Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berkshire.

Foresters ; " song , " I seek for thee in every flower , " Bro . Abel Starkey ; ^ lee , " By Celia ' s arbour ; " song , " Green Isle of Erin , " Bro . Walter Clay ; part-song , " Sweet and low ; " song , " Song of the bow , " Bio . Bel ! Kempton ; song , " As once in May ! " Bro . Wilfred Kearton ; and part-song , " Departure . "

I he guests perambulated the grounds at will , and tow ards five or six o ' clock they began to take their departure homewards , highly delighted with their visit to Lockinge . The arrangements were most satisfactory , and reflected great credit not only upon the P . G . Secretary , whose organising ability is well known , but also upon Lord Wantage ' s household staff .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Essex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF ESSEX .

1 he annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held on the 17 th inst . at the Town Hall , Clacton-on-Sea , under the presidency of the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Warwick and Brooke , Dep . Grand Master of England , and was in every way a most successful and agreeable function .

Bro . the Earl of Warwick , accompanied by Bro . ColoneJ Lockwood , M . P ., D . P . G . M ., and several Grand Officers , reached Clacton-on-Sea by train at 247 , and was received at the station by the W . M . of the St . Osyth ' s Priory Lodge ( Bro . W . G . Lowe ) , and the Prov . Grand Secretary ( Bro . Railing ) , and the party at once drove in an open landau to the Royal Hotel , which is the headquarters of the lodge .

Meantime some 300 brethren had assembled in the Town Hall , which under the skilful direction of the local brethren , had been transformed into a charming lodge room , and when his lordship entered , accompanied by his officers and a number of distinguished brethren , the spectacle was a very brilliant one . The minutes of the last annual Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Tilbury , having been read and confirmed ,

The PROV . G . SECRETARY announced that communications of regret at their inability to attend had been received from Bros . Earl Amherst , Pro G . M . ; the Earl of Onslow , P . G . M . Surrey ; Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., P . G . M . Middx . ; Lord Henniker , P . G . M . Suffolk and the Isle of Man ; the Earl of Stradbroke , P . G . W . ; his Honour Judge Philbrick , Q . C , P . G . W . ; Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., P . G . M . Herts ; Hamon le

Strange , P . G . M . Norfolk ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; Sir Francis Boileau , D . P . G . M . Norfolk ; J . S . Eastes , D . P . G . M . Kent ; the Lord Mayor , W . F . Lamonby , P . A . G . D . C ; Rev . C . J . Martyn , D . P . G . M . Suffolk ; Matthew Clark , P . G . D . ; the Ven . Archdeacon Stevens , P . G . C . ; Chas . T . Tyler , P . G . Sec . Surrey ; Alfred Spencer , P . G . Sec . Kent ; G . W . G . Barnard , P . G . Sec . Norfolk ; Sir Wm . Abdy . Bart ., P . G . D . ; fames

Round , M . P . ; W . D . Merritt , P . P . S . G . W . ; E . C Wills , P . P . J . G . W . ; W . E . Dring , P . P . S . G . W . ; E . H . Baily , P . P . J . G . W . ; R . D . Poppleton , P . P . G . D . ; Rev . A . R . T . Eales , P . G . Chap . , - J . P . Lewin , P . P . G . Supt . ol Works ; and others . The roll of lodges was then called by the Prov . G . Sec , and all the 44 composing the province were found to be represented .

Bro . J J . C . TURNER , P . P . S . G . W ., moved the adoption of the report ol lhe Board of General Purposes . This report stated that during the year there have been 1 S 1 initiations , compared with 17 S last year ; and 7 < S joining members , compared with 134 last year ; 97 resignations , against Si last year ; thc losses by death have been 39 , whilst 32 brethren have been struck off ihe books of their respective lodges , leaving the present strength of the province 2368 members , against 2297 last year . The Board

recommended the following grants : . £ 21 tothe South African Masonic Relief Fund ; £ \ o ios . to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; £ 10 ios . to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ; ^ , ' 10 ios . to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ; and £ 5 5 s . toward * the Claclon-on-Sea Cottage Hospital . The Board also recommended that the portrait in next year ' s Calendar should be that of Bro . A . J . H . Ward , P . M . 650 , P . P . S . G . W . The report was unanimously adopted .

