Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons.

body . I--k e a ' * state'y " noble buildings , the English Mark Grand Lodge had been built up bit by bit ; it was no new fangled affair , turned out oick and span all at once . It begun vvith Lord Leigh as Grand Master , and went on till the Prince of Wales became Grand Master , and they had ail done as far as in their power lay to build up that beautiful structure which now existed , and which he thought vvould compare favourably with any

Order or Degree in Freemasonry . He remembered the time when Mark Grand Lodge met in a very humble room in Leicester-square , lent them by one who was their Grand Registrar . If they met to the number of a dozen they were fortunate ; but novv it took a very large hall to accommodate all who desired to be present . He vvould also remind the brethren that not only had the Celias or Maries of Argyle beamed into matured and

matronly comeliness , but they hoped also they vvould enjoy a respected old age- as they had reared a number of satellites vvhich would redound to their honour and be a source of great strength to them , such as the Allied Degrees . No one could be admitted to those Degrees' borders unless they had been first made Mark Masons . It gave him great pleasure to see amongst the company the Grand Master of the Royal and Select

Masters , Bro . J . Dalrymple Duncan , vvho was , he thought , with the exception of himself ( Canon Portal ) , the only Grand Master qf that Degree in Great Britain or Ireland . The P . Grand Master and all the brethren present vvere very glad to have him vvith them then . In conclusion , he assured the brethren that the Grand Officers vvould never be wanting in their efforts to conduce to the welfare of that Degree . The only difficulty they

felt was in thinking whether the number of members might become too numerous . They could not be too careful in their admission of members . They were a very select Body , of which every other Masonic body vvas proud , and to which every-one vvas glad to belong . Let them not fall into the common mistake of thinking that success depended on numbers . The Mark was not perhaps his first love , but it vvas his present love , and he vvas sure it would be his future love .

Canon PORTAL next proposed " The Deputy Grand Master . " In the presence of Lord Hertford it was perfectly useless to enlarge on his Masonic merits . All the brethren were well acquainted with them , which enabled him to do such good service , not only in London , but in the distinguished province over which he had the honour t . o rule . If there was anything to entitle to a hearty and cordial reception on the present occasion , it was that

he had kindly consented to take the chair at the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival , and he earnestly hoped that the contributions of the brethren on that occasion might be so large that they vvould enable the Fund to do something more than it at present did for aged and decayed Mark Masons . They did as much as they could for the boys' and the girls ' , they gave them an admirable education in their own towns , and clothed them . He did not

think they could do anything more for them ; if they could they would be glad to do it ; but he thought , with regard to the old men and women , they might do more . What they had given them was not so much as they might give , as their funds were increasing . He hoped the contributions under Lord Hertford's Chairmanship would be large enough to enable them to do more . He should feel himself altogether wanting in his duty if he did not draw the brethren ' s attention to the fact that there was one Grand Officer

among them who had followed the fortunes of the Mark Degree longer even than himself , and to whose consistent and persevering work through good and ill , much o £ their success was owing . It vvas the Grand Secretary he spoke of , Bro . Binckes , and in drinking , therefore , the health of the most worthy Chairman , and the Grand Officers , Past and Present . Although it would not be Bro . Binckes' duty to return thanks for the toast , the brethren would all bear in mind his services to Grand Mark Lodge .

The Marquis of HKRTFORD , in response , said he should not attempt to respond for more than himself . Being a young Mason , and a still younger Mark Mason , he should certainly have allowed , and requested an older Grand Officer to reply to the toast . He was very thankful to Canon Portal for what he had said with regard to the Grand Officers . He believed all the Grand Officers , Present and Past , wished to do their utmost for Mark

Masonry . He vvas also thankful for vvhat Canon Portal had said vvith regard to the coming Festival , and he hoped that every Mark Mason , hoth in London and the provinces , would do everything they could to make it a great success . The Mark Benevolent Fund was doing great and good work , and he could not help thinking that it vvas a right system on which they were going—giving the children a good

education : but without altogether taking away the responsibility of ^ e parent . ( Hear , hear . ) He could not help thinking that that was the r > ght way to act . It would be a great pity to take all responsibility off the Parents , and say do as you like , neglect them as you like , we will take 'hem up and do everything for their interest . Surely that vvould be a wrong principle , and Mark Masons vvere acting on the right princiole . out

