Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

brethren had witnessed . Itwas the general opinion of the brethren that the manner of his performance did him great credit . It was the custom in the Holmesdale Lodge for the outgoing W . M . to install his successor , and Bro . Bacon had determined to maintain the old character of the lodge , by not breaking this rule . The exertion he had thrown into his task was most commendable , and thelodge

would never forget that he had well and worthily wound up a most successful Mastership by performing unaided the ceremony of installation . Bro . Bacon , I . P . M ., in reply , simply said that he was highly gratified that his conduct of the ceremony of installation had met with the approval 0 t the brethren . Bro . Bacon then propossd "The Health of the W . M ., Bro . H . D . M . Williams . "

He said that Bro . Williams was a worthy occupant cf the hig h and distinguished position to which the brethren had elected him , and the brethren who were members of the Holmesdale Lodge were well acquainted with the manner in which he had performed the duties of all the other offices which be had filled year by year . He felt confident that Bro . Williams ' s year of Mastership would be a very

successful one , and in his endeavour to make it so all the brethren would afford their most cordial assistance . The W . M ., in reply , said that , coming newly ' to the chair of the lodge , he felt very much as Moses , of old , felt when he had to address an important message to the Israelites , that he was slow of speech and of a slow tongue , and that he could not declare himself without the fluency of

his brother Aaron . " he Past Masters of the lodge , however , were to him what Aaron was to Moses . Although not fluent of speech , he could assure the brethren that with the able assistance of the officers of the lodge , and the Past Masters , and other brethren he Would try to make the lodge successful . If the brethren would be punctual in their attendance , and work with Masonic heartiness both

in and out of lodge , they would show to the world that Masonry was not a name only but a reality . There was a sort of kindred nature between Masonry and that old Book on which he had [ that day laid his hands and m ? tle a declaration , and if the brethren took what was said in that Book as a guide , and acted up to the different obligations they contracted in the various degrees through

which they had passed , they would become not only good Masons , but good citizens of England and good citizens of the world . Passing on to the obligations of the different degrees , and recounting in brief the principles that were recited , he adjured the brethren to maintain those principles in their daily walk in life , and they would never regret the day when they entered so high and holy an

Order as the ancient Craft to which they belonged . The W . M . next gave " The Health of the Past Masters of the Holmesdale Lodge , " coupling with it more particularly the name of Bro . Roper , P . M ., whose services to the lodge were well known . Bro . Roper , in reply , said the W . M . had spoken very highly of him , and had called upon the brethren to assist him in keeping the lodge in its present

proud position . The brethren resident in the town of Tunbridge Wells had greater facilities for responding to this call than those who did not live in the town , and he was sure that their z al and loyalty to the noble and ancient Craft would not decay , but that they would answer the W . M . ' s request to support him on every occasion . For the honour conferred upon him and the other Past Masters

by drinking this toast he , with them , felt deeply grateful . It happened that he was the senior P . M ., and , therefore , the duty of responding fell upon him of thanking the brethren for the compliment . Now that the lodge was so admirably housed , when he thought how much they were indebted to those members of the lodge who had taken a leading part in arranging for the new lodge-room and its

splendid fittings , he could not help considering that they hatl doae great service , and had assisted in placing the Holmesdale Lodge in the fore-front among the lodges of England in point of accommodation . The Past Masters were abundantly grateful to those who had more recently had the contluct of the affairs of the lodge , and the very least that they ( the Past Masters , whose time was rather

passing , by the way , ) could do was to continue that support which Providence enabled them to render . Bro . Wilmot , P . M ., also responded . As the partner in business of the VV . M ., he congratulated the lodge on having chosen such a chief . He was sure the brethren would never regret the choice they ha I made in electing him as Master of the IleJmcsdale Lodge . With regard to the lodge , bc

supposed he hail been called upon to reply because he had taken some little interest in placing the lodge in its present position ; but there had been many , many brethren who had come to the front more than he . Being less acquainted with public speaking than he , he supposed was the reason they had chosen him as their mouthpiece . They had succeedeel in placing Masonry on a solid basis in Kent , and

had shown that they venerated it , and diel not choose to have it desecrated by tavern adjuncts . They had shown 'hat they could have a lodge set apart and consecrated to Masonry , because they had among them many men who looked above the mere eating and drinking , which were supposed by the outer world to be the connections of Freemasonry . 'The P . M . ' s had done

