Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LIADIRS 673 United Grand Lodge of England 674 Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland 674 Provincial Grand Lodge ot Cambridgeshire 67 $ CORRESPONDENCEGrand Lodge and the Proposed Imperial Institute of Coloniesand India 6 77 Past Masters' Collars 67 * 1
Admission into Lodges of Instruction ... 677 REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 677 Instruction .... " . 681 Royal Arch 681 Instruction 68 a
REPORTS UF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Mark Masonry 6 Sa Ancient and Accepted Rite 68 a Allied Masonic Degrees 68 a Freemasonry in Namacjnaland 68 a The Dean of York on Freemasonry 6 S 3 The " Jubilee" Masonic Rail 08 ,
New Masonic Hall at Deverley 68 3 Thc Gavel Club 68 ^ Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 68 3 Masonic and General Tidings 68 3 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 6 S 4
Ar00101
IT seems only natural that having propounded a scheme of our Stewart ' s own for commemorating the QUEEN ' S Jubilee , we should look Motion . asi < ance at any other scheme having a like object in view . But we are by no means bigoted , and we are prepared to review fairly and squarely every proposal for so laudable and patriotic a purpose which is
brought under our notice . The motion which Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., intends bringing before Grand Lodge on Wednesday next contains such a proposal , and in estimating its merits or demerits we shall deal with it as though no plan of our own had been laid before the Masonic public . Speaking offhand , we say , unhesitatingly , that Bro . STEWART ' S plan lacks all those requirements , save one , which such a proposal should possess . Its one recommendation is that it falls in with the Prince of WALES ' S
scheme for commemorating the jubilee of his mothers reign , namely , that the British public should combine in establishing in London , as a memorial of that auspicious event , an Imperial Institute for the Colonies and India . This scheme has found favour with her MAJESTY , and if carried out—as it undoubtedly will be—is certain to prove of invaluable service in consolidating the interests of the British Empire . Bro . STEWART ' S idea is that
Grand Lodge should contribute ^ 1000 towards this Imperial object , and to this extent—and this only—his idea has merit . By so contributing , Grand Lodge will assist in promoting a grand work , originated by the Prince of WALES , accepted by the Sovereign , whose reign it will commemorate , and endorsed by her people , who love and respect her so deeply . But otherwise there is absolutely nothing in the motion which justifies our
recommending it to the acceptance of our readers . Considering how numerous , influential , and wealthy our Society is , the sum stated in the resolution is paltry . When the Prince of WALES returned safe from his State visit to India , the Craft signalised its rejoicing by voting £ 4000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution . Thus , if the amounts mentioned are to be taken as a guide in estimating the relative importance of the two
events , the Sovereign's Jubilee is one-fourth the importance of her son ' s return from a six months' tour in the East . This is one objection which , as it covers the proposal with ridicule , should be enough to overwhelm it out of existence . Another and more fatal one is that it allows of no trace remaining of the part taken by the Masons in the forthcoming great national rejoicing . This ^ 1000 will be only one of many hundreds of thousands of
pounds expended on ihe establishment of the proposed Institute . A powerful Society like ours should present a memorial that will be worthy of an honoured place among the memorials of other large societies and bodies corporate , a memorial to which future generations of Masons may be able to point with pride , not a mere money presentation such as many private individuals will offer . Our two Masonic Lifeboats , on the Essex and
Devonshire coasts , will exist in perpetuity , and the brethren who a century hence may hear of the services of their gallant crews will know why and by whom , and to commemorate whom , they were built and endowed . Bro . STEWART ' S contribution of £ 1000 will be only a drop in the ocean of contributions that will flow in from all parts of the Empire . Many other objections might be urged , but the last and most fatal of all is that the
proposal has about it nothing of a fundamentally Masonic character , or that will make clear to the Craftsmen who succeed us the intimate connection with Freemasonry of the English Royal Family , and especially of QUEEN VICTORIA herself , who is the daughter and niece of former Grand Masters of Englandand the mother of our Prince of WALES and present
, Grand Master . Having said this much , we shall content ourselves with the expression of a hope that either Bro . S TEWART will have the good sense to withdraw it , or that Grand Lodge will dispatch it forthwith to that bourne from which ridiculous or undignified resolutions are never known to return .
