Unaffiliated Masons.

UNAFFILIATED MASONS .

" Non-affiliates " appears to be a sore subject with most of the Grand Lodges of the . United States , and what to do with them a question that greatly exercises the minds of Grand Masters and Grand Committees . About the latest remedy we have seen suggested with -i viesv to curing what Bro . VV . L . KUYKENDAIX , Grand Secretary of Wyoming , describes as

" the crying evil and defect " is " to change the form of certificate of dimit so that the holder will be cut off from any and all rights and privileges after one , or , at least , not exceeding tsvo years after dimitting , after which such certificate shall be null and void , except for the purpose of affiliation and for the purpose of starting a new lodge . " The sentence is a little confused ,

but we assume that it means , or is intended to mean , that a brother in good standing , who lias withdrawn fmm the lodge of which lie was a member , and has received a certificate to that effect , shall not be entitled after the lapse of one , or , at the outside , two years , to such rights and privileges as pertain to non-affiliates . What these rights and privileges may be is

immaterial—ihcy vary , we believe , in different jurisdictions in the United States—but of whatever value they may happen to be , it is clearly Bro . KUYKKNDAI . L ' S belief that if a law is enacted which ssveeps them all away after the lapse of a certain interval , it will have the effect of abolishing nonaffiliates altogether , lhat is , of turning them insianfer into affiliates . But

the question naturally arises—will the lodges in those jurisdictions which may happen to adopt such a law be any the better for the change ? As Bro . 1 . H . DRUMMOND , of Maine , very tersely puts it : " The object of

drasiic measures is to compel Masons to affiliate . The effort is to make it so much for their personal mercenary interest to be members , that they svill be , although they have no desire to be . When we compare laws of this character with the form of petition for initiation , it makes us

sick at heart . We require them to be ' uninfluenced by mercenary motives in order to get in , but once in , we undertake to keep them in by appealing in the strongest terms to mercenary motives . " VVe are afraid , however , that in dealing with such a monstrous suggestion as that of the Grand Secretary of Wyoming , we must concern ourselves as little as possible about

lofty principles . Those who can bring themselves to propose the enactment of a law compelling all men who have been initiated into Masonry to be subscribing members ol a lodge are not likely to be influenced by any such considerations . They are thinking mainly of the honour and glory of Masonry as evidenced by numbers , and therefore we ask Hro .

KUYKENinr . r ., and those who arc of his opinion , what good it is they hope to effect by passing a law rendering it compulsory on all Masons to be members of lodges ? Assuming thnt such a law is passed , and that the non-allliates , to use his own expression as quoted by Bro . DRUMMOND , " one by one will fall into line , " what then ? Will a lodge be the better when it is composed in

part of members who care so little about Masonry lhat were it not for the lasv compelling them to belong to it they svould never enter its portals ? Again , Masonry we are told at a very early stage in our career is free , and requires a perfect freedom of inclination on the part of ( hose who arc desirous of joining it , and the same idea of freedom accompanies us

throughout Ihe whole of our connection with it . It is not so very long ago that our Grand Lodge ( acting on the advice of Grand Registrar ) ruled that when a ' member of a lodge tendered his resignation , the lodge was bound to accept it , on the ground that as a man was perfectly Iree to join the Craft , so must he be equally free to

< juit it , whenever he thinks proper . Hence if ; men arc received into Alasonry , and then , after a period of membership extending over a few months or several years , withdraw themselves from it altogether , the only ri ght policy lo adopt in their case is to let them alone . The motives which induced them to leave is no concern of ours , and thc only precautions

which the rulers of thc Craft can in reason be expected to adopt are such as will have the effect of preventing non-affiliates from enjoying the rights and privileges of Masonry . without in any way contributing towards the support of those bodies , which p lace the enjoyment of such rights and privileges within our reach . Hence thc wisdom of our Article 152 , which provides

lhat " no brother who has ceased to be a subscribing member of a lodge shall be permitted to visit any one lodge more than once until he again become a subscribing member of some lodge . " Without some such provision as this , a non-subscribing Mason might go on visiting the lodges in his neighbourhood without paying one single penny tosvards the cost of

their maintenance . Yet this , and Article 9 , which enacts that a Past Master when he ceases to be a subscribing member of some Iodge for 12 months ceases to be a member of Grand Lodge , constitute about all that is said about non-affiliates in our Book of Constitutions . We are therefore of the s < ime opinion as Bro . DRUMMOND as to thc policy that should be adopted

Unaffiliated Masons.

