Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Consecration Of The John Carpenter Lodge, No. 1997.
has favored us . 1 am sure no one could listen to it without being benefited by it . Bro . the Rev . C . J . MARTYN , in reply , said that it was a very great privilege at all times to be permitted to return thanks for the Grand Officers . He trusted that the Grand Officers had earnestly tried to do their duty in
Freemasonry as far as they were able . It was a great pleasure for the Grand Officers to come and assist in any great work that had to be done , and they now earnestly and heartily wished every success to the John Carpenter Lodge . He was particularly delighted with the way in which the Master had carried out the principle of brotherly love and kindliness of
which he ( Bro . Martyn ) had spoken in the lodge . Bro . MARTYN added that many years ago , in iSog , six years before the battle of Waterloo , his grandfather was Lord Mayor of London , and his lady mayoress had survived that period long enough to be a past lady mayoress for nearly seventy
years , and he hoped that the same longevity might attend the present lady mayoress . He said this in the hope of shedding a gleam of happiness over the Worshipful Master , and was thus carrying out the principle of brotherly love .
Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , whose rising was received with sustained applause said : Brethren I have the permission of the Worshipful Master to address a few words to you . To-day I am having a double honour . In the lodge room I had the honour to instal our brother the Lord Mayor in the chair of K . S ., and I am at the banquet table to propose his health . I am credibly
informed that ever since last November he has had his health proposed on an average three times a day , and I am sure that he must be rather sick of it . The City of London School must be very proud of having one of its members the Lord Mayor . I believe he is the first of the pupils of that school who has arrived at the civic chair , and I am sure they must be
exceedingly delighted on the occasion . I am sure you will agree with me that the members of the John Carpenter Club could not have done better than to have selected his lordship . Whenever 1 go into the city I am told on all sides that whatever the Lord Mayor does he does well , and I am sure that he will do honour to the choice of the John Carpenter Club . I know
when he was in harness in Lodge 34 , he presided over it with skill and ability , and in taking the chair of this lodge he will still , as far as his important engagements will admit , endeavour to preside over its welfare and to look after its concerns . I will ask you now to drink "The Health of the Worshipful Master of the John Carpenter Lodge' ' and to welcome . his lordship back again among the working members of the old Craft .
The Right Hon . the LORD MAYOR : Bro . Grand Secretary , Grand Officers , Wardens and Brethren : Bro . the Grand Secretary has been good enough to propose my health in terms which must always be satisfactory lo me . He has been kind enough to say that whatever I take in hand I try to do well . Well , the first thing inculcated by Masonry is that we should do
thoroughly whatever we undertake . He also referred to the number of times my health is proposed and said that I must be sick of having my health drunk . But that is not the case . I am not afraid of having my health proposed , for it may be that the many good wishes I have had have caused me to enjoy much better health than formerly . I cannot but hope that all those
kind and good wishes have been realised . Now , as to the working in lodge which the Grand Secretary has referred to , he has told you that in my mother lodge , No . 34 , I was accustomed to do the work of my lodge in a thorough manner . I was initiated in that lodge and was well drilled . There were many execellent Past Masters , and they felt a pride and determination
in carrying the ritual to the fullest extent , and I and other officers were compelled to do the work properly . With such a training it is not wonderful that when in due course I arrived at the post of VV . M . of that lodge I was enabled to maintain theprestigeof the Mount Moriah Lodge . I did manage to master the work , and I used to go through the Three Degrees and give all
the history as well , and very interesting and very instructive it is . So interesting it proved that the brethren never minded waiting half-an-hour later for their banquet in order to hear that very interesting traditional history . You must try , brethren , to keep up the Mount Moriah working in this lodge . But I must not diverge from the immediate object with which
I rose to address you now , which was to thank you for having received my health so cordially as you did , and to thank the Grand Secretary for the very kind manner in which he proposed it . We must only hope , brethren , that I may be spared to devote that time which may be necessary to the working of the lodge . You must not
depend upon me to go outside in the interests of the lodge , but I think you may depend upon my correct working , because I have a habit when I am lying awake , or -when I am riding in a cab , of going through my First , Second , or Third Degree , and if I come to a stoppage , I button-hole the first Master or Past Master I meet , and ask him what comes after that . Now
this is the only way to keep up your Masonic working . Try to utilise those moments when you arc walking in the street for thc purpose of mastering thc ritual . It is with these feelings I have entered on the Mastership of this lodge , that this John Carpenter Lodge should , in thc first place , take a front rank in the Craft for thc way it docs its work , for the way in which it carries
out thc functions of Masonry , and in the next place that we may be as happy here as we have been in the John Carpenter Club . Brethren , allow me to thank you again for responding so kindly to the toast of my health , so that your good wishes may still further enable me to progress on that road to good health along which I have been progressingto the present time .
Now , brethren , I ask you to charge your glasses—bumpers . I am about to submit a toast to you which will awaken the sympathy always predominant in the hearts of Englishmen . I never yet attended a Masonic lodge where there were not a great many visitors , and I never yet attended a Masonic lodge where those visitors were not received with that open-handed hospitality and friendship which are marks of Masonic brotherhood . We have so
Consecration Of The John Carpenter Lodge, No. 1997.
longa list of visitors to-night that it would be impossible for me to read them out , but it must have struck us all when we were receiving the hearty congratulations of the brethren , that we had representatives from all parts of the globe . We only hope that this may be emblematical of our lodge , and that the sun of prosperity may never cease to shine upon it , and that the sun
of hospitality may never cease to permit us to give to those who honour us with their presence a hearty welcome . Among those who are here is a distinguished brother who does not owe allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . Other countries have their Grand Lodges , and I believe that some of our colonies have also their own Grand Lodges . Well , the brother whom I
shall ask to respond for this toast is that Worshipful Bro . General Laurie , who is M . W . Grand Master of Nova Scotia . In the name of all the members of my lodge , I propose this toast ; we will heartil y drink to the health of all those brethren who have honoured us with their presence , coupling with the toast the health of Bro . General Laurie .
Bro . General LAURIE , in returning thanks for " The Visitors , " remarked upon the influence of old associations and the importance of maintaining the kindly influences they engendered ; and in the course of his remarks referred to his association with Col . Shadwell H . Clerke both at Sandhurst and in the Crimea , and mentioned the scrupulous exactness with which the present
Grand Secretary had always performed his duties , whether as a corporal among the lads at college , or in his higher professional duties at a later period . The LORD MAYOR : The toast which I am about to propose is one which will notbeproposed again in the John Carpenter Lodge , and which should ,
therefore , be received with more than usual respect , more than ordinary regard and more than ordinary gratitude . It is the health of the brother who has done us that service which can never be repeated . I need not tell you that I allude to Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke . Without the commands of the M . W . Grand Master , who appointed him ; without the attendance of Colonel
Shadwell H . Clerke as Consecrating Officer in obedience to those commands , we could not now be enjoying the privilege of a lodge ; and I think you must all have been struck with the very able and impressive manner in which the ceremony was performed . It had not been my privilege previously to see a lodge consecrated , but I am sure from the way the work was done
no lodge could have been consecrated under more auspicious circumstances . One little mistake occurred in our lodge to-night ; but there is no rule without an exception , and the exception proves the rule . We did not intend anything to be omitted , and this omission proves that we intended to stand by and carry out the excellent rule of electing the Consecrating Officer and
his assistants to be honorary members of the lodge . We did not intend to omit this courtesy to those oflicers who had come to perform that duty which we could not perform for ourselves ; we cannot elect them at thc banquet table , but I can assure those brethren when we meet in lodge we shall elect them , and instruct the Secretary to inquire if they will do us the honour
to accept the position . I hope they will accept it , and overlook the oversight of our duty to-night , viz ., Bros . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , Sir John B . Monckton , Capt . Philips , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Frank Richardson , and Dr . Pigott . Brethren , I told you when I proposed the Grand Officers , I should have something special to say about the Consecrating Officer further
on . I think I have had my say ; nothing I can add can better convey the feelings that I entertain for him for having performed that office this evening ; we shall never forget the obligation we are under to Bro . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , nor the privileges which the service he was ordered to
perform bestowed upon us , so that we might take our place amongst the lodges of England . Brethren , I ask you to drink to the very good health of " The Consecrating Officer , " hoping that he may long be spared to do his duty in consecrating lodges that come after us , and that he may have equally efficient officers to assist him in the duties he has performed to-night .
Bro . Colonel SHADWELL H . CLERKE said he lost no time in returning thanks for the far too flattering terms in which thc Lord Mayor had referred to him , of which he felt that he did not deserve onc tithe . Hc appreciated fully his lordship ' s reference to the Grand Officers who had assisted him that evening , as thc aid of such efficient officers was invaluable in the
consecration ceremony . It had been a very sincere pleasure to the Grand Officers to come and do their part in constituting this new lodge , in which they felt great interest , and hoped for its prosperity . He must also thank his lordship for the very kind thought of making these Grand Officers honorary members , and he thought he might say on their behalf that should they be thought worthy of the distinction they would accept it very gratefully .
In proposing "The Health of the Officers , " the LORD MAYOR said that he looked forward to their performing their duties in the best possible manner . He did not like to see anything slurred over , and he trusted that they would do the utmost in their power to prove that they had established a hard-working lodge , and that they would bear in mind that any negligence on their part would reflect discredit on himself as Master ol thc lodge .
Bro . A . W . STEAD , S . W ., replied for the officers . Hc said that he rose with no small amount of pleasure to return thanks for this toast for thc very kind manner in which thc W . M . had proposed it , and for thc cordiality with which it had bsen received b y thc brethren . Some of them had alread y served in some capacity in other lodges , and knew something of their duties ,
andJie was quite sure that they would all endeavour to discharge their duties to the best of their ability . On the present occasion , if he might be allowed to deviate for a moment from the subject of the toast , he should wish on behalf of the founders to express their gratitude to his lordshi p for the ready
way in which he accepted the office of W . M . Some two years and a-ha ) f years ago , he ( Bro . Stead ) and some other brethren then present attempted to found a John Carpenter Lodge ; but the proposed VV . M . occupied a much humbler position than his lordship . On that occasion thc Grand Master was unable lo gran t thc petition ; but , so far from regretting the loss
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Consecration Of The John Carpenter Lodge, No. 1997.
has favored us . 1 am sure no one could listen to it without being benefited by it . Bro . the Rev . C . J . MARTYN , in reply , said that it was a very great privilege at all times to be permitted to return thanks for the Grand Officers . He trusted that the Grand Officers had earnestly tried to do their duty in
Freemasonry as far as they were able . It was a great pleasure for the Grand Officers to come and assist in any great work that had to be done , and they now earnestly and heartily wished every success to the John Carpenter Lodge . He was particularly delighted with the way in which the Master had carried out the principle of brotherly love and kindliness of
which he ( Bro . Martyn ) had spoken in the lodge . Bro . MARTYN added that many years ago , in iSog , six years before the battle of Waterloo , his grandfather was Lord Mayor of London , and his lady mayoress had survived that period long enough to be a past lady mayoress for nearly seventy
years , and he hoped that the same longevity might attend the present lady mayoress . He said this in the hope of shedding a gleam of happiness over the Worshipful Master , and was thus carrying out the principle of brotherly love .
Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , whose rising was received with sustained applause said : Brethren I have the permission of the Worshipful Master to address a few words to you . To-day I am having a double honour . In the lodge room I had the honour to instal our brother the Lord Mayor in the chair of K . S ., and I am at the banquet table to propose his health . I am credibly
informed that ever since last November he has had his health proposed on an average three times a day , and I am sure that he must be rather sick of it . The City of London School must be very proud of having one of its members the Lord Mayor . I believe he is the first of the pupils of that school who has arrived at the civic chair , and I am sure they must be
exceedingly delighted on the occasion . I am sure you will agree with me that the members of the John Carpenter Club could not have done better than to have selected his lordship . Whenever 1 go into the city I am told on all sides that whatever the Lord Mayor does he does well , and I am sure that he will do honour to the choice of the John Carpenter Club . I know
when he was in harness in Lodge 34 , he presided over it with skill and ability , and in taking the chair of this lodge he will still , as far as his important engagements will admit , endeavour to preside over its welfare and to look after its concerns . I will ask you now to drink "The Health of the Worshipful Master of the John Carpenter Lodge' ' and to welcome . his lordship back again among the working members of the old Craft .
The Right Hon . the LORD MAYOR : Bro . Grand Secretary , Grand Officers , Wardens and Brethren : Bro . the Grand Secretary has been good enough to propose my health in terms which must always be satisfactory lo me . He has been kind enough to say that whatever I take in hand I try to do well . Well , the first thing inculcated by Masonry is that we should do
thoroughly whatever we undertake . He also referred to the number of times my health is proposed and said that I must be sick of having my health drunk . But that is not the case . I am not afraid of having my health proposed , for it may be that the many good wishes I have had have caused me to enjoy much better health than formerly . I cannot but hope that all those
kind and good wishes have been realised . Now , as to the working in lodge which the Grand Secretary has referred to , he has told you that in my mother lodge , No . 34 , I was accustomed to do the work of my lodge in a thorough manner . I was initiated in that lodge and was well drilled . There were many execellent Past Masters , and they felt a pride and determination
in carrying the ritual to the fullest extent , and I and other officers were compelled to do the work properly . With such a training it is not wonderful that when in due course I arrived at the post of VV . M . of that lodge I was enabled to maintain theprestigeof the Mount Moriah Lodge . I did manage to master the work , and I used to go through the Three Degrees and give all
the history as well , and very interesting and very instructive it is . So interesting it proved that the brethren never minded waiting half-an-hour later for their banquet in order to hear that very interesting traditional history . You must try , brethren , to keep up the Mount Moriah working in this lodge . But I must not diverge from the immediate object with which
I rose to address you now , which was to thank you for having received my health so cordially as you did , and to thank the Grand Secretary for the very kind manner in which he proposed it . We must only hope , brethren , that I may be spared to devote that time which may be necessary to the working of the lodge . You must not
depend upon me to go outside in the interests of the lodge , but I think you may depend upon my correct working , because I have a habit when I am lying awake , or -when I am riding in a cab , of going through my First , Second , or Third Degree , and if I come to a stoppage , I button-hole the first Master or Past Master I meet , and ask him what comes after that . Now
this is the only way to keep up your Masonic working . Try to utilise those moments when you arc walking in the street for thc purpose of mastering thc ritual . It is with these feelings I have entered on the Mastership of this lodge , that this John Carpenter Lodge should , in thc first place , take a front rank in the Craft for thc way it docs its work , for the way in which it carries
out thc functions of Masonry , and in the next place that we may be as happy here as we have been in the John Carpenter Club . Brethren , allow me to thank you again for responding so kindly to the toast of my health , so that your good wishes may still further enable me to progress on that road to good health along which I have been progressingto the present time .
Now , brethren , I ask you to charge your glasses—bumpers . I am about to submit a toast to you which will awaken the sympathy always predominant in the hearts of Englishmen . I never yet attended a Masonic lodge where there were not a great many visitors , and I never yet attended a Masonic lodge where those visitors were not received with that open-handed hospitality and friendship which are marks of Masonic brotherhood . We have so
Consecration Of The John Carpenter Lodge, No. 1997.
longa list of visitors to-night that it would be impossible for me to read them out , but it must have struck us all when we were receiving the hearty congratulations of the brethren , that we had representatives from all parts of the globe . We only hope that this may be emblematical of our lodge , and that the sun of prosperity may never cease to shine upon it , and that the sun
of hospitality may never cease to permit us to give to those who honour us with their presence a hearty welcome . Among those who are here is a distinguished brother who does not owe allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . Other countries have their Grand Lodges , and I believe that some of our colonies have also their own Grand Lodges . Well , the brother whom I
shall ask to respond for this toast is that Worshipful Bro . General Laurie , who is M . W . Grand Master of Nova Scotia . In the name of all the members of my lodge , I propose this toast ; we will heartil y drink to the health of all those brethren who have honoured us with their presence , coupling with the toast the health of Bro . General Laurie .
