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SATURDAY , DECEMBER 23 , 1899 ,

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We have been requested to state that the 112 th Anniversary Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will be celebrated next year under the presidency of the Right Hon . the Earl of Dartmouth , Prov . G . Master of Staffordshire , has been postponed from Wednesday , the gth , to Wednesday , the 16 th May .

* * » We learn with pleasure that Bro . Terry has been making considerable progress in the task of organising the Board of Stewards for the Anniversary Festival , which will be held on Tuesday , the 27 th February next , in aid of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution . Upwards of 250 ladies and brethren , or more by some 50 than at thc corresponding period in previous years , have volunteered their services , and if Bro . Terry ' s good fortune continues it is not improbable that in the two months that remain for preparation this number may be about doubled . We are

glad of this . Having regard to the Transvaal War and Refugee Funds which are being raised throughout the country , it is our opinion that the work of tbe Stewards in obtaining donations and subscriptions will be greater than usual , so that it will be a distinct advantage if the Board is exceptionally strong in the matter of numbers .

* * » We announced list week that Bro . F . Sumner Knyvctt , P . G . D ., has been chosen to fill the office of Deputy Prov . G . Master of Hertfordshire rendered vacant by the lamented death of Bro . George E . Lake , P . G . D . But this is not the only change that has taken place recently in the personnel of the Grand

Masonic Notes.

Lodge of that Province , Bro . the Rev . Dr . O . C . Cockrem , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Chaplain , having been appointed Prov . G . Secretary , vice Bro . Charles Bullock resigned . Through the selection of Bro . Knyvett for the position of Deputy P . G . M ., a vacancy occurs in the office of Prov . G . Treasurer .

All the Masonic Grand Bodies of the United Kingdom that have met fince the outbreak of the war in South Africa have voted grants to one or other of the War Funds that have been started for the relief of our soldiers and sailors and their

wives and families , the last instance being that of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , which , at its Quarterly Communication , on the 7 th instant , voted , by acclamation , the sum of 100 guineas . The following are the grants that have thus far been made :

England—Granr Lodge , 1000 guineas ; Grand Chapter , 100 guineas ; Great Priory , 100 guineas ; Supreme Council , 100 guineas ; Mark Grand Lodge , 100 guineas ; and Grand Council Allied Masonic Degrees , 10 guineas ; Scotland—Grand Lodge , 100 guineas ; and Ireland—Grand Lodge , 100 guineas .

* * Freemasonry is very strongly represented among the general officers who are already or are about to be engaged in the war in South Africa . The newlyappointed Commander-in-chief for South

Africa-Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Candahar , V . C ., G . C . B ., & c . —was appointed S . G . Warden in 1895 , while his Chief of the Staff , Lord Kitchener of Khartoum , G . C . H ., had the brevet rank of Past G . Warden confened upon him in 1 S 97 , and early in t > e present

year was appointed Dist . G . Mister of Egypt and the Soudan . Lord Methuen , in command of the force advancing to the relief of Kimberley , was appointed S . G . Warden in 1896 ; and Lieut .-Gen . Sir Charles Warren , who has just arrived at C ipetown , was made

a Past G . Deacon in 18 S 7 , and served as Dist . G . Master of the Eastern Archipelago from 1891 to 1895 We learn also from the Canadian Craftsman that Lieut .-Col . W . D . Otter , who is ii command of the Canadian contingent now serving with the Imperial

troops in South Africa , is a Mason " ol many yews ' standing , being a P . M . of Ionic Lodge , No . 25 , since 1873 . " It may be interesting if we add that Lord Wolselcy . who , as Commander-in-chief , is engaged at

the War Office in thc work of organising the forces lor South Africa , and Lord Charles Beresford , who has just been appointed second in command ol our Mediterranean Squadron , are both Past G . Wardens of England .

* * * While we are all rejoicing at the announcement that our distinguished Bro . Lord Roberts has been offered and accepted thc command-in-chief of our armies in South Africa , we must not omit to tender his lordship

our deep sympathy in the loss of his only surviving son , the Hon . F . H . S . Roberts , who was mortally wounded in the unsuccessful attempt to force the passage of the Tugela river on Friday , the 15 th inst ., and has since died . The gallant young officer was

struck in the stomach while making a desperate attempt to save the guns , and it is said that had he survived he would have been recommended for thc Victoria Cross , a distinction conferred upon his father more than 40 years ago for personal gallantry during

the Indian Mutiny . Lord Roberts leaves England to-morrow ( Saturday ) for South Africa , and will take with him not only the sympathy of the whole nation , but also its confident hopes that he will carry the war to a successful issue .

» * * Our readers will no doubt bear in mind that this is the second time Lord Roberts has been given thc chief command in South Africa , thc first having been in 1881 after the disaster that befel our arms at Maiuba

Hill . But on his arrival at Capetown , Sir F . S . Roberts , Bart ., as he then was , found that , during his passage there , peace had been concluded , and there was no need for his services . The task befoio his lordship now is a far more serious one than thai which he was prepared to undertake in 1881 .