) as Canon Portal had said , there vvere the aged , and he ( Lord Hertwd ) thought it the duty of Mark Masons to do good for them who had done well in the past ; when they had become decrepid and unable to get on , neir brethren should step in vvho were able to help them and make their reclining years as happy as possible . He asked the brethren to bear in ramd vvhat Canon Portal had said-to do all they could to make the

forthcoming Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund thoroughly satisfactory , not " y b y attending in large numbers at the dinner , but in contributing to the benevolent Fund in every way they could . t . Bro * F- BINCKES , G . Sec , who was loudly called for , said that he thought at the response of the distinguished brother who had just spoken would at , L ernec * sufficient to meet the requirements of all those who had gathered eve i ta k ' ' n suc ' * 2 numbers that evening . He had nothing whatu . J . toadd to the observations of their eood and distinguished Chairman .

\ ea ° ^ '• - * ' ng been associated with the Mark Degree for over 30 an , . . ' * - in its infancy , in this country , he and others could never have th at CI P f d they should see such results as had been brought before them 0 f gr ev ? c ^ . ' ^ ' °° ked back over those long years with a large amount see ft Cat . > ^ ' S laboured hard in the service of this Degree , and to touch ' n ° W m l ^ e P 03 ' 1 ' 011 ° f prosperity vvhich it enjoyed . It had done qUe ti In connection with Freemasonry ; it had established itself most un-— ^ ii \ ivmg w . an titsauppui t utat uuuiu iui

renri , J ¦ w ^ . uw . , pu ^ ^ uc he be ,. t 0 ll > and when he looked back on his long years of labour , might degree * e ( * t 0 sa ^ ^ hoped he had ^ one something in bringing the hear a ' * ttlose days , when the antagonistic influences vvere brought to Perity ^ o them , to the position they now saw it in—a position of prosover thn 1 w ' ^ ed to say one word that night . He could only look back Mark M S years in which he had laboured on behalf of the Degree of ¦ Woiil * f SOnry ' * P erhaps might be allowed to say at the present . ( No , uia "ot . He had a word to say . He withheld it ) . Might the

Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons.

Degree flourish ; might everything connected with it flourish ; and might Mark Masonry make us mark out the Masonic world as long as it lasted ! Bro . Baron DE FERRIERES proposed " Success to the Mark Benevolent Fund " in good wishes , to which he gave way to no one . He thought they might congratulate themselves , and they had adopted the system alluded to by the Marquis of Hertford of assisting poor brethren , a system which

was paramount in its aims , and also in its results . He should be very sorry to say one word against the system adoped by the Craft in thc noble Institutions they had fostered and supported so liberally , Those Institutions were doing a great and noble work , and no doubt when they were first initiated they were the only efficient methods by which the children of distressed Masons could realy receive benefits , but education , had made such

progress that the system adopted by Mark Masonry was one which must commend itself very much to those who took an interest in the rising generation . The Chairman had said that the responsibilities ought not to be taken away from the parents ; that deserved the most weighty consideration . He thought that the system of payment of the School fees , but leaving to the parents the responsibility of bringing up their children , and

seeing they went to a school near at hand , was one which must commend itself to a thinking person . The Mark was doing a good work . Hitherto fortunately it had stood so well that it had not been troubled with any distressed Masons , but as its ranks increased and years ran on it must needs be that many a Mason who began life , and especially his Masonic career , with a good prospect of success , might in these days of competition find

himself unexpectedly in undeserved distress and difficulty . Therefore , while the Mark Benevolent Fund paid the school fees of children and relieved Masons who called on them for assistance , he thought their grants should be increased . He did not object to a Charity dinner . Dinners did much good . Auctioneers , who vvere good judges , gave refreshment before

they sold from their rostrum . When they had had a good dinner they felt more liberally disposed , and were more apt to unloose their purse strings . All Charities had their Festivals , and they did well vvith them , He hoped thenext Festival would be a success and the largest amount of subscriptions proclaimed , to shew that Mark Masonry was indeed flourishing .

