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Article PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE ← Page 2 of 3 Article PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE Page 2 of 3 →
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Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire
The enclosure was as follows : " io , Downing-street , Whitehall , S . W ., October 6 th , 18 99 . " Dear Sir , —The position of affairs in South Africa has rendered it necessary to summon Parliament together on the 17 th instant . Matters of the greatest public moment will be immediately discussed , and I therefore trust it will be in your power to be present on that day . — -I remain , your obedient servant ,
"ARTHUR J AMES BALFOUR . " We all value the services of our Provincial Grand Master so much that we desire his presence amongst us , and especially at these Provincial meetings , but at the same time , although we share with him the regret that he is not here to-day , we have great satisfaction in knowing that he is engaged with more important duties , in the discussions and councils of Parliament for the
better government and better protection of the millions forming this great nation . It therefore only remains for us to so do our duty here that his interests are not in any way neglected . We have met for the third time under the banner of the Craven Lodge . It is not a very old lodge , for it was formed in i 860 , and it has entertained Provincial Grand Lodge in its youth , in 1 S 67 , and the last time we met was in 1885 , 14 years ago . I must
express our sorrow that we have not with us to-day , the father of the Craven Lodge , Colonel George Robinson , and I am sorry that he is ailing . He was one of the founders of the lodge , and was W . M . in 1862 , and again in 18 S 9 ; he has also occupied the positions of Treasurer and Secretary , and was in every way an active member of his lodge , and I should feel it remiss on my part , meeting here as we do , if I did not make honourable mention of him .
I would also ask the Worshipful Master ( Bro . Harrison ) , the Secretary , and all the members of the Craven Lodge to accept our thanks for the admirable arrangements they have made for conducting our business , and to convey to the Council of Skipton our thanks for the courtesy they have shown by allowing us the use of the Town Hall . It is gratifying to be able to announce that I know of no note of discord in any of the lodges of the
province . There has been , and must always be , an occasional false note of this kind struck , but I am quite certain of this—that harmony will quickly be restored . It has been in those cases which have occurred , which showed that there does exist a very strong force of true Masonic feeling among the brethren . Since my appointment as Deputy , I have visited some 20 lodges in order that I may the better qualify myself and gain experience and a
knowledge ot the lodges and of the brethren in this large province , and I can assure you that I have had the greatest pleasure in making those visits . I have seen the great care and precision in the working of the lodges ; I have seen the strong feeling—I was almost going to say the affectionate interestwhich exists among the brethren for their individual or mother lodge , and they are as proud of their lodges and lodge premises as they possibly can
be . They show it in the serious manner in which they undertake the duties of the lodge , in carrying out the ritual and the ceremonies , the care they take in recording their minutes ; and that has not only been very gratifying , but has increased my interest in Freemasonry . In July last , I called a meeting of Almoners to consider how best to deal with itinerant Masonic impostors , and at that meeting a resolution was unanimously passed that it
was time decided action was taken to repress the evil which threatens all over the kingdom the interests of Freemasonry . A copy of the minutes of that meeting has been sent to every lodge , although every brother has , perhaps , not seen it , and Bro . Fletcher had undertaken to bring the subject forward , but he has become befogged somewhere or other , and it is impossible for him to arrive in time . Yesterday I was present and saw the 11 sets
of p lans which have been sent in for the new Masonic buildings in Leeds . I may say for the information of the brethren of the province that the Committee have already paid ^ 3500 for the lan d on which the building is to be placed . The additional cost of the building and furnishing will be from £ Sooo to £ 10 , 000 . The Committee have not advertised their scheme or sent prospectuses outside Leeds . The Leeds brethren have , however ,
subscribed the sum of £ 6200 in shares of £ 1 each , and I am asked—at any rate the Committee request me to invite—the members of the province to co-operate with them . They are willing , when the plans are selected and made public , to make a further issue of shares . At that time they will ask the province to show the goodwill they have towards them , and to send their applications to our Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works , Bro .
