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Ar00905

^^^asgl SATURDAY , OCTOBER 16 , 18 97 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

A regular Quarterly Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury ( N . Z . ) was held at the Masonic Hall , Christchurch , on Thursday , the 15 th July , under the presidency of the new District G .

Master , Bro . R . Dunn Thomas . No business of importance was dealt with , but in the correspondence , which was read and approved , mention was made of a circular letter addressed by order of the Dist . G . Jl . to the Worshipful Masters of lodges in his jurisdiction calling attention to the recent addition to Article 189 ,

Book of Constitutions , which requires that brethren initiated under other Constitutions , before joining an English lodge , shall make a declaration in open lodge of ooedience lo the Grand Master and the rules and regulations of Grand Lodge . It was further ordered that the said addition should be entered in the minutes of the lodges for future reference .

The Pacific Mason having mentioned the case of a lather and three sons being members of one and thc same lodge in Seattle , thc last of thc latter to join the Order having the Third Degree conferred upon him by the three who had preceded him , the Saturday Mail ol

Boston caps the statement by nnnrttincimf that among the members of the lodge in . St . Martin , New Brunswick , are a father and live sons . The father , who was made in Ireland , has been a Mason 58 years , and Treasurer of the lodge ever since the time when he quitted the Master ' s chair , while his eldest son William

Masonic Notes.

is ils Secretary . Four of thc live sons are Past Masters , thc lifth , who is a master mariner , being unable , by the exigencies of his calling , to attend thc meetings of the lodge . It is further mentioned that eight years ago , when Bro . Walker , now Grand Master of New Brunswick , was presiding in

Grand Lodge , he was supported right and left by Bros . Henry DulTeld and Andrew Skillen , who had both of them been Masons for half a century . The former of these died a short while since , tbe latter is still hale and hearty , and is , with his five sons , still a member of St . ^ Martin ' s Lodge . # #

* Thc Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of North Dakota , held their annual meetings , thc former under thc presidency of Bro . William T . Perkins , G . Master , on the Sth and nth , and thc latter under Comp . Albert B . Merrick , G . P . H ., on the ioth June last . In both

cases we gather from the addresses delivered by the respective presiding officers and from the reports both statistical and financial that were presented , that Freemasonry in this jurisdiction is well established and its future prospects most encouraging . The Grand Lodge , of which Bio . Frederick M . Carothers is the

G . Master , has . 48 lodges on its roll with an aggregate subscribing membership of 2702 , while the G . Chapter , of which Comp . David E . Morgan is the new G . High Priest , has 14 chapters with 813 subscribing companions . Bro . and Comp . Frank J . Thompson is the G . Secretary of both bodies , and in the case of the Grand Lodge is reported to have made many valuable

suggestions concerning the library , the compiling of thc constitution , by-laws , resolutions and approved decisions , and the completing of thc Grand Lodge register In the Grand Chapter , Comp . Herrick , who presided and delivered thc customary address , complimented Comp . Thompson on being " an ideal Grand Secretary . " #

* * VVe have been requested to announce that tho annual meeiing of thc Provincial Grand Lodge of Cambridge will be held at Newmarket on Thursday , the iSth proximo , at thc invitation of thc Etheldreda Lodge , No . 2107 . Wc have every reason to believe that thc reports whicli will be then submitted will show that the past year has been a successful one .

* * » A respected correspondent takes exception lo a s ' . alcment which appeared some while since in our columns to the effect that thc " application " of the body calling itself the Grand Lodge of New Zealand " for recognition from our Grand Lodge was refused and

Masonry in the Colony has ever since been most bitterly divided against itself . " He considers the word " bitterly " should be deleted so far as the new organisation , of which he is a very distinguished member and in whose behalf he claims to speak . He says " In all our intercourse , and in all our publications we have most carefully refrained from any such spirit and we

do not think we have done anything to deserve such reproach . VVe have been careful to remember that our brethren heretofore , are those with whom shortly —when they will—the tie of Brotherhood will again unite us to each other and so endeavour—successfully , I think—to avoid any exhibition of rancour that we shall have to regret when the right hand of fellowship is extended to us . "

» » We do not doubt for a moment that our brother is sincere in his statement and that he firmly believes he is right in claiming for those in whose behalf he writes exemption from all sense of bitterness . Doubtless the leaders of the movement for establishing an independent

