An Address To The Robert Burns Lodge No. 25.

No . 23 , the Globe Lodge , took its name from the Globe Tavern in Fleetstreet . There are many others I could name , but these will no doubt suffice for the present purpose . . The practice of giving distinctive names to lodges irrespective of their places of meeting was of very slow growth and was not really compulsory except for new lodges until long after the Union . One I know , the present No . 27 , had hot a distinctive name until 1839 . I' ' s novv the Egyptian Lodge and its members

are popularly known as " mummies . " This , the Robert Burns Lodge , was amongst the earlier of the Ancient Lodges to adopt a distinctive name , which it did in the year 1820 , and what a grand name it is . I have been occasionally asked by seekers after knowledge whether Robert Burns ever belonged to this lodge . Of course , my reply has been that as he died several years before the lodge came into existence he could not have been a member of it , 'but he furnished it with a name of which the members may well be proud , for wherever the English language is spoken , wherever English literature has penetrated , is

the name of Robert Burns is held in the highest veneration , a veneration that will never diminish but will continue to increase as long as this world shall last . Perhaps some of you may wonder why this particular name was chosen for an English lodge . If so you will wonder no longer when I tell you that from the first there was a strong Scotch element in it , and that amongst the names of the members when the title of the lodge was selected were such unmistakable Scottish names as Ramsay , Scott , Carmichael , Carstairs , Wilkie , Mackie , Macintosh , MacPherson , MacDonald , JIacAIIister and others of that ilk .

All honour to your Masonic forefathers who first conceived the idea of naming this lodge after Robert Burns . May it live and prosper as long as that honoured name shall be remembered ! In my opinion a more appropriate name could not have been selected than that of large-hearted Brother Robert Burns .

Nature made him a poet of the first order , and she also made him a Mason . Where can you find words with a more genuine Masonic ring in them than these ?—" Then Jet us pray that come it may , As come it will for a' that , That sense and worth o'er a' the earth

May bear the gree and a that , For a' that and a' that , It ' s comin' yet for a' that , That man to man the warld o ' er Shall brothers be for a' that . " Vet popular as Masonry is and has been for a long period in the land of his birth , and as proud of him as his countrymen justly are , it is scarcely conceivable that until a comparatively recent period they never made up their minds to name

a lodge after him . The Scotch are proverbially a cautious people , and they probably gave the subject much earnest consideration , but it was not , so far as I can learn , until 75 years after the death of their national bard that a Barns' lodge in Scotland was constituted . It is true that in 1848 a lodge was constituted in Nova Scotia , and another in New Zealand in 1877 , both named after the poet and chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland j but they may be placed in the same category as this lodge ; they were named by Scotchmen who had left their native land , and probably had no intention of going back .

On our own list we had until recently three , but we now have only two—this one and another in Manchester . Amongst the large number of English-speaking Masons under different Constitutions in various parts ot the world there are probably others , but , to the best of my knowledge , this lodge set the example to them all . In looking over the list of Scotch lodges recently I was forcibly struck with the large proportion of them named after saints . In a list of 423 lodges 186 have the name of some

saint or other attached to them . We all know what a saintly race the Scotch are , but until I examined that list I had not the faintest idea that we ever had such a lot of saints in connection with Freemasonry . Now , Burns , I need hardly say , was no saint , nor did he ever pretend to be one , and this is the only way I can account for his name being omitted from the list of lodges for so many years and ultimately being brought in . Probably the Scottish Fraternity thought that after

such a long array of saintly personages it might be an agreeable change to have just one sinner , so they pitched upon poor Bobbie Burns . My personal recollection of this lodge extends only to about 33 years back , and at that time it was the most numerous lodge on these premises . The regular meetings were always held in the large room used last month , and on installation nights the banquet invariably took place in the Old Hall in which Grand Lodge

now meets . Many celebrated Masons have been initiated in the lodge , others equally celebrated have been joining members of it ; many of them I have known personally . Time will not admit of my referring to them in detail , but I think the one best known to me was Bro . William Watson , familiarly known as " Old Billie , " who joined from the Albion Lodge , No . 9 , in 1839 , was Master in 1842 ,

and continued a subscribing member of it until his death in 1878 . He was Grand Steward for the Globe Lodge , No . 23 , in 1849 , a"d was a celebrated worker both In the Craft and in the Royal Arch , and an authority on Masonic matters generally . 1 think his last Masonic performance was to instal me in the chair of Third Principal of my chapter . Many years ago he was one of the proprietors of the Freemasons' Tavern , and was for a long period the mainstay of this as well as several other lodges .

