Consecration Of The Crichton Lodge, No. 1646.

to the W . M ., Wardens , and brethren , and the ceremony of installation was brought to a close . Several propositions having been made , the lodge was closed in due form , and the brethren adjourned to a banquet , the W . M . presiding , supported by Bro . John Hervey and the rest of

the visitors . On the withdrawal of the cloth the W . Master gave " The Queen and the Craft , " which was followed b y the National Anthem , the solo parts by Bro . Asman . The W . Master said the next toast he had to propose was " The Most Worshipful Grand

Master , His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales . " In proposing this toast he was going to say that it was the toast of the evening , for every Mason loved and respected him . He had endeared himself to the heart of every Mason by going about the country , and , like his father

endeavouring to do good wherever he could . He ( the W . Master ) had the pleasure of seeing him installed as Most Worshipful Grand Master of England . That was tbe grandest day he had ever seen , every word the Prince uttered from the

dais appeared to come from his heart . When he left this country for India their only fear was that they might not see him again . They were now all looking forward to the Grand day when they should again see him amongst them as the head of the Craft .

The xoast was cordially received , and Bro . Voisey , in admirable style , sung " God bless the Prince of Wales . "

Thc W . Master next gave "The Pro Grand Master the Eail of Skelmersdale , Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Past and Present , " coupling with the toast the names of Bro . Hervey and Bro . the Rev . R . J . Simpson , which was enthusiastically responded to .

Bro . Asman sung in an excellent manner , " Come into the garden , Maud , " which was highly applauded . BrO . Hervey said they would only have skimmed milk from him , and therefore he should leave the cream of the toast to be responded to

by Bro . Simpson . ( A laugh . ) Bro . the Rev . R . J . Simpson said he was very sorry that his name had been associated with bad or skimmed milk , and he confessed his inabilityto give them the cream of what was called a good speech . He was sure the officers of the Grand

Lodge were honoured by being present that night , and they were much indebted to the brethren for the hospitality , warm reception , and kindness they had received at their hands . It was always a pleasure to him to be associated with men who adorned the Order to which

they belonged . Freemasonry was becoming a great power not only in England , but throughout the world , and took its place amongst the most eminent of the land . He need not speak of the illustrious heir to the throne , but the Grand Lodge formed the sinews and the very backbone

ot Freemasonry . He was sure that the Grand Lodge would see with pleasure the creation of every new lodge , which like that of a man taking a wife must be for better or worse , but in proportion to the zeal and ability with which it was conducted it mig ht become an example in

Freemasonry or the contrary . He would not , however , travel over that ground , but he augured from what he had heard that the Crichton Lodge would become an example to the Craft . He had been told that it was an educational lodge , and , therefore it was that he augured great

things from it—that it would take the lead in Freemasonry—that they would not be mere ci phers for the purposes only of conviviality or counting heads , but as true Englishmen and Freemasons they would not only exalt

themselves , but the great body to which they belonged . He wished from his heart success to the Crichton Lodge , and now having given them some skim milk he would leave the cream to Bro . Hervey . ( Loud laughter . )

The W . M . said he told the brethren that he thought tho toast he was then about to propose was the toast of the evening , but he really meant that to be the toast of the evening , as it was ' The Health of Bro . Hervey , the Consecrating Master . " He thought the brethren would agree with him when he said that he felt himself in a

quandary to give expression to his feelings on the roanner in which Bro . Hervey had performed the duties of Consecrating Master . He ( the W . M . )

Consecration Of The Crichton Lodge, No. 1646.

had been present at many consecrations , but he must say he never heard Bro . Hervey speak so feelingly as he had done that evening . He had asked Bro . Hervey to consecrate the lodge ; he promised to do so , and nobly he had responded to the call , and he must say that from the very

impressive manner in which the ceremony of consecration had been performed , that day he had listened to it with an extra amount of interest he had never felt before . To such addresses as had been delivered by Bro . Hervey and Bro . Simpson it had never fallen to his lot to listen to before ,

and those brethren who were not present to hear them had lost a great treat . Their thanks were therefore due to Bro . Hervey , Bro . Simpson , and also to Bro . Buss , who was a most able assistant , and at the next lodge he intended to move thac

they should all become honorary members of the Crichton Lodge . He asked the brethren with all zest and zeal to drink " Long Life , Health , and Prosperity to Bros . Hervey , Simpson , and Buss . The toast was cordially received .

