Mark Masonry.

- ' - - *¦ ¦ ' ' " ' ' " - ' - ¦¦¦ •¦ thoroughly imbued with the beauty of the ceremony . The W . M in reply said he had endeavoured to make himself well acquainted with the ritual which it was his duty to deliver , and he was very much pleased indeed that he had so far succeeded as to meet with the satisfaction of

so admirable a Mark worker as Bro . Meggy . Pie was also pleased with the punctuality of his officers , who had not suffered their business engagements or anything else to interfere with their duties to the lodge . He must say that without their assistance he must have broken

down . The W . M . then proposed " The newly advanced Brother , " whom he was delighted to find that he knew when he made his appearance in the lodge . He was g lad he had selected the Macdonald Lodge for taking this degree , because he Jiad obtained an opportunity of seeing the

ceremony properly worked . Although sorry that Brc . Hermann was going * abroad , he hoped when he got to Japan , where he was goinsr , that he would establish a Mark lodge there , and do what he could for the benefit of Matk Masonry in that quarter of the globe . He also wished him

a prosperous voyage , and that when he came back he would find the Macdonald Lodge quartered in better apartments than those he was then in . He must beg him to remember that the Macdonald was never a banquetting lodge , but it was always very hearty , and in support of that

character , they wished Bro . Hermann a prosperous voyage , and hoped before long to see him back amongst them . Bro . Hermann , acknowledging the toast , said he had spent many p leasant evenings in his time , but none pleasanter than that evening in the Macdonald Mark

Lodge . He had to thank the brethren for two compliments , one for electing him as one of their members , and the other for drinking his health . He was much pleased with the ritual of Mark Masonry , and with the way in which it was conducted . There was no Marx lodge

where he was going , but they were going to establish one , and for that purpose he held a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and he hoped to start one eventually . The toasts of "The Visitors , " and "The Officers " followed , and the brethren directly afterwards separated .

Scotland.

Scotland .

GLASGOW . —Lodge Glasgow ( No . 441 ) met on Thursday , February the 10 th , in their own Hall , 22 Struthers-st ., the R . W . M ., Bro . W . H . Jackson , presiding , assisted b y Bro . Main , S . W . ; Bro . Mason , J . W . ; J . Rennie , Secretary . There was a full attendance of members . The

R . W . M . said , as the brethren would have seen by the summons convening the meeting , the first business would he to enquire into thu charges brought against Bro . Thomas Stratford , who he saw was present to answer for himself . The charge was , that he being i \ Master Mason and

a member of this lodge , had in violation of his Masonic obligation to uphold and maintain the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , joined himself to a spurious and unrecognised body , calling themselves the Glasgow Melrose Sc . John ' s Lodge , No . 1 , and furthermore that

he had accepted office in this spurious body , and was or called himself the Master of this socalled Lodge of Freemasons , who hold no charter or warrant from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , nor from any other recognised Grand Lodge . He then called Bro . Thomas Stratford up

to the altar , and desired him to say on his M . M . O . B . if he was guilty of the charges alleged against him . Bro . Stratford said if to have joined the Melrose Lodge , and to have taken office as its Master , was to plead guilty , then he was guilty , but he denied the

competence of this tribunal to find him guilty , and he should demand a proper trial . After some little discussion , the S . W . moved that Bro . Stratford having admitted his guilt , the lodge proceed at once to erase his name from the roll , and expel him from tho lodge , and that the Secretary be

instructed to write to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow , and also to the Grand Lodge of Scotland , informing them of the facts , in order that they too may take action in the matter . This was seconded by the S . D . The accused asked for the question to be * adjourned for a

Scotland.

month , but there being no amendment , the motion was carried unanimously ; the R . W . M . then ordered him to withdraw . Mr . Stratford before doing so , said he had one request to make , and that was that they would not erase his name from the roll till they heard from the Grand

Lodge of Scotland , as he intended to appeal , and they would yet be sorry for the motion they had passed . He then left the lodge . The lodge was then reduced to the apprentice degree , and after some further lodge business , three candidates , Messrs . John Fulton , James Creilman . and

Robert Gault , were introduced and regularly initiated into Freemasonry . The ceremony was admirably wrought , and we have seldom heard the " charge " given in more expressive terms than by Bro . Jackson . There was other work to be done , but as the extraordinary business had

taken up so much time , it was determined to have an emergency meeting on the rSth inst . GLASGOW . — The Star Lodge . —This lodge met on Monday , Feb . 9 th . In the unavoidable absence of Bro . L . Wilson , R . W . M ., the chair was taken by Bro . Alston , S . M . ; there was a very

large attendance both of brethren and visitors , amongst the latter present were—Bro . Bain , P . M . 3 ^; E . Wright , R . W . M . 103 ; J . Phillips 275 ; J . Shaw , R . W . M . 354 ; and D . Reid , R . W . M . 4 65 . The work consisted of three initiations and two passings . At the request of the Acting

Master , the first ceremony was performed by Bro . Bain , and the second b y Bro . Wright , R . W . M . 103 . Bro . Wilson , who had now arrived , tendered the thanks of the lodge to both those brethren , not only for their kindness in attending , but also for the very able way in which they had conducted the ceremonies .

GLASGOW . —The Scotia Lodge ( No . 219 ) . — This lodge held their monthly meeting on the 10 th , Bro . Matheson in the chair , when two candidates were present ; arrangements were then made for carrying out the annual festival of the lodge , which will be held next week .

