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SATURDAY , MARCH Q , IQOI .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , the 6 th '" stant , the chair being taken by Earl Amherst , M . W ' ro G . M ., at 2 p . m ., when the meeting commenced , and the voting for the office of Grand Treasurer was begun . At 6 p . m . the regular business

was dealt with . The most important item was l "c election of H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , K -C i Past M . W . G . M ., to be M . W . Grand Master , in Accession to his brother , King Edward VII ., now Protector of English Freemasonry , the announcement of 'he fact being received with the greatest ei > thusiasm .

Masonic Notes.

It may be interesting to -many of our readers to know that his Royal Hig hness was initiated in the Prince of Wales ' s Lodge , No . 259 , on the 24 th March , 1874 , the ceremony being performed by the Prince of Wales , who had been formally installed in office as

W . M . only on the 6 th January preceding . He was passed F . C . on the 23 rd June following , and was raised to the 3 rd Degree on the 27 th April , 18 75 , the day preceding that on which the Prince was installed M . W . Grand Master at the Royal Albert Hall , in the

presence of between Sooo and 10 , 000 brethren . The leading facts in his Royal Highness's career as a Mason are sufficiently well known , but it is , perhaps , worthy of mention that he and his brother , the late Prince Leopold , Duke of Albany , K . G ., were appointed

Senior and Junior Grand Wardens respectively , in 1 S 771 and that the only occasion on which the three Royal brothers were present in Grand Lodge together , was at the memorable meeting in 1882 ,. when a resolution

congratulating her late Majesty the Queen on her providential escape from the hands of an assassin . At that mee * ting the throne was occupied by the M . W . G . Master and the Wardens' chairs by the Dukes of Connaught and Albany .

* * * Doubtless , too , it will gratify our readers to know that during the whole of his career as a Mason the Duke has taken the greatest interest in our Charitable Institutions , and by graciously accepting the office of

Chairman at one or other of their Festivals has done what lay in his power to promote their welfare . His Royal Highness's first experience in this capacity was in 1878 , when he presided at the Boys' School Festival . In 1882 and again in 1892 he rendered a like service

to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , whilst the most recent and at the same time the most successful of his Chairmanships was in 18 97 , when he presided at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the total of the Donations and

Subscriptions ultimately amounted to upwards of £ 19 , 000 . Thus in our newly-elected M . W . G . Master we have not only a Prince of the Blood Royal with 27 years ' experience of Freemasonry , but also one who has already shown himself a generous well-wisher of our Institutions .

The contest for the office of Grand Treasurer , for which Bros . Captain John Barlow , P . M ., and Horace Brooks Marshall , P . M ., were nominated at the December Communication last year , resulted in the election of Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall , P . M ., by 1558

votes to 1213 votes given to his rival . We said last week that whichever of the two brethren should be elected , we were confident the office would be well and ably filled during the year 1901-2 , and thus , while we congratulate Bro . Marshall on his success , we sym - pathise with Bro . Capt . Barlow on his defeat .

» * * The Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held at Mark Masons , Hall on Tuesday , the Sth instant , under the presidency of the Earl of Euston , M . W . Pro Grand Master . As

our leaders know , the Duke of Connaughr , M . W . Past G . Master , was nominated at an Especial Grand Lodge on the 19 th ult . for the office of M . W . G . M . M ., in succession to his Majesty King Edward VII ., who is

Patron of the Degree , and it is hardly necessary to say that his Royal Highness was elected amid great enthusiasm . Bro . Harry Manfield was unanimously elected Grand Treasurer for 1901-2 .

