Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Empire Lodge, No . 8. In Stallation Of Bro. Sidney T Sift As Worshipful Master.
The toast of "The King , " yvas received yvith great enthusiasm . In proposing the toast of "The Grand Master , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , " the Worshipful Master said that it yvas evident that the spirit of devotion to the Craft , yvhich had characterised his Royal brethrenhad been transmitted
, to him yvith the Mastership ; even in India he yvas discharging his Masonic duty , and had recently installed Bro . Lord Kitchener as District Grand Master of the Punjab , and his every action tended to bind closer the bonds of Masonic frendship yvith those beyond the seas and strengthen the ties
of affection for the croyvn . The Worshipful Master , in proposing the toast of " The Grand Officers , " humorously referred to the idea that Grand Lodge yvas a Masonic House of Lords , yvhere the officers could sleep away the remainder of their existence , as a
popular error . Grand Officers themselves yvoulcl tell a different tale ; they still had their duty in supervising and in keeping a yvatchful eye upon the doings of the Craft throughout the world . He had an interesting tale to tell them . When Bro . Richards returned to his District , the Transvaal , some time ago , Bro . Major Woodall Woodall presented him
with a gavel made from a yeyv tree in the Sherwood Forest , supposed to be 1500 years old , and this yvas used at the lirst District Grand Lodge held in the Transvaal under the British flag . Bro . Richards had in return presented Bro . Woodall Woodall yvith a gavel made from yvood groyvn in
the Transvaal , which he in turn had presented to the Empire Lodge , and had also handed in his name as a joining member . Thev appreciated the frequent visits of Grand Officers , particularly that genial brother , the Grand Secretary , Sir Edyvard Letchworth .
llltO . . SIIINKV F . IS 1 TT . Bro . the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair , P . G . Chaplain , felt the responsibility of replying for such a long array of Grand Officers , and felt proud of being one of their number , as Masonry y ; nobly binding up tlie great Empire of the
brotherhood of man , and he ventured to think it yvas taking a leading part by showing the dignity of justice , truth and charity . We yvere passing through a great epoch of Empire making , and yvere extending and consolidating the nation . In nearly every part of the globe yve had possessions , and men of every colourboyving to British sway . Not by force of
, arms yvas this obtained , but by the force and poyver of that sympathy and sentiment in yvhich Masonry yvorthily bore its part , and yvhich appealed to every nationality . The Officers of Grand Lodge had been very pleased to hear in the lodge that night that at the next meeting thev were to initiate the
Ambassador of the Emperor of japan , our trusted ally in the East . In closing , he would state thai the loyalty and absolute obedience of all its members to the Grand Lodge of England yvas an example to every religion in Christendom . Bro . Sir Arthur Trendell , Treasurer , proposed the toast of
" The Sister Grand Lodges and the District Grand Lodges . " He said it yvas difficult to find language to express their appreciation of the bonds of cohesion , yvhich yvere making Masons one grand family . They yvere delighted that night to have so many yvorthy representatives from all parts
of their great nation present , and the Empire Lodge considered it a distinct privilege to receive and entertain them , and prided itself in being able in some small way to make their Colonial brethren understand them better .
Bro . George Richards , D . G . M . of the Transvaal , said he might consider himself almost as a Colonial annual , as he appeared at their lodge once in each year and at a stated period . A year ago he had been rash enough to make tyvo prophesies , both had fortunately been fulfilled . One yvas that before the end of the Masonic year their confidence
in their Grand Master yvould be more than fully justified , and the second yvas that through the dark yvar cloud of the distressed Transvaal they yvould see the dawn of light and peace . Peace had come , and he thought it yvould be as enduring as that mighty Empire of which they noyv formed
an integral part . Most lodges in his district had noyv resumed yvork , and he had consecrated tyvo neyv ones since peace had been proclaimed ; but he intended to make haste sloyvly , so as not to reflect discredit on the Craft . He believed that the principles and tenets of our beloved Order yvould
be largely instrumental in soothing all bitterness and healing the yvounds of those yvho had latterly been outenemies , and that Loyalty and Fraternity might shortly be inscribed over the yvord Transvaal . Bro . Sir John A . Cockburn , K . C . M . G ., Past Grand Warden
South Australia , assured the members that the Grand Lodge of South Australia was proud to be considered as a sister Grand Lodge , but prouder still to be a daughter of the mother Grand Lodge of England . How different our relations and sentiments yvere to that of the past ; the dreams of Masonic
union had now been translated into joyful reality . He thanked them for the honour they had paid South Australia .
Bro . W . G . D . Goll , District Grand Master of South-East Ireland , pleaded that , although an Irishman , he yvas not gifted yvith an Irishman ' s eloquence ; that yvas the first time he had had the honour of attending an English lodge , and he yvas overcome yvith the heartiness of his welcome . The lodges in his District yvere feyv in number , but had
yvorked yvell , and that among a population not as loyal as they ought to be , he sincerely hoped that Masonry might yveave cords , nay cables , to bind Ireland ( o England , and make it loyal to King and Empire . He thanked them sincerely for their fraternal expressions .
Bro . W . F . Lamonby , Past Deputy Grand Master of Victoria , responding , yvas proud both of being one of the founders of tlie Grand Lodge of Victoria , and for forty years an English Mason . Their Empire Lodge yvas founded about the same time as the Grand Lodge of Victoria , and their
Deputy Grand Master had been one of the members of their lodge . As Bro . Richards had presented tlie lodge yvith a gavel made from Transvaal yvood , he should have pleasure in presenting a mallet made from Australian black yvood . The I . P . M ., Bro . Franz Deutsch , in proposing the toast of " The Worshipful Master , " said he should best be consulting
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Empire Lodge, No . 8. In Stallation Of Bro. Sidney T Sift As Worshipful Master.