* * * Ourown HAVING dealt with Bro . STEWART ' S motion impartially on Commemoration its merits , we consider this an excellent opportunity for Scheme
. urging upon the consideration of our readers the carefully prepared scheme for Masonically commemorating the Jubilee of Q UEEN VICTORIA which we submitted to their notice some two months back . Our plan has this much in its favour—it is strictly and entirely Masonic in its character . It will perpetuate not only the personal fame of the Sovereign
Ar00102
whose jubilee it is identified with , but likewise the long-enduring association of her family with the Society of Freemasons , and her relationship to certain of its most illustrious Grand Masters , ft will be a further and still more convincing testimony to the respect which we , as the Freemasons of to-day , render to those grand principles of Loyalty and Charity , which have ever
been the basis of our Craft and the mainspring of all the Q UEEN ' S actions . It will provide the means for benefiting , through all time , a certain number of old and young persons of both sexes who have fallen from affluence into a state of comparative or absolute poverty . And lastly , it will assist in lightening , both now and always , that pressure upon the resources of our
Charitable associations which , as our article of last week on the present position of things in connection with the Benevolent Institution shows , is becoming almost too heavy for us to bear . It has likewise the rare merit of beingsimplealmost to simplicity itself . It is this—thata fund to which Grand Lodge , Provincial and District Grand Lodges , private lodges , and individual
brethren generally be invited to contribute , should be raised for the purpose of establishing one or more , " Queen Victoria Perpetual Presentations" to each of our Institutions , that is to say , to the Girls' School , the Boys ' School , the Male Fund Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the Widows' Fund , Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the right of
presentation to be , in the first instance , vested in the Q UEEN herself for life , and at her death in her successors on the throne or the Grand Master , as may be arranged hereafter . The sum necessary to be raised in order to establish one such " Queen Victoria Perpetual Presentation " for each of the four Charities would be in round figures ^ 4500 , namely , one Girls' School
Presentation , 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) , one Boys'School ditto , 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) , and for one Male Annuity of ^ 40 , and one Widow ' s Annuity of £ 32 , a sum sufficient to purchase £ 2400 Three per Cent . Government Stock . This in brief is our plan and we earnestly commend it , and the articles in its favour which appeared in the Freemason of the 25 th September , to the notice of our readers .
••• Third Jubilee , THE meetin & on Tuesday next of the Grand Lodge of G . L . of ' Scotland will no doubt be of exceptional brilliancy , it havscottami . ing been reso ] ved t 0 celebrate the Third Jubilee with a degree of ceremony in all respects worthy of so memorable an occasion .
There are , probably , still liv . ing some venerable brethren who took part in the centenary celebration in 1836 , when , under the auspices of the then Grand Master , Lord RAMSAY , subsequently Marquis of Dalhousie , the Craftsmen north of the Tweed met in Grand Lodge and paid a fitting tribute of respect to the memory of St . CLAIR , of Roslyn , and the other
founders . On Tuesday a like tribute will be paid , but amid evidences of splendour and sound prosperity , which were , to some extent , wanting at the centenary . Scottish Freemasonry during the last few years has made wonderful progress , and we welcome the meeting on Tuesday next , if for no other reason than that it will afford the general
body of Scottish Masons an opportunity of testifying to the unwearying energy of such men as Bros , the Earl of ROSSLYN , Sir M . SHAW STEWART , Bart ., the Earl of MAR and KELLIE , Sir ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL , Bart , M . P ., and DANIEL MURRAY LYON , the Grand Secretary and historian of the Scottish Craft . VVe have no misgivings as to the complete success of next
week ' s gathering , and it goes without saying , that our North British brethren have our heartiest sympathies in their proposed festivity . «* # A New THE GRAND MASTER , in his gracious consideration for the Grand Officer . wejfare 0 f the Craft , and in recognition of the duties and responsibilities of the " President of the Board of Benevolence , " has
intimated his opinion that the brother holding that position should , " by virtue of his office , be a Grand Officer , with rank next to Past Grand Secretaries , and that on retiring from office he shall rank as a Past Grand Officer . " W e think the suggestion is a most admirable one , and is bound to meet with general acceptance , because though of less importance in some respects to that of the President of the Board of General Purposes , the dignity of the office will be enhanced by the position conferring Grand Lodge rank .
