Empire Lodge, No . 8. In Stallation Of Bro. Sidney T Sift As Worshipful Master.

his wishes bv expatiating as little as possible upon the virtues yvith yvhich he yvas cndoyved by nature , but could not refrain from congratulating the lodge upon the honour they had conferred upon him . The reputation he bore both in Masonic and social life yvas a promise that he yvould fill that office yvith dignity and credit .

The Worshipful Master , in responding , felt it no light task to respond to the toast of Master of such a lodge as the Empire , yvhich had been progressing and yvould continue to progress , and a brother accepting the high position had to do his level best to follow those yvho had preceded him . He had been but five years a Mason , and had noyv reached the

crowning position of Master . He yvould tell them yvh y he felt it yvas difficult to folloyv his predecessors . Bro . Sefton Mayors , they yvould all admit , yvas difficult to folloyv , Bro . Bassett Hopkins it yvas impossible to beat , and Bro . Franz Deutsch , yvho had immediately preceded him , had endeared himself to

all , not only for the duties he had performed , but 'for his invariable tact and sympathy . He should , therefore , pass on to propose the toast of " The Installing Master and the other Past Masters . " Bro . Deutsch had proved a yvorthy successor to the other Past Masters , he had presided over the Empire

Lodge yvith conspicuous success , and it yvas noyv his pleasurable duty to present to him the jewel voted by the lodge .

The Installing Master , Bro . Franz Deutsch , I . P . M ., responding , thanked the Master and brethren for the hearty reception extended to the toast of the Masters , and for the jeyvel which they had presented to him . He had approached the duties of Master yvith great diffidence , but the staunch support he had received strengthened and fortified him , and

he hoped he yvas measured more by his intentions than by his achievements . Bro . Bassett Hopkins , P . M ., proposing the toast of "The Initiates , " reminded them that yve yvere not a propagandising brotherhood , that gentlemen must themselves be the applicants , but yvhen approved and admitted they yvere always

received yvith open arms . The noble principles of Masonry had lived doyvn nearly every hostility- , and had no reason to fear opposition , as their progress yvas abundant vindication of their existence . Cordiality- yvould be extended to them among Freemasons in every part of the globe , as they yvere now a

part of one great body upon yvhich the sun never sets . The toast of " The Visitors" yvas heartil y received , and yvas responded to by Bro . Col . H . D . Hutchinson , Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief , and by Bro . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D .

The toast of "The Officers" was responded to by the Senior Warden and Bro . Sefton Mayors . The Tyler ' s toast concluded a most enjoyable evening .

Installation Meeting Of The Aldershot Camp Lodge, No. 1331.

Installation Meeting of the Aldershot Camp Lodge , No . 1331 .

T" ) ERHAPS the most extraordinary year experienced by I any lodge is that just completed by No . 1331 , Aldershot Camp , by yvhich is demonstrated the great advance being made by Freemasonry in the Army . The lodge has been established over thirty years , its rules only

admitting those of the rank of sergeant and above . It has ahvavs been in a rather curious position , being used more or less as an entrance to the Craft by soldiers , yvho yvould

into . G . HRYCI :. join , be initiated , and then proceed on service abroad . In this yvay the lodge ' s initiates can be found in all parts of the Empire , and a remark passed at the installation banquet on

the evening of the 14 th January , that " the sun never sets on the members of the Aldershot Camp Lodge , " is very true . At the present time the membership roll is 209 , and at least twice as many more clearance certificates have been issued . Of the present membership , thirty-three were initiated in

1 9 , and last year fifty-one yvere initiated , the very large number of initiations being due to the high reputation the Craft has gained in the Army and the settling doyvn of the Aldershot garrison after the yvar . Such a large number of initiates has , as may be imagined , imposed a very severe year ' s yvork on the Worshipful Master , every meeting

bringing its working in the three Degrees , the officers having to yvork hard and long to deal with the ever increasing flood of candidates . It is to be doubted yvhether such a sight has ever been seen before as occurred in the' lodge at the last emergency meeting , yvhen seventeen Entered Apprentices yvere marshalled before the Worshipful

Master ' s pedestal to undergo their examination to be passed to the Second Degree . They stood in three ranks , and represented eight different regiments . This extraordinary state of affairs bids fair to be continued , for at the meeting on the 14 th January , held for the

installation ceremony , nine neyv candidates were proposed . It is a matter of satisfaction to the Craft in the district , and hopes are entertained that at no far distant date a neyv lodge will be founded , making the fourth lodge in the toyvn . The installation ceremony yvas performed by Bro . J .

Taylor , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B ., the neyv Worshipful Master being Bro . Quartermaster-Sergeant G . Bryce , A . S . C ., yvho afterwards appointed the folloyving brethren as his officers : —Bros . Quartermaster-Sergeant J . Boxall , A . S . C ., S . W . ; Staff-Sergeant D . Costello , A . S . C ., J . W . ; E . Peters , Treasurer ;

Sergeant Ward , A . S . C ., Secretary ; Quartermaster-Sergeant Kerry , R . A ., S . D . ; Sergeant-Major Sadler , A . S . C ., J . D . ; Staff-Sergeant Cock , R . E ., I . G . ; Captain W . Lyons , A . S . C ., P . M ., D . C . ; and Staff-Sergeant Power , A . S . C ., and J . H . West , Steyvards . Bro . W . Downes is the I . P . M .

There yvas a large number of prominent Masons at the ceremony and the banquet that folknved , among them being Bros , the Rev . F . B . W . Worman Lee , P . M ., P . G . C . ; G . Savers , P . J . G . D . ; B . Masters , P . G . S . B . ; W . Cockburn , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . ; J . Youd , P . M ., P . P G . D . C . ; C . Price ,

P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . Bombay ; A . Talner , P . P . J . G . D . ; and E . G . Finch , P . M ., P . P . GJ' . The usual Masonic toasts yvere honoured at the banquet yvhich yvas held in the banqueting room of the neyv Masonic Hall , opened recently by the Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire and tlie Isle of Wight , R . W . Bro . Sir Augustus Webster . Bart .