tosvards non-subscribing Masons , and pretty much for the same reasons . He suggests that they be left severely alone . He ri ghtly argues that "it is as much beneath the dignity of the Institution to undertake to hold unwilling members as it is to proselyte ( sic ) ' profanes , and equally in violalation of its underlying principle . " He remarks further " The evil is not

in mere non-affiliation ; the evil is that non-affiliates do not take the interest in Masonry svhich their becoming Masons gave us the ri ght to expect , and which their duty demands . " There is nothing very remarkable in this . There will always be found men who join Freemasonry as they join other societies , and if they find it different from what they expected it to be , they

withdraw . It is to be regretted , at all events , in the case of companionable men that they should adopt this course . But as they were free to join so are they free to retire , and there , it seems to us , the matter must be allowed to rest . As Bro . DRUMMOND very sensibly points out .- " Non-affiliation exists and , of necessity , must continue to exist ; it is a negative evil only , as

nonaction and want of proper interest are evils , " and if there is a remedy it will not be found in the enactment of lasvs compelling Masons to be subscribing members of lodges , but in doing whatever is possible to create an interest in lodge ss'ork . There is one \* ery pertinent question svhich Bro . DRUMMOND introduces into his argument , and we shall be curious to learn how Bro

kuvKENDALr . will anssver it . "We would ask Bro . KUYKRNDALL , " says the veteran Past Grand Master of Maine , " what possible difference there svould be in the effect upon Freemasonry between a brother ' s holding a dimit in force and holding one not in force ? What difference in effect upon the holder ? " if a brother so little

appreciates the value of Freemasonry lhat he withdraws from it voluntarily , after a brief experience of the rights and privileges it confers , what likelihood is there that the threat to deprive him of those rights and privileges of which—by his osvn free act , he has deprived himself—will have thc effect of inducing him to resume his membership ? Let us assume ,

hosvever , that the threat has the desired effect , and that the non-affiliate becomes once again an active member , what chance is there that he will be led to form a higher and better opinion of Freemasonry ? " He that complies against his will ,

Is of his own opinion still . " The man who retires from Masonry because hc does not care for or appreciate it , will not become enamoured of it because the law says that having once become a subscribing member , he must remain such to the end of the chapter .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridge Shire

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CAMBRIDGE SHIRE

The above annual Provincial Grand Lodge svas held at the Guildhall Cambridge , on the invitation of the Three Grand Principles Lodge , No . 441 , on Monday last , under the presidency of Bro . Colonel R , Townley Caldwell , Prov . Grand Master . The small assembly room was fitted up for the purposes of the meeting , and the accommodation was excellent . At the opening of thc lodge there were present :

Bros . B . Chennell , acting D . P . G . M . ; C . Geldard , P . S . G . W . ; J . S . Youngman acting P . J . G . W . ; Rev . L . R . Tuttiett and Rev . J . H . Gray , Chaps . ; J . Sheldrick ; P . G . Reg . ; W . Bray , P . G . Treas . ; Oliver Papworth , P . G . Sec . ; Frank Piggott , acting P . S . G . D . ; John Vail , acting P . J . G . D . ; H . Greef , P . G . Supt . of Wks F . Desvberry , P . G . D . C . ; F . O . Carr , P . G . Org . ; P . H . Young , acting P . G S . B . ; G . Elsvorthy , acting P . G . Purst . j T . E . Worlledge , P . G . Stsvd . ; Richard

Eve , P . G . Treas . England ; Rev . H . Hebb , J . Terry , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M B I j . M . McLeod , P . S . G . W . Derby , Sec . R . M . I . B . ; E . Hills , W . P . Spalding C . H . Banham , J . V . Pryor , B . W . Beales , J . H . Moyes , H . Davison , W . James ! Allsop , Logan , A . R . Hill , Moden , and Freeman , all of 88 ; T . Watts , G . Whitmore , J . Royston , E . W . Harry , Thomson , Bland , WooldridgeLeach ,

, Berridge , H . Dewberry , Knosvles , F . Palmer , Potts , G . Bull , Bosvman . Hosegood , Greenwood , Barnes , Rhodes , and Miller , all of 441 ; Girling , Bambridge , Grover ! Gilling , Both .-imley , and Foster , all of 809 ; H . Trevor Jones , W . H . Francis , R , Simpson , J . B . Close , T . B . Hope , and T . E . Townroe , all of 859 ; W . B . Sheppard , Ruston , Gordon , Chennell , and C . F . Moody , all of 2107 .

The lodge having been duly opened , and the Provincial Grand Master saluted , thc minutes of the two previous meetings werc read and confirmed . After the roll of officers and lodges had been called , the Treasurer presented the Auditors' report of his accounts , which showed a credit balance of £ 47 on thc year . The capital account was stated to be ^ 450 .

Bro . J . SHKLDKICK , Registrar , reported that thc present strength of the lodges was as follosvs : No . 88 , 81 ; No . 441 , 74 ; No . 809 , 58 ; No . 859 , 16 7 ; No . 149 2 , 21 ; No . 2107 , 36 ; total , 437 ; as against a total of 418 last year . There had been 38 initiations , 10 joining members , 5 deaths , and 24 withdrasvals . Increase on the year , 19 .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER announced that the province had unfortunately suffered from the resignation of the D . P . G . M ., Bro . A . H . Moyes , and lie had made a fresh appointment .