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p REAT WESTERN RAILWAY . UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE , SPECIAL FAST EXCURSIONS for a week , a fortnight , & c , will leave PADDINGTON STATION as under : — FVERY MONDAY . —To Swindon , BATH , BRISTOL , Tirencester , Chalford , Stroud , GLOUCESTER , CHELTENHAM , Frome , Shepton Mallet , Wells , YEOVIL , Bridport , & c . EVERY MONDAY & THURSDAY . —To Dorchester , WEYMOUTH , and PORTLAND . FVERY WEDNESDAY ( commencing June 12 th ) . —To SHREWSBURY , Welshpool , ABERYSTWYTH , Hansen , Corwen , Bala , Festiniog , DOLGELLEY , BARMOUTH , Rhyl , LLANDUDNO , Bettws-y-coed , Carnarvon , Llanberis ( for Snowdon ) , & c . EVERY THURSDAY . —To Weston - Super - Mare , Rrid __ water , Taunton , Minehead , Lynton , LYNMOUTH , Barnstaple , ILFRACOMBE , Tiverton , EXETER , Dawlish , Teignmouth , Torquay , Paignton , Dartmouth , Kingsbridge , PLYMOUTH , Devonport , Yealmpton , Tavistock , Launceston , Bodmin , Wadebridge , Fowey , Newquay , Truro , FALMOUTH , St . Ives , PENZANCE , & c . EVERY THURSDAY MIDNIGHT ( commencing June , th ) .-To CHESTER , BIRKENHEAD & LIVERPOOL . EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT . —To EXETER , Dawlish , Teirrnmouth , PLYMOUTH , Bodmin , Wadebridge , Fowey , Newquav , Truro , FALMOUTH , St . Ives , PENZANCE , & c . EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT and SATURDAY MORNING ( commencing June 14 th and 15 th ) . —To DOUGLAS ( ISLE OF MAN ) . MONDAYS , JUNE 10 th , 17 th and 24 th . —DAY TRIPS to Frome , YEOVIL , Dorchester , WEYMOUTH , Swindon , ChiDnenham , BATH , BRISTOL , Cirencester , Stroud , GLOUCESTER , CHELTENHAM , & c . EVERY TUESDAY ( commencing June nth ) . —HALF DAY TRIP to Culham , Radley , Abingdon , OXFORD and BLENHEIM and WOODSTOCK . EVERY THURSDAY ( commencing June 13 th ) . — HALF DAY TRIP to BANBURY , LEAMINGTON , and STRATFORD-ON-AVON . CHEAP THIRD CLASS RETURN TICKETS are issued DAILY by certain Trains to WINDSOR 2 / 6 , BURNHAM BEECHES 3 / -. MAIDENHEAD 3 / -. MARLOW and HENLEY 3 / 6 , GORING 5 / 6 * & c . Tickets , pamphlets and Farmhouse and COUNTRY LODGING LISTS obtainable at the Company ' s Stations and Town Offices . J . L . WILKINSON , General Manager .

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INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . THE r \ UKE OF pONNAUGHT , K . G . URGENT AND IMPORTANT !!! MASTERS OF CRAFT LODGES , who will be at once Communicated with , at the respective meeting places of their Lodges , are requested to apply at such places of meeting for an important Circular from the Grand Secretary , with reference to the approaching INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT , K . G ., as Most Worshipful Grand Master .

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SATURDAY , J 8 , 1901 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lod ge was held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday under the presidency of Earl Amherst , M . W . Pro G . M ., and was very numerously attended . A full report of

the proceedings will be found in another column , and from this it will be seen that the grant of . 6525 proposed by the M . W . Pro Grand Master to the Queen Victoria Memorial Fund was voted item , con ., while the Grand Registrar ' s motion for the amendment of Article 8 7 B . of C . was also adopted .