The toast of "The King , " yvas received yvith great enthusiasm . In proposing the toast of "The Grand Master , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , " the Worshipful Master said that it yvas evident that the spirit of devotion to the Craft , yvhich had characterised his Royal brethrenhad been transmitted
, to him yvith the Mastership ; even in India he yvas discharging his Masonic duty , and had recently installed Bro . Lord Kitchener as District Grand Master of the Punjab , and his every action tended to bind closer the bonds of Masonic frendship yvith those beyond the seas and strengthen the ties
of affection for the croyvn . The Worshipful Master , in proposing the toast of " The Grand Officers , " humorously referred to the idea that Grand Lodge yvas a Masonic House of Lords , yvhere the officers could sleep away the remainder of their existence , as a
popular error . Grand Officers themselves yvoulcl tell a different tale ; they still had their duty in supervising and in keeping a yvatchful eye upon the doings of the Craft throughout the world . He had an interesting tale to tell them . When Bro . Richards returned to his District , the Transvaal , some time ago , Bro . Major Woodall Woodall presented him
with a gavel made from a yeyv tree in the Sherwood Forest , supposed to be 1500 years old , and this yvas used at the lirst District Grand Lodge held in the Transvaal under the British flag . Bro . Richards had in return presented Bro . Woodall Woodall yvith a gavel made from yvood groyvn in
the Transvaal , which he in turn had presented to the Empire Lodge , and had also handed in his name as a joining member . Thev appreciated the frequent visits of Grand Officers , particularly that genial brother , the Grand Secretary , Sir Edyvard Letchworth .
llltO . . SIIINKV F . IS 1 TT . Bro . the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair , P . G . Chaplain , felt the responsibility of replying for such a long array of Grand Officers , and felt proud of being one of their number , as Masonry y ; nobly binding up tlie great Empire of the
brotherhood of man , and he ventured to think it yvas taking a leading part by showing the dignity of justice , truth and charity . We yvere passing through a great epoch of Empire making , and yvere extending and consolidating the nation . In nearly every part of the globe yve had possessions , and men of every colourboyving to British sway . Not by force of
, arms yvas this obtained , but by the force and poyver of that sympathy and sentiment in yvhich Masonry yvorthily bore its part , and yvhich appealed to every nationality . The Officers of Grand Lodge had been very pleased to hear in the lodge that night that at the next meeting thev were to initiate the
Ambassador of the Emperor of japan , our trusted ally in the East . In closing , he would state thai the loyalty and absolute obedience of all its members to the Grand Lodge of England yvas an example to every religion in Christendom . Bro . Sir Arthur Trendell , Treasurer , proposed the toast of
" The Sister Grand Lodges and the District Grand Lodges . " He said it yvas difficult to find language to express their appreciation of the bonds of cohesion , yvhich yvere making Masons one grand family . They yvere delighted that night to have so many yvorthy representatives from all parts
of their great nation present , and the Empire Lodge considered it a distinct privilege to receive and entertain them , and prided itself in being able in some small way to make their Colonial brethren understand them better .
Bro . George Richards , D . G . M . of the Transvaal , said he might consider himself almost as a Colonial annual , as he appeared at their lodge once in each year and at a stated period . A year ago he had been rash enough to make tyvo prophesies , both had fortunately been fulfilled . One yvas that before the end of the Masonic year their confidence
in their Grand Master yvould be more than fully justified , and the second yvas that through the dark yvar cloud of the distressed Transvaal they yvould see the dawn of light and peace . Peace had come , and he thought it yvould be as enduring as that mighty Empire of which they noyv formed
an integral part . Most lodges in his district had noyv resumed yvork , and he had consecrated tyvo neyv ones since peace had been proclaimed ; but he intended to make haste sloyvly , so as not to reflect discredit on the Craft . He believed that the principles and tenets of our beloved Order yvould
be largely instrumental in soothing all bitterness and healing the yvounds of those yvho had latterly been outenemies , and that Loyalty and Fraternity might shortly be inscribed over the yvord Transvaal . Bro . Sir John A . Cockburn , K . C . M . G ., Past Grand Warden
South Australia , assured the members that the Grand Lodge of South Australia was proud to be considered as a sister Grand Lodge , but prouder still to be a daughter of the mother Grand Lodge of England . How different our relations and sentiments yvere to that of the past ; the dreams of Masonic
union had now been translated into joyful reality . He thanked them for the honour they had paid South Australia .
Bro . W . G . D . Goll , District Grand Master of South-East Ireland , pleaded that , although an Irishman , he yvas not gifted yvith an Irishman ' s eloquence ; that yvas the first time he had had the honour of attending an English lodge , and he yvas overcome yvith the heartiness of his welcome . The lodges in his District yvere feyv in number , but had
yvorked yvell , and that among a population not as loyal as they ought to be , he sincerely hoped that Masonry might yveave cords , nay cables , to bind Ireland ( o England , and make it loyal to King and Empire . He thanked them sincerely for their fraternal expressions .
Bro . W . F . Lamonby , Past Deputy Grand Master of Victoria , responding , yvas proud both of being one of the founders of tlie Grand Lodge of Victoria , and for forty years an English Mason . Their Empire Lodge yvas founded about the same time as the Grand Lodge of Victoria , and their
Deputy Grand Master had been one of the members of their lodge . As Bro . Richards had presented tlie lodge yvith a gavel made from Transvaal yvood , he should have pleasure in presenting a mallet made from Australian black yvood . The I . P . M ., Bro . Franz Deutsch , in proposing the toast of " The Worshipful Master , " said he should best be consulting