* # * Past Masters' WITH a commendable willingness to meet the wishes and Collars , remove the doubts of many brethren , the Board of General Purposes recommends the adoption of certain alterations of Rules 304 , 307 , and 308 , by which means it will be evident beyond question that Past Masters are to wear collars ; but " only in their own lodges or when attend
ing the Grand Lodge , or their Provincial or District Grand Lodges , " just as with Masters and Wardens . These clauses are , to say the least , indefinite as they now stand , and Past Masters not being " officers of the lodge " some have maintained that they have no right to wear the usual collars . By the adoption of the foregoing alterations , the small difficulty will beset at rest , and any misunderstanding will be avoided .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LIADIRS 673 United Grand Lodge of England 674 Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland 674 Provincial Grand Lodge ot Cambridgeshire 67 $ CORRESPONDENCEGrand Lodge and the Proposed Imperial Institute of Coloniesand India 6 77 Past Masters' Collars 67 * 1
Admission into Lodges of Instruction ... 677 REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 677 Instruction .... " . 681 Royal Arch 681 Instruction 68 a
REPORTS UF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Mark Masonry 6 Sa Ancient and Accepted Rite 68 a Allied Masonic Degrees 68 a Freemasonry in Namacjnaland 68 a The Dean of York on Freemasonry 6 S 3 The " Jubilee" Masonic Rail 08 ,
New Masonic Hall at Deverley 68 3 Thc Gavel Club 68 ^ Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 68 3 Masonic and General Tidings 68 3 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 6 S 4
Ar00101
IT seems only natural that having propounded a scheme of our Stewart ' s own for commemorating the QUEEN ' S Jubilee , we should look Motion . asi < ance at any other scheme having a like object in view . But we are by no means bigoted , and we are prepared to review fairly and squarely every proposal for so laudable and patriotic a purpose which is
brought under our notice . The motion which Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., intends bringing before Grand Lodge on Wednesday next contains such a proposal , and in estimating its merits or demerits we shall deal with it as though no plan of our own had been laid before the Masonic public . Speaking offhand , we say , unhesitatingly , that Bro . STEWART ' S plan lacks all those requirements , save one , which such a proposal should possess . Its one recommendation is that it falls in with the Prince of WALES ' S
scheme for commemorating the jubilee of his mothers reign , namely , that the British public should combine in establishing in London , as a memorial of that auspicious event , an Imperial Institute for the Colonies and India . This scheme has found favour with her MAJESTY , and if carried out—as it undoubtedly will be—is certain to prove of invaluable service in consolidating the interests of the British Empire . Bro . STEWART ' S idea is that
Grand Lodge should contribute ^ 1000 towards this Imperial object , and to this extent—and this only—his idea has merit . By so contributing , Grand Lodge will assist in promoting a grand work , originated by the Prince of WALES , accepted by the Sovereign , whose reign it will commemorate , and endorsed by her people , who love and respect her so deeply . But otherwise there is absolutely nothing in the motion which justifies our
recommending it to the acceptance of our readers . Considering how numerous , influential , and wealthy our Society is , the sum stated in the resolution is paltry . When the Prince of WALES returned safe from his State visit to India , the Craft signalised its rejoicing by voting £ 4000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution . Thus , if the amounts mentioned are to be taken as a guide in estimating the relative importance of the two
events , the Sovereign's Jubilee is one-fourth the importance of her son ' s return from a six months' tour in the East . This is one objection which , as it covers the proposal with ridicule , should be enough to overwhelm it out of existence . Another and more fatal one is that it allows of no trace remaining of the part taken by the Masons in the forthcoming great national rejoicing . This ^ 1000 will be only one of many hundreds of thousands of
pounds expended on ihe establishment of the proposed Institute . A powerful Society like ours should present a memorial that will be worthy of an honoured place among the memorials of other large societies and bodies corporate , a memorial to which future generations of Masons may be able to point with pride , not a mere money presentation such as many private individuals will offer . Our two Masonic Lifeboats , on the Essex and
Devonshire coasts , will exist in perpetuity , and the brethren who a century hence may hear of the services of their gallant crews will know why and by whom , and to commemorate whom , they were built and endowed . Bro . STEWART ' S contribution of £ 1000 will be only a drop in the ocean of contributions that will flow in from all parts of the Empire . Many other objections might be urged , but the last and most fatal of all is that the
proposal has about it nothing of a fundamentally Masonic character , or that will make clear to the Craftsmen who succeed us the intimate connection with Freemasonry of the English Royal Family , and especially of QUEEN VICTORIA herself , who is the daughter and niece of former Grand Masters of Englandand the mother of our Prince of WALES and present
, Grand Master . Having said this much , we shall content ourselves with the expression of a hope that either Bro . S TEWART will have the good sense to withdraw it , or that Grand Lodge will dispatch it forthwith to that bourne from which ridiculous or undignified resolutions are never known to return .
