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History Of The Emulation Lodge Ofimprovement , No. 256.—— (Continued).
History of the Emulation Lodge ofImprovement , No . 256 . —— ( Continued ) .
( By Bro . HENRY SADLER , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England ) .
THE following extract from the minutes of the Lodge of Unions , No . 256 , of the 21 st of March , 18 3 6 , may not be without interest : — " A letter with enclosures was read from Bro . S . B . Wilson , Secretary to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , njeeting under the sanction of ( his Lodge , asking advice how to
proceed on the subject matter therein contained , when Bro . Whitmore proposed that the same be referred to the Board of General Purposes for their advice on the subject—seconded by Bro . Clark , and carried unanimously . " The W . Master stated that the Emulation Lodge of
Improvement , formerly held at the Blue Posts , Charlotte Street , is now held at the Filzroy Hold , Charlotte Street , on every Friday night , and that they are about to collect a sum of money for the purchase of Furniture , & c . Bro . Watkins proposed that £ 1 is . be given from the Lodge towards such fund . Seconded by Bro . Whitmore , and carried
unanimously . " * The minutes of the Board of General Purposes of the 22 nd March , 18 3 6 , furnish an explanation of the first paragraph quoted . " A letter was read from Bro . William Farnlield , Secretary of the Lodge of Unions , No . 318 , on the subject of certain
proceedings of a Lodge of Instruction under sanction of that Lodge , called the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , relative to the conduct of Bro . George Claret , in sending printed papers , and a proposition for the expulsion of Bro . Claret from such Lodge of Instruction , and requesting
the advice and opinion of this Board 011 the subject . " It was resolved that the Lodge of Unions be informed that it is the opinion of this Board that if the Lodge conceives that Bro . George Claret has been guilty of any Masonic offence , a complaint should be preferred against him before the Board of General Purposes . " t
Stephen Barton Wilson , an architect of considerable celebrity , who was initiated in the Royal Athelstan Lodge , No . 19 , on the oth of June , 1830 , joined the Emulation Lodge of Improvement in 18 32 , and for a short time as already shown , he discharged the duties of Secretary . Whether he directly succeeded Gilkes in the post of leader of that lodge is , as
before slated , open to doubt , but there can be no question as to his having taken a prominent part in its affairs at an early period of his membership , for in 18 3 6 he presided at the anniversary meeting , which we learn . " was of a festive character ; neither lecture nor ceremony were worked . Bro
S . B . Wilson was elected Treasurer , and Bro . Savage Secretary . " % At the anniversary Festival in 18 3 8 , a valuable jewel , * ' unique in design and embracing some architectural references in allusion to his own profession , " was presented to him . This is the first occasion on which work is
mentioned m the reports of the Festival . "A few sections of the first lecture were worked . " Bro . Wilson ' s fame as a consecrating and installing officer was not confined to the metropolis , many of the now flourishing lodges in the home counties having been consecrated by him .
In 18 57 , he was appointed Junior Grand Deacon , and at the Annual Festival of the lodge held at the Freemasons ' Tavern on the 20 th of fanuary , 1858 , a valuable testimonial
was presented to him , consisting of a gold watch and chain , a complete suite of Grand Lodge clothing , with the jewel of his office , and a tea and coffee service of silver , which had been subscribed for chiefly by the members of the lodge . - This was doubtless the most numerously attended meeting
of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement that had yet been held , nearly 300 sitting down to supper , under the presidency of the R . W . Bro . William F . Beadon , Past Junior Grand Warden , who had previously officiated as Master during the working of the sections of the first lecture in the lodge .
The W . Bro . John Havers , Past Grand Deacon ( since appointed Past Grand Warden ) , prefaced the presentation by a lengthy but eloquent address , which elicited frequent applause from those who were privileged to listen to it . Bro . Havers , I may say , was a born orator , to whom it was a
pleasure to listen , either in Grand Lodge or when pleading the cause of Charity at one of the festivals at which he sometimes presided . His address on this occasion is replete with genuine Masonic sentiment and apt expression , which is doubtless
the reason for its being printed verbatim in the Freemasons ' Magazine—a very rare proceeding in those clays . As the journal mentioned is practically inaccessible to the general body of the Craft , and as , in my humble opinion , the speech is too good to be allowed to sink into oblivion , the editor of " T HE MASONIC ILLUSTRATED " has kindly consented to its being here reproduced almost in its entirety .