Our Dorsetshire brethren have good reason to be gratified with the facts and figures as set forth in the 19 th Annual Report of the General Committee of the " Dorset Masonic Charity . " As will be seen from our

account last week of the proceedings at the annual meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge at Blandford , on the 27 th ultimo , this report was then presented , but without furnishing any idea of its contents . It appears , how-

Masonic Notes.

ever , that the percentage of annual subscribers to lodge members is small compared with what it ought to be , and we trust the advice of the Prov . G . Master will be taken to heart , so that in due course there may be an approximate , if not an actual , correspondence between the number of subscribing Masons in

Dorsetshire and that of the subscribers to its Charily . In 1 S 97 there were 333 members out of 723 who were enrolled as annual subscribers , the total of the subscriptions being £ 8 5 17 s ., and the percentage 46 . Last year , with 75 S members , the number who subscribed to the Charity was 324 , and the amount they subscribed £ & 2 7 s ., the percentage of subscribers to

Masons being thus reduced to 43 . But while we hope and believe this shortcoming will be remedied , we note with pleasure that the Donations , which amounted to only - £ 14 7-s . 7 d . in 1897 , increased , owing to a grant of . £ 50 by Prov . G . Lodge , to ^ 63 3 s . last year , so that , including interest on investments , there was an increase in the receipts from , £ 207 14 s . gd . in 1 S 97 to ^ 248 4 s . in 1 S 9 S . # * f

The balance sheet is an excellent one , while it is worthy of note that the expenses of management amount to only £ S 8 s . ( 3 d . The balance on the Cash Account was ^ 17 6 12 s . 6 d ., which was carried to the Relief Account , and that on the Relief Account . £ 62 17 s . 3 d ., while the value of the Investments at

cash price , including those made during the year 1898 , is ^ 3716 9 s . 5 d . We may add that the lodges which most largely support the Charity are the Beaminster Manor Lodge , No . 1367 , and All Souls Lodge , No . 170 , Weymouth , with a good third , as the

report puts it , in St . Mary ' s , No . 707 , Bridport . The number of cases relieved during the year was four , and the number from July , 1 SS 1 , to January , 1 S 99 , m " elusive , 77 . This is good work done , and a fair amount ot investments accumulated by so moderatesized a Province as Dorsetshire .

We are glad to find that our distinguished Bro . Josiah A . Drummond , Past G . Master of Maine , is of the cpinion , as quoted in the Canadian Craftsman for last month , that " Lodges have no ' proprietary interest' in prospective candidates . " H'j points out that the law which requires that a candidate must apply to the nearest lodge is of recent enactment , and

that it was intended " for the benefit of the fraternity and not the lodges . " The reason he assigns for thu < -ii ctment is that a candidate must be best known by 1 i-. e lodge that is nearest to his residence , and consequently that the members of that lodge are best qualified to pass judgment upon his fitness to be received into the ranks of Freemasonry .

* * * Thc regular quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge of Queensland was held in Freemasons' Hall , Brisbane , on the 6 th September last , under the presidency of Bro . the Hon . A . C . Gregory , C . M . G ., Dist . G . Master . In the course of the

proceedings , which were of a more than usually protracted character , a pathetic incident occurred . A letter was read from Bro . R . A . Rankin , formerly Dist . G . Tyler , in which that brother said " he felt his end approach , ing , " and requested " the acceptance by the District Grand Lodge of his collar , apron , and gauntlets in remembrance of him . " On the motion of Bro .

Barren L . Barnett , P . G . D ., Dep . Dist . G . Master , who was warmly supported by the Dist . G . Master , the Dist . G . Secretary , and Bro . E . W . Smith , Past Dist . G . Warden , it was unanimously resolved that a lotter be written to Bro . Rankin " accepting the proffered gift with thanks , and assuring him of the deep sympathy of the District Grand Lodge in his present condition . "

» * * The meeting was , as we have said , a more than usually protracted one , owing to the official announcement beingmade that Bro . Alex . Corrie ' s appeal against the ruling of the District Grand Master—to the effect that Bro . Corrie ' s motion to pass certain new By-laws

could not be put to tne District Grand Lodge—had been upheld b y United Grand Lodge at its meeting on the 7 th June . Consequently , after certain remarks from the District Grand Master , and the reports of ) thc District Boards of Benevolence and General Purposes had been read and adopted , Bro . Corrie brought

torward his three motions successively , there being a long discussion on each ; but thc enactment of the propuscd new Bye-laws has not yet been quite disposed of , and with Bro . Corrie ' s consent , the final consideration of one of the motions was postponed till the next Ouarterly Communication .

At thc request of the District Grand Master of llm Transvaal—R . W . Bro . George Richards—we hive , as already announced , undertaken to open a subscription list for the rebel of those of our brethren who have suffered by the war in South Africa . ContriDutions have been received from Bros . S . R . Bask nil ,

W . F . Lamonby , and others , in addition to the £ \ oo given by Bro . Richards , and steps are being taken to bring the Fund more immediately under the notice of the lodges in town and country and abroad . Under these circumstances , we defer the publication of a list until the New Year .