Consecration Of The Hampden Lodge, No. 2427.

Bro . Sir J B , MONCKTON , P . G . W ., replying for " The Grand Officers , " said that not for the first time , and probably not for the tooth time , he ** ose to respond to this toast , and say that the Grand Officers present were gratified to assist at the consecration of a new lodge such as this . What had been said that ni ght by the Consecrating Ofiicer should never be forgotten , that a large increase of lodges was undesirable , and

that being admitted and recognised by the M . W . G . M . and every Grand Officer , it was no small compliment to any band of petitioners when their petition was granted . That being the case , he thought Grand Officers worthy of the name , were never better pleased than when bringing into existence a new lodge such as this , as they had seen done in such an interesting and solemn manner . That the Hampden Lodge had a good

future before it they could not doubt . It was started by earnest men who were known not to lightly undertake that which they did not mean to go on with . It was started in a building the objects of which the Worshi pful Master had explained to him , and in looking over it one could see it was an Institution founded and was intended to carry out every kind of social benefit and educational instruction that

could be conceived , and the W . M . himself had well said that he was glad that a Masonic lodge was now added . As an old Mason himself , not quite the oldest present , he could say there was nothing so beneficial in life as Masonic work properly carried out . The Grand Officers were glad to be present on that interesting occasion , and thanked the brethren heartily and cordially for the manner in which the toast had been proposed and received .

Ihe W ORSHIPFUL MASTER then gave " Ihe Consecrating Officer and his Assistants , " and said the brethren had witnessed the consecration with a great deal of pleasure . The Grand Secretary threw into the ceremony a zeal and earnestness they must all appreciate , and those who were determined to carry out this lodge well would always look back to the good

beginning of the consecration ceremony that night . Their little room they were proud of , and those who came into the lodge would know of the interesting ceremony they had witnessed , and how anxious they were to benefit by lhat ceremony , and to lead those who joined to work in Masonry as they hoped all to work together in the Hampden Lodge .

Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , Grand Secretary , said that as they had alread y listened to his voice , he would not occupy their time with many words . But if his words were few they would be hearty and sincere . The Consecrating Oflicers thanked them for the extremel y kind manner in which they had received the toast proposed in such kind words by the W . M . He could assure them it had been a very great pleasure to one and all to be present .

They would observe that for every Consecrating Officer who assisted him he had an understudy , and he knew he was expressing their feedings when he said that any Grand Officer present would have been pleased to take any p lace , as Sir John Monckton had done by acting as I . G ., although the hig hest in rank present . The Consecrating Officers wished the founders every possible success , and hoped that this lodge , which had been founded in connection with an admirable institution , might have a career of

usefulness and great prosperity . He was sure lhat under the rule of their excellent W . M ., aided as he would bc by their Secretary , Bro . Moss , this lodge would have before it a great career . That it mi ght " be successful was the hearty wish of those who were privileged to assist , in the consecration . Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Bart ,, P . G . W ., said it was very gratifying lo him , as one of the Consecrating Officers present , to have the privilege of proposing for the first time " The Health of the first Worshi pful Master of the Hampden Lodge . " He had known the W . M . for a good many years in connection with one or two bodies with which he was or had been

connected , and this was the first occasion on which he had met him as W . M . of a lodge , although Bro . Eccleston Gibb had held that high position before , The Chaplain , in the very excellent address given in lodge , spoke of Masonrv as a bod y which united them whatever their differences in reli gion and politics . It had been his fate in one bod y in which he sat wilh the W . M . to be on opposite sides , and it was a good thing to have a good friend with

whom you might pair if necessary . 1 hey had in the present W . M . one who had well and thoroughly served that neighbourhood in many ways , and in a lodge started in connection with Hampden House which it was hoped would do so much for the welfare of the neighbourhood , the ) ' could not have a better Master than Bro . Eccleston Gibb . He asked them to drink in all

sincerity to the health of the W . M . of the Hampden Lodge . Bro . ECCLESTON GIBB , W . M ., said he had first to thank Sir Reginald Hanson who had spoken so kindly of him . The Grand Officers would recognise how fitting a Masonic lodge was in that place . He thanked the brethren for the hearty way in which they had drunk his health and he hoped

tone able to do the work , perhaps better than he had that evening . He was alraid the Consecrating Officers would not recognise in him a Mason of many years , but he had had many duties to perform . He would do his best to make this lodge a success during the 12 months he was in office . t Bros . HARDING , W . M . 2108 ; H . WALDEN , P . P . G . W . Jersey ; and NATHAN ROBINSON , . sq , returned thanks for "The Visitors . ' " and " The

