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Article TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page 1 of 1 Article INITIATIONS UNDER THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND. Page 1 of 1 Article INITIATIONS UNDER THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND. Page 1 of 1 Article INITIATIONS UNDER THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Table Of Contents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
PAGE INITIATES UNDER GRAND Lonr ,:-, OF SCOTLAND 433 REVIEWSMy Last Love 434 Freemasonry ... ... ... ... ... 434 THE "HENRY PRICE" CONTROVERSY 434 FREEMASONRY AND THE LAWS OF THE L AND 434 GRAND LODGE 435 & 436
THE CRAFTMiddlesex and Provincial 437 ROYAL ARCHMetropolitan .. 437 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES , AND DEATHS 43 S ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 43 S THE FORTUNES OF WAR 438
MULTUJI IN PARVO 439 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE"A Country P . M . " and "Scotch v . English Freemasonry ... ... ... ... 439 Scotch Masonry : 439 Bro . Paton and the 1717 Theory 44 c
Cosmopolitanism and sectarianism ... ... 440 PRESENTATION TO BRO . GARNETT , LODGE 1239 , SHEFFIELD 440 & 44 1 ORDERS OF CHIVALRYRed Cross of Rome and Constantine 441 K . H . S 441 FREEMASONS'LIFEBOAT 341
AN URGENT APPEAL 341 ACACIA LODGE , NO . 1314 442 ANTIQUITY OF FREEMASONRY 442 6 : 443 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 443 POETRY" Are Maconnes gudder Men than odhers ? " 443 Faith , Hope and Charity ... ... ... 443 Female Confidence in Masonry ... ... 443
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
INITIATIONS UNDER THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .
BY BRO . WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN . P . M . 131 , Prov . Grand Secretary Cornwall , &* c . Let it not be supposed that , in seeking improvement in our Masonic laws , that I want to exalt one Grand Lodge at the
expense of another . " Far be from its any such intention ! ' My efforts have mainly been to promote the increase of dues for initiation , because I believe lozv fees arc productive of much mischief in lodges
frequently . It will be generally admitted that the adoption of so low a charge as one guinea for initiation is much too small a sum , and that for all practical purposes there may as well be no amount payable at
all , seeing that the candidates would , no doubt , in many cases give more to the funds of the lodge of their own accord , and that such a sum is no proof of social status
whatever . A candidate is required to he able to support himself by a profession or occupation , or be in affluent circumstances , so that the charitable institutions of our
Order may not be a motive for his joining when in partial poverty . Hence , I take it , the initiation fee is made in England to be at least four pounds ( inclusive of registration fee and certificate ) , not only to aid the funds
of the lodge , and thereby charity , but also to be partially a criterion of the financial state of the candidate , as the payment of
the ///// sum must be made on the same evening of introduction into Freemasonry , and cannot be deferred on any pretext whatever .
The Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England A . D . 1867 require that "No person shall be made a Mason for less than three guineas , exclusive of the registering fee ; nor shall a lodge , on any pretence , remit or
defer the payment of any part of this sum " ( viz ., four pounds in all ) . This sum is thought by many to Le low , as persons join from unworthy motives , who , by
dint of saving , accumulate that amount ; and they have accordingly in their lodges raised the fee for initiation from four pounds to ten guineas , in some cases to fifteen , and even a few as high as twenty pounds , and
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
still higher ! We heard a complaint only the other day of a man being initiated who was a labourer in receipt of fourteen shillings per week . Now , I do not state this man ' s character is open to objection—for it
is less open to objection than the characters of several who are in receipt of sums to which this small amount is as nothing—but merely to express my opinion that Freemasonry is not for such men at all . There are the numerous excellent benefit societies
— like the Odd Fellows , Rechabites , Foresters , Sons of Temperance , Good Templars , Druids , & c . —open to them ; and offer many safe inducements for their wages to be invested in their securities , which are generally of a high order .
