Ladies' Night At The Strong Man Lodge, No. .45.

LADIES' NIGHT AT THE STRONG MAN LODGE , No . . 45 .

The annual ladies' night given by the Strong Alan Lodge , No . 45 , vvas celebrated on the 2 nd inst ., at the Guildhall Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . William F . Bruty , W . AL Previously to the principal entertainment of the day , the regular February meeting of the lodge vvas held , when the W . AI . presided , anel all the officers vvere in their

places . Initiations , passings , and raisings hael been wiped off at an emergency meetintr a week earlier , so that there vvas nothing very special before the lodge in the shape of work . The brethren , however , did some very good business for Masonry , for Bro . Hunt , P . AL . who is standing as Steward for the lodge at the next Festival of the Royal

Alasonic Benevolent Institution , announced his intention to do so , and solicited the support of the brethren vvith such excellent effect that in the course of the evening he got 40 guineas on his list . Bro . H . T . Nell , P . AL and Secretary , to whom a handsome diamond stud was recently presented for his services to the lodge , vvas also very active , and made great exertions on behalf of the comfort of the members

and visitors . The lodge work being concluded , the lodge vvas closed , and the brethren proceeded to me-1 the ladies in the reception room . Shortly afterwards dinner was served , when there vvere present the following brethren and ladies : — Bro . Bruty , W . AL , Airs . Bruty , and Aliss Bruty j Bro . VV . H . Liddall , LP . AL , and Mrs . Liddall : Bro . G . G . Svmons , P . M ., D . C . ; Bro . W . A . S . Humphries , P . M .,

and Airs . Humphries ; Bro . h . H . Dove , P . M ., and Airs . Dove ; Bro . VV . Ball , P . AL , and Mrs . Ball ; Bros . H . T . Nell , P . M ., Sec ; R . Hunt , P . M . ; A . M . Whitby , S . W ., and Airs . A . M . Whitby j Bro . J . G . Cobb , J . W ., P . P . G . Stwd . Herts , P . AL 227 SJ Bro . Sammes , S . D ., and Airs . Sammes ; Bros . Langdon , J . D . ; VV . G . Alills , LG . ; Emerson , Org ., and Airs . Emerson ; Bro . B . S . Liddall , Treas ., and Airs . Liddall ; Bros . L . B . Liddall ,

F . S . Liddall , and Miss Liddall ; Bro . Tom Taylor , Stwd ., and Mrs . Taylor ; Bros . Cuer , Stwd . ; Jenkinson ; VV . C Virgo and Airs . Virgo ; Bro . E . Wareham , VV . AL 13 GG , and Airs . Wareham ; Bro . Leyton and Aliss Hewson , Bro . Henry Thorn and Airs . Thorn , ; Bro . J Aledcalf and Airs . Aledcalf , Bro . Pridmore and Airs . Pridmore , Bro . Broad and Airs . Broad , Bros . Cassop ; Pond Jones and Airs . Pond lonesj Bros . Armfield , Ashford , T . Smith ,

Stafford , Inchbold and Airs . Inchbold , Bro . Rees and Airs . Rees , Bro . Thornirroft and Airs . Thornicroft , Bro . Dennett and Airs . Dennett , Bro . Preager Flint and Aliss Flint , Bro . Read and Mrs . Read , Bros . H . Alassey , Bristow and Airs . Bristow , Bro . Harrison and Mrs . Harrison , Bro . Edmunds and Airs . Edmunds , Bro . Delmcs and Airs . Delmes , Bro . Alunday and Airs . Alunday , Bros . T . G . ALUs , Bromley Hall , E . AI . Hall , A . Hall , Durell and Airs . Durell , Bro .

Ockelford and Airs . Ockelford , Bro . Vidler and Airs . Vidler , Bros . Finch , Ingram and Airs . Ingram , Bro . Burgess and Airs . 'Burgess , Bros . VV . T . Clark , Alannelle and Airs . Mannel ' e , Mrs . Mannelle , senr ., and Miss Alannelle , and Bro . and Airs . Neave . The elinner , which vvas of a very choice description , vvas served uneler the direction of Bro . James Alarcham , Superintendent of the Guildhall Tavern , and vvas greatly enjoyed ,

it being admitted to be one of the nicest dinners the brethren and ladies had ever sat down to . The Stewards of the evening were unremitting in their attention , for the whole affair passed off most agreeably . At the close of the dinner a musical entertainment of an exceptionally superior quality was provided , in vvhich Bros . R . J . Harris , Henry Thom , Richard Evans , Aladame Adeline Vaudrey , Bro . Tom Taylor , Aliss Jessie Tillett ,

Aliss Alarie Stiven , and Bro . Tom Burjess took part , the several performances winning enthusiastic applause from the company . The toasts vvere very few , the evening having been intended to be devoted to amusements more congenial to ladies than speech-making . But some speeches were delivered , and though short , they were appropriate and well arranged .

