Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Inauguration Of A New Provincial Grand Lodge For The Isle Of Man.
r- "' — . — ¦ I-l -I ¦¦ - its Right Worshipful Grand Master , may go on in its Masonic career , prospering and to prosper , carrying with it the best wishes of all who are true Masons at heart * , and of all those who , like myself , have had the honour and pleasure of coming for the first time to the Isle of Man , and who appreciated the kindness with which we have been met , and the heartiness of your reception . I therefore trust that you will unite with me in drinking the toast
of the Grand Officers of the province ; and in wishing them every success and prosperity in carrying out their duties , in the success and prosperity of which , let me say , the success of the Provincial Grand Lodge will , I trust , be assured . ( Applause . * ") Let me couple with the toast the name of the brother who fills here to-day the office to which he has been so worthily
appointed—the name of our Bro . Heron , the Deputy Provincial ( jrand Master . ( Cheers . ) ¦ •• The DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER responded in suitable terms , and afterwards gave the toast of " The Visitors , " coupled with the names of Bros . Pierpoint and A . N . Laughton , both of whom also responded .
Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON gave the toast of "The Insular Lodges , ' and in doing so said that the lodges of the Isle of Man had turned out many good and true Masons , and , no doubt , if they only continued in the way in which they had gone on so far , some oi them would be numbered among le with the toast the
the Grand Officers of England . He would coup name of Bro . T . H . Nesbitt , the Prov . Grand Secretary , and Master of the Athole Lodge . Bro . Nesbitt was most popular throughout the Island , and he was sure that that brother ' s zeal would add greatly to the success of the new province . ( Cheers ) .
The toast having been honoured , Bro . NESBITT , in responding , said As the W . M . of the senior lodge in the Isle of Man under the English Constitution , and as the official representative of that lodge on the present occasion , I rise to return our thanks for the hearty and very enthusiastic reception accorded to the toast of the Insular lodges , which has just been submitted to you by our distinguished Bro . Richardson . I can assure you that to Insular
we appreciate the compliment which has been paid our lodges , and I think I can safely say , on behalf of my colleagues , the W . M . 's of the other lodges , and ' also on behalf of the officers and members of the lodges which we represent , that no effort shall be wanting on our part to assist the Prov , Grand Master and his Deputy in making this Provincial Grand Lodge a success and a power in Masonry . It is true that none of
our Insular lodges can be traced to a very remote period of antiquity , but , during the time that has elapsed since the formation of the Athole Lodge , in 1864 , some little good and useful work has been done , although I am fain to confess that that little might have been materially increased . Now , however , that we have been constituted into a * province , it is anticipated that this inauguration meeting-, and the proceedings of this day , interesting and
eventful as they have been , will be stimulative of courage , faithfulness , and zeal , with a view to a more enlarged sphere of practical usefulness , particularly in connection with the great central Masonic Charities . I am not disposed to under-rate the difficulties consequent upon adopting this policy of local centralisation ; but I believe that , in theory and practice , these difficulties , with tact and good management on the part of those placed in authority
over us , will only be of a conventional nature and may be surmounted . A correspondent in Science Gossip mentioned some little time ago , finding a deserted bird ' s nest in which a little bee had taken up its abode and built a waxen cell therein . Some will , no doubt , consider this bee an ideal insect , but most of us will perceive that if the various hives broke up into such solitary workersthere would be no honey at all . Now , our Insular lodges
, have to some extent hitherto occupied a similar position . The individual lodge , especially in our contracted sphere in this Island , can do very little practical work , and its efforts , no matter how laudable they are , scarcely ever produce a commensurate result ; it is only by effective union , combined organisation , and the best of government , that the lodge becomes an effective worker , and makes it power for good felt ; and for this purpose , without
aggregation and conbined action , our lodges can do as little for the great Masonic Charities as the bee in its solitary cell . Now , however , to carry the simile a little further , with the formation of St . Germain's Lodge , of Peel , the hexagonal structure has been completed and the province constituted under most auspicious circumstances ; and we fervently hope that our lodges will swarm successfully , that great good will result to the cause
of Masonry , which we all have so much at heart , and that not only win individual brethren and individual lodges continue to work in their private capacity , but that they will concentrate their energies into a wider channel and become corporate patriotic workers in the province . Brethren , I again thank you most heartily for the kindly feeling manifested in the reception of the toast of the Insular Lodges . ( Applause . )