Charles Scriven , who will give them due attention . I do not intend , when I occupy this chair , to go into details which may be objectionable to the rank and file , but there is one piece of advice I must give . In November and December we shall have 50 or 60 installations , and I feel it my duty to call the attention of the outgoing Secretaries to fill up the annual forms necessary on the occasion of installing the Worshipful Master , and not to leave it to the incoming Secretary , who may be strange to the work . I have the
pleasure of informing you that on the 3 rd November Lord Stanley will be installed by Lord Lathom as Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire , in succession to that splendid Freemason and our lamented friend , Colonel Starkie . I have been very unexpectedly placed in this high position , and any remarks I have made I have made most sincerely and with freedom , and I ask you to receive them in a kindly spirit . My sole desire is to maintain the dignity and usefulness of Provincial Grand Lodge , and to merit the confidence of the Provincial Grand Master and the brethren of the
province . Bro . W . C . LUI * TON , the Chairman of the Charity Committee , in presenting the report of the Committee , said that in the ' matter of date that was a rather exceptional meeting , and he had , therefore , to make the report for the whole year instead of for six months as usual . He thought they would take it that the report was an eminently satisfactory one . They
had succeeded in electing , by the instructions of the Charity Committee , two girls , thrce boys , and two men , and in presenting one man . The elections were becoming increasingly difficult to manage . In the old time , when the Charity Committee was managed by experienced brethren like Bros . Henry Smith , Thos . Hill , T . B . Fox , William Harrop , W . F . Smithson , Heibert Green , and others , West Yorkshire elaborated a system of
voting which was unknown to the other provinces , and they invariably succeeded in landing West Yorkshire cases well up on the poll . The first thing he had to do was to admit a mistake in the voting . They had three men to elect . One man they present d , but of the other two they only succeeded in electing one " third deferred , " and leaving the other " first out . " He r gretted to have to come before Provincial Grand Lodge to make such a
confession , but they might depend upon it such a thing was not likely to occur again . They were , however , sorry and glad . The Committee were ¦ sorry to have to announce that the first candidate had been claimed by the Great Architect of the Universe , and so had lost nothing from lack of election . The other brother was in a more advantageous position than if he had been elected . The Committee obtained for him a grant of , £ 40
Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire
from the Board of Benevolence , and by the kindness of the Committee of the Benevolent Institution he was put on the list of annuitants in place of the deceased brother , so that he actually would receive more than the amount he would have received if he had been duly elected . That was a slip caused by over economy of the voting power of the Province . It was , however , gratifying to know that the natural results of such a mistake
were in that case absent , and neither of the brethren had suffered . They had elected two girls and three boys ( they had had no widow ) at an expenditure of 9162 votes for the girls , and 12 , 218 for the boys , so that the brethren would recognise that the work of the Executive was no child ' s play . With regard to the West Yorkshire Fund , there had been a number of small claims before the Committee , and those had been dealt with as they
arose , and in as charitable a manner as the funds would permit . They had ; £ iooo invested in Leeds Corporation Bonds , and the sum in the hands of the Treasurer amounted to ^ 500 . That was a larger sum than was at present required , but it was likely that further calls would be made upon it in the near future . With regard to the three great Charities , he was afraid he could not say that Yorkshire was in the position that the Committee
desired to see , for West Yorkshire had been drawing more money from those Institutions than it had contributed . That was a matter they would have to bring before their lodges . This year , from his point of view , it was worse than ever . West Yorkshire this year had contributed £ 1489 , and had drawn from the Charities £ 2793 , so that the province for the present year stood indebted to the Charities . £ 1304 . No urgent whip had been
made upon them , and no great number of visits had been paid to the lodges to excite their liberality on behalf of those noble Charities , but he did not think that was a position in the eyes of the Masonic world in which they wished West Yorkshire to stand . He would impress upon the Charity representatives and the members of the Craft the necessity that the Charities should be adequately supported , for West Yorkshire did not want
