Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Histo Ry Of The Emulation Lod Ge Ofimprovement, No. 256.——(Continued).
History of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , No . 256 . ——( Continued ) .
( By Bro . HF . XKY SADLER , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England ) .
B RO . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., in acknowledging the toast , said : — " Inasmuch as this year is in a sense an exceptional year , it seems to me that it may not be inopportune to review the present position of the lodge , particularly as the result cannot but be agreeable to the wellwishers—and they are many—of this institution . To begin
with—we were to have had as our Chairman this evening the Deputy Grand Master of England . For a long series of years these festivals have been presided over by Masons of very exalted rank ; but so far as I know in the history of the lodge this is the first time the position of Chairman has
been accepted by the Deputy Grand Master . I should like to take this opportunity of repeating the thanks so eloquently given by our brother Treasurer , the Grand Secretary , to Col . Lockwood for his extreme kindness in coming among us this evening . You may perhaps remember that in the lodge room I stated that the funds of the lodge , after paying
LT .-GEX . JOHN WI . MIiURN LAURIE , C . B ., M . P ., P . G . W ., PROV . GRAND MASTER SOUTH WALES , W . D ., Cliaimitui ( if the Fevtiad in 1697 .
the working expenses , were given to the three Masonic Charities . By the courtesy of the Secretaries of those Institutions , I am able to tell you that from the founding of the lodge in 1823 we have paid over to the Old People , to the Girls , and to the Boys a total sum of " 1634—which
^ gives an average of over 20 guineas for every year that the lodge has been in existence . It is also interesting to note that for the first 55 years , that is to say , from 1823 to 1878 , our average annual contribution was £ 13 ; for the 21 years from 1878 to 18 99 , our average annual contribution has but
reached ^ 43 . I cannot think that those figures must be eminently satisfactory , as they indicate that we get stronger as we grow older I would like to say just one word to the brethren who have passed in their names to-night as joining members . Don't let the accuracy
of working to which I have alluded deter you from coming among us ; rather let it be an incentive to attend every one of the weekly meetings . That accuracy will be extremely helpful to you . If you know our system and desire to enter into the work it will give you an ideal to which you can aspire . If on the other hand you prefer simply to listen and
to watch , you will learn how the work , not only of the Master , but of every inferior office should be done , exactly how every little detail ought to be carried out . Brethren , when the 21 st century shall come round let me express the hope that the brother who stands in my place and responds
to the toast of'The Emulation Lodge of Improvement , ' so ably proposed from the chair , so cordially received by this grand assembly , will be able to speak of as satisfactory a condition of things as I have put before you to-night . " 1901 . January 4 th , being the day appointed for the
election of executive officers , the Treasurer and Secretary were re-appointed to their respective posts for another year . Bros . W . G . Kentish and F . T . Rushton retired from the Committee of Management , Bros . Charles Lewis , P . M . No . 2508 , P . P . G . Deacon of Essex , and R . E . F . Lander ,
P . M . No . 2086 , being chosen to ( ill the vacancies . A vote of thanks to the retiring members for their past services was ordered to be entered on the minutes of the Lodge . On the 25 th of January an expression of sorrow and regret , on the part of the brethren , at the death of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , was recorded on the minutes .
At the weekly meeting on the 8 th February " Bro . P . M . R . E . F . Lander referred to the great calamity which had befallen the Lodge and Masonry generally by the sudden decease of Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W ., and moved that our deepest sense of sorrow and sympathy be inscribed on the minutes of the Lodge . This was seconded by Bro . J . Collett
Smith , W . M ., and on its being carried , the Secretary was desired so to record it . " Bro . Fenn's last attendance at the Lodge was at the Annual Festival in 1900 . His death on the 2 nd of February , 1 9 , was most tragic in its suddenness , as on that clay he was a spectator , from a window of his club , of
the funeral procession of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , and a few hours later was himself summoned from our midst . The Annual Festival on the 1 st of March was very numerously attended , about 500 brethren being present in
the Grand Hall , doubtless influenced to some extent by a desire to support the Earl of Warwick , Deputy Grand Master of England , who had kindly consented to preside at the festive board .