Bro . the Rev . E . FERRIER * . I rise as a good Mason always does , when he is ordered to do so , without a word , to propose the next toast , but before I proceed to that toast I should very much like , with your permission , to say a word or two with respect to the observations which have been made with respect to Freemasonry in the Isle of Man . I do not know that I am ri-rht in saying this , but I believe I am the oldest Manx Mason , or very
nearly so , in this room . I can , therefore , go further back than some ol those who have addressed you this evening . I can remember lodges at Peel and Castletown under the Irish Constitution , and I can also remember a lodge in Douglas under the Scotch Constitution . I frequently visited that lodge when I was a much younger man than I am at present , and I believe it was owing to the Irish Lodge at Castletown that we tided through the great to l
difficulties which arose in Douglas with respect Freemasonry . ean assure you that , when I joined it , Masonry here had got to the very lowest ebb . We worked through difficulties and troubles , and then it came about that Doug las presented herself in ; the foremost rank , and at once Masonry seemed to gain a new and charmed life , and the Order at once commenced to blossom . No one was more delighted than I was to see that work carried
on , and I am glad to say , with respect to the work which has been going on , that it has culminated in the establishment of the Provincial Grand Lodge to-day . And I can assure Bro . Philbrick , who has addressed us in such good and kind words to-day , that there is no danger , so far as I can see of Freemasonry being used for any other than good , useful and Masonic purposes in the Isle of Man on account of the proceedings of to-day . ( Applause . ) I assure him and the other Grand Officers that Masonry had
assumed such proportions in the Isle of Man that it was absolutely necessary that there should be some addition made to the structure , in order that there might be free vent given to the energy which was pent up in the hearts of many Masons here . They felt , as you have so eloquently expressed it , that they should have an opportunity of distinguishing themselves amongst the Masons on the other side . I trust this will be the sp irit which will animate the brethren here , so that
Inauguration Of A New Provincial Grand Lodge For The Isle Of Man.
- — * — * -- *' we shall have some of our number—I speak not for myself , years are coming upon me—but I do hope to see some of the younger brethren here officers of the Grand Lodge of England . ( Applause . ) They have shown themselves capable to work here . 1 thought it right to state this , because I wish the Grand Officers who have come from England , not to think this is merely an idea which is to have an ephemeral existence , but that it will last for
many years . It will grow and extend itself , and the result will show that we are determined that the work shall proceed on pure Masonic grounds and principles , and we will have it that Freemasonry shall be respected and loc-ked up to in the Isle of Man . ( Applause . ) Having said this much in respect to what has passed , I now turn to the toast I have to propose , and I can assure you that the principles of Masonic Charity are well-founded in
our hearts . We know all the Charities of the Island ; but what we wish the residents here to know is of the existence of , and the grand work done by , those Masonic Charities which are carried on throughout the world . I am not here to give any statistics with respect to those organisations . I have a brother here by my side who is well up in all that is necessary to state here , and he will tell you sufficient to let it be known that Masonry
does not exist purely for the purpose of wearing vestments , and to meet together occasionally ; but that there is real , honest , and tre work going on which blesses those who take a share in it , and those also who share in the benefits of the Charities . I hope and trust that we will show that we are in earnest ourselves by contributing to those Charities , so that the work may
become thoroughly known in our midst . We hear about certain things being the strongholds of Masonry , of Insular lodges and Grand Lodges , and grand speeches and toasts . Away with them , if we have not that which is the most essential portion of Masonry—I mean Charity . If we have not , in our working machinery , something whereby we can do good to others ; more , if we have it not in all of us to determine that the work shall be
carried on unitedly , "foot to foot , knee to knee , breast to breast , " and back to back—if we do not have it in us to carry on the work which God blesses most earnestly with all His might and all His power , the work of doing good to the Institutions we have , in relieving those in poverty , and of
winning that prize which we know is the greatest that can be given to any man , " Inasmuch as ye did it to the least of these my brethren ye did it unto me , " —( cheers)—if we do not do this we had better not exist . I give you the toast of " The Masonic Charities , " and I couple with that the name of Bro . Matthews , who knows all about them .