* * * Ourown HAVING dealt with Bro . STEWART ' S motion impartially on Commemoration its merits , we consider this an excellent opportunity for Scheme
. urging upon the consideration of our readers the carefully prepared scheme for Masonically commemorating the Jubilee of Q UEEN VICTORIA which we submitted to their notice some two months back . Our plan has this much in its favour—it is strictly and entirely Masonic in its character . It will perpetuate not only the personal fame of the Sovereign
Ar00102
whose jubilee it is identified with , but likewise the long-enduring association of her family with the Society of Freemasons , and her relationship to certain of its most illustrious Grand Masters , ft will be a further and still more convincing testimony to the respect which we , as the Freemasons of to-day , render to those grand principles of Loyalty and Charity , which have ever
been the basis of our Craft and the mainspring of all the Q UEEN ' S actions . It will provide the means for benefiting , through all time , a certain number of old and young persons of both sexes who have fallen from affluence into a state of comparative or absolute poverty . And lastly , it will assist in lightening , both now and always , that pressure upon the resources of our
Charitable associations which , as our article of last week on the present position of things in connection with the Benevolent Institution shows , is becoming almost too heavy for us to bear . It has likewise the rare merit of beingsimplealmost to simplicity itself . It is this—thata fund to which Grand Lodge , Provincial and District Grand Lodges , private lodges , and individual
brethren generally be invited to contribute , should be raised for the purpose of establishing one or more , " Queen Victoria Perpetual Presentations" to each of our Institutions , that is to say , to the Girls' School , the Boys ' School , the Male Fund Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the Widows' Fund , Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the right of
presentation to be , in the first instance , vested in the Q UEEN herself for life , and at her death in her successors on the throne or the Grand Master , as may be arranged hereafter . The sum necessary to be raised in order to establish one such " Queen Victoria Perpetual Presentation " for each of the four Charities would be in round figures ^ 4500 , namely , one Girls' School
Presentation , 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) , one Boys'School ditto , 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) , and for one Male Annuity of ^ 40 , and one Widow ' s Annuity of £ 32 , a sum sufficient to purchase £ 2400 Three per Cent . Government Stock . This in brief is our plan and we earnestly commend it , and the articles in its favour which appeared in the Freemason of the 25 th September , to the notice of our readers .
••• Third Jubilee , THE meetin & on Tuesday next of the Grand Lodge of G . L . of ' Scotland will no doubt be of exceptional brilliancy , it havscottami . ing been reso ] ved t 0 celebrate the Third Jubilee with a degree of ceremony in all respects worthy of so memorable an occasion .
There are , probably , still liv . ing some venerable brethren who took part in the centenary celebration in 1836 , when , under the auspices of the then Grand Master , Lord RAMSAY , subsequently Marquis of Dalhousie , the Craftsmen north of the Tweed met in Grand Lodge and paid a fitting tribute of respect to the memory of St . CLAIR , of Roslyn , and the other
founders . On Tuesday a like tribute will be paid , but amid evidences of splendour and sound prosperity , which were , to some extent , wanting at the centenary . Scottish Freemasonry during the last few years has made wonderful progress , and we welcome the meeting on Tuesday next , if for no other reason than that it will afford the general
body of Scottish Masons an opportunity of testifying to the unwearying energy of such men as Bros , the Earl of ROSSLYN , Sir M . SHAW STEWART , Bart ., the Earl of MAR and KELLIE , Sir ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL , Bart , M . P ., and DANIEL MURRAY LYON , the Grand Secretary and historian of the Scottish Craft . VVe have no misgivings as to the complete success of next
week ' s gathering , and it goes without saying , that our North British brethren have our heartiest sympathies in their proposed festivity . «* # A New THE GRAND MASTER , in his gracious consideration for the Grand Officer . wejfare 0 f the Craft , and in recognition of the duties and responsibilities of the " President of the Board of Benevolence , " has
intimated his opinion that the brother holding that position should , " by virtue of his office , be a Grand Officer , with rank next to Past Grand Secretaries , and that on retiring from office he shall rank as a Past Grand Officer . " W e think the suggestion is a most admirable one , and is bound to meet with general acceptance , because though of less importance in some respects to that of the President of the Board of General Purposes , the dignity of the office will be enhanced by the position conferring Grand Lodge rank .
* # * Past Masters' WITH a commendable willingness to meet the wishes and Collars , remove the doubts of many brethren , the Board of General Purposes recommends the adoption of certain alterations of Rules 304 , 307 , and 308 , by which means it will be evident beyond question that Past Masters are to wear collars ; but " only in their own lodges or when attend
ing the Grand Lodge , or their Provincial or District Grand Lodges , " just as with Masters and Wardens . These clauses are , to say the least , indefinite as they now stand , and Past Masters not being " officers of the lodge " some have maintained that they have no right to wear the usual collars . By the adoption of the foregoing alterations , the small difficulty will beset at rest , and any misunderstanding will be avoided .