The " Constitutions of Grand Lodge of Ireland " ( latest edition , 1858 , and corrections ) provide that the lowest sum for initiation for a " country , foreign , or military man " be two pounds five shillings ;
but for persons resident in Dublin four pounds five shillings . " Nor shall a lodge , on any pretence , remit , repay , refund , or defer the payment of the whole or any part
of these respective sums . " The Grand Lodge of Scotland in the Laws and Constitutions A . D . 1848 and A . D . 1866 declare that the law for initiations be as follows
" IV . No candidate for the Apprentice Degree shall be initiated in any lodge for a smaller sum than twenty-one shillings , exclusive of the Grand Lodge dues of registration , being 5 s . and 66 . of the sum
specified in cap . xvi ., section 1 ; neither shall payment of these sums , or any part thereof , be , on any pretence whatever , remitted or deferred . " Now , what we ask is this : Why should the Grand Lodge of Scotland continue such a low fee for
initiation ? I have known persons take a journey into Scotland from England , receive the three degrees in one night , and return , with a balance left in their pocket from what it would have cost them in their
own country ! A case only lately was brought under my notice where the person so initiated was positively unfit for membership socially and morally . He became a bankrupt almost immediately
afterwards , and , as to his character , I had better say nothing here , as the few who imagine Freemasons to be infallible would be horrified at the disclosure . I do not mention these facts to bring any Grand
Lodge into disrepute , especially the Grand Lodge of Scotland , of which I have the honour to be a member ; but my remarks are intended to show the evils practically of the present system . It is true some
lodges are an exception to the rule of low fees . A member of No . 420 , Simon ' sTown , South Africa , states that his lodge ' s fees are nine pounds ; "there are no refreshments , & c , so that there are quite sufficient
funds in hand to gratify the benevolent impulses of the lodge " ( FREEMASON , August 27 th , 1870 ) . I honour the lodge and the members for such an arrangement , and , like them , entirely object to the free
banquets in lodges paying , only about twenty shillings annual subscriptions , or less . But to the point , is No . 420 a fair specimen of the lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland ? It may be for those abroad ,
but is it so in Scotland ? Long letters have appeared in THE FREEMASON , telling a very different tale . I do not know the writer of these , but , if not correct , let the
proof be forthcoming . How many lodges pay annual subscriptions in Scotland , and what are the amounts contributed by the various lodges for Masonic charities ? Let Bro . , of No . 420 , discover the answers to these questions , and then he will
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
agree with me in my observations and support the attempts of a few to secure a better state of things , not in Scotland only , but in England as well . For information to lay before the Fraternity , I have searched the by-laws of
several lodges under the Scottish Constitution , and below is the result . I do not care to give the names of the lodges in print , but will furnish them privately to any brother much interested in the question on sending me his name , address , and Masonic
position : enough , they are representative of the oldest and best lodges in Scotland : — ; Annual For initiationonly . For threedegrees . subscriptions £ s . d . £ s . d . ( if any ) .
a 3 3 ° IOS- 6 d . b 3 3 ° 2 Sc 3 3 ° n'ld 3 3 ° n'L e 1 17 6 (!) 2 14 6 2 s . 6 d . / 2 TO o doubtful .
g 276 2 S . h 250 2 S . i 220 4 s . j 220 is . k 2 1 o doubtful .
I 220 „ m 200 2 S . 6 d . II 1 6 6 (!!) 220 is . o 1 12 6 (!) nil . p 1 n 6 (!) nil .
q 1 11 o (!) IS . r r 6 6 (! !) 1 15 6 nil . s 1 6 6 (! !) nil . Out of these nineteen lodges in Scotland , no less than seven charge under two pounds for the initiation of a candidate , and actually five
under two pounds for the three degrees ! the lowest sum charged for the whole Craft degrees being No . s , viz ., £ 1 6 s . 6 d . !! These lodges are mostly composed of members of what is called the " better classes , " or there would be a
much larger proportion under two pounds for the three degrees . Several I have quoted are of the oldest , most nourishing , and influential in all Scotland , and therefore my readers will see that the complaint of too low fees for initiation in Scotland is well founded .
The annual subscriptions are even 111 a worse state than the initiation fees , being merely nominal , and frequently no annual subscriptions are paid at all ! Surely , it is high time to suggest and desire improvement ! One of the best managed Grand Lodges ire
the world is the Grand Lodge of Ireland , either as respects the Craft Regulations or the excellent " Council of Rites " for what are termed the " higher degrees . " One law especially , if adopted in Scotland and England , would be found of much benefit , and tend to prevent the
ill effects resulting from the present system of initiation of strangers , without due inquiry : " 100 . A lodge shall not initiate into Freemasonry any person who is not a resident in the town , village , or neighbourhood in which the lodge into which he seeks to be admitted holds its