* * * Ihe Quarterly Communication of the Mark Grand j ^ d ge , which was held at Mark Masons' Hall on Tuesday , under the presidency of the Earl of Euston , •W . Pro G . M ., was also well attended , and the ew . " - "and Officers , on appointment , were heartily ^ claimed by the brethren present . The Report o

Masonic Notes.

the General Board was adopted . At the conclusion of the business , the brethren adjourned to the Freemasons ' Tavern , when the Grand Festival was celebrated . •3 F * 3 F -TP

According to the Board ' s Report there , have been granted since the March Communication no warrants for the constitution of either Mark or Royal Ark Mariner Lodges , but during the quarter ending 31 st March 601 Mark and 180 Royal Ark Mariner

Certificates were issued , raising the total number of registered Mark Master Masons to 43 , 049 and of Royal Ark Mariners to 6615 . ft is also announced that H . R . H . the M . W . Grand Mark Master has reappointed for a further term of three years Bro . C . Letch Mason as Prov . G . M . M . 'of West Yorkshire , and

Bros . Thomas Cook , Capel Jenner Hogg , E . H . Courtenay Luck , and Sir Geo . Montgomery J . Moore , K . C . I . E ., as Dist . G . M . Masters of Natal , South Africa ( W . D . ) , Queensland , and Madras respectively , and that he has appointed Bro . A . Seymour Bankart to be Dist . G . M . M . of Auckland ( N . Z . ) , vice Bro . F . W . E . Dawson , deceased .

* •* The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of West Lancashire will be held at the Co-operative Hall , Bradshaw-gate , Leigh , on Wednesday , the 12 th instant , at 12 . 30 p . m ., when in the course of the

proceedings it will be proposed , inter alia , that a grant of £ 100 be made to the Founders of the "' Soldiers '' and ' Sailors '' Families Association , " and one of 150 guineas to be divided equally among the West

Lancashire Educational , Alpass , and Hamer Institutions . On the conclusion of the business a cold collation will be served , tickets for which may be obtained of the Prov . G . Secretary ( Bro . W . Goodacre , P . G . S . B . ) up to to-day ( Friday ) . -

* » * The Earl of Clarendon Chapter , No . 1984 , Watford , which was consecrated by the Grand Superintendent ( Comp . the Right Hon . T . F . Halsey , M . P . ) on the 15 th ult ., raises the number of chapters on the roll of

the Provincial Grand Chapter of Hertfordshire to nine , and we have every reason to believe that when it has had time to settle itself down to its duties it will materially assist in promoting the cause of Royal Arch Masonry in the Province . It adds greatly to our pleasure in welcoming this addition to the number of

chapters in this Province to find that two of its three Principals are among the most active and energetic officers of the Provincial Grand Chapter , namely , Comp . F . Sumner Knyvett , who is the Prov . Second G . Principal , and Comp . the Rev . Dr . Cockrem , who is the Prov . G . S . E .

* * * That Hertfordshire has made remarkable progress in Craft , Royal Arch , and Mark Masonry under the auspices of its present chief is beyond all question . When Bro . Halsey was installed Prov . Grand Master

in 18 74 , in succession to the late Bro , W . Stuart , there were only eight lodges and two chapters in the Province . Now there are 24 Craft lodges , nine Royal Arch chapters , and five Mark lodges , with a Royal Ark Mariner lodge attached to one of the five . But the

Royal Arch and Mark have not kept pace with the Craft , the Provincial Calendar for the current year showing that while the Craft Masons muster over 900 , or about 40 per lodge , the eight Royal Arch chapters in existence when the calendar was issued , contained

under 160 subscribing companions , or slightly under 20 per chapter . We trust the new chapter may prove the first of a series of additions to the Provincial roll , and that it may not be long ere the lodges that are strong in membership will have Royal Arch chapters attached to them .

* Of the lodges which have no chapter attached to them , there are several , which in respect of membership , are strong enough , either by themselves or in-conjunctioh with neighbouring lodges , to furnish recruits

for the Royal Arch . Thus the Berkhampstead Lodge , No . 504 , has 57 members , and the King Henry VIII . Lodge , No . 1757 , which meets at Hemel Hempstead , has 26 members . The Gresham Lodge , No . 86 9 , which meets at the Great House , Cheshunt , has 37

members ; and the King Harold , No . 1327 , Four Swans , Waltham Cross , 100 members . There are two lodges at Rickmansworth—the Wilson lies , No . 2054 , and the Rickmansworth , No . 2218—which muster between them over 40 members ; while the

Cranbourne , No . 1580 , Hatfield , and the Kingswood , No . 2278 , Broxboume , have 35 and 40 members respectively . We think an effort might be made by some of these and others that might be named to promote the formation of R . A . chapters in their

Masonic Notes.

respective localities . At present there are , or rather were at the beginning of the present year , only 156 R . A . Masons to 912 Craft Masons , or , speaking roundly , about one of the former to six of the latter .

