Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS— . ™* - Freemasonry in Canada ( Province of Ontario ) ... ... ¦••5 ^ 5 Military Lodges ... ... ... — ••••••5 | 5 Freemasonry in Oxfordshire ... ... •••" "¦••— 5 ° " Art and the Drama ... ... ... •••- •5 » 7

Annual Festival of the Kirby Lodge of Instruction , No . 2 f > 3 ... ... 5 S 7 Supper of the Kintore Mark Lodge of Instruction , No . 333 ... ... 5 | 8 Craft Masonry .... ... ... - - - 5 MASONIC NOTESPetitions to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... ... 59 ' Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cambridgeshire ... 591 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and

Rutland ... ... ... - ¦••, „ •••59 ' Retirement of Bro . W . C . Lupton from the Chairmanship of West Yorkshire Charity Committee ... ... ... •••59 ' Half-yearly Meeting of the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of West Yorkshire ... ... ... •••••¦ •¦•59 i

Correspondence ... ... ... ••¦ •••— 59 Craft Masonry ... - — - •- 592 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ••. ¦••— 594 Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ... ... ... 594 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... - - - 594 Instruction ... ... ... ... ••••••— 594 General Committee of Grand Lodge and Board of Benevolence ... ... 595 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ••••¦•- 595 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... — 59 S Annual Supper of the Fulham Lodge of Instruction , No . 2512 ... ... 59 S

Freemasonry In Canada (Province Of Ontario).

FREEMASONRY IN CANADA ( PROVINCE OF ONTARIO ) .

We are fast approaching the time when the Grand Lodge of Canada ( Province of Ontario ) will be celebrating the Jubilee of its establishment as an independent body . There are , probably , but few brethren still living who can recall the circumstances which resulted in the defection from the United

Grand Lodge of England of this numerous and important section of its Colonial lodges ; nor is it desirable that we should dwell upon the circumstances which led to that defection . Suffice it to say that in the middle " fifties " the greatest bitterness

of feeling existed between the present Grand Lodge of this country and its warranted lodges in Canada ; while in the former the dissensions that prevailed between those who favoured the maintenance of the statuo quo at all hazards

and those who looked with a friendly eye upon the claims of our offshoot lodges in Canada to a greater measure of consideration were both frequent and severe . Gradually , however ,-a more generous spirit was found to be actuating , not only the

contending factions in our own Grand Lodge , but also the friends and supporters of the existing n ' giine on the one hand , and those who advocated the cause of Canadian Masonry on the other ; nor was it long before a way out of the difficulty

was found . Our Grand Lodge recognised the Masonic independence of Canada , while the newly-iurmed Grand Lodge of Canada agreed to respect the rights and privileges of those of our lodges which elected to remain under the English

banner . Upwards of 40 years have elapsed since this arrangement was adopted , and such has been the spirit by which the two Grand Lodges and their respective private lodges have since been influenced towards each other , that hc

would be a bold man who should assert that the separation of the two bodies has not been both mutually beneficial and beneficial to the whole body of English Freemasonry . Naturally , a soreness of feeling existed for a time after the new arrangements

had been made , but the feeling soon passed away and now the relations between the two Constitutions are of such a friendly nature that we shall probably not be very greatly exaggerating if we say that the bulk of our English and Canadian brethren ,

who are not over-smitten with zeal for the study of Masonic history , are hardly aware of there ever having been any strife between us . Certainly , as regards the progress they have made since they became Masonicall y independent of the English and

Freemasonry In Canada (Province Of Ontario).

other Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom , the Canadian Masons have every reason to be proud . The 44 th Annual Communication of this Grand Lodge was held in the City of Ottawa in the month of July last , and the proceedings that then

took place , as they are published in the Report for the past yearand to the most important of which we gave due publicity in our columns at the time—show that numericall y , financially , in the matter of organisation , and b y its strict

adherence to the principles of the Craft , the condition of Freemasonry in that Province of the Dominion is all that its most respected and attached friends could desire . The highest number on the roll of lodges is 446 , but the lodges in working are

361 in number , while the aggregate of subscribing members falls only a very little short of 25 , 000 . The receipts for the year ending 31 st May , 18 99 , exceeded 21 , 000 dollars , and the expenditure reached almost to 18 , 800 dollars , of which some 9000 dollars

was for General Purposes and 9 800 dollars for Benevolence . In addition , upwards of 11 , 500 dollars was invested , and the balance in bank at the close of the account was about 11 , 300 dollars . The assets show a total of over 96 , 300 dollars , of

which 85 , 000 dollars is invested , while if wc apportion the total between the General and Asylums Funds we find the former has some 80 , 700 dollars to its credit , and the latter some 15 , 600 dollars . These figures demonstrate the prosperous , state of the

Craft , while if any of our readers desire to learn more of the spirit by which Canadian Freemasonry is animated , let them read the address of Bro . E . T . MALONE , M . W . G . Master , and the reports of his District Deputy G . Masters . They may lind some things to criticise , but none that run counter to our princi ples .

Military Lodges.*

MILITARY LODGES . *

Though we should be paying but an ill compliment to what Bro . GOULD has done during the past 20 years for Masonry if Ave placed his new book on a level with his " History of Freemasonry , " his " Four Old Lodges , " his " Athol Lodges , " his

scholarly critique on the Regius MS ., & c , & c , we may state at once that it possesses all those characteristics which constitute him so safe a guide to the students of Masonic history , while from the fact of its containing a mass of particulars , both

personal and historical , relating to distinguished naval and military men who have been or are members of our Society , as well as illustrations well nigh innumerable , and all more or less authenticated , of the influence which Freemasonry has exercised

in times of war ; it is , in our opinion , certain to become popular . His History , his " Four Old Lodges , " and other books , proved a Godsend to the anxious , painstaking student of Freemasonry , who , until our brother , with Bro . W . J . HUGHAN and the late Rev . A .

F . A . WOODFORD , appeared upon the scene , must have been well nigh sick of the extraordinary theories which had passed current as the history of the Craft , but th 6 circle of readers by which such

high-class literature would be appreciated would be restricted . This new work on " Military Lodges , " while it contains matters of importance to the student , will find favour with the general body of the Craft , who never weary of reading anecdotes in

* MILITARY LODGES . —The Apron and the Sword , or Freemasonry under Arms being an account of Lodges in Regiments and Ships of War , and of famous Soldiers and Sailors ( of all countries ) who have belonged to the Society , together with Biographies of Distinguished Naval and Military Brethren , and Ai . ecdotes showing the Influence of Masonry in Warfare . By Robert Freke Gould ( late 31 st Foot . Barristerat-Law ) , Past Grand Deacon of England , P . M . Nos . 92 and 2076 , London ; 153 , Gibraltar ; 570 , Shanghai ; and 743 , ist Batt . East Surrey Regiment , & c . Author of "The History of Freemasonry" and other Works . London : Gale and Polden , 2 Amen-corner , Paternoster-row , E . C , and Aldershot . '