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SATURDAY , DECEMBER 29 , 1900 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

Yet once again the agreeable duty devolves upon us of expressing the hope that the year on wbich we are about to enter may be one of happiness and prosperity to all our friends and readers . For many years we have had the privilege of fulfilling this duty , but on this occasion we do to with ali the greater

pleasure because tbe year which begins on Tuesday marks the commencement of a new century , and not only we , but everybody else , must earnestly pray that the progress which lias attended this country during the 19 th century may be continued , and even increased , during the century that is on the eve of beginning .

Masonic Notes.

Above all , must we wish that in the next few months we shall find that Peace once again reigns supreme in our colonies and dependencies in South Africa , and that with the restoration of Peace those colonics and dependencies may be able to resume that career of

prosperity which some 14 or 15 months ago was so rudely and disastrously interrupted by the outbreak of the Boer War . We trust the leaders of the present guerilla may soon be brought to realise the futility of

continuing a resistance which most people regard as hopeless . When this happens , the New Year will be indeed a Happy one , and the auguries for the future of the 20 th Century equally so for the whole of the British Empire .

The New Year ' s entertainment to the inmates of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at Croydon will take place on Wednesday next , when , we doubt not , the worthy old brethren and ladies in residence there will as thoroughly enjoy themselves as

they have done at similar gatherings in the past . We have every reason to believe that Bro . Terry , the Secretary " of the Institution , has hid an excellent programme prepared for the occasion , and that bjth residents and visitors will spend a pleasant evening .

* The first meeting of the Board of Stewards for the approaching Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be held at Freemasons' Hall on Thursday , the 3 rd January , when the

ollicers of the Board will be appointed , and the preliminary arrangements made for the celebration . We shall have occasion to refer to the subject in the course of the next week or two . In the meantime , however , we may state Bro . Terry has no reason to be

dissatisfied with the progress he has made so far in enlisting the services of ladies and brethren as Stewards , but , as owing to the continuance of the war in South Africa , the circumstances attending the Festivals of our Charitable Institutions in IQOI will pretty closely

resemble those of 1900 , we shall probably have larger Boards than were known 10 or a dozen years ago engaged in raising the necessary supplies for the year

About 300 have responded to Bro . Terry s invitation , but in hard times money takes more raising , and therefore , the more Stewards , the greater the chances of success for next year ' s Festivals .

* » * A stated meeting of Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , will be held at Freemasons' HaU on Friday , the 4 th prox ., under the presidency of Bro . Conder , W . M ., and the brethren will afterwards dine together at the

Holborn Restaurant . In the course of the proceedings a paper will be read by Uro . W . H . Rylands , P . A . G . D . C , on " The Alnwick Lodge Minutes . " We may add that we have received Part 3 of the current

Volume of "Ars Quatuor Coronatorum , " and the St . John's Card ; and as we hope to be more at leisure now , we shall lose no time in reviewing them and Vol . IX . of the " Antigrapha . "

? * » There are not many brethren who can point to so remote a Masonic ancestry as Bro . Sir Norman R . Pringle , Bart ., is in a position to do . Sir Norman was installed W . M . of the Moira Lodge , No . 92 , on the

Gth instant , and , in acknowledging the toast of his health , he was able to congratulate himself not only on being in the chair of the lodge of which his father before him was an initiate and Past Master , but als 0 on the fact that one of his ancestors—Sir John Pringle

—was elected Master of the Lodge at Kelso , in Scotland , in 1702 , and that Walter Pringle , advocate , an uncle of the same Sir John Pringle , was passed F . C . in the Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary's Chapel ) , No . 1 , on the 14 th June , 1 G 70 . We can well

understand the pride which the newly-installed Master of No . 92 must feel in finding himself a ruler in the Craft with which his family have been connected for 230 years . * * *

We publish in another column a full report of the proceedings at the half-yearly meeting of the Great Priory of the Order of the Temple at Mark Masons ' Hall on Friday , the 14 th instant . From this it will be seen that there was a full attendance of members ,

lhat according to the Report of the'Council , which was laid before the meeting , the Order is in a more nourishing state than ever , and that the recommendations it contained were adopted nem . con . We trust that next year may witness still further progress in the Order of the Temple .