The toast was duly honoured . Bro . MATTHEWS * . As this will be about the last speech of the evening , I will make it as brief as possible , though our brother who proposed the toast has so put it that I could go on for an hour before I could give you all the particulars . But I will not do anything of the kind . I will tell you , shortly , that the subscriptions to our three great Masonic Charities amount , roundly ,
to the sum of £ 51 , 000 per annum . ( Applause . ) We have the Old Men and Women's Charity , and many annuitants , I do not remember the number , receive something like £ 36 a year each . We have our Boys' School , consisting of about 220 or 230 boys , which will shortly be raised to 270 ; but as to the Girls' School , on the managing Committee of which Bro . Richardson and myself happen to be , I can speak more particularly . There are in that
school 243 girls . In that and in the Boys School all the children are the offspring of Freemasons who , from some reason or other have been reduced in circumstances , and I may tell you that I have known the daughters of three or four personal and intimate friends of my own who have passed from this world and left little or nothing behind , who have been in this School . So far as that School is concerned , I may tell you that it is one which gives the
very best education that could possibly be given to any girl —( hear , hear)—and I can say the same of the Boys' School . Last year we passed 18 out of 20 girls through the Cambridge Local Examinations . We sent up four girls for the senior examination there , and three of them passed . The examination is a very stiff one , I can assure you . I should not like to attempt it myself , though I have been to school . ( Laughter . ) I do not think it necessary to give more particulars than these ; but I may express the hope
that we on the different Committees of these Schools may find the names of the lodges or brethren from the Isleol Man on our subscription lists , and that also , if necessary , and that I hope it will not be , that we shall receive some children from the Isle of Man into our Schools . I know that there they would receive a good education , and be properly looked after . I thank Bro . Ferrier for what hc has said about the Charities , and I hope the good words that he has spoken will bear good fruit . ( Applause . )
The PROV . GRAND SENIOR WARDEN : By a strange oversight we have passed over what I consider to be " the toast of the evening . " That is rather a trite saying , and it has been used pretty often this evening ; but I think I have the truth on my side . The toast I have to propose is that of " The Grand Secretary of England , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke . " ( Loud cheers . ) The worthy brother who has just spoken has given us some details
as to the Masonic Chanties , and in doing that he has afforded me a little text for the few words I shall trouble you with . When Bro . the Grand Secretary was here two years ago , I laid before him a case of Masonic distress of which I had intimate knowledge , owing to the death of an old friend . By i the rules of the Order , the children of this brother were not entitled to any relief ; but within a month of his conversation with me I received from the Grand Secretary a very handsome cheque towards the
relief of the destitute children whose case I laid before him . ( Applause . ) I simply mention this fact to show that in this instance , as well as in many others which I will not now trouble you with , Bro . Clerke has acted in a worthy manner , and in a way which entitles him to the gratitude of Manx Freemasons —( applause)—and I am sure that in proposing his health I put before you a toast which will be the most popular of the evening . ( Applause . )
The toast was drunk , and cheers given for the popular Grand Secretary , who thanked the brethren for the good feeling towards him which they had displayed . The proceedings were shortly afterwards wound up , thus closing what will be a red-letter day in the annals of Manx Freemasonry .
We may here state that Bro . ] . C . Bradshaw has taken a number of very successful portraits of some of the distinguished brethren who visited the Island last week . Amongst the pictures is a large group containing portraits of Bros . Major J . S . Goldie-Taubman , Beach , Philbrick , Stanhope , and Col . Shadwell H . Clerke . There are also single portraits of Bros .
