Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cumberland And Westmorland.

pass over without special notice . Next year would be the Jubilee of the R . M . B . I ., and if the province would only support a scheme he ( Bro . McKay ) had consulted the Charity Committee upon , much good would result from it , and no more suitable time could have been selected than the 25 years of his lordship ' s reign and the Jubilee Festival of the Benevolent Institution . The scheme was to purchase a presentation in the R . M . B . I ., to be called the Bective Presentation , and he now moved that the same be fully considered at the next meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge .

Several brethren spoke favourably of the scheme , and notice of motion was ordered to be entered accordingly , with a recommendation from Bro . Rev . H . D . RAWNSLEY , P . P . G . Chap ., that all the lodges in the province be written to anent the same .

Bro . DALRYMPLE , Secretary for the Cumberland and Westmorland Masonic Educational Fund , read a report of the doings for the year of its adoption , which showed that all the lodges , chapters , and conclaves had unanimously adopted the scheme , and had promised to support the same , and as an evidence of the latter , nearly all the lodges in the province had either from the lodge funds or private subscriptions handed in a list creditable to all . The grand total had reached the handsome sum of £ 174 . is ., and with little effort .

One member from each lodge was then elected to serve on the Committee , and seven lodges ( as per By-law 24 ) had the right to nominate a member to serve . Bro . John Mills was unanimously elected Treasurer to the Fund , and Bro . Dalrymple , Hon . Sec . Bro , MILLS gave notice of motion that the title of the Fund be for the future " Educational and Benevolent Fund . "

Provincial Grand Lodg-e was then closed , and the brethren were marshalled in processional rank to the parish church , where Bro . Rev . J . S . OSTLE , M . A ., P . P . G . Chap ., preached an excellent sermon from St . Luke x . and 29 , the procession was re-formed and marched back to the King ' s Arms , and subsequently to the Market Hall , where a banquet was served by mine hostess , Mrs . Martin , of the Lion and Lamb Hotel , worthy of the highest praise . The Deputy Prov . Grand Master having to leave by an early train , Bro

McKay , P . G . Sec , presided , supported by the Prov . Grand Chaplains and the W . M . of 327 on the right , and Bros . Lamonby and Mills on the left , with the Prov . Grand Wardens west and south . The usual 103 'al toasts were given from the chair . The first Masonic toast— "The M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince o Wales ; the Pro G . M ., the Earl of Lathom ; the Deputy G . M ., the Earl of

Mount Edgcumbe ; and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past "was proposed by Bro . W . F . LAMONBY , P . S . G . W . Victoria , who said that he desired to be permitted the expression of the assumption that the honour of proposing" the toast could not have fallen into more appropriate hands ; this he observed more from the fact that he was a Past Grand Officer from a sister Constitution 13 , 000 miles away . But , though they had in the Colony

of Australia thought fit to cut the painter cord that bound them to their mother Grand Lodge of England , he could assure them that no body of Masons could possibly express a greater affection and veneration for the Grand Lodge of England than did the various Colonial Grand Lodges . The best proof of this was the fact that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was the Grand Patron of Masonry in all the Australian Colonies where there was a Grand Lodge , and he could further inform them that that was a toast that

preceded all others at their Masonic gatherings . He coupled the toast with the name of their president of the evening—Bro . G . J . McKay , G . Std . Br . of England—and he ( Bro . Lamonby ) assured them that he read in the English papers with the greatest possible pleasure and gratification the announcement that H . R . H . the M . W . G . M . had been graciously pleased to honour Bro . McKay with the purple of Grand Lodge , because there was no other who had worked harder or better deserved the reward , for more than 20 years he had done good work .

Bro . MCKAY replied for Grand Lodge , and thanked Bro . Lamonby for his kind expressions of the fraternal spirit that existed between the Grand Lodge of England and Victoria , and hoped it would long continue to be so , and said he could assure our worthy brother that he was much pleased on being invested as a Grand Officer . Bro . LOACH proposed the toast of "The W . M . of 327 , Bro . Dr . White . "

Bro . WHITE briefly replied , and said he was pleased that Provincial Grand Lodge should have visited Wigton during his Mastership . The other toasts that followed were "The Visitors , " "The Masonic Charities , " and the Tyler ' s toast closed a most successful gathering .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF OXFORDSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held on Thursday , the 22 nd ult ., in the Apollo Masonic Hall , Frewcn-court , Oxford . The whole of the lodges in the province were represented , there being upwards of a hundred brethren present . The roll of the lodges was called , and the

minutes of the last annual Prov . Grand Lodge were read and confirmed . Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Grand Secretary of England , by the authority of the Prov . G . M ., Bro . the Earl of Jersey , attended and invested Bro . Viscount Valentia , P . G . W ., as Deputy Prov . G . M .

The PROV . GRAND SECRETARY made a report of the lodges in the province , which was satisfactory . The PROV . GRAND TREASURER made his reports and presented his accounts , which were duly passed , and he then moved grants from the funds of the Prov . Grand Lodge to the Masonic and other Charities .

The Prov . Grand Treasurer was unanimously re-elected , thanks being given to him for his services . The report of the Charity Committee was read and adopted , and Charity jewels were presented to Bros . W . R . Bowden , 340 and 1515 ; W . R .

