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•SATURDAY , DECEMBER 28 , 1901 .

Masonic Motes.

Masonic Motes .

On Wednesday next wc enter upon a New Year , the second of the 20 th century , and as this is the last occasion we shall have in thc year that is now passing away , wc gladly avail ourselves of it to wish all our friends and supporters—in homely parlance—a Happy

New Year and many of Ihem . If they have fared prosperously in 1901—as wc hope and believe they have—may they fare still more prosperously in 1902 ! If their hopes and aspirations have not been realised to their fullest extent in the present , or if disappoint , ment has been more frequently their lot than success ,

may they find compensation in the year that is now so close at hand ! In short , may Fortune smile upon them in 1902 more benignly than in the past , and 12 months hence may they , if all goes well , be able , on reckoning up the kindly and evil fates that have befallen them , to determine , sans arricrc fensic , that the former have vastly preponderated over the latter !

* * » Undoubtedly , the coming year looks very much as if it would open more auspiciously than that which is closing . At its outset Lord Roberts returned homo from the war in South Africa in order to take over thc duties of

Commander-in-Chief of thc British Army , and about thc last official ace of her late Gracious Majesty ( Jueen Victoria was to do him honour to whom honour was so Justly due . A few days later and thc whole nationnay , the whole British Empire—was plunged into grief b y the death of that gracious lady , and the grief , ( hough greatly mitigated by the lapse of time and the

Masonic Motes.

feeling that her throne is now filled by a most able and beloved Prince , is still with us . The War , too , which , early in 1901 , everyone hoped was fast nearing its end , > s still dragging its slow length along . But the events of the last few weeks are very promising of a

speedy termination of the contest . If , as we have seen it stated in the columns of some of our daily contemporaries , there are 10 , 000 Boers in the field , they cannot long stand the severe wear and tear tu which they have latterly been subjected . Lord

Kitchener ' s last two reports dispose of some 900 of them , and news comes almost daily of laagers and struggling bands being captured . Marauding bodies may still continue to give us trouble , but with the reinforcements that are being sent out , and the activity that is being

shown by our generals , there is , at least , a reasonable ground for hoping that the beginning ot thc end is close at hand . Wc are not out of the wood yet , but our glimpses of the open country beyond arc more frequent and extend over a wider area . * ¦

Agaffi , the coronation of his Majesty King Edward VII . and his beloved consort has been fixed for the 26 th June , and that means a bright and festive season not only for London but all over the country . The times are changed since 1837 , when in out-of-the-way

places up north William IV . and good Queen Adelaide were prayed for in church three months after that worthy monarch had been gathered to his fathers and his niece Victoria reigned in his stead . Now the communication among all parts of thc United

Kingdom—indeed of thc whole British Empire—is so instantaneous , that nearly every important centre of population will be able to join in tbe festivities of the day . Considering the date has been settled so long beforehand there is , perhaps , nothing very marvellous

in this . All thc necessary arrangements for thc celebration can be made in good time . What wc desire to point out is that the telegraph will place all these centres in direct and immediate communication with London , so that there will bc literally one celebration

of this solemn event throughout the whole of our vast empire . Loyal greetings from Canada , India , Australia , South Africa may reach his Majesty almost at his own coronation banquet . * # *

All this , of course , means an immense encouragement to tiade , and having regard to the heavy sacrifices entailed upon the country by the protracted war in South Africa , and the gloom that has prevailed everywhere through the death of our late Sovereign , this encouragement and thc increased activity in trade

circles is sorely needed . May the exceeding fair prospect which appears to be opening out for us in the New Year bc realised , and may the Divine blessing rest on thc new monarch during the years he may be spared to reign over us , as we humbly venture to think that it did during thc reign of his beloved predecessor !

» * * Comp . Richard Wilson , who , in the absence of the Grand Superintendent , presided at the recent halfyearly meeting of tbe Prov . Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire , struck the right note when he remarked at

thc outset of his very interesting address that though the meeting was held , not because there was any need for it , but in compliance with thc bye-laws of the l'rov . G . Chapter , hc considered it was " much better to meel twice than once a year , because it gives us

greater interest in thc work . " Moreover , hc was in a position to demonstrate the justice of his opinion b y pointing to the undoubted fact that though in Craft Masonry West Yorkshire ranks only third among thc Provinces as regards the number of lodges on its

roll , it is in the very forefront of them all in the Royal Arch . It is just this kind of encouragement which is needed to place this part of pure and ancient Masonry on its proper footing . It seems to us to bc of very little good for the rulers of the Royal Arch to go on

suggesting that companions should do all they can to encourage Master Masons to join their ranks , when both companions and Mastcr Masons are in a position to see and learn for themselves how very . little is done , as a rule , by thc majority of our Prov . Grand