meetings , until due inquiry shall have been made of such lodge or lodges as may exist in the neighbourhood of his residence , respecting the character of the applicant for admission , under a penalty of forfeiting , for the first offence , the admission fee . If the offence be repeated , the
warrant of the offending lodge shall be suspended during the pleasure of the Grand Lodge . "Ahiman Rczon , Grand Lodge of Ireland . ( Dublin , 1858 , corrected to 1869 , page 63 ) . A similar law is in force in several provinces in England , including West Yorkshire ,
Leicestershire , and Cornwall ; but the regulation is so good that it should be binding on all lodges , and not simply provinces , as the laws of one province have no effect in another province , and hence an unsuitable candidate rejected in a province has been received in the one adjoining , to the regret of all rightthinking Masons , and brought
disgrace on the Fraternity . In the hope that the attention of brethren interested in the progress of our noble and ancient Craft may be directed to the important subject of lodge dues , we conclude these remarks by again stating our opinion has been expressed freely in the hope that good may result .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Table Of Contents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
PAGE INITIATES UNDER GRAND Lonr ,:-, OF SCOTLAND 433 REVIEWSMy Last Love 434 Freemasonry ... ... ... ... ... 434 THE "HENRY PRICE" CONTROVERSY 434 FREEMASONRY AND THE LAWS OF THE L AND 434 GRAND LODGE 435 & 436
THE CRAFTMiddlesex and Provincial 437 ROYAL ARCHMetropolitan .. 437 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES , AND DEATHS 43 S ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 43 S THE FORTUNES OF WAR 438
MULTUJI IN PARVO 439 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE"A Country P . M . " and "Scotch v . English Freemasonry ... ... ... ... 439 Scotch Masonry : 439 Bro . Paton and the 1717 Theory 44 c
Cosmopolitanism and sectarianism ... ... 440 PRESENTATION TO BRO . GARNETT , LODGE 1239 , SHEFFIELD 440 & 44 1 ORDERS OF CHIVALRYRed Cross of Rome and Constantine 441 K . H . S 441 FREEMASONS'LIFEBOAT 341
AN URGENT APPEAL 341 ACACIA LODGE , NO . 1314 442 ANTIQUITY OF FREEMASONRY 442 6 : 443 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 443 POETRY" Are Maconnes gudder Men than odhers ? " 443 Faith , Hope and Charity ... ... ... 443 Female Confidence in Masonry ... ... 443
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
INITIATIONS UNDER THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .
BY BRO . WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN . P . M . 131 , Prov . Grand Secretary Cornwall , &* c . Let it not be supposed that , in seeking improvement in our Masonic laws , that I want to exalt one Grand Lodge at the
expense of another . " Far be from its any such intention ! ' My efforts have mainly been to promote the increase of dues for initiation , because I believe lozv fees arc productive of much mischief in lodges
frequently . It will be generally admitted that the adoption of so low a charge as one guinea for initiation is much too small a sum , and that for all practical purposes there may as well be no amount payable at
all , seeing that the candidates would , no doubt , in many cases give more to the funds of the lodge of their own accord , and that such a sum is no proof of social status
whatever . A candidate is required to he able to support himself by a profession or occupation , or be in affluent circumstances , so that the charitable institutions of our
Order may not be a motive for his joining when in partial poverty . Hence , I take it , the initiation fee is made in England to be at least four pounds ( inclusive of registration fee and certificate ) , not only to aid the funds
of the lodge , and thereby charity , but also to be partially a criterion of the financial state of the candidate , as the payment of
the ///// sum must be made on the same evening of introduction into Freemasonry , and cannot be deferred on any pretext whatever .
The Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England A . D . 1867 require that "No person shall be made a Mason for less than three guineas , exclusive of the registering fee ; nor shall a lodge , on any pretence , remit or
defer the payment of any part of this sum " ( viz ., four pounds in all ) . This sum is thought by many to Le low , as persons join from unworthy motives , who , by
dint of saving , accumulate that amount ; and they have accordingly in their lodges raised the fee for initiation from four pounds to ten guineas , in some cases to fifteen , and even a few as high as twenty pounds , and
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
still higher ! We heard a complaint only the other day of a man being initiated who was a labourer in receipt of fourteen shillings per week . Now , I do not state this man ' s character is open to objection—for it
is less open to objection than the characters of several who are in receipt of sums to which this small amount is as nothing—but merely to express my opinion that Freemasonry is not for such men at all . There are the numerous excellent benefit societies
— like the Odd Fellows , Rechabites , Foresters , Sons of Temperance , Good Templars , Druids , & c . —open to them ; and offer many safe inducements for their wages to be invested in their securities , which are generally of a high order .