Bro . Hervey said the brethren in his former observations had the skim milk , they had just had the cream from Bro . Simpson , and then they were going to have the butter . ( Loud laughter . ) He was glad to be with them that night , as he had long been a member of the Craft . ( " Not

too long . ") He felt that he had been so long before them that night that they must be heartily glad to be rid of him . He rose , however , to return thanks for the compliment paid to him and Bros . Simpson and Buss , and for the cordiality and kind manner in which the

brethren had appreciated their exertions . They had gone through the ceremony appointed by the Grand Lodge , but whether it was good or bad , it was for them to judge ; but he believ that they had given them Jsatisfaction . He thanked them for the handsome manner in which

they had received them . He turned to a more pleasant subject , and that was to propose " Success to the Crichton Lodge , and the Health of their "W . Master . " They heartily trusted that the lodge might succeed and prosper , and that at some future meeting that they should see

the work of the lodge well carried out , the duties of the officers well performed , and also see them progressing , not only financially , but in the ceremonies of the lodge , and the manner in which they supported the various institutions of the Order . He believed that the work of the lodge

would be carried out in a satisfactory manner , and wishing them complete success , he trusted that when he came again amongst them he should see them happy , prosperous , and united . The W . Master , in responding to the toast , thanked Bro . Hervey for his kind wishes , and

the manner in which his health had been proposed . In his selection of officers he believed that he should be ably assisted in carrying out the interests of the Craft in general , and of the Crichton Lodge in particular . Bro . Simpson has said that this was an educational lodge , but

it was originally intended to be a lodge of schoolmasters . They had afterwards foregone the intention of making it entirely a scholastic lodge , but they hoped to make it a lodge that should not be unworthy of the name it bore , for they were determined to put their shoulders to the

wheel , and although they might not be the ne plus ultra , they were determined that it should be second to none . He hoped that when Bros . Hervey , Simpson , and Buss should again come amongst them that they would find that thc remarks which had fallen from Bros . Hervey and Simpson that night had not been thrown

away . " The Visitors " was the next toast , for which Bros . Larlham and E . Clarke severally returned thanks , the latter pleasantly alluding to an observation which had fallen from the Past Grand Chaplain that this was an educational

lodge . Why its very name proved that it was so for who , without that education would know , that " Crich " was pronounced " cri , " and having complimented them upon it , hoped that its work would be " admirable , " and that it would

go on and prosper . The W . Master asked them to drink to the next toast , and in proposing it he hoped his remarks would receive every attention from the brethren , as it was " The Masonic Chari-

Consecration Of The Crichton Lodge, No. 1646.

ties . " They had heard from their brother the Grand Secretary the rapid strides made in the last thirteen years in Masonry , but rapid as those strides had been , there had been a greater increase of feeling in regard to their charitable Institutions . Some years back it was a great

thing to say that they had collected a few hundreds of pounds , but last year he was astonished to find that at the festival of the Boys' School , held at the Alexandra Palace , they had collected no less a sum than , § £ 13 , 000 , but this year the subscriptions to the Benevolent Institution for

Aged Freemasons and their Widows was £ 9000 to the Girls' School , £ 10 , 000 , and the Boys ' over £ 14 , 000 . Having descanted on the advantages of a good education , he coupled with the toast the name of Bro . Binckes , the Secretary of the Boys' School , through whose zeal

and energy there had been raised in one year the largest amount ever collected for any of their Institutions . Bro . Binckes , Secretary to the Boys' School , said it gave him great pleasure , as he always had on such occasions , to return thanks , however

imperfectly he might express himself , for the Masonic Charities , and in the course of a long address he said be did not think that a few years ago any one was sanguine enough to believe that their Masonic institutions would ever be attended -with that success which they had

achieved during the last few years , for it was something stupendous . The success of the Boys' School had been coincident with that of the other institutions , and they had advanced to a prosperity that no one could have anticipated a few yeats ago , and now all he had to consider

was , what was to be done in the future . He was unable to be present at the consecration of a lodge a few days ago , but having read the observations of Bro . Hervey , he looked with apprehension at this tremendous increase in the number of Freemasons , for he feared that a

reaction would set in , and that there would be increased demands upon their institutions for relief . He hoped that he might prove a false prophet ; he was glad to see their Order prosper and flourish , and he must say that their ranks had increased to an enormous extent , but in a

country where panics sometimes set in , he could not conceal from himself , although he wished that his anticipations might not be realised , that they would be flooded with claimants for relief , and it would therefore become their duty to provide for this possible contingency . While enjoying prosperity , he prayed them not to forget

that a time might come when those now in prosperity would not be so , and let them do all they could to meet a possible future . He asked Bro . Hervey to go back with him to the last half century , when they had 72 boys and 86 girls in their schools , or about 156 of both sexes , but now they had 100 girls and 190 boys , which was commemorate with the increase of Masonic

distress , and he called upon them to help their institutions in their good work . He placed before them a great array of distress , and he looked for their aid , sympathy , encouragement ,

and their warmest support . " The Officers of the Lodge " was the next toast , which was suitably acknowledged , and the Tyler ' s toast brought a very successful and harmonious meeting to a close .

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