At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

on the throne . . . . The M . W . Grand Master then , in an eloquent and impressive address , communicated to Bro . the Moolavee Mahomed Ismael Khan the resolution of the last Quarterly Communication , conferring upon His Excellency the rank of a Past Grand Warden , and concluded by

investing him with the appropriate jewel and clothing . This distinguished brother having made his acknowledgments for the honour conferred upon him , took his seat as a member of the Grand Lodge . '

© © © " If any of your very numerous readers , especially Indian Masons , can give me some information with reference to this brother I shall be glad . "J . SPIEKS . "

© © © The Bishop of New York has been giving his opinion , in response to a request from the American Tyler , on the idea of training young men for Masoniy . He writes : — " The answer to your question as to an order of Masonic juniors depends

really upon another question , ' How far do Masons themselves propose to take Masonry seriously ? ' In one sense , as a mutual benefit association , I suppose all of them do . But if Masonry was no more than that , there are other and more modern orders that can do that work nearly , if not quite , so well .

© © © " Masonry , however , is , in my view of it , a great deal more than a mutual benefit association . In one sense , wild and extravagant as the words may sound , it is the most remarkable and altogether unique institution on earth . Will

you tell me of any other that girdles the world with its fellowship and gathers all races and the most ancient religions , as well as our own , into its brotherhood ? Will you tell me of any other that is as old or older ; more brilliant in its history ; more honoured in its constituency ;

more picturesque in its traditions ? To-day it lies in the hand of the modern man , largely an unused tool , capable of great achievements for God , for country , for mankind , but doing very little . For one , I believe that circumstances may easily arise , when , the highest and most sacred of all

freedoms being threatened in this land , Masonry may be its most powerful defender , unifying all minds and commanding our best citizenship .

" Under such circumstances , fellowship in it should be regarded , more and more , as a sacred privilege , for which our best youth should be trained , and to which they should be advanced step by step , through preparatory forms and

degrees . These need invade , in no wise , the inner sanctity of Masonry . They could easily be adapted from ancient customs of knighthood and chivalry , analogous to those of Masonry , but quite distinct from it ; and progress in them could be conditioned upon intelligence , character , high purpose—the things , in one word , that make our best manhood .

© © © " This is , briefly , what I had in mind . I have articulated no detailed mechanism ; and have neither prepared , nor indeed contemplated , any special scheme . In an address at Concord , N . H ., not long ago , I made some reference to

the value of such a plan , and that was all . It it were to find any sympathy in the minds of others , I must , pressed as I am by many burdens , leave it to them to mature . But one thing is certain . Great orders , like great armies , must bethink themselves of the training of their reinforcements . "

© © © Bishop Potter ' s suggestion is , it seems , being seriously considered by the Grand Lodge of North Dakota , as the following extract from the report of the proceedings at its last meeting will show : — " M . W . Bro . Robert M . Caruthers stated that the Grand Secretary had prepared a ritual , consisting of two degrees , for an order to be confined to the

sons and brothers of Master Masons between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one ; that he and other Masons had seen the ritual and were favourably impressed with the possibilities which it presented in giving our sons and brothers better lessons in life than are ordinarily at hand , at the same time preparing the mind for the Masonic degrees ,,

and therefore he moved : ' That a committee be appointed by the incoming Grand Master to investigate the ritual and report at the next grand annual communication . Carried . ' "

© © © Our contemporary goes on to remark that " such an order as this plan contemplates would be , if property conducted and safeguarded , a most excellent institution ,, with wonderful powers for the improvement of young men

at the age when they most need such influences as Masonrycan throw around them . It would , moreover , undoubtedly tend to make better men and better Masons of those who enter our portals . Should it , however , be so abused as to be regarded as a sure stepping-stone into the Fraternity , its

purpose would fail utterly . The theory is , in our opinion , a splendid one ; whether or not its practical application can be made perfect is a question which only a trial of the scheme , perhaps , can decide . If the plan is tried in North Dakota , the Masons of the country will , we are sure , watch for its success with the keenest interest . "

© © © An American paper of recent date has the following interesting item about a brother who took his time in becoming a Master Mason : — " After waiting thirty-six years from the taking of his first Degree , a candidate took his

third yesterday afternoon in Illinois Lodge , one of the Masonic lodges of the city . He took the Entered Apprentice Degree three dozen years ago , and it took him thirty-five years to make up his mind to take the Second Degree , which he did last year . Then he wasted another year and yesterday 7 took

the third , becoming after more than a third of a century a Master Mason . " When a man enjoys being an Entered Apprentice as much as this brother seems to have done , he should be permitted to continue as one . His interest in Masonry is hardly sufficiently keen to make him a valued member of the Craft .

© © © Bro . Sir F . Dixon Hartland , M . P ., P . G . Deacon , is so popular amongst the Thames Conservators that he has been elected Chairman of the Court for the ninth year in succession .

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