Officers " was responded to by Bro . J . P . FITZGERALD , acting I . P . M . The Tyler ' s toast then closed the proceedings . The musical arrangements , which left nothing to be desired , were under tlie management of Bro . Rose , Prov . G . Org . Bedfordshire , ably assisted •jy Bros . H . W . Schartau , E . Dalzell , J . Brand , and C . T . Johnson .

Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

FESTIVAL OF THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

Ihe 24 th Anniversary Festival of the Mark Masons' Benevolent Fund "¦ wis held at Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday evening , under thc presidency of Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , M . P ., P . G . W . The interest of the brethren and ladies in the Fund and its objects seemed in no measure to 'aye decreased , for about ] . u sal down to dinner , and the tables appeared

0 oe as well filled as on any previous occasion . fi 1 he Chairman was supported by" >•the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress , Bro . the Earl of Euston , Lady Hanson ?? Miss Hanson , Lady Eleanor Harbord , Bro . the Hon . Judge McLeod , Grand A ' -ister of Burma , Miss Harrison , Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , Bro . Col . and Mrs . . in 1 » , ' ^' ' > ^ - Frank Richardson , Bro . George Cooper , Bro . Lennox Browne 11 , ?*• Browne , Bro . Robert Berridge , Bro . C . F . Matier , Mrs . and Miss Matier ,

1 ,- . ' '"* ••Clowes , Mrs . Sayer , Bro . F . and Mrs . Mead , Bro . Col . Shirley , Mrs . ' 'a , Bro . Edgar A . Baylis , Bro . Sir George Prescott , Bro . James Moon , P . G . T ., Ilro ' ~ ordon Miller , P . G . T ., Bro . Major Clifford Probyn , liro . VV . and Miss Lake , » , ° \ Pt- Marshall , Bro . Major Collins . Bro . W . Shurmur , Bro . Eugene " "teuuis , and Bro . Charles Belton . a bo ' - r ' ^ ' P rescnt ' w'th a handsome bouquet , a bottle of scent , and Air , sweetmeats , and each brother with a packet of cigarettes , of the •'cxandria Ci garette Company .

Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

During the dinner a beautiful selection of music was performed by a string and reed band , and after dinner a charming concert was given , under the direction of Bro . Frederick Bevan , by Madame Isabel George , Miss Ethel Bevans , Miss Kate Chaplin , Bros . Charles Chilley , F . Bevan , and Turle Lee .

The toast of " The Oueen and Mark Masonry , " and " The M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , " were proposed by the CHAIRMAN , and drunk with enthusiasm . The CHAIRMAN , in proposing the toast of "The M . W . Pro Grand Master , the Most Hon . the Marquess of Hertford , and the Past Grand Masters ; the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of Euston ; and the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " said that these were brethren to whom Mark

Masonry owed a very great deal—in fact , without their continued and active support Mark Masonry would not have attained its present position of eminence . None had been more conspicuous in this work than the Earl of Euston , who had especiall y devoted himself to Mark Masonry , though in other branches of Masonry he had shown such devotion that he ( the Chairman ) referred with pardonable pride to being Inner Guard of his Craft lodge , and admitting Lord Euston when he presented himself for initiation .