The Wonsiiiri * L * i . MASTER , in giving the toast of "The Queen and the Craft , " said it would be received by the brethren and ladies as it was by the country at large—with enthusiasm , as they knew they had such a litlyon the throne who vvas a pattern to all ladies . TheWoKsiiii'i-ui . AI . vsTiru next gave "The M . W . G . M ., the Prince of VVales , K . G ., Sic . ; " the AI . VV . Pro Grand Alaster , the R . VV . Deputy Grand Alaster , and the

rest of the Grand Ofiicers , Present and Past . " It would not bc intciesting to tell the ladies the Alasonic quilities of all these distingu i shed brethren , but he might say they did their duty , and Alasons honoured them for so doing . Bro . W . H . L 11111 A 1 . L , LP . AL , proposed "The Health of the W . AL , Bro . William Fassett Bruty , " and in proposing it he said there was an old proverb— " That one ounce of discretion vvas worth a pound of wit" —and

as he hail no wit , he intended to use discretion . 'They all knew the reason he now rose : it was to propose the health of the Worshipful Master , and it needed no words of his to commend the toast to the company , liro . Bruty was very popular vvith the brethren , vvho were all very pleased to be vvith him as his guests , for vvere it not for the W . M . they would not be able to have a ladies ' night . He was sorry there was not a more able LP . M . to

propose the health of the VV . AL However , he knew that the brethren and ladies would j jin vvith him in wishing him a pleasant year . A foreign divine once dining with Dr . Chambers vvas asked by the doctor if he would take some kippered salmon . The foreign divine asked what kippered meant , and Dr . Chambers said "preserved . " When that foreign divine went away that evening he prayed that Dr . Chambers might be long kippered to the British Church .

He ( Bro . Liddall ) was sure that all the brethren and ladies wished that Bro . Bruty would long be kippered to the Strong Alan Lodge . The toast having been enthusiastically drunk , Bro . W . F . Bruty , W . AL , in acknowledging the toast , said he felt somewhat out ol pile- ; there . However , he vvas better when he rose to return thanks for the kind manner

in which Bro . Liddall proposed his health , and the very kind way in which the company received it . As had been said , " brevity was the sou' of wit , " and hi ; should 1 ) 3 very b i * : f He sincerely thanked them for drinking his health , and he trusted he should be " kippered" among the brethren for many years to come . They well knew he was a very dry subject at home , * he wanted a great deal of wetting there . However , he was very pleased to b ; in the position he was

Ladies' Night At The Strong Man Lodge, No. .45.

in that evening , presiding over such a numerous company . Two years ago when Bro . Dove , P . M ., inaugurated their IadieV nights , he ( Bro . Bruty ) never anticipated that he would be presiding then over such a gathering . Sometime ago it vvas thought the Strong Man Lodge and another lodge might join , and have a dance as well as a dinner , but from what he could see of the progress made in two years the Strong Man Lodge would be able to have a dance of its

own . He sincerely trusted that the incoming W . M . and those vvho would follow him would take that from him ( Bro . Bruty ) , and it vvas possible that next year the W . AL might have a dance as well as a concert . After an interval of a quarter of an hour in the coffeeroom the proceedings at the table vvere resumed , and the VV . M . said there vvas one little thing not on the programme vvhich would now be submitted to the company—the

presentation of a mark of respect to the Treasurer of the lodge , and he would call on Bro . Symons to say a few words . Bro . G . G . Symons , P . M ., D . C , then rose and said he had just been suddenly called upon to present a tokenvery small in itself—of respect to their worthy Treasurer . He dared say the brethren were aware—and those who were not aware he would tell—that Bro . Liddall , the Treasurer , vvas the father of the lodge—the oldest member of the lodge .

He could not tell them the date of the foundation of the lodge , but he might say it vvas considerably over 150 years . At the time the firing glass he vvas going to present to Bro . Liddall vvas made , the lodge was No . 53 , but the number had since been altered , and it vvas now 45 . He could not speak sufficiently of the excellent qualties of their worthy Treasurer ; he especially knew him well . He ( Bro . Symons ) vvas an old member , but Bro . Liddall vvas an

older . The brethren had made Bro . Liddall Treasurer of of the lodge—an honour seldom passed to a member of a lodge vvho vvas not a P . AL But for the many kindnesses the brethren had experienced from Bro . Liddall—among the greatest of them being his introduction of three sons to the lodge—sh * wing his appreciation of the lodge , the brethren made that presentation to him . Though the gift vvas small , it vvas well meant . It vvas not much in itself ;