the very best they could to promote the benefit of the Craft , and he only hoped that in the future ( he said this in the presence of many Provincial Grand Officers ) when Grand Lodge granted warrants ft r the formation of new lod ges they would lcok to the places where those lodges were proposed to be held . In his opinion not half enough attention was paid to this point . Sometimes they would find lodges held in a place where there was such small

accommodation that the preparing room was formed by a curtain being drawn across a staircase . 'This he did not approve of , and he thought it was the duty of Provincial < jrand Lodge Officers to see to it that all lodges in the province , or proposed to be erected in tbe province , could be recentl y and properly tyled . Thanking the brethren again Cn behalf of the P . M . ' s , he remembered that he hal taken

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

great interest m the Holmesdale Lodge ever since he had been connected with it . He trusted he should always continue to do so , but he felt there were brethren who had more work in them than there was left ii him , and he hoped they would exert themselves in that respect . Bro . Bickley , P . M ., also responded , and said the brethren were aU deeply indebted to Bro . Wilmot for the exertions he had

made , and which had been crowned with such success . The W . M . next proposed " The Officers , Present and Past , of the Holmesdale Lodge , " whose working at present and in the past was all that could be desired . With reference to Lord Pratt , he reminded the brethren that his lordship was about to be married , and he congratulated him on that event . Lord George Pratt thanked the W . M . for his

kind allusion , and hoped his life 1 : 1 the future would be a happy one . Bro . Hodgkin , S . W ., likewise replied . The lodge was to be congratulated on the Masters it had had . To Bro . Wil mot's services it was deeply indebted , for undoubtedly they had been very great . The I . P . M ., Bro . Bacon , had laid the lodge under deep obligations by his excellent working during the past year , which had

culminated in his admirable performance of the installation ceremony that evening . It must have been a great pleasure to the brethren and the visitors , as it was to him , to witness the way in which that long and difficult ceremony was rendered . Bro . Williams , the W . M ., had filled other offices in the lodge , and if he performed the office of

Master with the same ability there could be no question of the lodge having a successful year . Bro . Burton also replied . Bro . Hudson , P . P . G . R ., replied to the toast of "The Visitors . " It was a great honour , he said , to him to have to respond for such a distinguished body of visitors as those he saw around him . He had done himself the

honour of travelling from town to be present at this meeting , and he took it that it was the sentiment each and every one of the visitors entertained that they came because they wished to honour Masonry , that grand tradition which each of them like their forefathers was most interested in preserving . He believed that at no period of the world ' s history were

those accessories which bound heart to heart and man to man more necessary to society than at present , and if they could dive into the past or look forward to the future , they would be able , no doubt , more fully to appreciate that fact . Masonty had done much to cement the fabric which we called society into one harmonious whole . There was a bond far higher than Masonry , he

admitted , but Masonry was based upon it , and it was that bond which Masonry seemed to perpetuate and make acceptable to the mind of man . Therefore , they honoured Masonry . It had a kindly instinct about it . It was levelling , perhaps , and brought together people as friends who were not friends before . In l . idge even tides for the moment disappeared , and place was given to the kindlier

and grander instinct of brotherhood . Hence it was that titled and untitled men got a grip of each other ' s hands when other ties had failed to unite them ; there fore it was , he said , that Masonry had a kindly feeline . Engaged , as he said , in London business , he had lately come down into the neighbourhood , where he would not , perhaps , have met many gentlemen who were sporting , shooting , and

engaged in country exercises , and would not have known them if it had not been for Masonry . Masonry gave him the opportunity of meeting many excellent men , and he thanked Masonry for it . He hoped it would be cherished in the locality , and that many times he might have the

opportunity of meeting the brethren again around the hospitable board . The Tyler's toast was then given , and the proceedings were brought to a close . Some excellent songs were sung during the evening by Bros . Boorman and Bates , and Tennyson's " Godiva" was recited by Bro . Dawes .

SCARBOROUGH . — Denison Lodge ( No . 1248 ) . —The first meeting of the members of this lodge , since the installation , was held on Wednesday , the 12 th inst ., at the Grand Hotel . Bro . J . Ivor Murray , P . P . G . S . D . China , occupied the chair of K . S ., and was supported by the following officers and brethren : Bros . F . Foster , P . M . ; Kitchen , P . M . ; F . W . Booty , S . W . ; G . O .