The Earl of EUSTON , in reply to the toast , said , after thanking Bro . Sir R . Hanson for the kind words he had used with regard to him personally , that the one and sole object of the Grand Officers was to increase and fortif y the Order , to multiply and do good to it , and to encourage those who came after them to do better than they if they could . They themselves followed very good men . They were all trying to maintain the objects of Mark

Masonry to the best of their skill and ability , and if the Grand Officers who came after them would do as they did he felt confident that the Order would be enhanced in value and in numbers . He hoped the Grand Secretary would give a good report that evening , though he did not expect the subscriptions would be found to be so large as they had been on some former occasions . His lordship then proposed " The Health of thc Chairman . " Sir Reginald Hanson , in every capacity of life he had

been called upon to fill , whether as a man of business , or as Chief Magistrate of the old City of London , or as Master of his lodge , or as Grand Warden in Mark Masonry , always done and acted to the best of his skill and ability —and very well , too , had he done it . In everything he had been asked to do he had shown keenness and zealousness . This had been exhibited in his desire to promote the good of Mark Masonry , and more especiall y had he shown those qualities in promoting the great object which Mark Masons had ever at heart—Charity .

The CHAIRMAN , in acknowled ging the toast , which was most cordiall y received , said he only wished he could say he deserved one-half the kind expressions which had been used by Lord Euston with respect to him . It was unusual to propose the health of thc Chairman so early in the evening . His own experience of benevolent festivals was that the Chairman ' s health was not proposed till after the toast of the evening , and when the Stewards '

lists had been read . In the present instance , however , it might be that as gratitude was a lively sense of favours to come , the brethren were expressing their thanks to him for something they expected he would be able to do . He was very much afraid , considering all the circumstances , not only in the commercial world this year , but in the political world also , as well as in the Masonic world , which had subscribed as it never had before

to the Masonic Charities , that the result of to-night ' s meeting might not be so good as otherwise mi ght have been expected . Certainly , this year one of the Craft Associations had received the largest sum that ever was collected , and the others , though they did not receive so much , yet received a good deal . Therefore , thc Mark Benevolent Fund Festival coming last of all , it was perhaps liable to suffer , and especially when such tremendous exertions

had been made on behalf of the other branches . The brethren would not be Masons if they begrudged to the children or the old people in the other branches what they got , even though it were to the detriment of Mark Masonry . He thanked Lord Euston for what he had said in the efforts he ( the Chairman ) had made on behalf of Charity , and he would now give the toast of the evening , " Prosperity to the Mark

Benevolent Fund . " And here again , any one occupying the chair felt it a somewhat difficult position , because as a rule they wanted to appeal to people to make them give . But in this Mark Degree the presence of the ladies and brethren indicated their sympathy with the Fund . This Fund did not vie with the other Benevolent Institutions of Masonryeither with the Boys ' , the Girls ' , or the Aged ; still , it had a certain work to

do , and he thought they might claim that hitherto they had done it exceedingly well . There was this to be said of it , that whatever was given to this Fund went almost direct into the hands of those who most required it , without any expense . And when he said without any expense , he was not intending to say anything to the detriment of thc other Institutions . There was no expensive staff to pay for , and none of the expense of issuing a

large number of balloting papers . By examining thc books placed before them , they would lind that a certain scale of voting was accorded to subscribers . Fortunately , from one point of view , unfortunately , from , another , those votes had never been exercised , and it might be said when tliere was no voting no interest was exercised , and people did not contribute as much as they should . This happened in other charities . When there was voting

the charity was brought before the public ; it was a form 01 advertisementa characteristic of the nineteenth century , particularly of the last 10 years , It was a question whether a great deal of money was not wasted , not only in charities , but in other walks , in advertising . It was all very well to throw a sprat to catch a herring ; but it was hardly well to throw a herring to catch a sprat .

However , in this Mark Benevolent bund they did not spend a lot of money in postages to every subscriber , and the money in the Benevolent Fund was not diminished to that extent which it must necessarily be if they had regular and frequent elections , lt was a very proud thing to be able to say that of all the Aged Mark Masons who had applied to the Board for relief there had been no obviously proper c se that had not neen

relieved , and the children had all had assistance , and this without thu expense of elections , old or young , whichever they who had a lair claim on the fund and who had applied were relieved . But it was only by the constant and regular benevolence of Mark Masons and their friends that this could be continued , and it was only by increased assistance that an increased

number of claims could be met , which must be naturally expected as the ranks of Mark Masonry expanded . It was for this reason that hc now appealed to the brethren and ladies , although by the benefactions ol former years and judicious investments the school lees ol children and ^ 5 a year each for outfit had been found . He hoped next year they would be able to increase their funds , otherwise they could not do as they had been doing ,