Beach , Major J . S . Goldie-Taubman , Philbrick , and Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , as well as of the following officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire ; Bros . Forrester , P . P . G . D . ; Foote , P . G . T . ; Barrowi P . G . D . ; Murray , P . G . D . C ; and Goodacre , P . G . S .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Inauguration Of A New Provincial Grand Lodge For The Isle Of Man.
r- "' — . — ¦ I-l -I ¦¦ - its Right Worshipful Grand Master , may go on in its Masonic career , prospering and to prosper , carrying with it the best wishes of all who are true Masons at heart * , and of all those who , like myself , have had the honour and pleasure of coming for the first time to the Isle of Man , and who appreciated the kindness with which we have been met , and the heartiness of your reception . I therefore trust that you will unite with me in drinking the toast
of the Grand Officers of the province ; and in wishing them every success and prosperity in carrying out their duties , in the success and prosperity of which , let me say , the success of the Provincial Grand Lodge will , I trust , be assured . ( Applause . * ") Let me couple with the toast the name of the brother who fills here to-day the office to which he has been so worthily
appointed—the name of our Bro . Heron , the Deputy Provincial ( jrand Master . ( Cheers . ) ¦ •• The DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER responded in suitable terms , and afterwards gave the toast of " The Visitors , " coupled with the names of Bros . Pierpoint and A . N . Laughton , both of whom also responded .
Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON gave the toast of "The Insular Lodges , ' and in doing so said that the lodges of the Isle of Man had turned out many good and true Masons , and , no doubt , if they only continued in the way in which they had gone on so far , some oi them would be numbered among le with the toast the
the Grand Officers of England . He would coup name of Bro . T . H . Nesbitt , the Prov . Grand Secretary , and Master of the Athole Lodge . Bro . Nesbitt was most popular throughout the Island , and he was sure that that brother ' s zeal would add greatly to the success of the new province . ( Cheers ) .
The toast having been honoured , Bro . NESBITT , in responding , said As the W . M . of the senior lodge in the Isle of Man under the English Constitution , and as the official representative of that lodge on the present occasion , I rise to return our thanks for the hearty and very enthusiastic reception accorded to the toast of the Insular lodges , which has just been submitted to you by our distinguished Bro . Richardson . I can assure you that to Insular
we appreciate the compliment which has been paid our lodges , and I think I can safely say , on behalf of my colleagues , the W . M . 's of the other lodges , and ' also on behalf of the officers and members of the lodges which we represent , that no effort shall be wanting on our part to assist the Prov , Grand Master and his Deputy in making this Provincial Grand Lodge a success and a power in Masonry . It is true that none of
our Insular lodges can be traced to a very remote period of antiquity , but , during the time that has elapsed since the formation of the Athole Lodge , in 1864 , some little good and useful work has been done , although I am fain to confess that that little might have been materially increased . Now , however , that we have been constituted into a * province , it is anticipated that this inauguration meeting-, and the proceedings of this day , interesting and
eventful as they have been , will be stimulative of courage , faithfulness , and zeal , with a view to a more enlarged sphere of practical usefulness , particularly in connection with the great central Masonic Charities . I am not disposed to under-rate the difficulties consequent upon adopting this policy of local centralisation ; but I believe that , in theory and practice , these difficulties , with tact and good management on the part of those placed in authority
over us , will only be of a conventional nature and may be surmounted . A correspondent in Science Gossip mentioned some little time ago , finding a deserted bird ' s nest in which a little bee had taken up its abode and built a waxen cell therein . Some will , no doubt , consider this bee an ideal insect , but most of us will perceive that if the various hives broke up into such solitary workersthere would be no honey at all . Now , our Insular lodges
, have to some extent hitherto occupied a similar position . The individual lodge , especially in our contracted sphere in this Island , can do very little practical work , and its efforts , no matter how laudable they are , scarcely ever produce a commensurate result ; it is only by effective union , combined organisation , and the best of government , that the lodge becomes an effective worker , and makes it power for good felt ; and for this purpose , without
aggregation and conbined action , our lodges can do as little for the great Masonic Charities as the bee in its solitary cell . Now , however , to carry the simile a little further , with the formation of St . Germain's Lodge , of Peel , the hexagonal structure has been completed and the province constituted under most auspicious circumstances ; and we fervently hope that our lodges will swarm successfully , that great good will result to the cause