" Bro . Havers then took the gavel , and said : ' Right Worshipful Master and Brethren—When the Master in the chair entrusts his gavel to another , there usually follows one toast which is known to you all . On this occasion , however , we depart from that practice . I have been desired—and I assure you , brethren , I consider it a great honour to be so
requested—to propose to you the health of one dear to all who are members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and equally dear to the Craft in general . My good friend on the left ( Bro . Cooper ) has , with justifiable pride , claimed him for Kent . I claim him not for Kent , I claim him not for the
Emulation Lodge of Improvement , but for all Masonry . The labours of the working brethren of the lodge we have this evening all witnessed . Will you bear with me while I endeavour to trace the result of the exertions of a good and active Mason . You have all seen the amount of memory and brain-work which is required for working the several sections of each lecture . Well , then , just as we teach our
children important principles of religion and morality 111 certain formuke of words , the true meaning of which they do not at the time comprehend , but which , impressed upon the mind , become the nucleus or abiding place of future thoughts—so must young Masons be content to commit to memory certain forms of words , the full import of which
they are hereafter to acquire . I do not insist that the ritual of Masonry should be regarded as the principle and essence of Masonry itself . A prayer-book is not a religion . But the ritual of Freemasonry contains the expression of the truth of those doctrines by which we profess to be guided , and those
rules of life which we profess to practice . Masonry boasts of no books , no ponderous tomes , or carefully-writ parchments , containing the record of its ceremonies . Such as they are , they have been handed down to us by oral tradition , varying in their phraseology to suit the altered character of
the language , but still possessing that quaint simplicity of diction which both attests their age and gives a peculiar charm to their delivery .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
History Of The Emulation Lodge Ofimprovement , No. 256.—— (Continued).
History of the Emulation Lodge ofImprovement , No . 256 . —— ( Continued ) .
( By Bro . HENRY SADLER , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England ) .
THE following extract from the minutes of the Lodge of Unions , No . 256 , of the 21 st of March , 18 3 6 , may not be without interest : — " A letter with enclosures was read from Bro . S . B . Wilson , Secretary to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , njeeting under the sanction of ( his Lodge , asking advice how to
proceed on the subject matter therein contained , when Bro . Whitmore proposed that the same be referred to the Board of General Purposes for their advice on the subject—seconded by Bro . Clark , and carried unanimously . " The W . Master stated that the Emulation Lodge of
Improvement , formerly held at the Blue Posts , Charlotte Street , is now held at the Filzroy Hold , Charlotte Street , on every Friday night , and that they are about to collect a sum of money for the purchase of Furniture , & c . Bro . Watkins proposed that £ 1 is . be given from the Lodge towards such fund . Seconded by Bro . Whitmore , and carried
unanimously . " * The minutes of the Board of General Purposes of the 22 nd March , 18 3 6 , furnish an explanation of the first paragraph quoted . " A letter was read from Bro . William Farnlield , Secretary of the Lodge of Unions , No . 318 , on the subject of certain
proceedings of a Lodge of Instruction under sanction of that Lodge , called the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , relative to the conduct of Bro . George Claret , in sending printed papers , and a proposition for the expulsion of Bro . Claret from such Lodge of Instruction , and requesting
the advice and opinion of this Board 011 the subject . " It was resolved that the Lodge of Unions be informed that it is the opinion of this Board that if the Lodge conceives that Bro . George Claret has been guilty of any Masonic offence , a complaint should be preferred against him before the Board of General Purposes . " t
Stephen Barton Wilson , an architect of considerable celebrity , who was initiated in the Royal Athelstan Lodge , No . 19 , on the oth of June , 1830 , joined the Emulation Lodge of Improvement in 18 32 , and for a short time as already shown , he discharged the duties of Secretary . Whether he directly succeeded Gilkes in the post of leader of that lodge is , as
before slated , open to doubt , but there can be no question as to his having taken a prominent part in its affairs at an early period of his membership , for in 18 3 6 he presided at the anniversary meeting , which we learn . " was of a festive character ; neither lecture nor ceremony were worked . Bro
S . B . Wilson was elected Treasurer , and Bro . Savage Secretary . " % At the anniversary Festival in 18 3 8 , a valuable jewel , * ' unique in design and embracing some architectural references in allusion to his own profession , " was presented to him . This is the first occasion on which work is
mentioned m the reports of the Festival . "A few sections of the first lecture were worked . " Bro . Wilson ' s fame as a consecrating and installing officer was not confined to the metropolis , many of the now flourishing lodges in the home counties having been consecrated by him .