The Charity Committee ' s report , which was also adopted unanimously , was as follows :

The Charity Committee congratulate the province on the fact that since the last meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge one girl , three boys , and two widows have been elected to thc benefits of the respective Institut i ons . At the three Festivals the province has , as usual , been very liberal in its support , the large sum of X 2042 12 s . Gd . having been contributed in the aggregate . More than half of this was given at thc Benevolent Festival , when there were 19 Siewirds , of whom

those from two of the newest lodges the Seven Kings and the Charles Dickens —raised respectively £ 346 and X 405 . At the same Festival the Albert Lucking Lodge also subscribed £ \ $ } . F 01 the Girls' Festival there were 16 Stewards , who raised . £ 191 , and here again the Seven Kings Lodge headed the Essex lists with £ 126 . At thc Boys' Festival , a few days since , Ihere were 15 Stewards , whose contributions reached the total of ^ 470 Ss . 6 d ., and in this instance the Brooke Lodge headed the list with . £ 105 .

The PROV . G . MASTER then , amidst hearty applause , rose to address the brethren . His lordship said He should just like to say how much he regretted that he had not been able to see them at Warwick Castle , as he had hoped to have done . But there had been various difficulties , chief of which was ihat owing to medical advice he hail had to » pend a considerable portion of the spring abroad , and almost immediately on his

ttturn he , like so many others 111 these days , had been doing his best to serve his L ' ueen and country by devoting some extra time to military duties , and had been under canvas with his troop . ( . Ipplause . ) He did not see , however , why it should "ot come off next year . His friend , the Provincial Grand Secretary , had visited Warwick , Kenilworth , Stratford-on-Avon , and ether places of interest in the district , and under his guidance he felt sure a very pleasant triu miulit be taken

u'hich would include a visit to Warwick Castle , where Lady Warwick and himself would be delighted to welco-ne them . ( Applause . ) As regards M isonry in thy Province tbey had not experienced such an eventful year as the hit , when they added five new lodges to the roll , but allowing for inevitable losses the strength J" the province had increased by 130 members , which he felt was very satis-He that since they last met

^ ctory . regretted several very prominent brethren had been removed from their midst by death . The district around Southend had suffered veiy severely by thc deaths of Bro . Glasscock , Edward Bowmaker , and j homas Hood ; the lodge under whose banner they met to-day had to lament the "eath of one of its founders in the person of Bro . Penfold , who was also one of the

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Essex.

pioneers of this charming watering place in which they were meeting ; the Epping Lodge had lost Bro . Moore , who for many years was its able Secretary ; and they all , he was sure , sympathised with their Provincial Grand Secretary in the loss he sustained in the early part of this year in the awfully sudden death of one of his brothers . ( Hear , hear . ) The South African war had also had its influence upon this county . Essex , like olher parts , had been called upon to find soldiers , and had cheerfully done so . They missed from their meeting to-day a brother who

always took a deep interest in Freemasonry , and who now , he regretted to say , was a prisoner of war—he meant Bro . Woodhouse . It mi ght not be known what a patriotic spirit had been exhibited by Bro . Woodhouse in this matter . He was a very skilful worker in iron , and had made some most beautiful things , and being anxious to place his talents at the service of his Queen and country , he had joined the colours as a farrier , and it was while exercising his duties in that respect that he vvas captured . He was informed by Colonel

Lockwood that Bro . Woodhouse had also been called upon to act as dentist to his troop , which was probably not so pleasant a duty to him as the other . ( Laughter and applause . ) It was , he thought , highly satisfactory that in spite of the calls that had been made upon the country to support the various war funds , the Indian Famine Fund , and others , Masonic benevolence had shown no falling off . He had the pleasure of being present at the festival of the Boys' School a few days ago , when it was stated that up to the present this year the three great Institutions

of the Craft had received no less than , £ 64 , 000 . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) Of course , as the lists were read out he naturally watched for that from his own province , and he was delighted to find that Essex was about third hi ghest on the list of provinces , including that of the chairman of the day , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught . Altogether , the Province of Essex had given ^ 2000 this year to the Charities , while if the amounts given by the county during the past three years were added together , it came up to the very handsome total of £ j $ oo . ( Loud

applause . ) He thought he should like to congratulate three of the youngest lodges—the Albert Lucking , the Seven Kings , and the Charles Dickens—on the very substantial help they had given during the year . While on the subject of Charity , he should like to allude to the work of the Charity Committee . They had been very successful at the elections in carrying their candidates , but it was only through outside help . Take , for instance , thc last election for the Boys ' School—the Charity Committee only re ; eived about 1400 votes , whereas the

number possessed by the brethren of the province amount to about 3000 . It had been suggested to him that the collection of votes would be more efficiently carried out if , instead of electing a fresh representative each year as was done in so many lodges , some zealous brother could be prevailed on to undertake that ollice for a series of years , whereby he would get familiar with the work , to the great advantage of the cases which from time to time came to be helped by the Committee . It was very easy for the voting papers to get mislaid , every post nowadays brought a ,