of Masonry , which we all have so much at heart , and that not only win individual brethren and individual lodges continue to work in their private capacity , but that they will concentrate their energies into a wider channel and become corporate patriotic workers in the province . Brethren , I again thank you most heartily for the kindly feeling manifested in the reception of the toast of the Insular Lodges . ( Applause . )
Bro . the Rev . E . FERRIER * . I rise as a good Mason always does , when he is ordered to do so , without a word , to propose the next toast , but before I proceed to that toast I should very much like , with your permission , to say a word or two with respect to the observations which have been made with respect to Freemasonry in the Isle of Man . I do not know that I am ri-rht in saying this , but I believe I am the oldest Manx Mason , or very
nearly so , in this room . I can , therefore , go further back than some ol those who have addressed you this evening . I can remember lodges at Peel and Castletown under the Irish Constitution , and I can also remember a lodge in Douglas under the Scotch Constitution . I frequently visited that lodge when I was a much younger man than I am at present , and I believe it was owing to the Irish Lodge at Castletown that we tided through the great to l
difficulties which arose in Douglas with respect Freemasonry . ean assure you that , when I joined it , Masonry here had got to the very lowest ebb . We worked through difficulties and troubles , and then it came about that Doug las presented herself in ; the foremost rank , and at once Masonry seemed to gain a new and charmed life , and the Order at once commenced to blossom . No one was more delighted than I was to see that work carried
on , and I am glad to say , with respect to the work which has been going on , that it has culminated in the establishment of the Provincial Grand Lodge to-day . And I can assure Bro . Philbrick , who has addressed us in such good and kind words to-day , that there is no danger , so far as I can see of Freemasonry being used for any other than good , useful and Masonic purposes in the Isle of Man on account of the proceedings of to-day . ( Applause . ) I assure him and the other Grand Officers that Masonry had
assumed such proportions in the Isle of Man that it was absolutely necessary that there should be some addition made to the structure , in order that there might be free vent given to the energy which was pent up in the hearts of many Masons here . They felt , as you have so eloquently expressed it , that they should have an opportunity of distinguishing themselves amongst the Masons on the other side . I trust this will be the sp irit which will animate the brethren here , so that
Inauguration Of A New Provincial Grand Lodge For The Isle Of Man.
- — * — * -- *' we shall have some of our number—I speak not for myself , years are coming upon me—but I do hope to see some of the younger brethren here officers of the Grand Lodge of England . ( Applause . ) They have shown themselves capable to work here . 1 thought it right to state this , because I wish the Grand Officers who have come from England , not to think this is merely an idea which is to have an ephemeral existence , but that it will last for
many years . It will grow and extend itself , and the result will show that we are determined that the work shall proceed on pure Masonic grounds and principles , and we will have it that Freemasonry shall be respected and loc-ked up to in the Isle of Man . ( Applause . ) Having said this much in respect to what has passed , I now turn to the toast I have to propose , and I can assure you that the principles of Masonic Charity are well-founded in
our hearts . We know all the Charities of the Island ; but what we wish the residents here to know is of the existence of , and the grand work done by , those Masonic Charities which are carried on throughout the world . I am not here to give any statistics with respect to those organisations . I have a brother here by my side who is well up in all that is necessary to state here , and he will tell you sufficient to let it be known that Masonry
does not exist purely for the purpose of wearing vestments , and to meet together occasionally ; but that there is real , honest , and tre work going on which blesses those who take a share in it , and those also who share in the benefits of the Charities . I hope and trust that we will show that we are in earnest ourselves by contributing to those Charities , so that the work may
become thoroughly known in our midst . We hear about certain things being the strongholds of Masonry , of Insular lodges and Grand Lodges , and grand speeches and toasts . Away with them , if we have not that which is the most essential portion of Masonry—I mean Charity . If we have not , in our working machinery , something whereby we can do good to others ; more , if we have it not in all of us to determine that the work shall be
carried on unitedly , "foot to foot , knee to knee , breast to breast , " and back to back—if we do not have it in us to carry on the work which God blesses most earnestly with all His might and all His power , the work of doing good to the Institutions we have , in relieving those in poverty , and of
winning that prize which we know is the greatest that can be given to any man , " Inasmuch as ye did it to the least of these my brethren ye did it unto me , " —( cheers)—if we do not do this we had better not exist . I give you the toast of " The Masonic Charities , " and I couple with that the name of Bro . Matthews , who knows all about them .