to go to the Institutions in London trading on the past , but for what was being done in the present . Seeing that that was the last opportunity he would have of addressing them as Chairman of the Charity Committee , as he would retire before the Provincial Grand Lodge met again , he would earnestly appeal to the Masons of West Yorkshire to cultivate that loyalty to the Committee which was so necessary . He would remind the brethren
that they had a strong Executive—he was not speaking of himself , but of those who had preceded and would succeed him . They had a strong Executive and a strong Committee , and unless they were loyal to the Committee they could not possibly utilise their votes to the best advantage . He left them with a clean sheet ; they had not a candidate who had not been carried , and what the Executive had done in the past he felt sure it would
be able to do in the future . He wished most strongly to impress upon them all the need of loyally supporting the Executive , not marking their own voting papers , as had been recently done by some brethren , but making their wishes known to the Chairman or Secretary ( Bro . Green ) , and he could assure them from past experience that their desires would never be disregarded . A short illustration of what he meant would suffice . On Thursday last the Executive not only elected their own two girls , but assisted
very materially in the carrying of four others . On Friday they elected their own two boys and helped three others , last chance cases which had been recommended to them . If he succeeded in persuading the brethren to support those who would succeed him in his high office , they would never regret it . Bro . Lupton concluded by thanking the brethren for the courtesy they had always shown to him during the three years he had had the honour of holding that office .
Bro . W . BLACKBURN , the Vice-Chairman of the Charity Committee , seconded the adoption of the report , which was carried . Bro . W . C . LUTTON moved the re-election of Bro . W . F . Smithson , P . G . D ., as a member of the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .
Bro . W . BLACKBURN , in seconding the motion , said that no one was better known in London than Bro . Smithson of West Yorkshire , or could do better for the brethren as their representative . The motion was unanimously adopted . Bro . LUPTON proposed a grant of ^ 20 to a brother of Lodge No . 974 , Bradford , who , he said , would be recommended for the Old People ' s Charity next year . Bro . BLACKBURN seconded the motion , which was carried .
Bro . R . Tasker , P . M . 1211 , brought forward the case of another brother of No . 121 r , Leeds , and it was decided to make a grant of , £ 20 , the administration of the money to be left in the hands of Bros . Tasker and Winn . A grant of . £ 5 was made to the widow of a member of No . 2321 , Bradford . The DEP . PROV . G . MASTER , in bringing up the subject of theintinerant Masonic impostors , said he had requested Bro . Fletcher to draw nn » rpin .
lution on the subject , but Bro . Fletcher was befogged , and could not get there . He would make his remarks as short as he possibly could . As far back as 1879 , Bro . Tew used these words : " I desire to urge most strongly the impropriety of brethren giving names to mendicant Masons . They should refer them to the Almoner of their respective lodges . A most pernicious system of begging had sprung- up , almost intolerable to the Prov . G .
Master , to himself , and the Prov . G . Secretary . " The same thing was going on all through the country , and unless a stand was made he ( the Dep . Prov . G . Master ) did not know where it was going to end . The proposition was that in any large town where there were several lodges there should be one Almoner , who , immediately on election , should be registered with the Prov . G . Secretary , and every Almoner should be requested , where doubt
was entertained of fraud , to refer the matter to the Prov . G . Secretary , by telephone or other means , as the centre of the movement . The Secretary would then be at liberty to give advice and warn other Almoners , and by that means they would get the Almoners in close communication and bound together . Up to the present they had great difficu ' ty in the matter . A great many letters had been received from Prov . G . Secretaries throughout
the country , thoroughly approving of their action , and recommending them to go on . They should all work together to stamp out the evil . Bro . C . L . MASON moved : " That this Prov . G . Lodge recommends that in towns where one or more lodges meet one Almoner onl y should be appointed to act for all the lodges , and that the name and full postal address
ol each Almoner shall be transmitted to thc Prov . G . Secretary immediately on appointment . The Prov . G . Lodge also recommends the brethren of this province not to indiscriminately relieve applicants for relief , or to disclose the names of other brethren , but to refer all cases to the Almoner duly appointed . " This was seconded by Bro . F . FLEMING , Prov . S . G . W .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire
The enclosure was as follows : " io , Downing-street , Whitehall , S . W ., October 6 th , 18 99 . " Dear Sir , —The position of affairs in South Africa has rendered it necessary to summon Parliament together on the 17 th instant . Matters of the greatest public moment will be immediately discussed , and I therefore trust it will be in your power to be present on that day . — -I remain , your obedient servant ,
"ARTHUR J AMES BALFOUR . " We all value the services of our Provincial Grand Master so much that we desire his presence amongst us , and especially at these Provincial meetings , but at the same time , although we share with him the regret that he is not here to-day , we have great satisfaction in knowing that he is engaged with more important duties , in the discussions and councils of Parliament for the
better government and better protection of the millions forming this great nation . It therefore only remains for us to so do our duty here that his interests are not in any way neglected . We have met for the third time under the banner of the Craven Lodge . It is not a very old lodge , for it was formed in i 860 , and it has entertained Provincial Grand Lodge in its youth , in 1 S 67 , and the last time we met was in 1885 , 14 years ago . I must
express our sorrow that we have not with us to-day , the father of the Craven Lodge , Colonel George Robinson , and I am sorry that he is ailing . He was one of the founders of the lodge , and was W . M . in 1862 , and again in 18 S 9 ; he has also occupied the positions of Treasurer and Secretary , and was in every way an active member of his lodge , and I should feel it remiss on my part , meeting here as we do , if I did not make honourable mention of him .
I would also ask the Worshipful Master ( Bro . Harrison ) , the Secretary , and all the members of the Craven Lodge to accept our thanks for the admirable arrangements they have made for conducting our business , and to convey to the Council of Skipton our thanks for the courtesy they have shown by allowing us the use of the Town Hall . It is gratifying to be able to announce that I know of no note of discord in any of the lodges of the
province . There has been , and must always be , an occasional false note of this kind struck , but I am quite certain of this—that harmony will quickly be restored . It has been in those cases which have occurred , which showed that there does exist a very strong force of true Masonic feeling among the brethren . Since my appointment as Deputy , I have visited some 20 lodges in order that I may the better qualify myself and gain experience and a
knowledge ot the lodges and of the brethren in this large province , and I can assure you that I have had the greatest pleasure in making those visits . I have seen the great care and precision in the working of the lodges ; I have seen the strong feeling—I was almost going to say the affectionate interestwhich exists among the brethren for their individual or mother lodge , and they are as proud of their lodges and lodge premises as they possibly can
be . They show it in the serious manner in which they undertake the duties of the lodge , in carrying out the ritual and the ceremonies , the care they take in recording their minutes ; and that has not only been very gratifying , but has increased my interest in Freemasonry . In July last , I called a meeting of Almoners to consider how best to deal with itinerant Masonic impostors , and at that meeting a resolution was unanimously passed that it
was time decided action was taken to repress the evil which threatens all over the kingdom the interests of Freemasonry . A copy of the minutes of that meeting has been sent to every lodge , although every brother has , perhaps , not seen it , and Bro . Fletcher had undertaken to bring the subject forward , but he has become befogged somewhere or other , and it is impossible for him to arrive in time . Yesterday I was present and saw the 11 sets
of p lans which have been sent in for the new Masonic buildings in Leeds . I may say for the information of the brethren of the province that the Committee have already paid ^ 3500 for the lan d on which the building is to be placed . The additional cost of the building and furnishing will be from £ Sooo to £ 10 , 000 . The Committee have not advertised their scheme or sent prospectuses outside Leeds . The Leeds brethren have , however ,
subscribed the sum of £ 6200 in shares of £ 1 each , and I am asked—at any rate the Committee request me to invite—the members of the province to co-operate with them . They are willing , when the plans are selected and made public , to make a further issue of shares . At that time they will ask the province to show the goodwill they have towards them , and to send their applications to our Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works , Bro .