Crowther , J . W . ; G . Padley , Sec . ; H . J . Morton , S . D . ; John Davidson , J . D . ; A . Parkinson , I . G . ; antl J . Verity , Tyler . Bros . S . W . Fisher , G . R . Holmes , James Tovnend , and I-I . Wellburn . Visitors : W . Peacock , P . M . 200 ; T . Cooper , 6 97 ( Ireland ) ; J . Knaggs , 200 ; F . A . Kelly ( Freemason ); W . Fraser , 200 ; W . G . Smyth , 712 ; and George Dixon , 1166 . The lodge having been opened

in due for . n ; the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed . The lodge wis then opened in the Second D grce , when Bro . Leesomc Walker was cxaminetl , and hiving satisfied thelodge , retired . Thelodge was then opened in the Third Degree , and Bro . Leasome Walker was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason by the

W . M ., Bro . J . Ivor Murray . Bro . Murray is a very old Past Master , and has initiated upwards of seventy gentlemen into Freemasonry . Se \ eral small matters of business were then deposed of , and the brethren adjourned to refreshment , where the customary toasts were given and duly responded to .

CHORLTON - CUM- HARDY . —Chorlton Lodge ( No . 1387 ) . —The new Masonic Hall was opened on Wednesday , the 12 th inst ., on the occasion of the annual installation meeting of the above lodge . A Craft lodge was opened at 3 . 30 by the W . M . ( Bro . J . Rains , M . D . ) , supported by his officers and a Urge gathering of

members and visitors . Amongst the latter were Bros . J . H . Sillitoe , P . M . 317 , P . P . G . D . of C . East Lancashire ; Chas . McBride , Pil ' . G . A . D . of C . Leicestershire ; J . Battye , P . M . 204 ; J . Studd , 63 ; A . H . Sykes , 369 ; H . A . Gilbody , W . M . 1045 i J- E - Lecs ' P-M . 645 ; ' - *'• Freeman , P . M . 1055 ; E - Orrell , 204 ; H . Hunter , W . M . 1088 ; J . Laidlaw , P . M . 1375 ; G . Bradbury , P . M . 78 ; W . E . Nor-

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

burn , Jobn Turner , W . M . 268 ; and F . Vetter , 815 . The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed , the ballot wis taken for Mr . Squirrell , and proving in his favour , he was initiated into the mysteries of the Craft by the W . M , after which Bro . J . Crompton , P . M ., installed the W . M . el- , ct ( Bro . James G . Batty ) in the chair of K . S ., who , after having been properly saluted and

proclaimed in the various degrees , appointed the following brethren as officers for the ensuing year , who were invested by Bro . Crompton : —Bros . R . Davies , S . W . ; E . Brundritt , J . W . ; Rev . H . B . Jones , M . A ., P . M ., P . P . G . C , Chaplain ; H . Marshall , Treas . ; D . Williams , S . c . ; John Dewhurst , S . D . ; A . D . Edwards , J . D . ; T . Schofield , P . M ., D . of C . ; W . Norbury , Org . ; J . J . Lambert , I . G . ; J

Addy , A . Love , R . Fowler , W . H . Acton , Stewards ; W . Chesshyre , Tyler . The ad Iresses to the W . M ., Wardens , and brethren were delivered very impressively by Bro . Schofield , P . M . At the conclusion of the installation ceremony Bro . Crompton , by Command of the newlyinstalled W . M ., presented a beautiful jewel to the I . P . M . ( Bro . Rains ) , after which the W . M ., in a very eloquent

and appropriate speech , presented to Bro . R . Davies , S . W ., a handsomely chased silver salver , as a slight acknowledgment of the generous services rendered to the lodge and chapter by allowing them to assemble in his schoolrooms and storing the furniture , & c , during the building of the new hall . The salver bears the following inscription : — " Presented to Bro . and Comp . R . Davies by the

members of the Chorlton Lodge and Chapter , 1387 , as a token of their sincere regard , 12 th March , 1879 . " Bro . Davies thanked thebrethren in suitable terms . The lodgo was closed in peace and harmony , and an adjournment was made to the Lloyd Hotel , where a recherche banquet was prepared by the hostess . The W . M . presided , and about fifty members honoured him with their presence .