The toast was duly honoured . Bro . MATTHEWS * . As this will be about the last speech of the evening , I will make it as brief as possible , though our brother who proposed the toast has so put it that I could go on for an hour before I could give you all the particulars . But I will not do anything of the kind . I will tell you , shortly , that the subscriptions to our three great Masonic Charities amount , roundly ,
to the sum of £ 51 , 000 per annum . ( Applause . ) We have the Old Men and Women's Charity , and many annuitants , I do not remember the number , receive something like £ 36 a year each . We have our Boys' School , consisting of about 220 or 230 boys , which will shortly be raised to 270 ; but as to the Girls' School , on the managing Committee of which Bro . Richardson and myself happen to be , I can speak more particularly . There are in that
school 243 girls . In that and in the Boys School all the children are the offspring of Freemasons who , from some reason or other have been reduced in circumstances , and I may tell you that I have known the daughters of three or four personal and intimate friends of my own who have passed from this world and left little or nothing behind , who have been in this School . So far as that School is concerned , I may tell you that it is one which gives the
very best education that could possibly be given to any girl —( hear , hear)—and I can say the same of the Boys' School . Last year we passed 18 out of 20 girls through the Cambridge Local Examinations . We sent up four girls for the senior examination there , and three of them passed . The examination is a very stiff one , I can assure you . I should not like to attempt it myself , though I have been to school . ( Laughter . ) I do not think it necessary to give more particulars than these ; but I may express the hope
that we on the different Committees of these Schools may find the names of the lodges or brethren from the Isleol Man on our subscription lists , and that also , if necessary , and that I hope it will not be , that we shall receive some children from the Isle of Man into our Schools . I know that there they would receive a good education , and be properly looked after . I thank Bro . Ferrier for what hc has said about the Charities , and I hope the good words that he has spoken will bear good fruit . ( Applause . )
The PROV . GRAND SENIOR WARDEN : By a strange oversight we have passed over what I consider to be " the toast of the evening . " That is rather a trite saying , and it has been used pretty often this evening ; but I think I have the truth on my side . The toast I have to propose is that of " The Grand Secretary of England , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke . " ( Loud cheers . ) The worthy brother who has just spoken has given us some details
as to the Masonic Chanties , and in doing that he has afforded me a little text for the few words I shall trouble you with . When Bro . the Grand Secretary was here two years ago , I laid before him a case of Masonic distress of which I had intimate knowledge , owing to the death of an old friend . By i the rules of the Order , the children of this brother were not entitled to any relief ; but within a month of his conversation with me I received from the Grand Secretary a very handsome cheque towards the
relief of the destitute children whose case I laid before him . ( Applause . ) I simply mention this fact to show that in this instance , as well as in many others which I will not now trouble you with , Bro . Clerke has acted in a worthy manner , and in a way which entitles him to the gratitude of Manx Freemasons —( applause)—and I am sure that in proposing his health I put before you a toast which will be the most popular of the evening . ( Applause . )
The toast was drunk , and cheers given for the popular Grand Secretary , who thanked the brethren for the good feeling towards him which they had displayed . The proceedings were shortly afterwards wound up , thus closing what will be a red-letter day in the annals of Manx Freemasonry .
We may here state that Bro . ] . C . Bradshaw has taken a number of very successful portraits of some of the distinguished brethren who visited the Island last week . Amongst the pictures is a large group containing portraits of Bros . Major J . S . Goldie-Taubman , Beach , Philbrick , Stanhope , and Col . Shadwell H . Clerke . There are also single portraits of Bros .
Beach , Major J . S . Goldie-Taubman , Philbrick , and Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , as well as of the following officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire ; Bros . Forrester , P . P . G . D . ; Foote , P . G . T . ; Barrowi P . G . D . ; Murray , P . G . D . C ; and Goodacre , P . G . S .