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^^^^^^gj SATURDAY . AUGUST 25 , 1900 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We arc desirous of calling our readers attention to the sermon recently preached by Ilro . the Rev . F . H . Mentha , Prov . G . Chaplain , before the Prov . G . Lodge ol Cheshire , as reported in full in our columns last week . A clearer und more acceptable exposition of Ihe principal objects of Freemasonry it would be

difficult to light upon . Our reverend brother ' s text was " For none of us liveth unto himself , " and having enlarged upon the inter-dependence upon each other of all the different classes and conditions of men—in trade , in commerce , in home life—Bro . Mentha passed

from the material to the moral world , and pointed out that " the power of personal influence , the power of example for good or evil , whether it be in the wide arena of public lift , in the more restricted activity of the house of business or thc club , in the quiet circle of

Masonic Notes.

domestic life , these teach us with unmistakable accuracy that for weal or woe , for better or worse , whether we evade or accept the responsibility , ' None of us liveth to himself . ' " " No man of reverent mind , " said he , " can recognise the existence of this law , can feel himself the possessor of this power

without the added consciousness of responsibility as to its righteous and proper exercise , " and he added , "The wisest , the best , the most honoured , the most useful are those who fee ! this responsibility the most keenly . " # * *

Bro . Mentha then applied his text Masonically , observing with truth that "the fundamental basis of Masonry is the doctrine that ' none of us liveth tO himself , ' " and illustrating the justice of his observation " by our corporate action in the foundation and maintenance of

scholastic and other benevolent institutions , " the able management of which is " evidence that the main object of our efforts is the welfare of others , the satisfaction of the claims of benevolence and Charity . " He also pointed out that " if Masonry is to flourish

and abound , and to continue to merit the respect of all men who ' se respect is worth having , " we must go on cherishing the thought "that we live , not each to himself , but to others . " This we must make plain to our brethren , firstly , " by habitual courtesy and

graciousness of demeanour ; by ' open-handed generosity according to our means ; and " by gravity and serious ness of speech and action in all that concerns trans ' actions of the Craft . " And , secondly , we must induce the outside world to recognise " that Masonry widens

rather than narrows our sympathies and our sense of duty , " and this we must accomplish by strictly discharging " the obligations of citizenship " by observing the ties of the home and family , and by showing " an unselfish willingness to help those who need and

claim our service . " It is not often the good fortune of brethren to have laid before them so able an exposi - tion of the duties of Masonry and those who were privileged to hear it must have been deeply impressed by its earnestness and sincerity . * * *

Advantage will be taken of the meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Devonshire , which will be held at Freemasons' Hall , Plymouth , on Tuesday , the 28 th instant , to recognise , in a worthy fashion , the very valuable services rendered to Freemasonry generally .

but more particularly in thc Province of Devon , by Bro . F . 15 . Westlake , who , speaking Masonically , is a Plymouth brother , and very highly respected and esteemed by all members of the Craft . During his long and brilliant career as a member of our Society , Bro . Westlake has been the recipient of the highest

honours which it is in the power of the lodge and the Provincial Grand Master to bestow on worthy brethren . He has won fame in Craft , Royal Arch Mark , and Templar Masonry , and has been appointed to Grand Office—either substantive or brevet—in each of those branches of Masonry . # » »

That Uro . Westlake has deserved full well the honours he lias received is known throughout the Craft , but it is perhaps by the services he has rendered to our Charitable Institutions or to his Province in connection with them that he is best known . For a long

term of years he has made it a point of honour to act as Steward for each of the Charities in turn at every Festival that is held in their behalf . He has constituted himself a Patron of all three , while for his Province of Devonshire he regularly undertakes the onerous duty of managing the votes for the election of candi

date . s , and this he has done most successfully . He is , too , a member of the Hoard of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , having been elected to that position during the present year . He is , indeed , a veteran in the service of Masonry , and in doinn- honour to him his Province of Devonshire is at the same time doing honour to itself .