Cooper , 599 ; F . H . Holmes , 1895 ; and G . S . Russell , 1399 . Bars for the jewel were presented to Bros . P . Colville Smith , 357 ; Capt . G . P . Airey , 340 ; and Rev . H . Adair Pickard and IT . O . Wakeman , of 357 . The DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER announced the consecration of a new lodge in the province at Burford , which would very shortly take place .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested the officers for the ensuing year as follows : Bro . P . Colville Smith , 357 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ S . J . Shipp , 340 ... ... ... Prov . T . G . W .

„ Rev . W . H . Hughes , 357 ... ... Prov . G . Chap . ,, W . G . Emberlin , 340 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ M . U . Weyland , 478 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ W . L . Morgan , 357 ... ... . ... Prov . G . Sec . ,, Dan Symes , 1515 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ Col . J . C . Lockwood , 1036 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ F . H . Clapper , 1703 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . ,, Viscount Doneraile , 357 ... ... Prov . G . D . C .

„ A . R . Lloyds , 1895 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ F . M . Davies , 478 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ W . Strange , 599 ... ... ... ) Prnv r < -., Rrc „ J . Tanner , 1763 j Prov . G . Std . Brs . ,, J . J . Turner , 340 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, A . Rowley , 340 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . ,, C . Bathurst , 357 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . ,, F . H . Holmes , 1895 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ E . H . Cartwrig ht , 357 ... ... ... "| „ Rhodes , J . W . 1 S 95

;; £ fe 57 ::: ::: ::: K- G . s ^ d , „ J . Freeman , 1399

„ E . J . Giles , 340 ... ... ... J „ G . R . Norwood , ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . The brethren afterwards adjourned to the banqueting room , where an excellent entertainment had been provided for them . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master presided , and the customary loyal and Masonic toasts were given .

Lodges Of Instruction: Their Uses And Defects.

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION : THEIR USES AND DEFECTS .

Read at a meeting of the Graystoue Lodge of Instruction , No . igiS , Whitstable , 29 th October , iSgi , by SIBERT SAUNDERS , P . M ., Prov . G . Stivd . Kent . Under a strong conviction that the value of a lodge of instruction as an important adjunct to every regular lodge is not fully estimated by the

brethren generally , I have ventured to put my ideas on the subject into writing in the hope that when communicated they may be discussed in such . a fraternal spirit as shall ultimately lead to a truer appreciation of the causes which at present prevent the lodge of instruction from , commanding warm and hearty support .

The importance of some system of instruction is admitted by all who value a correct and dignified rendering of the ritual , not only in conferring the several Degrees , but also in the ceremonies of opening and closing the lodge . The impression made upon a candidate for initiation or for the reception

of the subsequent Degrees ( the last of which , remember , we call " Sublime" ) will depend very much on the way in which the ceremonial is carried out . If the various officers do their work smartly , but with reverence and calm dignity , the candidate feels at once the reality of what he is being introduced into ; but if he is conscious that those who are bringing him into the

mysterious precincts of Freemasonry of which he has heard so much in the outer world , or who are guiding him up the symbolic steps to a higher Degree , play their part in a halting , uncertain , slovenly fashion , the high ideal he may have formed of the revelation that awaited him fades away , and he comes to the conclusion that , after all , Freemasonry is but a

commonplace affair , and such it will probably be to him ever afterwards , for first impressions are strong and lasting . But not only in its bearing on the candidate is proficiency on the part of the officers important . It is also of great value in keeping alive in the members the true spirit of enthusiasm for our secret arts and hidden mysteries . The mere opening and closing

of the lodge , well done , affords a constant opportunity to the thoughtful Mason for realising his privilege in being a member of a Society which has been inspired by Wisdom , is supported by Strength , and embellished by

Beauty . On the contrary , the frequent repetition of these ceremonies carelessly performed blunts his sense of their true meaning until in time he forgets that every part of our system has its symbolic teaching for the brother who can read it aright .

Nor is it alone for the officers present or prospective that instruction is needed . There is also much to be learnt by the brethren generally about the history and developmentof Freemasonry—about its relation to the great Operative Guilds of the Middle Ages on the one hand , and the ancient mysteries and philosophies on the other ; about the connection between the " Fraternity

of Dionysian Architects" of Tyre and our ancient brethren , the builders of the Temple of Solomon , and about the hig h teachings which speculative Masonry has evolved from the material work of the operative builders , and which is communicated to us in the symbolism of the Order . If Masons

generally were better acquainted with what has been written on these subjects , they would be able to take a more intelligent interest in the ceremonials of the Craft , and thus value more highly than they now do every opportunity of meeting in lodge .

My own opinion is very strong that information on the matters I have just referred to ought to be imparted in the regular lodge . That at least on those evenings when there is no ceremony connected with the conferring of Degrees an opportunity should be given lor some qualified brother to read an original essay or an extract from some reliable author on points connected with the principles and practice of Masonry .

But if it is not considered desirable to introduce this method of teaching into the regular lodge , then , certainly , information on these matters should somehow be communicated to the members of the lodge of instruction , otherwise what opportunity has the ordinary brother in the provinces of acquiring such knowledge ?