The usual loyal and Masonic toasts were very ably proposed , and the toast of the evening , " The W . M ., " as well as those of "The Past Masters , " " Officers of the Lodge , " " The Visitors , " & c , were enthusiastically received , and heartily responded to . The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . F . Vetter . Miss Crabtree ( daughter of the hostess ) completely charmed all present with her beautiful voice and very ably rendered pianoforte

solo . B'o . R . Fowler was equally successful as a flautist , ar . d the popular Masonic quartett patty , consisting of Bros . J . R . Lever , W . M . 317 ; M . Thomas , W . M . 350 ; C . Stanley , 204 ; and T . Shorrock , P . M . 330 , sang some glees and trios , notably " Willie brewed a peck o' maut , " in a manner that called forth well-deserved applause , and in some cases encores were insisted upon . Several other brethren took part in the vocal music , which enhanced the pleasures of the evening .

CUCKFIELD . —Ockenden Lodge ( No . 1465 ) . —Following out his announced intention of officially visiting periodically each lodge in the province of Sussex , Sir Walter W . Burrell , Bart ., M . P . ( Provincial Grand Master ) , attended the above lodge , at the Talbot Hotel , on Tuesday , the 1 ith inst . He was attended by the following Provincial Grand Officers : —Bros . John Henderson Scott , Dep .

Prov . G . M . ; W . Sergison , S . G . W . ; J . St . Clair , J . G . W . ; V . P . Freeman , G . Sec . ; W . Hale , G . S . D . ; Mark Tanner , G . J . D . ; C . Tomkinson , G . Supt . of Works ; J . M . Kidd , G . D . C . ; W . G . Sharp , G . A . D . C . ; Ios . Farncombe , G . S . B . ; W . T . Nell , G . Purst . ; G . S . Evershed , E . Bright , F . J Ruble , and A . J . Hawkes , G . Stewards . The occasion was the annual installation , Bro . S .-W . D . Williams , M . D .

( medical superintendent Sussex County Lunatic Asylum ) , having been unanimously selected by the lodge for this important position . He was duly installed according to ancient custom , but in consequence of a severe domestic affliction to the family of the outgoing Master ( 3 ro . T . S . Byass ) the ceremony was kindly undertaken by his Immediate Past Master . An interesting feature of the

proceedings was the presentation to Bro . Byass of a valuable Past Master ' s jewel for the efficient discharge of the duties of his office during the past twelve months . Bro . Dr . Williams having appointed his officers the ceremony was continued with the assistance of the Deputy Prov . G . Master and the Prov . G . Secretary . At the conclusion of the business the brethren dined together in the assembly-room ,

which important part of the day ' s proceedings was very admirably arranged and carried out . Messrs . Sayers and Marks , of Brighton , were the caterers , and their reputation is a sufficier . t guarantee that the banquet was well served . Bro . Dumsday supplied the wines and superintended the general arrangements very efficiently . Among those present at the dinner other than those already mentioned were

Brr . s . Kuhe , P . G . O . England ; W . H . German , P . P . G . S . D . ; W . R . Wood , P . P . G . S . W . and P . G . Steward Eng . ; J . P . Smith , D . P . G . M . ; C . Sandeman , P . G . A . D . C . ; W . Devin , P . P . G . O . ; W . Read , P . G . Purst . ; S . Tanner , W . M . South Saxon ; J . Eberell , P . M . iG ? 6 ; T . Wilkinson , W . M . 271 ; A . Taylor , W . M . mo ; T . U . Price , W . M . Howard ; B . Bennett , W . M . 732 ; E . Broadbridge , F . Marks , J . Sayers ,

St . Cecilia ; S . H . Soper , Royal Brunswick ; C . E . Saunders , St . Albans ; C . Gdding , York ; C . Sawyer , Sackville ; Robertson , M . D . ; R . C . Williams , J . S . Champion , John Gallop , C . F . Lewis , F . W . Otter , W . H . W . R . Burrell , C . Braid , E . Dumsday , F . Milsom , W . M . 341 , and'others . The customary loyal and Craft toasts having been enthusiastically received , the newly-elected W . M . ( Dr .

Williams ) gave " The Health of Bro . Sir Walter Burrell . " In doing so he referred to the important positions which the hon . baronet held in the county , not only as their Provincial Grand Master but in the oischatge of many other and important duties . In each of these he displayed

ajjdgmentand large-heartedness which especially commended him to all with whom he was brought in contact . Personally he hatl to thank him for many kindnesses , and he took that opportunity to do so publicly . The Provincial Grand Master , in responding , referred to the high compliment which had been paid him by the proposer . As to