The " Constitutions of Grand Lodge of Ireland " ( latest edition , 1858 , and corrections ) provide that the lowest sum for initiation for a " country , foreign , or military man " be two pounds five shillings ;
but for persons resident in Dublin four pounds five shillings . " Nor shall a lodge , on any pretence , remit , repay , refund , or defer the payment of the whole or any part
of these respective sums . " The Grand Lodge of Scotland in the Laws and Constitutions A . D . 1848 and A . D . 1866 declare that the law for initiations be as follows
" IV . No candidate for the Apprentice Degree shall be initiated in any lodge for a smaller sum than twenty-one shillings , exclusive of the Grand Lodge dues of registration , being 5 s . and 66 . of the sum
specified in cap . xvi ., section 1 ; neither shall payment of these sums , or any part thereof , be , on any pretence whatever , remitted or deferred . " Now , what we ask is this : Why should the Grand Lodge of Scotland continue such a low fee for
initiation ? I have known persons take a journey into Scotland from England , receive the three degrees in one night , and return , with a balance left in their pocket from what it would have cost them in their
own country ! A case only lately was brought under my notice where the person so initiated was positively unfit for membership socially and morally . He became a bankrupt almost immediately
afterwards , and , as to his character , I had better say nothing here , as the few who imagine Freemasons to be infallible would be horrified at the disclosure . I do not mention these facts to bring any Grand
Lodge into disrepute , especially the Grand Lodge of Scotland , of which I have the honour to be a member ; but my remarks are intended to show the evils practically of the present system . It is true some
lodges are an exception to the rule of low fees . A member of No . 420 , Simon ' sTown , South Africa , states that his lodge ' s fees are nine pounds ; "there are no refreshments , & c , so that there are quite sufficient
funds in hand to gratify the benevolent impulses of the lodge " ( FREEMASON , August 27 th , 1870 ) . I honour the lodge and the members for such an arrangement , and , like them , entirely object to the free
banquets in lodges paying , only about twenty shillings annual subscriptions , or less . But to the point , is No . 420 a fair specimen of the lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland ? It may be for those abroad ,
but is it so in Scotland ? Long letters have appeared in THE FREEMASON , telling a very different tale . I do not know the writer of these , but , if not correct , let the
proof be forthcoming . How many lodges pay annual subscriptions in Scotland , and what are the amounts contributed by the various lodges for Masonic charities ? Let Bro . , of No . 420 , discover the answers to these questions , and then he will
Initiations Under The Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
agree with me in my observations and support the attempts of a few to secure a better state of things , not in Scotland only , but in England as well . For information to lay before the Fraternity , I have searched the by-laws of
several lodges under the Scottish Constitution , and below is the result . I do not care to give the names of the lodges in print , but will furnish them privately to any brother much interested in the question on sending me his name , address , and Masonic
position : enough , they are representative of the oldest and best lodges in Scotland : — ; Annual For initiationonly . For threedegrees . subscriptions £ s . d . £ s . d . ( if any ) .
a 3 3 ° IOS- 6 d . b 3 3 ° 2 Sc 3 3 ° n'ld 3 3 ° n'L e 1 17 6 (!) 2 14 6 2 s . 6 d . / 2 TO o doubtful .
g 276 2 S . h 250 2 S . i 220 4 s . j 220 is . k 2 1 o doubtful .
I 220 „ m 200 2 S . 6 d . II 1 6 6 (!!) 220 is . o 1 12 6 (!) nil . p 1 n 6 (!) nil .
q 1 11 o (!) IS . r r 6 6 (! !) 1 15 6 nil . s 1 6 6 (! !) nil . Out of these nineteen lodges in Scotland , no less than seven charge under two pounds for the initiation of a candidate , and actually five
under two pounds for the three degrees ! the lowest sum charged for the whole Craft degrees being No . s , viz ., £ 1 6 s . 6 d . !! These lodges are mostly composed of members of what is called the " better classes , " or there would be a
much larger proportion under two pounds for the three degrees . Several I have quoted are of the oldest , most nourishing , and influential in all Scotland , and therefore my readers will see that the complaint of too low fees for initiation in Scotland is well founded .
The annual subscriptions are even 111 a worse state than the initiation fees , being merely nominal , and frequently no annual subscriptions are paid at all ! Surely , it is high time to suggest and desire improvement ! One of the best managed Grand Lodges ire
the world is the Grand Lodge of Ireland , either as respects the Craft Regulations or the excellent " Council of Rites " for what are termed the " higher degrees . " One law especially , if adopted in Scotland and England , would be found of much benefit , and tend to prevent the
ill effects resulting from the present system of initiation of strangers , without due inquiry : " 100 . A lodge shall not initiate into Freemasonry any person who is not a resident in the town , village , or neighbourhood in which the lodge into which he seeks to be admitted holds its
meetings , until due inquiry shall have been made of such lodge or lodges as may exist in the neighbourhood of his residence , respecting the character of the applicant for admission , under a penalty of forfeiting , for the first offence , the admission fee . If the offence be repeated , the
warrant of the offending lodge shall be suspended during the pleasure of the Grand Lodge . "Ahiman Rczon , Grand Lodge of Ireland . ( Dublin , 1858 , corrected to 1869 , page 63 ) . A similar law is in force in several provinces in England , including West Yorkshire ,
Leicestershire , and Cornwall ; but the regulation is so good that it should be binding on all lodges , and not simply provinces , as the laws of one province have no effect in another province , and hence an unsuitable candidate rejected in a province has been received in the one adjoining , to the regret of all rightthinking Masons , and brought
disgrace on the Fraternity . In the hope that the attention of brethren interested in the progress of our noble and ancient Craft may be directed to the important subject of lodge dues , we conclude these remarks by again stating our opinion has been expressed freely in the hope that good may result .