Charles Scriven , who will give them due attention . I do not intend , when I occupy this chair , to go into details which may be objectionable to the rank and file , but there is one piece of advice I must give . In November and December we shall have 50 or 60 installations , and I feel it my duty to call the attention of the outgoing Secretaries to fill up the annual forms necessary on the occasion of installing the Worshipful Master , and not to leave it to the incoming Secretary , who may be strange to the work . I have the
pleasure of informing you that on the 3 rd November Lord Stanley will be installed by Lord Lathom as Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire , in succession to that splendid Freemason and our lamented friend , Colonel Starkie . I have been very unexpectedly placed in this high position , and any remarks I have made I have made most sincerely and with freedom , and I ask you to receive them in a kindly spirit . My sole desire is to maintain the dignity and usefulness of Provincial Grand Lodge , and to merit the confidence of the Provincial Grand Master and the brethren of the
province . Bro . W . C . LUI * TON , the Chairman of the Charity Committee , in presenting the report of the Committee , said that in the ' matter of date that was a rather exceptional meeting , and he had , therefore , to make the report for the whole year instead of for six months as usual . He thought they would take it that the report was an eminently satisfactory one . They
had succeeded in electing , by the instructions of the Charity Committee , two girls , thrce boys , and two men , and in presenting one man . The elections were becoming increasingly difficult to manage . In the old time , when the Charity Committee was managed by experienced brethren like Bros . Henry Smith , Thos . Hill , T . B . Fox , William Harrop , W . F . Smithson , Heibert Green , and others , West Yorkshire elaborated a system of
voting which was unknown to the other provinces , and they invariably succeeded in landing West Yorkshire cases well up on the poll . The first thing he had to do was to admit a mistake in the voting . They had three men to elect . One man they present d , but of the other two they only succeeded in electing one " third deferred , " and leaving the other " first out . " He r gretted to have to come before Provincial Grand Lodge to make such a
confession , but they might depend upon it such a thing was not likely to occur again . They were , however , sorry and glad . The Committee were ¦ sorry to have to announce that the first candidate had been claimed by the Great Architect of the Universe , and so had lost nothing from lack of election . The other brother was in a more advantageous position than if he had been elected . The Committee obtained for him a grant of , £ 40
Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire
from the Board of Benevolence , and by the kindness of the Committee of the Benevolent Institution he was put on the list of annuitants in place of the deceased brother , so that he actually would receive more than the amount he would have received if he had been duly elected . That was a slip caused by over economy of the voting power of the Province . It was , however , gratifying to know that the natural results of such a mistake
were in that case absent , and neither of the brethren had suffered . They had elected two girls and three boys ( they had had no widow ) at an expenditure of 9162 votes for the girls , and 12 , 218 for the boys , so that the brethren would recognise that the work of the Executive was no child ' s play . With regard to the West Yorkshire Fund , there had been a number of small claims before the Committee , and those had been dealt with as they
arose , and in as charitable a manner as the funds would permit . They had ; £ iooo invested in Leeds Corporation Bonds , and the sum in the hands of the Treasurer amounted to ^ 500 . That was a larger sum than was at present required , but it was likely that further calls would be made upon it in the near future . With regard to the three great Charities , he was afraid he could not say that Yorkshire was in the position that the Committee
desired to see , for West Yorkshire had been drawing more money from those Institutions than it had contributed . That was a matter they would have to bring before their lodges . This year , from his point of view , it was worse than ever . West Yorkshire this year had contributed £ 1489 , and had drawn from the Charities £ 2793 , so that the province for the present year stood indebted to the Charities . £ 1304 . No urgent whip had been
made upon them , and no great number of visits had been paid to the lodges to excite their liberality on behalf of those noble Charities , but he did not think that was a position in the eyes of the Masonic world in which they wished West Yorkshire to stand . He would impress upon the Charity representatives and the members of the Craft the necessity that the Charities should be adequately supported , for West Yorkshire did not want
