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CONTENTS . PAGi LBADHRThe Province of West Yorkshire ... ... ... ... 66 Masonic Veteran Associations ... ... ... •••... 06 ; Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland ... ... ... ( 56

Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex ... ... ... ... 66 ; Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwickshire ... ... ... ... 66 ; Provincial Grand Chapter of Dorset ... ... ... ... 66 ; Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Dorset ... ... ... ... 66 C Consecration of the United Service Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners , No . 6 9 ... 66 ; Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 66 7

MASONIC NOTESConsecration of the Devonian Lodge ... ... ... ... 66 c Annual Convocation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Warwickshire ... 66 g Presentation of Lodge Banners ... ... ... ... 66 c , Meeting of the Grand Committee of Grand Lodge of Scotland ... 66 c

Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 67 c Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ' ... 67 c Instruction ... ... ... ... ... — ... 672 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 672 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 673 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 673 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 674 Knights Templar ... ... ... ... ... ... 674 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 67 G

Tee Province Of West Yorkshire.

TEE PROVINCE OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

Bro . the Right Hon . W . L . JACKSON , M . P ., must have experienced more than the usual amount of pleasure at meeting his Officers and brethren at Barnsley at the recent half-yearly communication of his Prov . Grand Lodge . The year , if it has

not been exceptionally brilliant , has been one of steady and substantial progress . The work that has been done has been good honest work , of which even a larger Masonic community might in reason be proud . The lodges have discharged their duties to the satisfaction of their respected chief and to their

own credit , and if the Province has not signalised itself in any special manner , we must bear in mind that even strong bodies such as West Yorkshire is rightly held to be cannot be

always distinguishing themselves ; it is enough for us to know that it has ' acquitted itself well and loyally to the principles of the Craft .

The last occasion on which Prov . G . Lodge met at Barnsley was in the year 18 79 , when the late Bro . Sir HENRY EDWARDS , Bart ., Prov . G . M ., presided , and was supported b y his Deputyand subsequently his successor in office—the late Bro . T . W .

TEW , J . P ., and in the very interesting address which he delivered , Bro . JACKSON took the opportunity of giving a brief historical sketchof Masonryinthetown . From this it appearsthatthepresent Friendl y Lodge , No . 1513 , under whose auspices the meeting

was held , was the third of its name , the first Friendly Lodge having been warranted in 1816 , and erased from Grand Lodge roll in 18 32 , having made no payment of dues since 1825 . The second was warranted on the 1 st October , 1842 , a few months

prior to the death of H . R . H . the Duke of SUSSEX , M . W . G . M ., and was erased on 3 rd December , 18 57 . The third and present Friendl y Lodge , which was warranted as No . 1513 , in December ,

18 74 , has had greater good fortune , and it must be a source of satisfaction to Bro . E . NSOR DRURY , who installed the first VV . Master , Bro . J SUTTON , one of the founders , and Bro . HENRY SMITH , Past D . P . G . M ., who was present at the consecration , to realise that the lodge then inaugurated is in so prosperous a state , with a Royal Arch chapter attached , which the Prov . Grand Master congratulated on being so well furnished with members .

Having thus complimented the Barnsley brethren , the Prov . u . Master reviewed the events of the year , referring in the first Place to the important function which had taken place at Leeds ,

Tee Province Of West Yorkshire.

when the Earl of WARWICK , Dep . G . Master , did the Province the honour of laying the corner-stone of the Masonic Hall now in course of erection in that city , and then to the mark of esteem and respect shown to Bro . W . C . LUPTON , when the brethren

presented him , on his appointment to office as J . G . Deacon of England , with his Grand Lodge clothing . In referring to this , the Prov . G . Master dwelt at considerable length on the important services which Bro . LUPTON had rendered to the

Province , more especially during the years he had presided as Chairman of the Provincial Charity Committee . Bro . JACKSON also referred in terms of sympathy to the sad accident which had befallen his Deputy , and which for the time being

incapacitated that officer from discharging the duties of his important office . However , it must have been some consolation to the brethren to hear that Bro . WILSON was progressing satisfactorily .

Complimentary reference was also made to the admirable manner in which Bro . W . WATSON is performing his work as Honorary Librarian of the Prov . Grand Lodge , and to his recent acquisition of yet another valuable copy of the " Old Charges . "

As regards the further proceedings we are pleased to note . that Bro . W . BLACKBURN was in a position to report satisfactorily of the work done during the year by the Charity . Committee of which he is Chairman . He mentioned that the

contributions to the Central Charities reached £ 2881 , against which , however , he urged them to bear in mind that the Province had received in the shape of benefits from those Institutions ^ 2725 , so that he considered it their duty to subscribe even

more liberally than they had done in the past . They had also contributed £ 46 7 to the Transvaal Fund , and £ 185 to the West Yorkshire Fund , the latter sum being , in his opinion , far below what it should have received . That Bro . BLACKBURN ' S opinion , as

that of the brother who is intimately acquainted with the needs of West Yorkshire both locally and generally , is one which it behoves the brethren to follow is beyond question . Still , we

consider that a Province which has disbursed upwards of £ 3500 in a single ordinary year has , as we have already said , acquitted itself well and loyally , and we heartily congratulate the lodges and brethren of the Province on this latest evidence of their good work .

Masonic Veteran Associations.

MASONIC VETERAN ASSOCIATIONS .

Until recently there was not a Masonic Veteran Association in England , though several of these excellent Institutions have been formed and widely patronised in the United States of America during the last 25 years . The first of the kind was organised in the State of Connecticut on June 17 th , 1871 , the originator being Bro . Robert C . Naramore , now of Sing Sing , New York , and the " King Hiram , " No . 12 , of Birmingham , Conn ., was

the lodge under whose auspices the premier meeting was held . This memorable gathering was attended by a number of aged brethren , the combined ages of the oldest seven being 5 S 3 years , so that it was a most fitting commencement of one of the most remarkable Masonic Societies of this century ; American in origin , but destined also to be popular on this side of the " big pond , " as its peculiar merits and advantages become better known .

The founder , when Master of " King Hiram Lodge , was present in an official capacity at the funeral of a lamented brother , and read the solemn burial service in the presence of some veteran Freemasons who had asked to be allowed to attend , though not in a lodge for 30 years . Bro . Naramore

seems to have thought as much about the living as the dead , and determined that long and honourable service in the Craft should be recognised whilst the Veterans are with us , as well as when " they have joined the majority , " so it was then and there that the" Connecticut Veteran Association " was born .

¦* " Twenty-five years ' standing as Master Masons" is still required for eligibility to membership in this the parent Society . The second Association was started in New York by Bro . Daniel Sickles ( a well-known and esteemed Craftsman ) , the date stated of the first meeting

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The Freemasons ' Calendar J Pocket Book for 1901 , Price 2 \ -, Ready Early in December ,