GLASGOW . —St . Andrew s Chapter ( No . 69 ) . — This lodge met on Tuesday , the 1 oth , Bros . J . D . Humphries , Z . ; D . Campbell , H .: J . Heme , J ; D . B . Fleming , 1 st S . ; Comp . Oliver , S . E . ; there were three candidates for exaltation , the ceremony bsing worked by Comp . F . Halket , Z . of

113 ; assisted by J . Balfour , Scribe E . and P . Z . of 73 . GLASGOW . —Glasgow Chapter ( No . 50 ) . —This chapter assembled on the 12 th inst , Comp . John Miller , Z ., presiding . A lodge of Mark Masters was opened—J . Miller , W . M . M . ; J . Brownlie ,

S . W . ; G . W . Wheeler , acting J . W . ; Comp . J . Halket , 213 , conducted the ceremony , Comp . I ' . O . Park acting as S . D . At the conclusion of the ceremonies the ist Principal proposed that thanks be given to Comps . Halket , Parks , and

Wheeler , for their services on this as well as on previous occasions . The three companions briefly returned thanks , expressing the pleasure i ' c afforded them to be of service to any Chapter in the province .

GLASGOW . —St . Rollo . v Chapter ( No . 144 ) . — This young chapter met on Friday , the i-jth , under the able presidency of its new ' Z ., Comp . R . Bell . Propositions were received for four candidates for exaltation at the next monthl y meeting .

GREENOCK . —Kilwinning Lodge ( No . 12 . )—A special meeting of this old and very flourishing lodge took place on the iolh inst ., when a large number of the brethren assembled to do honour to thc occasion , the business ofthe evening being the presentation to the lodge of a

beautiful and costly set of tracing boards b y Bro . Captain Shanks , Knight ' of the Imperial Order ofthe Medjidie , P . Prov . Grand Warden of Devon , & c . When the lodge had been opened in the first degree , the W . M . called on Bro . Shanks , who then addressed the meeting as

follows : —Worshipful Master , Wardens , and brethren , a little more than fifteen years ago I had the honour and privilege of being initiated into Freemasonry in the body of this lodge , and although I have been separated from it for some

time in consequence of being in Her Majesty ' s Service , although I have met with a truly fraternal welcome in every lodge I have visited or belonged to ; although elsewhere I have attained a high position in all the degrees ; yet I have

Scotland.

never for one moment forgotten that place where I first saw the li ght , and to this , my Mother Lodge , my thoughts have ever reverted with feelings of the greatest pride and affection , but in saying this I must be simply echoing the sentiments of all the brethren present , for every

one who understands Freemasonry properly , everyone who goes deeply into its sublime teachings , must see that the privileges conferred upon us at our own initiation are very great , and he must therefore have this thought ever present in his mind , " What can I do for

the lodge which has done so much for me ?" He must be constantly saying to himself" I never enough can honour her " Who , past all bounds , has honoured me . " Some few , indeed , there may be who will say " we pay for what we get , and there is no need to

do more than that ; " but , brethren , I hold that if the sum demanded from candidates for admission to our mysteries was a hundred fold more than it is , that amount even would be no equivalent for the inestimable advantage of being Freemasons ; and I therefore , think we all ought

to do as much as possible for our lodge . With these views in my mind , and after long consideration , I came to the conclusion that a set of traci ng boards was most urgently needed in this lodge for the instruction of the brethren , and I now beg to offer these for your acceptance .

[ The boards were here unveiled and their splendid appearance drew forth long and loud plaudits from the brethren" ) . Bro . Shanks continued—I trust these tracing boards may be considered worthy of this lodge , and that their presence here will induce some of the brethren to

study the science of Freemasonry more than they have hitherto done , and to search more deeply into the beautiful mysteries of its esoteric teachings , for we should ever remember that one may be thoroughly well versed in the ritual , may be well-informed in our secret means of

communication , and yet be only on the very threshold of the science . All the beauty , all the knowledge being within , but still freely open to that Master who would search for them properly , aided by the light of the sacred volume ; and it has ever been found that the more w * know of Freemasonry ,

the better we understand its wonderful power for good , the more do we appreciate and love it . In the hope then that these tracing boards may conduce ( even in a small degree ) to the welfare of this lodge , I now ask your acceptance of them . A hearty and cordial vote of thanks was given to

Bro . Shanks for his handsome present ; and he then , by request of the W . M ., delivered the lecture on the first tracing board in a manner highly gratifying to his audience , and was listened to with that close and interested attention which the Masonic lectures always command when ably delivered . This is the first time a lecture of this

kind has ever been given in this lodge ; the task being by no means an easy one , very few are willing to undertake it . At the close of the lecture Bro . Shanks was greeted with prolonged and rapturous applause . On one of the tracing

boards is fixed an elegant silver plate , bearing the following inscription : " Presented to his Mother Lodge , Greenock Kilwilling , No . 12 , by Bro . Captain Shanks , K . M ., Royal Marines Light Infantry , Past Master of 139 , E . R . ; Past Prov . Grand Warden of Devon , 1874 . "

Masonic Balls In West Lancashire.

MASONIC BALLS IN WEST LANCASHIRE .

LIVERPOOL . Thc annual ball of the Pembroke Lodge , No . 1299 , which holds its meetings at West Derby , near Liverpool , came off with the greatest eclat , and to the delight of every one concerned , at the

Assembly Rooms , Hardman-street , Liverpool , on Thursday , the 12 th inst . The attendance was large and fashionable , and included a goodly muster of the rulers of the Craft . The arrangements , which were of the most complete and

satisfactory character , making the whole festive gathering like a happy family party , were admirably carried out by the following officers and members of the lodge : —Bro . J . Clegg , W . M ., President ; Bro . G . Aspinall , Treasurer ; Bro . A . Jones , Hon . Sec , ; and the . following committee :