Consecration Of The Guardian Lodge, No. 2625.

knowledge , to live as men , to look forward to a higher life , to live uprightly and truthfully , and to feel that to the just and upright man death had no terrors eqinl to the stain of falsehood and dishonour . Masonry taught them to use their daily life for the glory of God and the good ot man ; it taught them the lesson of natural equality and mutual dependence . In Masonry there were those who ruled and those who obeyed ; and so it was in the world at larsje , and it seemed

inevitable that it should be so . And it was the snme in the erection of a building . Some had to perform great duties , some had to perform very humble duties ; there were those who knew very little of the great pl-in of the building , but they had to take part in the erection of the plan and to discharge the duty assigned to each one , and be it high or be it low , the man who luid only the brick must lay it well and truly if the building was to be reared as it should be .

And so in the world they had their duties to do whether as men or as Masons ; and whether the duties were high or low , yet it was their part to do their duty and hiy the brick , if it be only a brick , well and truly , in the best possible way as though the eye of the Great Architect was upon them . Just one more word . Masonry ever set before them this great truth that they were working very much in the dark—that they were like the bricklayer who laid his brick in the dark and in

ignorance of the great design ; they were taking part in a great work of which they saw only a little portion , and they were looking forward to the revelation of something higher , better ; they were seeking after that which was lost ; they were ever looking upward and onward for the completion of the design of the Great Architect of the Universe ; they formed but an insignificant portion of the work . Be it the work of the Guardian Lodge to take up ( his work , to carry it forward to

the fulfilment of the vast design . Long might the lodge prosper , and might it be known for the excellence of its work , but more by the fidelity of its members to the great principles of Masonry which held it together ' . The consecrating elements which the Grand Secretary would shortly carry round the lodge were not mere empty formalities ; they were symbols of something higher ; they were

emblems of brotherly love and unanimity , of the cheerfulness and goodwill which should pervade this lodge in years to come ; and lastly , the ijcense as its smoke ascended reminded them of the great truth that all their efforts without the Divine blessing were unavailing . Might they look forward and count upon the blessing of the Most High on the work of the lodge from generation to generation 1

At the conclusion of the ceremonies of the consecration of the lodge and its dedication to Freemasonry , Bro . James Tollworthy was installed as the lodge's first W . M . Bro . Tollworthy , it may be remarked , was initiated in Freemasonry in the Clarendon Lodge , No . 1760 , and , after passing through the various offices , was installed as its Master in November , 1894 . During his year he served as Steward for the lodge at the Festival of the Royal Masonic

Institution for Girls , when he took up a substantial sum in aid of that Charity . He also represented the Clarendon Lodge at the Festival of the Girls ' School last year , when the amount on his list exceeded that of any single lodge in London . As a Guardian of the City of London Union he originated the lodge which was consecrated on the 15 th instant . He is a Vice-President of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and a Life Governor of the Royal Mrsonic Institution for Boys and the Rojal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

The brethren chosen as the Master ' s officers for the year were : Bros . W . Shurmur , acting I . P . M . ; H . V . Clements , S . W . ; T . A . Bullcck , J . W . ; the Rev . P . Clementi-Smith , Chap . ; W . J . Johnston , C . C , Treas . ; W . R . Caldwell Moore , C . C , P . M ., Sec . ; A . E . Pridmore , C . C , S . D . ; A . P . Little , J . D . ; R . H . Barton , I . G . ; H . Weber Brown , B . A , D . C . ; W . D . Barnett , E . Ardley , and C Fartis , Stewards ; and E . L . Partridge , P . M . 16 S 6 , Tyler .

There were four other brethren who were among the founders of the lodge , viz ., Bros . ex-Sheriff Hand , J . H . Lile , C . C , F . Dunn , and H . Bird , C . C . When Ihe ceremonies were closed , votes of thanks were pasted to the Consecrating Officers , who were also elected honorary members of the lodge .

The SECRETARY announced that the following presentations had been made to the lodge : The banner by the W . M . ; Bible , cushion , silver square and compasses by the S . W . ; a set of books for the lodge by the Treasurer ; a silver inkstand by the Secretary ; firing glasses and case by the D . C . ; two wands with silver doves for the Deacons by the I . G . ; three ivory-handled gavels by the Steward ; and the Tyler ' s sword by the Asst . Steward , Bro . Farris .

The lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to a choice banquet . The usual toasts were alterwards honoured . Bro . Archdeacon STEVENS , G . C ., responding to the toast of " The

Grand Officers , " said that it would be difficult to find any one to conduct the ceremony of consecration with greater diginity or impressiveness than the Grand Secretary . It had been a pleasure to all the brethren , and the Grand Officers were glad to take part in starting the Guardian Lodge and to wish it God speed .

Bro . J AMES TOLLWORTHY , W . M ., proposed " The Consecrating Officers , " and was sorry the Grand Secretary , and Bro . Rubjrt Grey and Bro . Frank Richardson had been obliged to leave . He felt greatly indebted to the Consecrating Officers , and he thought Bro . Letchworth had performed the ceremony to perfection .

Bro . Sir J B . MONCKTON , P . G . W ., in reply , said he was now in his fifth decade as a Freemason and had assisted at many consecrations but he had never been at one consecration more sympathetically than at that of the Guardian Lodge . In the first place bscause the lodge met in the old City of London ; in the second because it was consecrated to what he might term one of the phrases of official life in that city . He was a great believer

in what were called " class " lodges , although perhaps they might be carried too far , and degenerate into somethirg undesirable ; but where men were accustomed to meet officially he thought it well , if they were so inclined , that they should have . the opportunity cf meeting fraterrally . Such meeting assisted them very much in their intercourse . To quote an example in the old Latin grammar—Emot lit mores , nee sinil esse feros : it softened the

manners , nor suffered them to be rough . Three-fourths of what had happened to him happily and successfully in life he attributed to Freemasonry . He said that to younger brethren in Masonic life . When their a ges permitted , he peisonally initiated his three sons ; that was h : s best answer to people who asked what he thought of Freemascnry . At that end

of his Masonic career he was rather given to the Charities ; he did not mind a little work now and then . He installed his 145 H 1 Master that week at the Albion ; he hoped to make it up to 150 shortly , and then to devote his time entirely to the old folks and the young folks . He did not think it ° ut of place for a Consecrating Officer to say—Keep the Charities well in your mind , but not so as to do moie than they could afford ; that was what

Consecration Of The Guardian Lodge, No. 2625.

he called un-Masonic ; that was robbing others for them ; but kt them do what they could afford ; it was an admirable thing to do . He then only h ? d to wish the W . M . success , and he would propose "The Health of the W . M . " They saw that night in lodge how Bro . Tollworthy comported himself . He was not then for the first time a W . M ., but equally they might say that he remembered what he learned in his previous experience , and he

compo ted himself in a capital , dignified capable , and able manner , promising well for the year before him . That he had work was seen by the proposals made in lodge , and they were sure to bz followed by others . The officers cf the lodge were just and upright men in the service , and he had no doubt they would support their W . M . as they should do . In Bro .

Tollworthy they had one of the ablest and most respected members of the Craft ; in fact , the Guardian lodge had everything in its favor . II •; was proud to be one of its honorary members , and he was sure his colleagues with him and those who had left hoped they would have an opportunity hereafter of attending to see the W . M . do his work .

Bro . J AMES TOLLWORTHY , W . M ., acknowledged irTetoast . Asregarded tha Guardian Lod ge his heart and soul had been in forming that lodge , and he would do his best to further it , not only for its welfare in the working , but he would do his best for the benefit of the founders as well as of those who should join it . It certainly had been some time since the lodge was first thought of . They had to wait the convenience of several members in the

arrangements to get the lodge consecrated . So far as he had seen he thought they had had a very enjoyable evening , and he hoped they would still complete that evening in a further enjoyable manner . He thanked the founders for choosing him as their first Master , and anything he could possibly do , he should do to the utmost of his ability to further the interests of the lodge .

