of morality , veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols—that taught by it man lives a life of rectitude and honour , and is finally received into the Grand Lodge above . He next observed that the greatest of Masonic virtues was
Charity , and that to be taken in two senses . First , in the sense of love or friendship , in which each man thought of the interests and good name of his fellow man , and endeavoured to share with him his troubles or difficulties ; that thus true Masons were joined together by a bond which nothing could discover , and that if all mankind were Masons the time would come , prophesied by our laureate , when " The war-drum throbb'd no longer , and the battle-flags were furl'd , In the Parliament of man , the federation of the world :
'There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe , And the kindly earth shall slumber , lapt in universal law . " Then again , he pointed out that Masonry carries on a wonderful system of Charity in its ordinary sense , educating boys and girls , and providing for the aged and infirm ; that there was something singularly appropriate in naming this the Sir VVilliam Harpur Lodge , as , if not a Mason in outward form , he certainly was one at heart , as was evident from
the munificent charities with which he had endowed his native town ; that no more fitting day could be found for opening a lodge in his name than that , as it was the anniversary of his death , which took place 317 years ago ; and that this event seemed to show that the truly charitable should never really die , but be handed on from generation to generation as the benefactors of the human race . He concluded by expressing a hope that the lodge called after Sir VVilliam Harpur would flourish and prosper , and richly abound in all Masonic virtues .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Attendance Of Past Masters.
are objectionable . No one can honestly assert that as a rule our provinces and private lodges are not well and fairly governed . Even in the case cited by " IGNOTUS" of the Provincial Grand Master who bestowed Provincial honours on " brethren who had only then recently passed the chair , " and , in one case , on a
brother who was still in the chair , though there were " many old and still active Past Masters " who were " still undistinguished by provincial rank , " he does not venture to say that it was the custom of this particular Prov . Grand Master to overlook the claims of the older and still active Past Masters , or that the
preference shown by him for the particular Past Masters and W . M . he appointed to Provincial Office was not justified by the superiority of their qualifications . But even if we accept his case without question , we must remind " IGNOTUS" that rules
are not intended to meet exceptional , but general cases . The rule we have objected to would undoubtedly have been general in its application , but - we fail to see that its chief advocate and those who supported him were successful in establishing a general necessity for its adoption .
United Grand Lodge Of England.
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .
The Quarterly Communication of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Hants and the Isle of Wight , presided ; Bro . Sir Edmund Lechmere , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Worcestershire , acted as Deputy Grand Master ; Bro . Thomas W . Tew , Prov . G . M . for West Yorkshire , as Past Grand Master ; Bro . Lieut .-Col . Orde Powlett , P . J . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C , D . P . G . M . for Suffolk , as J . G . W . ; and there were also present some 500 brethren .
The GRAND SECRETARY having read theminutes of the Quarterly Communication of 4 th December , 188 9 , they were put and confirmed . The GRAND SECRETARY then said it would be in the recollection of Grand Lodge , that , at the meeting of September last , a vote of congratulation was passed by Grand Lodge on the occasion of the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Louise of Wales with his Grace the Duke of Fife , which vote was ordered
to be engrossed . Owing to the illness of the artist who was employed to engross and illuminate that address , it was unfortunately somewhat delayed in its presentation , and , therefore , the acknowledgment from the M . W . G . M . was only received a few days after the meeting of Grand Lodge . With the permission of the M . W . G . M . in the chair , he would now read the gracious reply from the M . W . G . M . to that address , which was as follows : " Sandringham , Norfolk , 9 th December , 188 9 . —To Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Sir , —I am directed by the Prince of Wales
to acknowledge the receip t of a loyal and fraternal address from the United Grand Lodge of England , and , in reply , to request you to be so good as to express to its members his Royal Highness's best thanks for their kind wishes on the occasion of the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Louise of Wales with his Grace the Duke of Fife , Provincial Grand Master of Banffshire . —I am , Sir , your obedient servant ( signed ) Francis Knollys . " Sir E . LECHMERE moved that the reply be entered on the minutes . Bro . THOMAS W . TEW seconded the motion . He was sure the motion would
receive the approbation of every member of Grand Lodge . The motion was put , and'carried unanimously . Bro . Sir HENRY AARON ISAACS , Lord Mayor of London , W . M . Drury Lane Lodge , then said : Most Worshipful Grand Master in the chair , —I rise in pursuance of the nomination 1 had the privilege to make at the previous meeting of this Grand Lodge to move that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , our
M-W . G . M ., be elected our Most Worshipful Grand Master for the ensuing year , ( applause . ) I apprehend , sir , that this Grand Lodge will go with me when I say that it is our desire to elect as the head of our Fraternity the most popular member of that Fraternity . ( Cheers . ) 1 will not hesitate to say that in the person of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales we have not only the most popular member of our Order , but the most popular gentleman in all her Majesty ' s dominions . ( " Hear ,
hear , and cheers . ) One of our writers has described an ideal prince as " he who meditates the noblest purposes such as may benefit the public ' s weal and closer knit the ties of social man in blessed concord and sweet sympathy . " I venture to think that that description of an ideal prince is a grand portrait of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , whom I have now the greatest pride and pleasure of moving to be our Most Worshipful Grand Master for the eneuing year . ( Applause . )
Bro . J AIRD , M . P ., W . M . 259 : Most Worshipful Grand Master in the chair and Brethren , —I have the greatest possible pleasure in seconding the resolution which has been proposed by Bro . Sir Henry Isaacs ; and in doing so I desire to . say but a few words so unnecessary is it to speak of the merits of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales in an assembly of Masons . At the same time 1 crave permission
to record the fact that this is the 15 th year that the Masons will have had the great honour of asking H . R . H . to be their Grand Master for the year . I feel very proud to think that on the 15 th occasion the good fortune has fallen upon me to second the resolution which has been placed before this Grand Lodge . I have the greatest pleasure in seconding the motion , Most Worshi pful Master in the chair .
