Ladies' Entertainment Of The Sincerity Lodge, No. 174.

Ladies' entertainment of the Sincerity Lodge , No . 174 .

THE annual ladies' entertainment of the above lodge was held at the Empire Rooms of the Trocadero Restaurant , on Saturday , the 25 th March . The proceedings opened with a whist tournament , which was followed bj- a banquet served in the style for which Messrs . Lyons and Co . have deservedly become famous , and a

Bohemian concert filled in the remainder of the evening . Bro . W . A . Sterling , the W . M ., presided , and the Stewards were Bros . C H . Webb , W . Tidman , E . J . Wallis , E . P . Bvokenshire , A . E . Reeve , C . R . Naylor , H . Coffin , J . S . Parker , and C . Parry .

Bro . V . J . Reveley , to whom the credit for the initiatory . arrangements was due , was the Secretary of the Festival Committee . At the banquet the toast of " The Health of the Ladies and the Visitors" was proposed by the W . M . ( who is also the W . M . of the Southern Cross Lodge , No . 2918 . ) He said their pleasure was all the deeper , inasmuch as they were

THE HANQUKT .

sharing it with the ladies . There were a great many present , and he tendered them a cordial and hearty welcome . He thought it would be a good deal better for Freemasonry if more reliance were placed in the feminine element . Away with those subterfuges so dear to th = in when arriving home later than they intended from their festive gatherings ! It

was not possible for them to initiate the ladies into Freemasonry , indeed , he believed the only one who had been admitted—only one—had come to a violent end in consequence of the impossibility—alas , a common feminine failing—of her being able to keep a secret . But , joking

apart , he would let them a little into his confidence in this matter . No greater friend had he since he was initiated into Freemasonry seven years ago—and it was a source of gratification to him to be in the proud position he now occupied after so short a connection with the Craft—than his wife , Mrs . Sterling . That was , he knew , no uncommon

experience . If they wanted sympathy it was a woman who could give it . If they were sad it was a woman who could cheer . It they wanted true happiness it was a woman who could give it them . Let them then take the ladies more into their confidence . Proceeding , Bro . Sterling said , Freemasonry was older by many thousands of years than

Christianity and it would last for ever , for the reason that it was founded on eternal truth . To the visitors who were not Masons he extended a most kindly welcome , and to the visiting brethren he could not say more than that he was always glad to see them there .

Bro . Tidman , S . W ., replied on behalf of the ladies , Dr . Hancock on behalf of the gentlemen , and Bro . J . H . Meyer for the visiting brethren . The toast of " The Worshipful Master" was then proposed by Bro . J . H . Buhner , and Bro . Sterling thanked them on behalf of his wife as well as for himself . He could not , he said , if he spoke for an hour , express all he felt , because

his feelings were beyond expression . He would remind the brethren that great credit was due to Bro . Reveley for the excellence of the gathering . Bro . Reveley replied in a business-like speech . The whist prizes awarded later in the evening consisted of—Ladies . —ist . Gold bracelet . 2 nd . Silver brush , comb ,

and glass . 3 rd . Silver cake basket . Gentlemen . —ist . Phonograph . 2 nd . Tantalus . 3 rd . Silver mounted umbrella . The concert was of a varied character , and included songs , recitations , shadowgraphy , and clarionet solos . To mention names were invidious indeed , to mention none

would be equally unjust . The performance of Miss Emily Bell , L . R . A . M ., at the piano , Miss Mona Limerick ' s " Ben Hur , " the songs of Misses Coyle , Geere , Eva Hardy , Mr . Sivey Levey , a la Grossmith , Bro . Smith and Mr . Vincent's sleight of hand and imitations respectively , and Mr . Wood on the clarionet were deserving of the highest praise .