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CONTENTS . L KAOHHS— PAKR The Freemasons' Club , Richmond , Surrey , Limited ... ... 550 Presidents of thc U . S . A . who were Freemasons ... ... ... 5 f > 0 Grand Secretary of Scotland ... ... ... ¦•¦ ... 560 IREI . ANOMasonic Service at Templepatrick , Province cf Antrim ... ... 560 S

COTLANDThe Restoration of Brechin Cathedral ... ... ... ... 5 fil Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ¦¦ 5 ° ' Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 5 - The Charity of Masonry ... ... ... ... ... 5 3 Craft Masonry ... ... ¦•• ••• ••• ... 5 <> 3 MASONIC NOTESResignation of Bro . D . Murray Lyon , Grand Secretaiy of Scotland ... 5 C 5 * 'The Masonic Guide to South Australia " ... ... ... 565

Freemasonry and the Romish Church ... ... ... ... 565 Correspondence .. ... ... ... ... ... 5 The Grand Tyler of England ... ... ... ... ... 5 G 6 Craft Masomy ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 fiG Bro . R . E . Garbutt , Bloemfontein ... ... ... ... ... 5 67 Instiuction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 567 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 S Masonir and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 57 ° Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 °

The Freemasons' Club, Richmond, Surrey, Limited.

THE FREEMASONS' CLUB , RICHMOND , SURREY , LIMITED .

There are those who never miss the opportunity of urging upon the hrethren the desirability of cultivating , as far as in ihem lies , the social side of Freemasonry , not to the exclusion of those Charitable or other high purposes to which the best

energies ofthe Craft are devoted , but rather as a valuable means whereby those higher purposes may be additionally served , llcncc it is that in the United Kingdom and its colonies and possessions abroad thc meetings of our lodges , be thev of English , Irish , or

Scottish origin , are almost invariably supplemented by some Kind of social gathering at which the members and their Masonic visitors may spend an hour or two together , and so have greater facilities for knowing each other than are possible during the

transaction of business m the lodge room . This supplement to lhe lodge work may be known as a banquet or dinner , high tea or supper—the name given lo it is immaterial , but the purpose is not the undue enjoyment of the pleasures of the table but rather ,

; is we have said already , that the brethren , who no doubt move in different spheres of life , may learn to know , and knowing , to respect each other better . Unfortunately for the furtherance of

this very desirable object , lodges seldom meet more than once ft month , and the majority of them perhaps not more than half-a-dozen times in the vear . Hence in those of our

large Provincial cities and towns which can boast of many lodges and other Masonic bodies , and wherever else it may be possible , the brethren have of late years elected to build "r erect premises of their own , which not only serve tin * purpose

"f providing the necessary accommodation for lodge and 'hapler meetings , but are also available for use as clubs and lor social meetings generally . In the north of England particularl y this desire for private quarters has grown apace

¦ iniong the lodges , while iu the important South-Westeru I wince of Devonshire as many as three new halls have been dedicated during the present year , to say nothing of those previousl y existing in Exeter , the Three Towns , Exmouth ,

' ¦ ¦ 'irnstaple , & c , & c , & c . In and about the Metropolis , however , "'line Ihere are ample facilities in all directions for lodge tncetl ! 1 gs , then .- are , in proportion fo the number of lodges , fewer private halls and as a consequence fewer opportunities for the

"I'tnation ol Masonic clubs . Quite recently a prospectus has ' - ''ii issued for the formation of a company which is % ist <_ -n .-d as " The Freemasons' Club ( Richmond , Surrey ) ,

The Freemasons' Club, Richmond, Surrey, Limited.

Limited . " The capital proposed to be raised is £ 2000 in £ 1 shares . The Board of Directors , consisting of Bros . ALFRED ALDIN ( chairman ) and STEPHEN ABELL , of Richmond ; B . E . BLASBY , J . P ., and G . II . BREADMORE , of Kew ; Major-Gen .

G . F . GUYON , Richmond ; II . E . HORNBY , of Twickenham ; and PERCY E . METZNER and FRANCIS R . ROBINSON , of Richmond ; with Bro . T . SKEWES-COX , J . P ., lately M . P ., and a candidate for re-election , as Hon . Solicitor : and Bro . F . \ V .

II . AxTEN , as Hon . Secretary , fro / cm ., have arranged with Bro . R . HAMPTON to occupy part of the premises recently erected by the latter in the Sheen Road , and within three minutes' walk of the Station , at a rental , exclusive

of rates and taxes , of / , 2 oo per annum , while a provisional agreement has been entered into by Bro . Al . DlN on behalf of thc Company with Bro . HAMPTON , which secures the Company the option within a certain tine either of

renlinothe whole of the premises or of purchasing - the ground lease expiring in 199 8 . The portion of the premises which , in the first instance , it is proposed to occupy , comprises a number of club-rooms , including a billiard-room , ^ 7 feet x 2 b feet

library and reading-room , 2 b feet x 21 feet ; a lodge-room , 2 fi feet X 40 feet , with-ante-room , & c , together with kitchens , cellars , & c , and the free use of lhc . banqueting hal / , 2 ( 1 feet x f > 3 feet , on certain occasions , the whole of such portion bein « - indicated on the plan accompanying the prospectus .

Already provisional promises have been marie b y some 200 brethren who will take amongst them more than £ \ 2 oo of shares and those who may desire to become shareholders must forward their applications to the Hon . Sec . ( Bro . F . \ V . II . AXTEX ) at the

Company ' s registered ollices ( pro temp . ) , 2 , King-street , Richmond , on or before Monday , 15 th October , when the list will be closed , after which the scale of charges lo joining members may be increased . The holding of shares and membership of the Club

will be restricted to 1 < reemasons . and the Directors are anxious that the shares should be distributed among as many brethren as possible rather than lieldby a few , and this point will be considered in making the allotment . A brother may apply for one share , which

must be fully paid up , and will serve as a kind of Entrance Fee to the Club , and in addition such further number as he may desire , paying on these latter 5 s . on application , 5 s . on allotment , and the remainder on such calls as may be made . The annual

subscription for membership of club is one guinea per annum , payable in advance . The directors anticipate that they will receive such a yearly revenue in subscriptions and for use of billiard and other rooms , & c , as will enable them to meet their expenditure , and at

the same time suffice "to pay a dividend of six percent , on lhe shares , form a reserve fund , pay for club improvements , and contribute to the Masonic Charities , " nor , as far as we are able to judge , is then- any reason why these anticipations should not be realised .

The club is intended more particularly for brethren residing in the Tlunnes Valley , and as ( here are quite a number of lodges located Ihere , including one at Kew Bridge , hvo in Richmond , live al Twickenham , one at Teddington , four al Kingston , to at

Hampton Court , to say nothing of those at Staines , and other riverside places , and the Chapters , Mark Lodges , & -., all within easy reach by rail or road ol Richmond , and having regard lo

lhe many alterations ol Ihis popular resorl , il is dillicult to see how so well-conceived a project should fail for lack of support Al all events , "The Freemasons' Club , Richmond , Surrey , Limited . " has our best wishes for its success .