The motion was put , and carried unanimously , and the Prince of Wales was proclaimed by Sir ALBERT WOODS ( Garter ) , G . D . C , as duly elected M . W . G . M . of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England for the year ensuing . Bro . BEACH then announced that the next business was the election of Grand Treasurer , but as there was no other candidate proposed but Bro . Augustus GIossop Harris , P . M . 2127 , he declared Bro . Augustus Harris elected Grand Treasurer for
the ensuing year . The following report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants , was adopted : — A brother of the Lodge True Friendship , No . 160 , Rochford ... ^ 50 o o A brother of the Union Waterloo Lodge , No . 13 , Woolwich ... so o 0
A brother of the Royal Lancashire Lodge , No . 116 , Colne ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Forest Lodge , No . 1852 , Mansfield 50 o 0 A brother of the Constitutional Lodge , No . 55 , London 50 o o A brother of the Great City Lodge , No . 1426 , London 60 o o A brother of the Clerkenwell Lodge , No . 1964 , London 75 0 o A brother of the Pythagorean Lodge , No . 79 , Greenwich 70 o o
The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , ordered to be received , and entered on the minutes :
To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that they have had under their consideration the rate of salary at present received by Brother Adam John Berry , fifth clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office , who has served them for 14 years , and arrived four years ago at the maximum rate of ^ 200 a year—as fixed for all the junior clerks by Grand
United Grand Lodge Of England.
Lodge in the year 1874—and whose age renders his prospects of future advancement very remote . It appears to the Board that under the circumstances some small addition might fairly be made to his present rate , and they therefore recommend the following arrangement for the approval of Grand Lodge : — " That the salary of Brother Adam John Berry be raised to ^ 225 from the ist January last . "
The Board have further to report that R . W . Brother Sir John Braddick Monckton , P . G . W ., has offered for the acceptance of Grand Lodge a portrait of himself , painted by Brother B . S . Marks , and which was presented to him some years ago by the Buckingham and Chandos Lodge , No . 1150 . The Board are much gratified that an opportunity should occur of placing in some honourable position , the portrait of the eminent brother who presided over the Board for a
period of 10 years with such distinguished ability , and have great pleasure in recommending that it be accepted with thanks by Grand Lodge , and placed on the walls of the Board Room . ( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 1 Sth February , 1890 .
To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts , at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 14 th day of February inst ., showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 5319 14 s . 5 ^ ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash . £ 100 , and for servants ' wages £ 100 , and balance of annual allowance for library £ 23 8 s . lid .
Bro . THOMAS FENN , President of the Board of General Purposes , said there were two propositions arising out of the report which it was his duty to make , but he thought they required only a few words from him in support of what had already been reported before . The first was the recommendation for the addition to the salary of Bro . Adam John Berry , fifth clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office ,
who had given , he could say , from his own personal experience and observation , very great assistance to their Grand Secretary , more particularly in the arrangement of his correspondence . He was sure that small addition to the salary of Bro . Berry could not possibly meet with any opposition . He therefore begged to propose that the salary of Bro . Adam John Berry be raised to ^ 225 from the ist of January last .