Bro . C . F . MATIER responded . He feared that after the appeals vvhich had already been made to the brethren on behalf of the Mark Benevolent Fund he could scarcely add anything to induce them to become subscribers for this year . It most fortunately happened to him that he was one of the managers of that fund , the management of vvhich was vested in the General Board , and his duties as Secretary of the Mark Benevolent Fund

were confined to increasing the number of Stewards , and thereby adding to the amount flowing year by year in the shape of annual subscriptions into the Coffers . Might he for one moment be allowed to say how much the Mark Benevolent Fund , as well as the Mark Degree itself , vvas due and owing to one brother who vvas called upon to respond for the Grand Officers—Bro . Binckes—one who when there vvas no special Secretary of the

Mark Benevolent Fund acted in that capacity , and so well and worthily raised and promoted by his energy and perseverance the success of that Fund . The Fund vvas established in 1869 , and the brethren vvere fortunate enough to have among them that night , in the person of Past Grand Master Canon Portal , the first Chairman of the Fund . In his year they had the large number of six Stewards , vvho , with the addition of the only

contribution ever voted from the General Funds of Mark Grand Lodge , produced the total of , £ 94 . Last year ( 1887 ) they had in the chair another Past Grand Master , Earl Amherst , who , with the assistance of 159 Stewards , produced the sum of ^ 2260 . It must to all be a source of great gratification to know how the Fund had increased . Let them hope they would all put their shoulders to the wheel to see that the Fund should increase in the

future , for , as the Deputy Grand Master said at the festival of the Grand Master ' s Lodge ol Instruction , he would not be satisfied with anything less than the largest Board of Stewards ever known , and the largest contribution ever announced , let him ( Bro . Matier ) tell him for his satisfaction that , while on the last occasion they had 159 Stewards , that night he had the pleasure of announcing that there were 151 Stewards , and another six

weeks more for brethren to come up as Stewards . Every one knew the funds were faithfully applied . The General Board had in their wisdom wisdom apportioned out one-third of the amount subscribed tothe Relief Fund , and that was voted on occasions of trouble and trial . In that way £ 2000 had been given away . The second vvas the Educational Fund , on which there were 26 children , and nearly ^ 300 was given for their education each year . In addition , they received on the ist ot the year £ 5 each for

clothing , to enable them to go respectable to school . For that addition they were indebted to Canon Portal . The third portion was given to the annuity , and that night it had been foreshadowed that that was going to be increased . He thought they could well afford to increase it , because when the Mark Degree saw the necessity for giving money they vvould never be behind hand in giving the Board the power . He felt pleasure in responding to that toast when he saw so many good and true friends come round the Fund to support it in the future as they had supported it in the past .

The Marquis of HERTFORD , in proposing "The Visitors , " said hospitality was one of the characteristics of Freemasons , and therefore they were always glad to see visitors at those gatherings . He was glad to welcome that evening some visitors from the Grand Lodge of Scotland . There

might be other visitors , but whoever they were the brethren vvere heartily glad to see them , and hoped they had received impressions to induce them to come on a future occasion . He would particularly ask the brethren to drink the health of all the visitors , and especially those from the Grand Lodge of Scotland .

Bro . DALRYMPLE DUNCAN , in reply , assured the brethren that the Scotch visitors felt it a very great honour to be present , and he felt it a very great honour to respond to this toast , which had been proposed in such kindly terms , and received vvith such cordiality of feeling . That was not the first occasion on which he had been present at the hospitable board of the Grand Mark Lodge of England . He thought that it was the third

time that he had responded to the toast of the visiting brethren at the Festival . He responded seven years ago when Lord Henniker vvas Grand Master , and two years ago when that distinguished Scotch Craftsman , the Earl of Kintore was in the chair . He was then full of hi gh hopes that the Mark Degree in Scotland vvould be put on a more satisfactory footing than that which it at present occupied , and with that view Lord Kintore and

himself succeeded in getting the Committees of Grand Lodge and Grand Chapterof Scotland appointed , which were to consider whether it would not be feasible to arrange for either of those two Grand bodies to have the sole right of working the Mark Degree , for as most of the brethren were aware , although possibly some might not be , both Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of Scotland had now the right oj