We are indebted to the courtesy of Bro . Dr . Chetwode Crawley for an early copy of the Annual Report for 1900 of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , containing in full the Address delivered by Bro . Sir James Creed Meredith , Deputy Grand Master , at the stated

Communication held at Freemasons' Hall , Dublin , on the 27 th December ( St . John ' s Day in winter ) , 1900 . It is much to our regret that this lucid and able record of the doings of the Irish Craft during the past year is of such a length , occupying , as it does , well nigh 30 pages , that

we are unable to reproduce it in our columns in its entirety . However , there are several passages which will prove most welcome reading to all who are interested in the progress of Masonry in the United Kingdom , and who will learn with the utmost pleasure

that in the ( . losing year of the 19 th century the Craft in Ireland was in a most prosperous and happy condition . The principal event to which the Deputy Grand Master

refers is , necessarily , the voting of an Address by Grand Lodge , ind its presentation by the Duke of Abercorn and Bro . Sir J . C . Meredith to her late Majesty Queen Victoria , and her Majesty's gracious visit to the

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Female Orphan School , Dublin , which was founded in 1792 , and now provides education and maintenance for more than 100 children . * » . No one ever doubted that the Annual Festival of the

Emulation Lodge of Improvement on Friday , the 1 st instant , would prove a great success . But the success was , in all probability , far beyond what may have been anticipated , and it speaks well for the lodge and those who attend the meeting , in ever-increasing

numbers , year by year , that the first Festival in the new century should have surpassed its predecessors in the matter of attendance . It shows , in the first place , that the merits of what is commonly known as

" Emulation" working are being more and more appreciated , and that the number of those who desire to become familiar with that system is greater as its merits are more widely circulated among the Craft .

* * * As for the Festival itself , it is needless to say that the work in lodge was of the very highest order of excellence . The First Lecture had been chosen , and the whole of the Seven Sections were worked in a

manner which can best be described as faultless . After the refreshment which followed labour , and at which the Earl of Warwick , Dep . G . Master of England and Prov . G . Master of Essex , so ably and genially presided , there were the usual speeches

appropriate to such an occasion , and it is no mere empty compliment to say that they harmonised well with what had been done in lodge . Lord Warwick was especially happy in his estimate of the value of

the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , not only as a school of instruction in which the work is admirably and perfectly done , but also as one that the Craft can " turn to with respect and for example in the per- < formance of the ritual . "

Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., the Preceptor of the Lodge , was equally happy in his speech in acknowledging the toast of "The Emulation Lodge of Improvement , " more especially in what he said as to its being " the recognised standard of ritual" with

which other systems may be compared and , if need be , corrected . Its system never varies , and , moreover , it has " the stamp of authority . " Naturally , it was impossible for Bro . Sudlow to let the occasion pass without referring to the recent death

of Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W ., who , as he said , had held office in the Lodge for 3 8 years , firstly as Secretary , then as principal membjr of the Past Masters' Committee , and , lastly , as Treasurer :

nor could he have paid a higher or kindlier tribute of respect to the memory of that distinguished brother than in the few words with which he closed his reference : "I venture to say that it is impossible to exaggerate the greatness of that loss to Masonry . "

* * » That the subject of careful instruction in the ritual of Freemasonry is and has been , engaging a large share of attention must be manifest to all readers of the Freemason , not only through the many

reports we are publishing almost regularly week by week of lodge of instruction meetings , but more especially owing to the reports which appear in this week ' s issue of the Emulation Festival and the Festival of the Logic Club , which is , indeed , a lodge of

instruction , though it is not so named and is not organised on the same plan . But be these minor differences in name and form what they may , the object of both

lodges and clubs of instruction is to impart instruction in our ritual and both , therefore , deserve our most hearty support . * * »

The Logic Club has been some 20 years in exist - ence , and the high estimation in which it is held may be judged from the fact , announced at its recent anniversary , that it now has upwards of 200 members , and consequently finds itself under the necessity of

engaging or providing other and more commodious quarters . However , it has prospered so well in the past , thanks to the energy and zeal of its founders , of whom Bro . J . P . Fitzgerald alone survives , and the zeal and skill in imparting knowledge of Bro . Manuel ,

P . M ., its Preceptor , that we have every confidence that it will go on and prosper to a greater extent than ever . So long as it has capable instructors , and carries out its duties in accordance with asound system , the Logic

Club is certain to make its influence felt ; and it has our hearty congratulation on the success of its recent Festival , of which a full report appears in another column .