Bro . ROBERT GREY , President of the Board of Benevolence , seconded the motion . The motion was put , and carried unanimously . Bro . THOMAS FENN then said the next proposition was with reference to the portrait of their esteemed Bro . Sir John Monckton , and he could quite anticipate that the Grand Lodge would be g lad to adopt the Report of the Board of General
Purposes and receive the portrait as a present from Sir John Monckton . The brethren would also agree with him that it could not be p laced in a better situation than on the walls of the Board Room , where Sir John Monckton's abilities were most conspicuous . He moved that the portrait be accepted with thanks by the Grand Lodge , and placed on the walls of the Board Room . Bro . ROBERT GREY seconded the motion , which was carried ncm . con .
On the motion of Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , G . S ., the Report of Bro . John Smith , Auditor of the Grand Lodge accounts , of receipts and disbursements during the year 18 S 9 , was taken as read , arid ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . Grand Lodge was then closed .
Consecration Of The Sir William Harpur Lodge, No. 2343, Bedford.
CONSECRATION OF THE SIR WILLIAM HARPUR LODGE , No . 2343 , BEDFORD .
It is well on to half-a-century since the Stuart Lodge , of good renown for work , was consecrated in Bedford , and the event which was so successfully completed last week naturall y excited deep interest on the part of the Craft , not only in the town of Bedford , but throughout the province . Some two months since the first steps were taken to carry into effect the long and well-thought ideas of some of the younger brethren of the Stuart Lodge , and from the first the project has swam easily to port .
The new lodge was unanimously named after the greatest benefactor the borough ever had , and its place of meeting fixed for the Assembl y Rooms , where a most appropriate and convenient suite of rooms has been secured , with a noble entrance from Harpur-street , and immediately facing the world-renowned Bedford Schools founded b y Sir William Harpur .
The brethren assembled in the lodge room soon after 4 p . m ., and , at the request of the Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . W . Stuart , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Sec , assisted by Bros . Mark Whyley , P . S . G . W ., as S . W . ; Jas . Gladwell , P . J . G . W ., as J . W . ; the Rev . Dr . Poole , P . G . C , as Chap . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . C . ; R . B . Stafford , as I . G . ; and Thurley , as Tyler , opened the lodge , and were accorded Grand honours .
The lodge having been opened in the Three Degrees , The CONSECRATING OFFICER addressed the brethren , and said they had met for an object that must be deeply interesting to all who had the welfare of the Craft at heart . It was a particularly fitting coincidence that the Sir William Harpur Lodge , which they had met to found , should be consecrated on that very day , which was the 317 th anniversary of the death of that generous man , to whose gift the town in which they were met owed so much . He had no doubt that with the brethren named in the warrant as its first officers the new lodge would achieve an honoured and honourable position .
The usual formalities having been observed , the PROV . G . CHAPLAIN gave an oration , and said : He observed that it was the custom on these occasions for the Chaplain to offer a few remarks on the nature of the Institution , but , as the ceremony was necessarily a long one , he would make those remarks as short as possible . The antiquity of Masonry was beyond all question , and the Chaplain traced it through the earliest times , from the reign of King Solomon onwards , remarking upon the great works of the Middle Ages fostered by the
Craft guilds , and suggested that possibly some of the great arts of practical Masonry had been lost , such as the means for raising into position the enormous stones found in ancient buildings . He then proceeded to point out that Masonry in the present day was not practical , but speculative—a system of morality , veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols—that taught by it man lives a life of rectitude and honour , and is finally received into the Grand Lodge above . He next observed that the greatest of Masonic virtues was
Charity , and that to be taken in two senses . First , in the sense of love or friendship , in which each man thought of the interests and good name of his fellow man , and endeavoured to share with him his troubles or difficulties ; that thus true Masons were joined together by a bond which nothing could discover , and that if all mankind were Masons the time would come , prophesied by our laureate , when " The war-drum throbb'd no longer , and the battle-flags were furl'd , In the Parliament of man , the federation of the world :
'There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe , And the kindly earth shall slumber , lapt in universal law . " Then again , he pointed out that Masonry carries on a wonderful system of Charity in its ordinary sense , educating boys and girls , and providing for the aged and infirm ; that there was something singularly appropriate in naming this the Sir VVilliam Harpur Lodge , as , if not a Mason in outward form , he certainly was one at heart , as was evident from
the munificent charities with which he had endowed his native town ; that no more fitting day could be found for opening a lodge in his name than that , as it was the anniversary of his death , which took place 317 years ago ; and that this event seemed to show that the truly charitable should never really die , but be handed on from generation to generation as the benefactors of the human race . He concluded by expressing a hope that the lodge called after Sir VVilliam Harpur would flourish and prosper , and richly abound in all Masonic virtues .