The Grand Lodge Life-Boats.

The Grand Lodge Life-boats .

God help our men ; il sea ! In lire-lit , pictured rooms , ' mid wine mid llowers , And gleesome company , The wild winds awe us , in our blithest hours , To sigh this prayer , And , lonely , with clasped hands , at night , 'tis ours , " Lord of the wavesO spare !"

, ( AVsM . S ' . h > . Hole . PROBABLY no Institution in the British Isles is more deservedly popular , or has stronger claims upon our support and sympathy than the Royal National Lifeboat Institution .

In view of the dangerous nature of our coasts and estuaries , for the most part fringed with treacherous shoals and quicksands , and our dependence to a large extent for the necessaries of life , to say nothing of its luxuries , upon our ships and sailors , the reason for this popularity is not far to

seek ; while the admirable and straightforward way in which this noble Institution is managed , has doubtless not been without its effect on the charitable portion of our community .

It is not , however , our present purpose to enter upon a general statement of the composition of , and the good work done by , the Institution , but rather to direct the attention of the Masonic Fraternity to the beneficial effects of their liberal donation of £ 4 , 000 to its funds in the year 1877 , and to present in a concise and connected form the circumstances

of that transaction . Suffice it therefore to say , that at its head is the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , as Patron . Our Royal Grand Master stands next in order as President and Vice-Patron , the latter office being also shared by Her Royal

Highness the Princess of Wales and His Royal Highness the Duke of York . To those who may desire fuller information as to the governing and executive officers , and the financial condition of the Institution , I would refer to the printed reports to be bad at the Society ' s office , 14 , John Street , Adelphi , W . C .

On the return of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales from his Indian travels in 1876 , there arose a desire to commemorate that important event by some appropriate action in the Grand Lodge of England , of which the Prince had but recently been elected and installed the Grand Master .

Accordingly , at the Quarterly Communication on the 7 th June in that year , the R . W . Bro . John Havers , Past Grand Warden , moved the following resolution : — " That this Grand Lodge desires to return its humble and hearty thanks to the Almighty Architect of the Universe

for the safe return to his native land of their beloved Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , and in memory of that happy event , determines to devote the sum of £ 2 , 000 in aid of the restoration of the two churches which are most intimately connected with the history of Freemasonry in England . "

" That a sum of £ 1 , 000 be granted from the Fund for General Purposes towards the restoration of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , and the like sum of _ £ i , ooo from the same Fund towards the restoration of St . Albans' Abbey . " Notwithstanding the eloquence and persuasive powers for which this distinguished brother was justly celebrated , his

motions were not received with that cordiality and unanimity which their nature rendered desirable , and , after a lengthy discussion , the following amendment was proposed by the Rev . R . J . Simpson and adopted : — " That this Grand Lodge desires to return its humble and

hearty thanks to the Almighty Architect of the Universe for the safe return to his native land of their beloved Grand Master , His Roya ! Highness the Prince of Wales , and that a special Committee be appointed to consider the best mode in which this feeling can be perpetuated in some charitable and

practical form , and report thereon to this Grand Lodge . " At the next meeting of the Grand Lodge , 6 th September , the subject was again fully and ably discussed , and eventually

Tin ; r . u-ic-iiOAT AND UOI-SI ; AT (' . ACTOS-DS-SKA J ' KI : SI : NTJ ; I > HV TIN : Fiti ; i :. MAsoNs OF KNCII - AND AS A THANK-OI-KI-: IMN <; ON riir : SATI : IMTUKN FIIOM INDIA , IN- ls'O , or II . II . II . rin : I ' liiNci ; ( ji- WALKS , M . W . fj . M .