In 18 57 , he was appointed Junior Grand Deacon , and at the Annual Festival of the lodge held at the Freemasons ' Tavern on the 20 th of fanuary , 1858 , a valuable testimonial
was presented to him , consisting of a gold watch and chain , a complete suite of Grand Lodge clothing , with the jewel of his office , and a tea and coffee service of silver , which had been subscribed for chiefly by the members of the lodge . - This was doubtless the most numerously attended meeting
of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement that had yet been held , nearly 300 sitting down to supper , under the presidency of the R . W . Bro . William F . Beadon , Past Junior Grand Warden , who had previously officiated as Master during the working of the sections of the first lecture in the lodge .
The W . Bro . John Havers , Past Grand Deacon ( since appointed Past Grand Warden ) , prefaced the presentation by a lengthy but eloquent address , which elicited frequent applause from those who were privileged to listen to it . Bro . Havers , I may say , was a born orator , to whom it was a
pleasure to listen , either in Grand Lodge or when pleading the cause of Charity at one of the festivals at which he sometimes presided . His address on this occasion is replete with genuine Masonic sentiment and apt expression , which is doubtless
the reason for its being printed verbatim in the Freemasons ' Magazine—a very rare proceeding in those clays . As the journal mentioned is practically inaccessible to the general body of the Craft , and as , in my humble opinion , the speech is too good to be allowed to sink into oblivion , the editor of " T HE MASONIC ILLUSTRATED " has kindly consented to its being here reproduced almost in its entirety .
" Bro . Havers then took the gavel , and said : ' Right Worshipful Master and Brethren—When the Master in the chair entrusts his gavel to another , there usually follows one toast which is known to you all . On this occasion , however , we depart from that practice . I have been desired—and I assure you , brethren , I consider it a great honour to be so
requested—to propose to you the health of one dear to all who are members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and equally dear to the Craft in general . My good friend on the left ( Bro . Cooper ) has , with justifiable pride , claimed him for Kent . I claim him not for Kent , I claim him not for the
Emulation Lodge of Improvement , but for all Masonry . The labours of the working brethren of the lodge we have this evening all witnessed . Will you bear with me while I endeavour to trace the result of the exertions of a good and active Mason . You have all seen the amount of memory and brain-work which is required for working the several sections of each lecture . Well , then , just as we teach our
children important principles of religion and morality 111 certain formuke of words , the true meaning of which they do not at the time comprehend , but which , impressed upon the mind , become the nucleus or abiding place of future thoughts—so must young Masons be content to commit to memory certain forms of words , the full import of which
they are hereafter to acquire . I do not insist that the ritual of Masonry should be regarded as the principle and essence of Masonry itself . A prayer-book is not a religion . But the ritual of Freemasonry contains the expression of the truth of those doctrines by which we profess to be guided , and those
rules of life which we profess to practice . Masonry boasts of no books , no ponderous tomes , or carefully-writ parchments , containing the record of its ceremonies . Such as they are , they have been handed down to us by oral tradition , varying in their phraseology to suit the altered character of
the language , but still possessing that quaint simplicity of diction which both attests their age and gives a peculiar charm to their delivery .