but he had not any doubt that it would be prized by B . o . Liddall , as showing the brethren ' s leelings towards him ; and he sincerely wished Bro Liddall would live many years—that he would be many years " kippered , " as the I . P . M . had said , to the Strong Alan Lodge . Might he live long to be among them to think of that evening , and that that gift , though small , was handed to him vvith pleasure . Bro . LIDDALL , Treasurer , having accepted the gift , said

in accepting that glass , he could assure the brethren it would be a grand heirloom . He vvas father of the lodgethe oldest member ; but there vvas a strange paradox about it . Now , just fancy—his wife vvas sitting alongside him ; so , perhaps , she might pinch him ; yet at the same time he vvas in his mother lodge . Being father of the lodge—vvhat a grand thing it vvas lor one of the members of the lodge to think thit he vvas brought into the world the father instead

of the mother into his mother lodge ! Again , there vvas another thing ; if they noticed the initials ot his name" B . S . L ., " he had been B . S . L . all his life time , perhaps ; yet let them reverse those letters , and vvhat would they see ? " L . S . B . "—love , social , brethren . Such being the case , look , with what great pride he took that glass away . They might rest assured whenever he visited the lodge he should certainly bring it vvith him , so as to have a * ' fire "

amongthe brethren . He thanked all the brethren , especially for the manner in vvhich this token was given to him . Bro . HUNT , P . AL , said he had a very pleasing duty to perform , and that vvas to give what might be called the toast of the evening . That was the third year the lodge had been graced vvith the presence of the ladies . In giving that toast , he could assure the brethren it vvas one of the most agreeable duties that could have been placed in his

hands ; but still he felt he could not do justice to it . When he said the ladies came forward to support the Alasonic Institutions , he felt indeed proud to be a Alason . The ladies they had always vvith them ; might they always be with them ! But it was very rarely they had tneir equivalent in Alasonry . They had a large number with them that evening ; he hoped it would not be the last time th ; ladies would honour them with their presence . There was one thing he

might say vvith regard to the ladies , that ive looked to them from our childhood to our death , * whether as a parent , a wife , or a daughter they vvere dear to us , and he trusted the brethren always tried to do their duty towards them , though ladies vvere a little envious of them because Alasons had their evenings to themselves , " the ladies did not know vvhat Alasons did or how they did it . But as men they loved the ladies , as Alasons they adored them . He trusted

they had given the ladies a pleasant evening ; it had been from the depth of their hearts . The ladies had passed through the W . M . ' s chair in one night that evening , but it took most Alasons years to do it . If the ladies had enjoyed themselves that evening the brethren hoped they would grace their meetings on future occasions , and that they would come as often as invitations were given them . Bro . Ball , P . AL , replied on b : ha ( f of the ladies . He

had been astonished that night at one thing , the complim : nt vvith which Bro . Hunt , P . AL , had proposed that toast . And yet he felt there was a certain amount of fitness when he ( Bro . Ball ) vvas called upon to responi to it . However Bro . Hunt might have to blush in his compliment , he ( Bro . Ball ) thought he had a great capacity for blushing still more .. He never wore his Alasonic apron more unwortnily than that night ; he never had more unworthy words than

he had that night . He hid been called upon to respond to the toast of the ladies , and he wore his apron feeling that he wore it unworthily , feeling he vvas not competent to respond to the toast in a nunner fitting its importance . On the programme it vvas celled "Tne LaJic' oanqu t . " That being th ; cue , ne , on b . * half of th ; ladies , claimed that evening as t . icir own ; but when they wjre told that evening at that entertainment of a worthy brother who was

" Kippered , " and when he had to consult the dictionary to see what the wo .-d " kippered " meant , an J discovered that it meant "cured , " anel looking Ior ' * cured" he lound it applied to bacon , and that bacon was never bacon until it vvas hung , he vvas assured that when that word " kippered " had been applied tothe W . M . in the chair , they woulel not think he had been hung , and when he looked lorward still

and found " hung meant to be " exalted , " he saw it was a fitting word for the W . AL There vvas an advantage in speaking as the mouthpiece of the ladies , an advantage they had with the * gentlemen . Many excuses vvere made to the ladiesthat Al isonic meetingscame on that had to be attended . The gentlemen told the ladies there were lodges of instruction they had to go to , and they heard about Shibboleths ,

Ladies' Night At The Strong Man Lodge, No. .45.

and about being initiated , and passed , and raised , and installed , and other things , and the ladies thought it must take a wonderful amount of preparation to make a Mason . But he , on behalf ot the ladies , would tell the brethren that if it took all this time to make men Masons , the ladies were born Masons , and that vvas better . The ladies were proud to be there that " n ght , and they vvere pleased to come ,

because they believed they had mide it a pleasing and a happy n eeting to the brethren . The ladies hoped on future occasions to be vvith them , and promised to come if they were asked . This closed the programme of the evening , and "Auld Lang Syne " was joined in by all the company before they separated .