Should there be abrother in theroom whohis any curiosity as to the personal appearance of this old veteran , his curiosity may easily bi gratified by piyin < . visit to the Grand Lodge Library where , thanks to the librality of your l . P . M , Bro . Davis , there hangs a very good likeness of him as he was about the time I first knew him . There was ; however , one peculiarity about him which this portrait does not show , he was naturally partial to a good dinner , and was invariably in evening dress all day long , so as to be always ready to sit down at a moment ' s notice .

Now , brethren , I think I have detained you quite long enough , and if I say much more I fear you will never ask me to come again , but before I sit down , I should like to congratulate the lodge on what , for want of a more suitable expres . sion , I shall call a clean bill of health . Like most other old lodges , it has had its periods of prosperity and of depression , but so far as I have been able to learn , during all the y ears of its existence , it has never been brought into conflict with the ruling powers of the Order . About 35 years ago the lodge got into troubled waters , but it came out of them with ( l ying colours ; in all probability owing to the skilful piloting of the veteran brother I have just mentioned .

1 here were certain members who made themselves very objectionable by the indiscriminate black-balling of candidates , for which offence the lodge very properly excluded them , whereupon they appealed to the Board of General Purposes against their exclusion . That Board resolved — " That under the circumstances , the Robert Burns' Lodge was justified in excluding the brethren from membership , and their appeal be dismissed . "

I mention this case as a sort of warning—although I really think that the present members scarcely require any such warning—yet I earnestly hope that in your laudable endeavours to increase the membership of the lodfre , you will be careful to ascertain the antecedents and disposition of alt your candidates , lie jealous of the hig h character and stainless reputation of your old lodge , and always bear in mind that , although it be a very easy matter to unknowingly admit an objectionable member , it is extremely difficult to get rid ol one .

An Address To The Robert Burns Lodge No. 25.

Worshipful Master and Brethren , I thank you very much for your kind attention , and I sincerely hope 1 have not exhausted your patience . By way of conclusion , I will repeat a few words uttered by your famous namesike on a similar occasion to tiis , with the sentiment of which , I am sure , you will alt cordially agree -. " Within this dear mansion may wayward contention Or withering envy ne ' er enter ; May secrecy round be tbe mystical bound And brotherly love be the centre . "

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

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

The ladies' night of the above lodge was celebrated on Monday evening at the Holborn , Bros . John Cuer , W . M ., presided , and there were also present Bros . William G . Mills , l . P . M . ; Tom C . Taylor , S . W . ; William Briggs , M . A ., LLB ., J . W . ; G . G . Symons , P . M ., Treas . and D . C ; Thomas J . Burgess , Sec ; T . Ockleford , S . D . ; Edward T . Stafford , J . D . ; John Jenkinson , I . G . ;

W . R . G . Emerson , C . J . Pond-Jones , E . J . Vidler , and T . H . Inchbold , Stwds . ; T . L . Dennett , Org . ; D . A . Langton , John Iriff , Henry Darell , Arthur Davies , E . M . Hall , A . G . Peckham , A . L . Guittaritz , Arthur Bagman , F . Bristow , John H . Selmes , Arthur Whitty , M . West , E . J . Vidler , J . J . Berry , Philip Sharpe , Frederick Gehringer , J . H . Grove , George Smith , Hall , G . F- Ward , J . H .

Rake , and E . Mallett , P . M ., Tyler . Among the visitors were Bros . W . C . Virgo , 144 S ; W . Keith , 1997 ; A . Harding , D . C . 1437 ; W . F . Driver , H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 1928 ; VV . B . Kenyon , J . R . Morrison , 907 ; Batchelor Roper , 907 ; Herbert Ballard , 907 ; Thomas Freeman , 34 ; C . J . Smith , W . M . 2765 , 2504 ; A . Foger , l . P . M . 382 ; J . Skinner , 382 ; G . E . Gratton , S . W . 2765 ; A . D . Hawkins , 1 S 16 ; and C . J . Brown , 2552 .

The ladies present were Mrs . Cuer ( wife of the W . M . ) , Miss Symons , Mrs . Burgess and Mrs . Alfred Burgess ; Mrs . Ockleford , Mrs . Stafford , Mrs . Jenkinson , Mrs . Emerson , 3 Irs . Palmer , Madame Lovenez , Mrs . Brown , Mrs . Vidler . Miss Vidler , and Miss Barnet ; Mrs . Inchbold and Miss Inchbold ; Mrs . Dennett , Miss Massey , Mrs . Virgo , Mrs . Driver , Mrs . Dell , Mrs . Matham , Mrs . Sullivan , Mrs . Brush , Jlrs . Gratton , Mrs . Smith j Mrs . Harmes

and Miss Harmes ; Mrs . George Smith , Mrs . Ward , Mrs Grover , Mrs . Kinross , Mrs . Charles Peckham , Mrs . Phillips , Mrs . E . M . Hall , Miss Taylor , Miss Davies , Mrs . Baymao , Mrs . Whitby , Mrs . Selmes , Mrs . Bristow , Mrs . Bromley Hall , Mrs . Ballard , Mrs . Harding , Mrs . Gehrmger , Mrs . Darell , Mrs . Sammes , Miss Kenyon , Mrs . Rake , Mrs . Freeman , Mrs . Roper , Mrs . Morrison , and Mrs . J . J . Berry .

The lodge was first held , but none but forma ! business was transacted , and after its closing , when the ladies arrived , they were conducted to the beautiful Masonic Temple of the Holborn , to view it , and to heir some nice music on the fine organ , played by Bro . T . L . Dennett , the Organist of the lodge . The company subsequently sat down to a lovely banquet in the Venetian Room , and afterwards honoured a few toasts , including " The Queen , " " The M . W . G . M . and the rest of the Grand Officers ; " "The Worshipful Master and Officers of the Lodge ; " "The Ladies , " and " The Visitors . "

Bro . PHILIP SHARPE , in proposing "The W . M . and Officers of the Strong Man Lodge , " said it afforded him much pleasure to accept the trust that had been placed in his hands—the duty of proposing the toast . It was always a pleasure to propose the healthof the W . M . of that lodge . They had had excellent Masters in the past ; they had an excellent Master that year . It was the same with the officers ; they had had very excellent ofiicers in the past , and they were

proud to say they had them that year ; and from those they had coming forward he mig ht say they would have as good Masters in the future as they had at present and had had in the past , ft was not so much his duty to call the attention of the brethren to the qualifications of the Master and the ofiicers of that lodge ; it was more his duty to explain to the ladies what excellent ofiicers the lodge had . The brethren did not require him to say much about the officers ; the ladies knew them

only individually—the S . W ., the J . W ., and the rest of them—and they knew excellently well their failings ; but , still more , they knew their good qualities . He had been told by his Mrs . W . M . . She knew him when he was in the chair ; she used to tell him some of his little failings ; but he assured the company those failings were not many , and his experience was by no means exceptional ; for the wives and sweethearts of Masons knew those Masons had many more

good points in their character than they had those little failings which qualified them . The management of and taking office in a Masonic lodge was a capital thing for husbands , fathers , and sweethearts ; it made them good managers , and showed them what to do to rule others . He knew as a ruler at home how much the ruling of a lodge taught him how to rule at home . ( Laughter . ) Of course , he ruled at home ; he was head of his establishment : he had been W . M . ; but

he knew the S . W . and J . W . were ruled by the same one who ruled the lodge at home . ( Laughter . ) Without going further into such a subject , he would say that those especially who knew the ofiicers of the Strong Man Lodge—he was speaking to the ladies—knew what excellent officers they were . If they were anything at home like what they were in the lodge , they were models of

husbands , fathers , brothers , and sweethearts ; the lodge was proud of them , and thc ladies , he knew , were also proud of them , or they would not be present at the lodge that night to support them . It was a sign that Freemasonry was loved not only by those who professed it , but by those who could not profess it ; they felt they al ! had the gracious love of all the ladies . He called on the W . M . and the S . and J . W . to respond .

Bro . J . Cuer , W . M , in his reply to the toast , said that he , as Master of thc Strong Man Lodge , gave all the brethren and ladies a hearty welcome that evening . He hoped they had all been pleased with what they had partaken of and witnessed , as well as with their reception . That was a night set apart entirely for the ladies , and he sincerely wished that the endeavours made to please them had met with their approval and that they had all enjoyed themselves . Again he thanked all the company most heartily for the cordiality with which they had accepted the toast ,

After Bro . TOM TAYLOR , S . W ., had said he could not add anything to the remarks of the W . JL , Bro . WILLIAM Buioos , J . W ., said he had heard that thc speeches were to be short , and all commands from a VV . M . must be obeyed , That night he was told that the junior officers or the assistants would not be included tn the toast of "The W . M . and Ollicers , " and that to that toast the W . M . was to reply only .

Knowing that , he came there ior a holiday , but somehow he heard tha 1 thc Senior and Junior Warden were also to reply . At a former meeting he had said of toasts that they were of two kinds — the toast they got at breakfast and the toast they got at dinner ; they were much the si-n ' -i they were not worth much unless they were pretty well buttered . This toa- ; t Ii" " been received very well , and he thought after ths brilliant concert and the scintillation of singing the company had hid , together with the eloquence with