Bro . General LAURIE , in returning thanks for " The Visitors , " remarked upon the influence of old associations and the importance of maintaining the kindly influences they engendered ; and in the course of his remarks referred to his association with Col . Shadwell H . Clerke both at Sandhurst and in the Crimea , and mentioned the scrupulous exactness with which the present
Grand Secretary had always performed his duties , whether as a corporal among the lads at college , or in his higher professional duties at a later period . The LORD MAYOR : The toast which I am about to propose is one which will notbeproposed again in the John Carpenter Lodge , and which should ,
therefore , be received with more than usual respect , more than ordinary regard and more than ordinary gratitude . It is the health of the brother who has done us that service which can never be repeated . I need not tell you that I allude to Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke . Without the commands of the M . W . Grand Master , who appointed him ; without the attendance of Colonel
Shadwell H . Clerke as Consecrating Officer in obedience to those commands , we could not now be enjoying the privilege of a lodge ; and I think you must all have been struck with the very able and impressive manner in which the ceremony was performed . It had not been my privilege previously to see a lodge consecrated , but I am sure from the way the work was done
no lodge could have been consecrated under more auspicious circumstances . One little mistake occurred in our lodge to-night ; but there is no rule without an exception , and the exception proves the rule . We did not intend anything to be omitted , and this omission proves that we intended to stand by and carry out the excellent rule of electing the Consecrating Officer and
his assistants to be honorary members of the lodge . We did not intend to omit this courtesy to those oflicers who had come to perform that duty which we could not perform for ourselves ; we cannot elect them at thc banquet table , but I can assure those brethren when we meet in lodge we shall elect them , and instruct the Secretary to inquire if they will do us the honour
to accept the position . I hope they will accept it , and overlook the oversight of our duty to-night , viz ., Bros . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , Sir John B . Monckton , Capt . Philips , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Frank Richardson , and Dr . Pigott . Brethren , I told you when I proposed the Grand Officers , I should have something special to say about the Consecrating Officer further
on . I think I have had my say ; nothing I can add can better convey the feelings that I entertain for him for having performed that office this evening ; we shall never forget the obligation we are under to Bro . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , nor the privileges which the service he was ordered to
perform bestowed upon us , so that we might take our place amongst the lodges of England . Brethren , I ask you to drink to the very good health of " The Consecrating Officer , " hoping that he may long be spared to do his duty in consecrating lodges that come after us , and that he may have equally efficient officers to assist him in the duties he has performed to-night .
Bro . Colonel SHADWELL H . CLERKE said he lost no time in returning thanks for the far too flattering terms in which thc Lord Mayor had referred to him , of which he felt that he did not deserve onc tithe . Hc appreciated fully his lordship ' s reference to the Grand Officers who had assisted him that evening , as thc aid of such efficient officers was invaluable in the
consecration ceremony . It had been a very sincere pleasure to the Grand Officers to come and do their part in constituting this new lodge , in which they felt great interest , and hoped for its prosperity . He must also thank his lordship for the very kind thought of making these Grand Officers honorary members , and he thought he might say on their behalf that should they be thought worthy of the distinction they would accept it very gratefully .
In proposing "The Health of the Officers , " the LORD MAYOR said that he looked forward to their performing their duties in the best possible manner . He did not like to see anything slurred over , and he trusted that they would do the utmost in their power to prove that they had established a hard-working lodge , and that they would bear in mind that any negligence on their part would reflect discredit on himself as Master ol thc lodge .
Bro . A . W . STEAD , S . W ., replied for the officers . Hc said that he rose with no small amount of pleasure to return thanks for this toast for thc very kind manner in which thc W . M . had proposed it , and for thc cordiality with which it had bsen received b y thc brethren . Some of them had alread y served in some capacity in other lodges , and knew something of their duties ,
andJie was quite sure that they would all endeavour to discharge their duties to the best of their ability . On the present occasion , if he might be allowed to deviate for a moment from the subject of the toast , he should wish on behalf of the founders to express their gratitude to his lordshi p for the ready
way in which he accepted the office of W . M . Some two years and a-ha ) f years ago , he ( Bro . Stead ) and some other brethren then present attempted to found a John Carpenter Lodge ; but the proposed VV . M . occupied a much humbler position than his lordship . On that occasion thc Grand Master was unable lo gran t thc petition ; but , so far from regretting the loss