Ladies' Night Of The Duke Of Albany Lodge.

LADIES' NIGHT OF THE DUKE OF ALBANY LODGE .

A ladies' night , being the fourth of its kind in connection with the above lodge , was held on the ist inst . at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Cambsrwell . The reception took place at 7 o ' clock , and the ball vvas started punctually at 7 . 30 , continuing till 930 , when the company repaired to the banquet , which was served in the

Pillar Hall , and certainly gave great credit to Mrs . Venables , the indefatigable Manageress . After partaking of a capital repast , the W . M ., Bro . HARVEY , in proposing "The Health of the Queen , " said the toast was one vvhich was always received vvith that enthusiasm which was justly due to a Sovereign from her subjects , but amongst no class or society was

the toast more loyally received than that with which they as Masons had the honour and privilege of being associated . The toast vvas drunk with enthusiasm . The W . M . then proposed "The Health of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , " and said that they vvere much indebted to his Royal Highness for the great interest he took in Freemasonry . Under his ruling Masonry

had nourished . Never had it held so high a standard as at the present time , and not only in Masonry , but in all philanthropic movements , he was ever read y and willing to carry out those great and noble princi p les upon which the Order was founded . After the toast vvas duly and suitably honoured , The W . M . gave the toast of the evening— ' •The

Ladies and Visitors . " He dwelt upon the pleasure it gave the Duke of Albany members to entertain the ladies , and hoped he should have the pleasure of seeing them there again . Regarding the visitors , no lodge was more pleased to give their visitors a hearty welcome than the Duke of Albany .

Bro . WILSON , W . M . Sphinx Lodge ( who by the way was one of the founders of the lodge , and evidently held in hi gh estimation by the brethren ) , was called upon to respond for the ladies , and Bro . PEACOCK , P . M . 1928 , for the visitors , both repl ying in most suitable terms .

Bro . BEAVEN , P . M ., then proposed "The Health of the W . M ., " which vvas enthusiastically received , after vvhich the company repaired to the ball room to resume the second part of the programme , where the light fantastic was indulged in with much vigour .

Much creait is due to the officers of the lodge forthe manner in which they assisted the W . M . in carrying out vvhat proved the most successful ni ght since the formation of this comparatively young and thriving lodge .

Interesting Masonic Presentation.

INTERESTING MASONIC PRESENTATION .

On Monday , the 6 th inst ., at the annual banquet of the Yarborough Lodge , No . 422 , Gainsborough , Bro . F . J . Sovvb y , the retiring W . M ., was presented b y Bro . Alfred Kirk , P . Z ., on behalf of the brethren of the

lodge , vvith a handsome silver kettle , with a cradle , inscribed , in commemoration of the fact that a Lewis was born to him during his year of ofiice ( 1892 ) . A congratulatory address was delivered by Bro . KIRK , and Bro . SOVVBY replied in feeling terms .

The inscription runs as follows : '' Presented to Worshipful Brother F . J . Sowby by brethren of the Yarborough Lodge , N 0 . 422 , Gainsborough , tocommemorate the birth of a Lewis during his year as Worshi p ful Master . November , 1892 . "

East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational And Benevolent Institution.

EAST LANCASHIRE SYSTEMATIC MASONIC EDUCATIONAL AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual meeting of this Institution vvas held in Freemasons' Hall , Manchesttr , on Friday , 27 th ult . There was a large attendance of brethren from all parts cf the province , including Bros . Col . Starkie , Prov . Grand Master , President of the Institution ; E .

G . Harwood , P . P . G . Warden , Chairman of the General Committee ; J . H . Sillitoe , P . G . Std . Br ., Vice-Chairman ; Jas . Keelis , P . P . G . Warden , Hon . Sec . ; Wm . Jaffrt-y , P . P . G . D ,, Treasurer of the Institution ; Jas . iVcniu . i , 1 're . v . Asst . G . See , and Sec . of the Institution ; John Chadwick , Prov . G . See ; A . Clegg , P . P . G . Warden ; Jas . Walker , P . P . G . Warden ; Fritz

Reiss , Prov . S . G . Warden ; A . H . Jefferis , Prov . J . G . Warden ; W . Forrest , P . P . G . D . ; the Rev . A . Salts , LL . D ., P . P . G . Chap . ; W . S . Weeks , P . P . G . Reg . ; J . E . Lees , P . P . G . Treas . ; J . Barker , P . P . G . Treas . ; J . Hine , P . P . G . Warden ; and others , representing about 70 lodges in the province .

The chair vvas occupied by the President , Bro . Cob Starkie , Prov . Grand Master . After some formal business , the Hon . Sec , Bro . Hcelis read the Report of the General Committee lor the year 1892 , which showed that the total receipts amounted 10 ^ 154418 s . 2 d . notwithstanding the fact that at the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged