Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS •¦••. - •, ••28 3 Consecration of the London Rifle Brigade Lodge , No . 19 62 28 4 Consecration of the Duke of Albany Lodge , No . 1063 285 Consecration of the Eastes Lodge , No . 1963 286 The Masonic Benefit Societv 287
English Masonry in 1881 21 * 7 C ORRESPONDENCEVisitors 288 Province of N . and E . Yorks—Girls' Festival 28 9 A Masonic Hall for Middlesex 289 Metropolitan District Grand Lodge 2 S 9 The Girls' Festival 289 Reviews 289
Masonic Notes and Queries 289 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 289 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 289 Provincial Grand ( hapter of Surrey 290 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of " Cheshire 290 REPIRTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 291 Instruction 293
Royal Arch 294 Mark Masonry 294 Red Cross of Constantine 294 The Theatres 295 Music 295 Science and Art 295 Masonic and General Tidings 296 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 297
Ar00100
THE Stewards' lists at our great Charity Festivals often present interesting features of fact and detail . This is especially so in respect of the returns of the recent Girls' School anniversary gathering . The result is a very remarkable one in itself , look at it as you like , scan as you may , and reflects very oreat credit , not only on the 343 Stewards , who laboured so successfully to
produce such returns , but on those excellent members of our body who swelled the goodly amount by their liberal aid and kindly contributions . The whole amount announced was £ 13 , 232 , of which the metropolis had collected £ 5 624 , and the provinces had sent up £ 7608 . In the metropolis the return highest in amount is that of the Stewards unattached , £ 347 5 s ., and
which is followed by Royal Leopold , No . 1669 , Bro . Taos . EDMONSTON , S ., with £ 149 14 s- 6 d . ; then comes the House Committee of the Girls' Schocl with £ 143 17 s . —a very good idea ; a proper manifestationof respect and interest . Mount Lebanon , No . 73 , comes next , Bro . GEO . FREI , S ., with £ 141 15 s . ; which is followed by Imperial George , No . 78 , Bro . H . ROBERTS ,
S ., with an exactly equal amount of £ 141 15 s . ; the Fitzroy , No . 569 , ( printed by error 567 ) , Bro . STOHWASSKR , S ., next appears with £ 138 12 s . ; while very close at hand , almost " bumping , " as they say among the boats , appears Montague Guest , 1900 , Bro . W . H . DEAN , S ., with £ 129 3 s . 6 d ., though if Bro . FESTA ' S £ 10 10 s . is added , it will bring No . 1900 up to
£ 139 13 s . 6 d ., and so pass No . 1669 . Peckham , No . 1475 , Bro . T . J ACKSON , S ., now comes before us with £ 119 14 s . ; to be followed by four equal returns , namely , St . James ' s Chapter , No . 2 , Comp . LETCHWORTH , S ., £ 105 ; Duke of Connaught , No . 1524 , Bros . W . H . BRAND and EDWARD DIGNAM , S . 's , - £ 105 ; Paxton , No . 1686 , Bro . J . M . KLENCK , £ 105 ; and
Farringdon , No . 1745 , Bro . H . B . MARSHALL , £ 105 . No . 72 , Royal Jubilee , Bro . AUG . DARCH , S ., £ 101 , closes the three figured lists . We observe that from Lodge 1600 twenty-seven lodges have sent up Stewards and subscriptions , among which , we note with pleasure , No . 1964 , the lately consecrated Clerkenwell , Bro . EDGAR BOWYER , £ 52 ios . J ; while from No . 1 to No .
1600 no less than eighty-one lodges and chapters have contributed and are represented . We wish that we could believe that the new lodges are rivalling the old in their appreciation of the great cause of Masonic Charity , and their zeal and regard for our great Metropolitan Institutions . It is just possible , we wish to observe , that though we only
mention returns with three figures , some of the lodges with contributions under £ 100 represent as great an amount of toil , care , interest , and sacrifice as more prosperous bodies or larger amounts . The amount of the provincial returns is the goodly sum total of £ 7608 , and twenty-one provinces have returned three figures . Of these Warwickshire " heads the poll " by
the capital contribution of £ 810 10 s ., followed at some distance by Gloucestershire with £ 677 ns ., and West Yorkshire with £ 650 . Sussex appears with £ 577 10 s ., and N . and E . Yorkshire ( a very praiseworthy effort ) with £ 500 . Derbyshire succeeds with £ 449 16 s . ; and Middlesex is at its back with / 4086 s . 6 d . Kent now comes to the front with £ 356 13 s . 6 d .,
proceeded by North Wales and Shropshire with £ 352 10 s . ; Hertfordshire , £ 325 us . ; and Devonshire , £ 318 . Staffordshire heads another division with £ 28 9 16 s ., immediately followed by Cheshire with £ 288 15 s . ; by Hants and Isle of Wight with £ 278 5 s . ; by Surrey with £ 242 6 s . ; by
Nottinghamshire with £ 236 4 s . 6 d . ; and by South Wales with £ 200 . Berks and Bucks now appears with £ 198 13 s . 6 d . ; Northumberland comes from the "dark north" with £ 183 15 s . ; Oxfordshire sends £ 149 2 s . ; and Norfolk remits £ 102 7 s . 6 d . The other provinces do not reach three figures . We
Ar00101
note that from No . 1600 to 1700 three lodges have contributed ; from No . 1700 to 1 S 00 six ; from 1 S 00 to 1900 seven ; while 105 lodges have remitted from No . 1 to 1600 . The returns deserve consideration , as they point
unmistakably to great zeal and diffused interest evinced for our Charities generally , and the Girls' School in particular , amid metropolitan and provincial lodges , though most notably , we feel bound to add , as we said before , among our older lodges in town and country .
* * WE understand that the election for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which will have taken place before we again have the privilege of addressing our readers , will be one of the most closely contested ever known in the annals of this excellent charity . Indeed , these elections are becoming
very serious affairs , and we almost think the time is coming when we shall have to endeavour to have half yearly meetings , in one and the same week , for all the three charities . We cannot help believing ourselves , that if half yearly Thursday , Friday and Saturday were given up to the elections , in one week , it would be a great convenience to all in the provinces andin the
metropolis , and a great advantage to the charities . Then it would be known before hand that in such a week in April and October the elections would take place , and committees and representatives could make their arrangements accordingly . It has been objected , and , the objection deserves careful consideration , that if you have a double election for the Royal Masonic
Benevolent Institution , it being an Annuity Society , you do away with its character and affect the very principles on which it is based . We are not quite convinced of the cogency of this argument , however , and for this reason : Admitted that the association is an Annuity Society , contemplating and granting an annual pension , that does not preclude
the members from seeking to fill up vacancies during the year , or endeavouring to render the undoubted benefits of the Society more extensively and generally useful . All that could be said would redound to the credit of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and its supporters , in that they were so liberal and large-hearted that they voted annuities
twice a year instead of once . And even now , by a makeshift after all , we have to make provision forsomevacanci 2 S byelectingthree conditionally . But supposing instead of three there are unfortunately seven vacancies , why are the poor Masons and their widows to wait until next May ? If this Society , or some other society , granted intermediate relief , the question would not
arise at all ; but with the overwhelming list of applicants , and the large margin of disappointed candidates , such considerations must force themselvesupon the attention of the thoughtful , and above all , the warmest friends of this admirably managed and most useful Association . The real objections , in truth , to such a great change may be considered , we think , to be three , ( 1 ) , a
great additional charge on the funds of the Association ; ( 2 ) , increased working expenses , and , ( 3 ) , the fear that by conceding so much we may be doing too much , and rather augmenting , instead of keeping back , the tendency so prevalent just now to consider Freemasonry a great system of
premium , subsidy , and pecuniary grants . Its material benefits are so marked , so much in excess of those of any other similar organization , that we cannot be too much on our guard against the possibility of Freemasonry degenerating into a great benefit order .
AT no period in its history has more of popular applause and material prestige fallen upon Freemasonry than at the present hour . Its meetings are chronicled , ( we think too much ) , in non-Masonic papers , and its gifts and its gatherings are paraded , ( we often think unnecessarily ) , before the world . Society , once incredulous , or scoffing , or satirical , or uninterested by turns ,
professes now to take cognizance of Freemasonry . Its Charities are mentioned with respect ; its principles are lauded , and its general work and outcome seem to commend themselves to many who once laughed at it openly or secretly opposed it ; and it will be well for Freemasonry if this " susurrus " of the " popularis aura " does not affect its progress , or control its
movements . Freemasonry , in truth , wants neither non-Masons praise nor favour , just as it does not dread or heed frown or disapproval . Freemasonry can , and will , do of itself and by itself ; and it leaves its fruits to tell both of its principles and its practice , its professions in the abstract , and its outcome in the concrete , relying , as it can safely do , on the just judgment
of the discriminating , on the fair award of the impartial and tolerant . Let Freemasons , then , not seek too much of popularity , but , at the same time , let them manfully persevere in disseminating their vital principles , and demonstrating their active work , to the honour of T . G . A . O . T . U ., and the welfare of their brotherhood and of mankind .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS •¦••. - •, ••28 3 Consecration of the London Rifle Brigade Lodge , No . 19 62 28 4 Consecration of the Duke of Albany Lodge , No . 1063 285 Consecration of the Eastes Lodge , No . 1963 286 The Masonic Benefit Societv 287
English Masonry in 1881 21 * 7 C ORRESPONDENCEVisitors 288 Province of N . and E . Yorks—Girls' Festival 28 9 A Masonic Hall for Middlesex 289 Metropolitan District Grand Lodge 2 S 9 The Girls' Festival 289 Reviews 289
Masonic Notes and Queries 289 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 289 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 289 Provincial Grand ( hapter of Surrey 290 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of " Cheshire 290 REPIRTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 291 Instruction 293
Royal Arch 294 Mark Masonry 294 Red Cross of Constantine 294 The Theatres 295 Music 295 Science and Art 295 Masonic and General Tidings 296 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 297
Ar00100
THE Stewards' lists at our great Charity Festivals often present interesting features of fact and detail . This is especially so in respect of the returns of the recent Girls' School anniversary gathering . The result is a very remarkable one in itself , look at it as you like , scan as you may , and reflects very oreat credit , not only on the 343 Stewards , who laboured so successfully to
produce such returns , but on those excellent members of our body who swelled the goodly amount by their liberal aid and kindly contributions . The whole amount announced was £ 13 , 232 , of which the metropolis had collected £ 5 624 , and the provinces had sent up £ 7608 . In the metropolis the return highest in amount is that of the Stewards unattached , £ 347 5 s ., and
which is followed by Royal Leopold , No . 1669 , Bro . Taos . EDMONSTON , S ., with £ 149 14 s- 6 d . ; then comes the House Committee of the Girls' Schocl with £ 143 17 s . —a very good idea ; a proper manifestationof respect and interest . Mount Lebanon , No . 73 , comes next , Bro . GEO . FREI , S ., with £ 141 15 s . ; which is followed by Imperial George , No . 78 , Bro . H . ROBERTS ,
S ., with an exactly equal amount of £ 141 15 s . ; the Fitzroy , No . 569 , ( printed by error 567 ) , Bro . STOHWASSKR , S ., next appears with £ 138 12 s . ; while very close at hand , almost " bumping , " as they say among the boats , appears Montague Guest , 1900 , Bro . W . H . DEAN , S ., with £ 129 3 s . 6 d ., though if Bro . FESTA ' S £ 10 10 s . is added , it will bring No . 1900 up to
£ 139 13 s . 6 d ., and so pass No . 1669 . Peckham , No . 1475 , Bro . T . J ACKSON , S ., now comes before us with £ 119 14 s . ; to be followed by four equal returns , namely , St . James ' s Chapter , No . 2 , Comp . LETCHWORTH , S ., £ 105 ; Duke of Connaught , No . 1524 , Bros . W . H . BRAND and EDWARD DIGNAM , S . 's , - £ 105 ; Paxton , No . 1686 , Bro . J . M . KLENCK , £ 105 ; and
Farringdon , No . 1745 , Bro . H . B . MARSHALL , £ 105 . No . 72 , Royal Jubilee , Bro . AUG . DARCH , S ., £ 101 , closes the three figured lists . We observe that from Lodge 1600 twenty-seven lodges have sent up Stewards and subscriptions , among which , we note with pleasure , No . 1964 , the lately consecrated Clerkenwell , Bro . EDGAR BOWYER , £ 52 ios . J ; while from No . 1 to No .