The proceedings at the recent annual meeting in Alderney of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Guernsey and Alderney passed off very successfully , notwithstanding that a considerable number of those who attended it were under the necessity of journeying by

sea in order to reach the trysting-place . The gathering took place under the auspices of the St . Ann ' s Lodge , No . 593 , and will be memorable in the annals of the Province for this , if for no other , reason ,

that Craft , Royal Arch , and Mark Masonry each received a certain amount of attention . First of all , a Mark lodge was opened in order that a number of brethren might be advanced to that Degree . Then thc brethren of the St . Ann ' s Lodge assembled , and

Masonic Notes.

lodge having been opened , the respected and popular Prov . Grand Master , Bro . J . Balfour Cockburn , was announced , and on entering with his officers was received with the usual honours . Then the Prov Grand Lodge was opened , and the business on the agenda transacted .

* * * After a brief interval Provincial Grand Chapter was opened and ofiicers for the year appointed and invested , and then came the necessary banquet , at which the Prov . Grand Master occupied the chair , the usual toasts being duly honoured , the St . Ann ' s Lodge , to

which a handsome banner had been presented earlier in the day , being referred to by the Prov . Grand Master and others in most complimentary terms on the score of the zeal and energy its members had recently exhibited . We congratulate the lodge and Province generally , but more especially the Prov .

Grand Master on the success of the day's proceedings . It is rather more than six years since Bro . Cockburn was appointed to office , and there can be no question ' that under his influence and through his zeal and ability , Freemasonry has made great progress , not

progress by leaps and bounds—which in so limited a Province would be out of the question—but slowly and surely and in such a manner as to give the idea of permanency to the prosperity which has overtaken the Craft in these islands .

* * * It was but the other day that we took note of a meeting in Bombay of the Grand Lodge of All Scottish Freemasonry , in India at which Bro . J . W . Smith , M . W . Past Grand Master , presided , and in the course of a long address reviewed the principal events that

had occurred since October last . This meeting was held on aSth April , when , as far as it is possible to judge from the record of the proceedings in which he took the leading part , he seems to have been in the enjoyment of his usual health . Last week it was our mournful duty to reproduce from the pages of the

Indian . Freemason its obituary notice of our late distinguished brother , who began his career as a Mason in April , 1871 , when he was initiated in the Lewises Lodge , No . 1209 , Ramsgate . On migrating to India in 18 77 , he joined the St . George ' s Lodge , No . 549 , Bombay , and two years later was elected to the E .

chair , filling the office for two years . In 1881 he was appointed Dist . G . Warden , and in 1882 , in addition to being W . M . of the Hiram Lodge , No . 1784 , was installed Dep . Dist . Grand Master . It was not , however till August , 1888 , that he affiliated to a lodge under the Scottish Constitution—Lodge of

Caledonia , No . 490 , and having joined Lodge Perseverance , No . 351 , in 188 9 , was elected its R . W . M . the following year . It was also in 1890 that he was chosen Depute Grand Master of Scottish Freemasonry , and on Bro . Sir Henry Norland ' s death in 1891 was elected and installed his successor as M . W . Grand Master .

* » * But our late brother did not confine his energy to Craft Masonry . He was advanced to the Mark in thc Holmesdale Lodge , No . 129 , Ramsgate , in October , 1871 , and served as W . M . in 1875-6 . On settling in Bombay he joined the HoImesdale-in-the-East ,

No . 72 , and from 1881-88 was Prov . or Dist . Grand Mark Master of Bombay . As a R . A . Mason , to which he was exalted in the Thanet Chapter , No . 429 , Ramsgate , in July , 1872 , he served with almost equal distinction as Deputy Z . to H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , whom he had the honour of installing Grand Superintendent of Bombay under the E . G ., and as

Dep . Grand Superintendent Western India under the S . C . He was also a member of the Allied Degrees and Royal and Select Masters , a Knight Templar , and Knight of the Order of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine , and in the A . and A . Rite was , in 1893 , appointed S . G . I . G . for India , 33 ° , under the Supreme Council for Scotland .

» ? Thus Masonry in India under both the English and Scottish Constitutions has sustained a serious loss by the death of this distinguished member , who in thc course of a connection with the Craft extending over well nigh 30 years had attained to the highest ollices

in Craft , Royal Arch , and Mark Masonry , and in the Ancient and Accepted Rite , and who had been more or less prominently connected with all the other branches of Masonry . Scottish Freemasonry in India , in particular , will feel his loss acutely , as he appears

to have been one of its chief mainstays in India . He was , however , equally respected and popular in both Constitutions , and to our brethren of both , as well as to the relatives of our deceased brother we offer our most respectful tribute of condolence .