Chapters and the Supreme Grand Chapter itself . Private chapters will exhibit zeal in this direction and take an interest in the work according as they find their rulers zealous and interested or thc reverse . If

the Royal Arch is , as wc arc told , thc completion of Craft Masonry , everything should be done to promote it j if it is to be regarded merely as an ornamcnlal appendage to the Craft , then it docs not matter greatly whether anything or nothing is done in its behalf . •* * Brethren and companions see that the work of Grand Chapter is mostly of a routine character , and

Masonic Motes.

the same holds good of many of our Provincial Grand Chapters . Is it then to be wondered at that there should be so much apathy shown by the private chapters , and that Master Masons do not trouble themselves to seek admission to is ranks ? It is only

now and then that our reports of chapter meetings contain anything more than that certain candidates vvere exalted or new Principals installed and the officers for the year invested . But this might and , no doubt , would be amended if there were greater activity and zeal shown by the companions in high places .

* * * But to return lo Comp . Richard Wilson . It is evident from what he said later in his address that while he is anxious for the development of the Royal Arch , hc is not prepared to allow his zeal to outrun his

discretion . Hc told his West Yorkshire companions lhat petitions for three new chapters at Bradfordwhere there are eight lodges and three chapters—had recently come before him , but that being convinced there was , at present , only room for one , he invited

the First Principals nominate and two from each of the three bodies of petitioners to meet him and discuss the situation . The result was that the majority adopted his view , and it was settled to recommend a petition for a chapter to be attached to Lodge No .

1018 . He had also received a petition for a Chapter to be attached to Lodge No . 1302 , Halifax , where there are four lodges and two chapters , and then he added— " I have every desire to encourage and

promote Royal Arch Masonry , but I am sure that to overcrowd the Province with needless chapters will do it more harm than good . " This , to say the least of it , is sound policy . •*

To our report last week of the recent meeting of the Board of Benevolence was appended a statement of the number of cases relieved and the amounts distributed in relief for the last four years , and from this it appears that the returns for the present year are

largely in excess of those for either of its three predecessors . In iSyS , there were 237 cases relieved , the amout distributed being . £ 9105 . In 1899 , there was a substantial reduction to 286 cases and . £ 7803 distributed , while last year there was a return to higher figures , and the number of cases was 317 , and the sum

distributed , £ 9080 . This year the cases arc 356 in number , and thc sum distributed ^ 10 , 525 , or , not so very far short of £ 1500 more than in 1898 . No doubt the war and the sacrifices entailed , by it arc in great measure responsible for this . * a *

The usual Christmas Entertainment which is given to the children of thc Royal Masonic Institution for Girls who remain at school during the holidays , will take place at thc Institution , Clapham Junction , S . W . ( on Thursday , the 2 nd prox ., at five p . m . The

program me includes a Punch and Judy show , dancing and an exhibition of conjuring and ventriloquism . Tea and coffee will be served previous to out old friends Punch and Judy's appearance on the scene , and refreshments at S . 30 p . m ., after thc ventriloquial entertain- ' ment . At the close the National Anthem will bc

sung . * * * The New Year ' s entertainment to thc inmates of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at Croydon will take place on Wednesday , the ist prox ., when the

Committee of Management , the Secretary , and sundry friends of thc Institution will assist in making the Old People as happy as a generous banquet and an enteitaining programme to follow will allow . On the following day the more serious business of entering upon the ca mpaign for next year ' s Festival will

commence , and the first m ecting of the board of Stewards will be held at Freemasons' Hall for the purpose of appointing officers and making , as far as possible , the preliminary arrangements for the celebration . We are pleased to hear that Bro . Terry has already succeeded in enlisting the services of a goodly number of ladies and brethren .

Thc regular meeting of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 207 C , will be held at Freemasons' Hal ) , on Friday , the 3 rd prox ., at five p . m ., when the members will have thc pleasure of congratulating the W . M ., Iiro . Gotthelf Greiner , on his appointment to the ollice of Assistant Grand Secretary for German

Correspondence , in succession lo thc late lamented Bro . C . Kupferschmidt . In the course of the evening Bro . Henry E . Berry , M . A ., M . R . I . A ., will read a paper on " Sir Peter Lewys , Ecclesiastic , Cathedral and Bridge-Builder , 1564-1567 . " The brethren will afterwards dine together at the Holborn Restaurant .