Bro . Alderman VAUGHAN MORGAN in responding to the toast of " The Visitors , " said he should only be echoing the voice of every one in the room when he said how much they were indebted to the W . M . for the great treat , intellectually and corporeally , which they had had—the consecration was admirably done , and the banquet before the brethren was excellent . He only hoped it was an evidence of the great prosperity that would attend the

lodge . He was happy to say many members were old friends and brothers ol his , and he trusted he should on some futu-e occasion repeat his visit . He thanked the W . M . for his kind motive in inviting him to assist h ' m in getting the position he would like to attain to . If he attained it he hoped he would not disgrace those Grand Treasurers who had gone before him . The very last thing he did before he came to this lodge wis to complete the

signature for the petition for the founding of a lodge in connection with the schools he had the honour to be educated in—Christ ' s Hospital , to be called the Christ's Hospital Lodge . The secret had not been diuulged until now . Sir John Monckton said he had initiated threi sons . He ( Alderman Vaughan Morgan ) hoped his lodge would be Ihs means of iiiiti . ting 300 or 400 of Cnrist ' s Hospital children—and he desired to have the pleasure ol introducing many members of Christ's Ho ? pit : d himself .

Bro . J AMES STEPHENS also replied . He had never seen a lodge better consecrated , and the oration of the Archdeacon was superb . When he saw what a fine body of men the members of the lodge were , he felt sure they would do their duty . A more ardent and zealous worker than the W . M . he did not know , and they were wise in the choice of a W . M . He wished every prosperity for the lodge . He could not but refer to and take up the thread of the remarks of Alderman Vaughan Morgan , whom he had the

honour of nominating for election as Grand Treasurer last Grand Lodge . He was then hopeful that the Alderman would have that courtesy shown to him , and that true Masonic spirit extended to him which he had the pride and pleasure of giving last year , when he stood on one side to avoid a contest , although he had the previous year polled 1000 votes ; but with that self-abnegation ever characteristic of him , he stood aside . At next Grand Lodge , in March , he hoped all the brethren would attend and elect him .

Bro . J AMES COOPER , in saying a few words in response to the toast , informed the brethren that Bro . Tollworthy was one of his boys that he had initiated . He felt confident of the success of the lodge . The toast of " The Officers of the Lodge " was replied to by several of those brethren , and the Tyler ' s toast closed the evening . Besides the musical brethren who attended the lodge , Miss Emily Briggs assisted in after-dinner singing .

Consecration Of The Byfield Lodge, No. 2632.

CONSECRATION OF THE BYFIELD LODGE , No . 2632 .

The ceremony of consecrating the new London lodge , which will be known henceforth as the Bj field Lodge , No . 2632 , took place in the Masonic Rooms of the Great Eastern Hotel , Liverpool-street , on Monday , ihe nth instant . There was a very full attendance , and promptly at the appointed hour of 4 . 30 p . m . the chair was taken by the Consecrating

Officer , Bro . E . Letchworth , G . Secretary , who was assisted in his duties by Bros . George E . Fairchild , P . A . G . D . C , as S . W . ; James Terry , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . B . I ., as J . W . ; the Ven . Archdeacon Stevens , G . Chap ., as Chaplain ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . C ; and C . J . R . Tijou , P . A . G . P ., as I . G .

The G . SECRETARY having briefly addressed the meeting , the CHAPLAIN gave the opening prayer , and the founders having been arrarged in order by the D . C , and , in reply to the inquiry of the Consecrating Officer , having signified their approval of the officers named in the warrant , Bro . Archdiacon STEVENS delivered an eloquent oration on the nature and principles of the Institution .

The ceremony of consecration was then performed , and the lodge having been duly constituted , the Grand Secretary proceeded to install Bro . James Boulton , G . P ., the W . M . designate , in the chair of K . S ., and the new W . M . having been proclaimed and saluted , appointed and invested the following

brethren as his officers for the year , namely : Bros . Walter Gladding ( S . W , designate ) , S . W . ; R . C . Flint ( J . W . designate ) , J . W . ; W . B . Abrahams , P . M . and Sec . 1816 , Secretary ; W . Stewart , S . D . ; T . Cole , J . D . ; W . G . Mortlock , I . G . ; and H . Stewart ( elected by show of hands ) , Tyler .