Grand Lodge in New Zealand would avoid all exhibition of ill-feeling against those who held aloof and refused to take part with them in the course they adopted . Yet thc "bitterness " may have existed to a very large extent among the general body of scceders . The statement which our correspondent makes is by

no means thc only one that has reached us as to the character of the feeling that divided the M isonic body in the Colony . Wc readily give credit to our brother and those with whom he acts for being influenced by the best of motives in what they did . We feel sure that when they set up thc banner of secession they thought they were acting for the best . Even the lower

motive of self-interest would impel them to act discreetly and with the utmost forbearance towards those I hey were snpnrnting themselves from . But we bad evidence at the time th . it Masonry in the Colony was ' bitterly divided against itself , " and we are glad to know that the feeling is dying out , though it may still continue to exist for a time in the minds of those who adhere to the old order of things .

Masonic Notes.

Wc repeal that we have the most perfect faith in thc sincerity of our correspondent ' s opinions , and wc can well believe ( hat he and those with whom he acted did everything in their power to avoid any expression of ill-will towards those f- 'om whom they differed . No doubt , too , they were as firmly convinced that in what

they did they were "acting aright , " but wc cannot go so far as to say that " events have justified " their action . In the fulness of time we shall probably see a Grand Lodge of New Zealand which has been recognised by our Grand Lodge , but it does not follow that because the newly-constituted body has gone on

increasing and multiplying , the course which its promoters took was the best that could have been taken , or that those who promoted the course which has since been adopted were thc right men . But whether thc course adopted was the best and the

leaders of thc movement the safest guides in a question of great delicacy , there can be no doubt that the harmony of Freemasonry in New Zealand was seriously disturbed by the establishment of the new body . * * *

Till the event took place , the three Constitution s worked together harmoniously . From time to time , no doubt , differences arose , but they were never of a serious character . When the new Grand Lodge was started , discord arose not amongst English , Irish , and Scottish brethren : but between them on thc one hand

and the seceders on the other . Moreover , as we well remember to have pointed out as a salutary warning before anything like a serious secession had been undertaken , there were many conflicting local interests to be thought of and safeguarded . In the Colonies of

South Australia , New South Wales , and Victoria , there was but a single District or Provincial Grand Lodge to be thought of ; in New Zealand there were some nine , of which five held under thc Grand Lodge of England , three under that oi Scotland , and one under that of Ireland .

* » * Is it to be wondered at that under these circum . stances there should be a difficulty in bringing all thes : various bodies each with its separate and distinct interests to look to into line and inducing them to adopt one uniform line of policy ? Hence , when thc

Grand Lodge of New Zealand was launched into being there were found to be only some 32 lodges which cast in their lot under its banner , nor does it in any way justify the action of the leaders of the secession when we find that thc 32 lodges now muster ilose on 120 , including those newly constituted , while

the lodges adhering to thc old system have very greatly diminished , so that there are now about one hall ol the English , Irish , and Scottish lodges than there were when the scheme for providing an independent Grand Lodge was first mooted . * * *

However , let us hope the time is not far distant when we shall find the Grand Lodge of New Zealand recognised , and the relations between its lodges and those of the English , Irish , and Scottish Constitutions of a friendly character . If , as we have before remarked ,

there was no difficulty in adjusting the differences between "Ancients" and "Moderns" in the early years of the present century , there ought to be no difficulty in adjusting the less serious and prolonged ditl ' erences existing in New Zealand .

* » » We regret exceedingly that in our recent report of the annual meeting , at Cardiff , of the Provincial Grand Lodge of South Wales ( E . D . ) , the name of Bro . F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , should have been

omitted . It will be in the recollection of our readers that Bro . Lord Llangattock , the Grand . Master of this Province , presided as Chairman at the Festival of this School in Jlay , when the donations and subscriptions exceeded X ' lO ^ ooo . Jt was t 0 exhibit his appreciation and that of the Committee of thc great service rendered to thc Institution by the Provincial Grand

Master on this occasion , that Bro . Hedges visited Cardiff in order to be present , and , as ill-luck would have it , his name was omitted altogether . Perhaps it may make some amends , to find that Lord Llangattock , referred in one of his speeches to the success of the Girls' School Anniversary held under his auspices and the pleasure he had derived from that success ,

BHO . LOHD RniiKKTS and his daughters have left Cortachy Castle , and gone on a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of Dufferin at Clandeboye . H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OK WALES and Princess Victoria are extending their stay at Copenhagen , and will not be back in England till next week .