large quantity of printed papers which were apt to be laid aside for the time , whereas , if brethren had a reminder that their votes had not beon received many proxies would be rescued and utilised . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) They could not very well discuss this matter at so large a gathering , but if any brother had any suggestion to offer and would communicate with the Provincial Grand Secretary it would have every consideration . ( Hear , hear . ) In reference to the local lodge he very well remembered coming down to Clacton to

consecrate it , when he was hospitably entertained by its first Master at his most charming house . He had also come down there in other capacities , and was pleased to see the place growing in prosperity and popularity , whilst his wife and children had received great benefit from its salubrious air . ( Applause . ) He appealed to the officers he had appointed that day to give him the same loyal

support their predecessors had done and vvere doing . He feared it was inevitable that there were disappointments on these occasions . The ollieers had been selected with great care , and the announcements of their names , he was glad to see , were heaitily received . In conclusion , Lord Warwick expressed the hope that the coming Masonic year would be one of prosperity to the Craft in general , and that province in particular . ( Loud and continued applause . )

The next business was the election of four members of the Board of General Purposes , but as only the requisite number had been proposed , his lordship declared them duly elected as follows : Bros . W . Ernest Dring , P . M . 453 . P . P . S . G . W . ; W . D . Merritt , P . M . 1000 , P . P . S . G . W . ; J . H . Salter , P . M . 2342 , P . G . D ., P . P . J . G . W . ; and John J . C . Turner , P . M . 51 . P . P . S . G . W . Bro . W . S . MILLER , W . M . 2717 , proposed the election of Bro . James P . Allen , P . M ., Treas . 2063 , as Prov . G . Treasurer for the ensuing year , which was seconded simultaneously by Bros , R . J . STEUUINOS , P . M . 2063 , P . P . A . G . D . C , and A . S . GARDINER , W . M . 2707 . There being no other nomination , Lord WARWICK declared Bro . Allen to be duly elected .

The Earl of Warwick having , amidst the heartiest applause , re-invested Bro . Col . Lockwood , M . P ., as Dep . Prov . G . Master , appointed and in < vested his ollieers for the year as follows :

Bro . R . Haward Ives , P . M . 51 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ W . Scott Miller , W . M . 2 717 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ the Rev . H . E . Bicknell , Chap . 650 ... „ „ _ , „ the Rev . Sinclair Carolin , Chap . 2477 •••) ' Cha s „ Elliott G . Fletcher , \\ . M . 1000 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Thos . J . Railing , P . M . and Sec 51 , P . A . G . D .

ol C Eng . ( 24 th year ) ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ W . G . Lowe , W . M . 206 3 ... ... - . „ J . Bourne Bromley , P . M . 2154 ... ... j l rov a . G . Ds . „ Frank Evans , I . P . M . 2749 ... ... \ 1 'i' i-w ™ ,... 1 » M .,-,-, i Prov . I . G . Di . TDormerIPM 2757 lrov - J-G . Di .

„ J . . , ... ... ... j „ J . H . Ketallack Moloney , P . M . and Treas . 2504 Prov . G . S . ol Wks . „ A . Lucking , P . M . 160 , P . G . P . Eng . ( 27 th year ) Prov . G . D . C . „ James Graham , W . M . 2750 ... ... p rov . D . G . D . C . „ OH wood Bendall , P . M . 2339 ... , „} „ Capt . Frayling , P . M . 56 . 3 , Sec . 2063 ... I p v . A . G . Ds . of C .

„ J . Sutton Abbolt , P . M . 2077 ... ... ) „ li . G , Thomas , P . M . 160 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ Robert Epison , P . M . 697 ... . . -, ' ' „ W . Thompson , I . P . M . and Sec 1280 ... j Prov- G- Std- Brs „ F . B . Townend , W . M . 214 ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ Thos . E . Pilgrim , W . M . 1312 ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec .

„ S . J . Sparling , W . M . 1 799 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ Wm . Fieldgate , I . P . M . 433 ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . ,, C . V . Harman , P . M . 206 3 ... ... ^ „ W . Siggers , LP . M . 2342 ' ... ' „ . | „ Robert Ford , W . M . 1 S 17 ... ... }¦ Prov . G . Stwds .

„ Dick Ham , P . M . 2477 ... „ Stanley J . King , VV . M . 2342 ... , 'J „ A . W . Martin ... ... ... i 3 , Q . Tyler . Bro . R . Haward Ives , Prov . S . G . W ., was elected a member of the Chanty Committee in the place of the bro . her retiring by rotation . Bro . Col . LOCKWOOD , D . P . G . M ., propjssi a hearty vote of thanks to