to go to the Institutions in London trading on the past , but for what was being done in the present . Seeing that that was the last opportunity he would have of addressing them as Chairman of the Charity Committee , as he would retire before the Provincial Grand Lodge met again , he would earnestly appeal to the Masons of West Yorkshire to cultivate that loyalty to the Committee which was so necessary . He would remind the brethren
that they had a strong Executive—he was not speaking of himself , but of those who had preceded and would succeed him . They had a strong Executive and a strong Committee , and unless they were loyal to the Committee they could not possibly utilise their votes to the best advantage . He left them with a clean sheet ; they had not a candidate who had not been carried , and what the Executive had done in the past he felt sure it would
be able to do in the future . He wished most strongly to impress upon them all the need of loyally supporting the Executive , not marking their own voting papers , as had been recently done by some brethren , but making their wishes known to the Chairman or Secretary ( Bro . Green ) , and he could assure them from past experience that their desires would never be disregarded . A short illustration of what he meant would suffice . On Thursday last the Executive not only elected their own two girls , but assisted
very materially in the carrying of four others . On Friday they elected their own two boys and helped three others , last chance cases which had been recommended to them . If he succeeded in persuading the brethren to support those who would succeed him in his high office , they would never regret it . Bro . Lupton concluded by thanking the brethren for the courtesy they had always shown to him during the three years he had had the honour of holding that office .
Bro . W . BLACKBURN , the Vice-Chairman of the Charity Committee , seconded the adoption of the report , which was carried . Bro . W . C . LUTTON moved the re-election of Bro . W . F . Smithson , P . G . D ., as a member of the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .
Bro . W . BLACKBURN , in seconding the motion , said that no one was better known in London than Bro . Smithson of West Yorkshire , or could do better for the brethren as their representative . The motion was unanimously adopted . Bro . LUPTON proposed a grant of ^ 20 to a brother of Lodge No . 974 , Bradford , who , he said , would be recommended for the Old People ' s Charity next year . Bro . BLACKBURN seconded the motion , which was carried .
Bro . R . Tasker , P . M . 1211 , brought forward the case of another brother of No . 121 r , Leeds , and it was decided to make a grant of , £ 20 , the administration of the money to be left in the hands of Bros . Tasker and Winn . A grant of . £ 5 was made to the widow of a member of No . 2321 , Bradford . The DEP . PROV . G . MASTER , in bringing up the subject of theintinerant Masonic impostors , said he had requested Bro . Fletcher to draw nn » rpin .
lution on the subject , but Bro . Fletcher was befogged , and could not get there . He would make his remarks as short as he possibly could . As far back as 1879 , Bro . Tew used these words : " I desire to urge most strongly the impropriety of brethren giving names to mendicant Masons . They should refer them to the Almoner of their respective lodges . A most pernicious system of begging had sprung- up , almost intolerable to the Prov . G .
Master , to himself , and the Prov . G . Secretary . " The same thing was going on all through the country , and unless a stand was made he ( the Dep . Prov . G . Master ) did not know where it was going to end . The proposition was that in any large town where there were several lodges there should be one Almoner , who , immediately on election , should be registered with the Prov . G . Secretary , and every Almoner should be requested , where doubt
was entertained of fraud , to refer the matter to the Prov . G . Secretary , by telephone or other means , as the centre of the movement . The Secretary would then be at liberty to give advice and warn other Almoners , and by that means they would get the Almoners in close communication and bound together . Up to the present they had great difficu ' ty in the matter . A great many letters had been received from Prov . G . Secretaries throughout
the country , thoroughly approving of their action , and recommending them to go on . They should all work together to stamp out the evil . Bro . C . L . MASON moved : " That this Prov . G . Lodge recommends that in towns where one or more lodges meet one Almoner onl y should be appointed to act for all the lodges , and that the name and full postal address
ol each Almoner shall be transmitted to thc Prov . G . Secretary immediately on appointment . The Prov . G . Lodge also recommends the brethren of this province not to indiscriminately relieve applicants for relief , or to disclose the names of other brethren , but to refer all cases to the Almoner duly appointed . " This was seconded by Bro . F . FLEMING , Prov . S . G . W .