* * * The same remarks apply , but even to a greater degree , to the Mark lodges , which are five in number , and muster in all just 75 subscribing members amongst them , or rather less than one Mark Master

Mason to every 12 Craft Masons . We are of opinion that here also there is a great need for extension . The Mark , though it forms no part of Masonry as defined by the Book of Constitutions , is an exceedingly popular degree , and worthy of receiving every encouragement . There is a Prov . G . Mark Lodge ,

which was constituted in June , i 885 , with Bro . Halsey M . P ., as Prov . G . M . Master , and considering that the ruler is as popular in his Province as the Degree is throughout the jurisdiction of the Mark Grand Lodge , we are not a little surprised at its receiving so small a measure of support from the Hertfordshire Craft Masons .

* * * A meeting of the Board of Stewards for the approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys will be held at Freemasons' Hall on Monday , the 10 th instant , at 5 p . m ., when the Festival Committee will submit their report and the allotment of seats at the Banquet Tables will be made .

* * * In the May number of the Canadian Craftsman will be found two very interesting articles from the pen of our worthy Bro . John Yarker . One of them is entitled " Pre-Grand Lod ge Masonry in Scotland , " in which he treats of the Degree question and quotes

from the Schaw Statutes and other authorities in support of his views , while the other treats of " The Ancient Elders of the Craft , " in which he makes an attempt to determine the position and character of these worthy personages . We can strongly commend these articles to the notice of our readers by whom we feel sure they will be appreciated .

••* We have received copy of the Report of the Proceedings of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Quebec , which held its 24 th annual convocation in the Masonic Hall , Montreal , on the 29 th January , under

the presidency of Comp . H . L . Fuller , M . D ., Grand First Principal Z , In the course of his address , Comp . Fuller referred in terms of the deepest sym . pathy to the loss which the British Empire had sustained by the death of Queen Victoria , and also to the

accession of her son to the throne as King Edward VII . He also reviewed the position of Royal Arch Masonry in the jurisdiction , and congratulated the Grand Chapter on the substantial progress which had been made during the year . There are 11 chapters on the roll , and allowing that No . 10—from which the

Returns do not appear to have been received—has the same number of subscribing members as in the previous year , there are some 618 Royal Arch Masons , as compared with 553 at the close of the year 1 S 99 . The Grand Principals for the current year are Comps . George O . Stanton , G . Z . ; J . Bruce Payne , G . H . ; and C . P . O'Connor , G . J .

* # * It will be seen from a report we publish elsewhere that last week Bro . Sir Charles Dalrymple , Bart ., Past G . Master Mason of Scotland , and Prov . G . Master of Argyllshire and the Isles , was recently presented with a

handsome testimonial subscribed for by the lodges and brethren of the Province over which he has presided so happily and successfully for more than a quarter of a century . There is no prominent Scottish Mason who better merits such a recognition of the valuable services he has rendered not only to this particular Prnvince . but nlsn . n _ -. p _ . t-. ist . Frf . pma . nnru in n . na ., 1 -- -- — — * \ ii \ ai

..... , _ . --. -..-... . _ -.-.... v . .,... j . . . ^ .., , and we most warmly congratulate both the donors and the respected recipient on the evidence thus furnished of the kindly and fraternal feelings existing between them . * *

We sympathise most deeply with Bro . J . G . Stevens in the loss he has sustained by the death , on Friday , the 31 st ult ,, of his wife . Mrs . Stevens had been ill for some time , but it was only a few days before her decease that any apprehensions as to her ultimate

recovery began to be felt . The blow will be all the more severe as Bro . Stevens was looking forward to the pleasure of celebrating his golden wedding in the course of the next few months . We tender our most respectful condolence to him and his family in their bereavement .