1600 no less than eighty-one lodges and chapters have contributed and are represented . We wish that we could believe that the new lodges are rivalling the old in their appreciation of the great cause of Masonic Charity , and their zeal and regard for our great Metropolitan Institutions . It is just possible , we wish to observe , that though we only
mention returns with three figures , some of the lodges with contributions under £ 100 represent as great an amount of toil , care , interest , and sacrifice as more prosperous bodies or larger amounts . The amount of the provincial returns is the goodly sum total of £ 7608 , and twenty-one provinces have returned three figures . Of these Warwickshire " heads the poll " by
the capital contribution of £ 810 10 s ., followed at some distance by Gloucestershire with £ 677 ns ., and West Yorkshire with £ 650 . Sussex appears with £ 577 10 s ., and N . and E . Yorkshire ( a very praiseworthy effort ) with £ 500 . Derbyshire succeeds with £ 449 16 s . ; and Middlesex is at its back with / 4086 s . 6 d . Kent now comes to the front with £ 356 13 s . 6 d .,
proceeded by North Wales and Shropshire with £ 352 10 s . ; Hertfordshire , £ 325 us . ; and Devonshire , £ 318 . Staffordshire heads another division with £ 28 9 16 s ., immediately followed by Cheshire with £ 288 15 s . ; by Hants and Isle of Wight with £ 278 5 s . ; by Surrey with £ 242 6 s . ; by
Nottinghamshire with £ 236 4 s . 6 d . ; and by South Wales with £ 200 . Berks and Bucks now appears with £ 198 13 s . 6 d . ; Northumberland comes from the "dark north" with £ 183 15 s . ; Oxfordshire sends £ 149 2 s . ; and Norfolk remits £ 102 7 s . 6 d . The other provinces do not reach three figures . We
Ar00101
note that from No . 1600 to 1700 three lodges have contributed ; from No . 1700 to 1 S 00 six ; from 1 S 00 to 1900 seven ; while 105 lodges have remitted from No . 1 to 1600 . The returns deserve consideration , as they point
unmistakably to great zeal and diffused interest evinced for our Charities generally , and the Girls' School in particular , amid metropolitan and provincial lodges , though most notably , we feel bound to add , as we said before , among our older lodges in town and country .
* * WE understand that the election for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which will have taken place before we again have the privilege of addressing our readers , will be one of the most closely contested ever known in the annals of this excellent charity . Indeed , these elections are becoming
very serious affairs , and we almost think the time is coming when we shall have to endeavour to have half yearly meetings , in one and the same week , for all the three charities . We cannot help believing ourselves , that if half yearly Thursday , Friday and Saturday were given up to the elections , in one week , it would be a great convenience to all in the provinces andin the
metropolis , and a great advantage to the charities . Then it would be known before hand that in such a week in April and October the elections would take place , and committees and representatives could make their arrangements accordingly . It has been objected , and , the objection deserves careful consideration , that if you have a double election for the Royal Masonic
Benevolent Institution , it being an Annuity Society , you do away with its character and affect the very principles on which it is based . We are not quite convinced of the cogency of this argument , however , and for this reason : Admitted that the association is an Annuity Society , contemplating and granting an annual pension , that does not preclude
the members from seeking to fill up vacancies during the year , or endeavouring to render the undoubted benefits of the Society more extensively and generally useful . All that could be said would redound to the credit of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and its supporters , in that they were so liberal and large-hearted that they voted annuities
twice a year instead of once . And even now , by a makeshift after all , we have to make provision forsomevacanci 2 S byelectingthree conditionally . But supposing instead of three there are unfortunately seven vacancies , why are the poor Masons and their widows to wait until next May ? If this Society , or some other society , granted intermediate relief , the question would not
arise at all ; but with the overwhelming list of applicants , and the large margin of disappointed candidates , such considerations must force themselvesupon the attention of the thoughtful , and above all , the warmest friends of this admirably managed and most useful Association . The real objections , in truth , to such a great change may be considered , we think , to be three , ( 1 ) , a
great additional charge on the funds of the Association ; ( 2 ) , increased working expenses , and , ( 3 ) , the fear that by conceding so much we may be doing too much , and rather augmenting , instead of keeping back , the tendency so prevalent just now to consider Freemasonry a great system of
premium , subsidy , and pecuniary grants . Its material benefits are so marked , so much in excess of those of any other similar organization , that we cannot be too much on our guard against the possibility of Freemasonry degenerating into a great benefit order .
AT no period in its history has more of popular applause and material prestige fallen upon Freemasonry than at the present hour . Its meetings are chronicled , ( we think too much ) , in non-Masonic papers , and its gifts and its gatherings are paraded , ( we often think unnecessarily ) , before the world . Society , once incredulous , or scoffing , or satirical , or uninterested by turns ,
professes now to take cognizance of Freemasonry . Its Charities are mentioned with respect ; its principles are lauded , and its general work and outcome seem to commend themselves to many who once laughed at it openly or secretly opposed it ; and it will be well for Freemasonry if this " susurrus " of the " popularis aura " does not affect its progress , or control its
movements . Freemasonry , in truth , wants neither non-Masons praise nor favour , just as it does not dread or heed frown or disapproval . Freemasonry can , and will , do of itself and by itself ; and it leaves its fruits to tell both of its principles and its practice , its professions in the abstract , and its outcome in the concrete , relying , as it can safely do , on the just judgment
of the discriminating , on the fair award of the impartial and tolerant . Let Freemasons , then , not seek too much of popularity , but , at the same time , let them manfully persevere in disseminating their vital principles , and demonstrating their active work , to the honour of T . G . A . O . T . U ., and the welfare of their brotherhood and of mankind .