Masonic Notes.

"A The printed proceedings of a regular convocation of the Prov . Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Freemasonry in India under the Scottish Constitution , which was held at Freemasons' Hall , Bombay , on the 3 rd September last , under the presidency of

Comp . K , R . Cama , Grand Superintendent , have reached ui , and from them it appears that Scottish R . A . Masonry has no reason to compiain of its present position . It does not appear to have gained in numerical strength , but it has sustained no loss

while , on the other hand , one of its chapters , formerly meeting at Lucknow , which had been in abeyance for some time , has been resuscitated at Bombay , with a fair prospect of success . Moreover , the funds standing to the credit of Prov . Grand Chapter show a

substantial increase a ? compared with the amount so standing in the previous account . In the course of his address the Grand Superintendent referred to the

great loss sustained through the lamented death of Comp . James W . Smith , Past Dep . G . Superintendent , and a resolution of sympathy with his widow in bci bereavement was passed in solemn silence .

* The usual entertainment which is given to those of the children of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls who remain at school during the Christmas holidays will take place at the Institution , Battersea

Rise , on- Thursday , , the 3 rd prox ., under the auspices of Bro . A . C . Spaull , Chairman of the month . The programme includes an exhibition of the cinematograph , dancing , and a comical entertainment . The proceedings are timed to commence at 5 p . m ., when tea and coffee will be served .

We are indebted to the November number of the Canadian Craftsman for several . items of special interest , foremost amongst them being a short editorial note in praise of Bro . R . B . Hungeiford , who was installed M . W . Grand Master of Canada (

Province of Ontario ) last summer , and whose portrait serves as the frontispiece to the number . Another item is the report of a presentation of plate to Bro . E . T . Malone—whom Bro . Hungerford has succeeded —in recognition of his eminent services to the Craft

during the two years he occupied the chair of Grand Master , and in fulfilment of a resolution of the Grand Lodge that such a testimonial should be given to its retiring chief . The presentation was made on behalf

of Grand Lodge by Bro . Hugh Murray , Past G . M ., the Grand Treasurer , in the presence of a numerous gathering of brethren from all parts of the Province , and was suitably acknowledged by Bro . Malone .

Again , there is a report of a meeting of Civil Service Lodge , No . 148 , in Ottawa , on the 13 th Novem . ber , when one of its ofiicers , Bro . Captain C . F . Winter , who had served in South Africa as Adjutant of the Royal Canadian Regiment , was heartily

welcomed home . Bro . the Rev . Thos . Garrett presided , and among those present were Bro . Major S . M . Rogers , who commanded D . Company of the first contingent , a number of Present and Past Grand Officers , representatives of the Craft from the

jurisdictions of Quebec , British Columbia , and Connec ticut , and Bro . Col . Turner , U . S . Consul-General . The guest of the evening , and also Major Rogers , both of whom were most heartily acclaimed on rising to speak , paid n very high tribute to the work

accomplished by Bro . Col . Otter , who commanded the battalion , and deprecated in the strongest terms the reports circulated by the Press as to there having been anything like disunion or dissension among the officers of the regiment .

* * There is also a very full account of the centenary celebration of the introduction of Royal Arch Masonry into Toronto . The meeting was held in the Masonic Hall , under the auspices of the St . Andrew and St .

John R . A . Chapter , No . 4 on the roll of the Grand Chapter of Canada , and among those present in honour of so momentous an occasion were Comps . W . G . Reid , First Grand Principal Z . ; Kivas Tully , Past Grand Z . ; George J . Bennett , G . Scribe E . ;

J . K . Kerr , Q . C , Past G . } . ; George C . Patterson , Past G . Prin . Soj ., & c . In the course of the proceedings Comp . Henry T . Smith , H . of the chapter , delivered an historical sketch , in which he traced the steps taken by the then Rawdon Lodge in 1800 , with a

view to introducing the Royal Arch into the city of York ( now Toronto ) , and the progress subsequentl y made by the Degree in the Province , a hearty vote of thanks being passed by acclamation to the lecturer for his able record .