The lodge olhces were filled as follows : Bros . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., W . M . ; Chas . Lewis , I . P . M . ; Geo . Rankin , S . W . ; D . D . West , J . W . ; J . H . Jenks , S . D . ; T . W . Allsop , J . D . ; and J . Collett Smith , I . G . The work was the First Lecture , performed in the following order : 1 st Section by Bros . G . R . H . Clark ; 2 nd ,
by J . F . Roberts ; 3 rd , by M . V . Cassal ; 4 th , by J . H . Jenks ; 5 th , by T . W . Allsop ; 6 th , by J . Collett Smith ; and 7 th , by W . R . Bennett . At the close of the work , the Earl of Warwick bore testimony to the grace and skill with which it had been
accomplished , and remarked that Lodge 1965 should be proud of the distinction that it could contribute no fewer than three of its brethren ( Bros . G . R . H . Clark , W . M ., J . Collett Smith , and W . R . Bennett , P M . ) to assist in the grand intellectual treat they had listened to ; and he proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the whole of the workers for providing them with that magnificent entertainment . Bro .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Histo Ry Of The Emulation Lod Ge Ofimprovement, No. 256.——(Continued).
History of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , No . 256 . ——( Continued ) .
( By Bro . HF . XKY SADLER , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England ) .
B RO . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., in acknowledging the toast , said : — " Inasmuch as this year is in a sense an exceptional year , it seems to me that it may not be inopportune to review the present position of the lodge , particularly as the result cannot but be agreeable to the wellwishers—and they are many—of this institution . To begin
with—we were to have had as our Chairman this evening the Deputy Grand Master of England . For a long series of years these festivals have been presided over by Masons of very exalted rank ; but so far as I know in the history of the lodge this is the first time the position of Chairman has
been accepted by the Deputy Grand Master . I should like to take this opportunity of repeating the thanks so eloquently given by our brother Treasurer , the Grand Secretary , to Col . Lockwood for his extreme kindness in coming among us this evening . You may perhaps remember that in the lodge room I stated that the funds of the lodge , after paying
LT .-GEX . JOHN WI . MIiURN LAURIE , C . B ., M . P ., P . G . W ., PROV . GRAND MASTER SOUTH WALES , W . D ., Cliaimitui ( if the Fevtiad in 1697 .
the working expenses , were given to the three Masonic Charities . By the courtesy of the Secretaries of those Institutions , I am able to tell you that from the founding of the lodge in 1823 we have paid over to the Old People , to the Girls , and to the Boys a total sum of " 1634—which
^ gives an average of over 20 guineas for every year that the lodge has been in existence . It is also interesting to note that for the first 55 years , that is to say , from 1823 to 1878 , our average annual contribution was £ 13 ; for the 21 years from 1878 to 18 99 , our average annual contribution has but
reached ^ 43 . I cannot think that those figures must be eminently satisfactory , as they indicate that we get stronger as we grow older I would like to say just one word to the brethren who have passed in their names to-night as joining members . Don't let the accuracy
of working to which I have alluded deter you from coming among us ; rather let it be an incentive to attend every one of the weekly meetings . That accuracy will be extremely helpful to you . If you know our system and desire to enter into the work it will give you an ideal to which you can aspire . If on the other hand you prefer simply to listen and
to watch , you will learn how the work , not only of the Master , but of every inferior office should be done , exactly how every little detail ought to be carried out . Brethren , when the 21 st century shall come round let me express the hope that the brother who stands in my place and responds
to the toast of'The Emulation Lodge of Improvement , ' so ably proposed from the chair , so cordially received by this grand assembly , will be able to speak of as satisfactory a condition of things as I have put before you to-night . " 1901 . January 4 th , being the day appointed for the
election of executive officers , the Treasurer and Secretary were re-appointed to their respective posts for another year . Bros . W . G . Kentish and F . T . Rushton retired from the Committee of Management , Bros . Charles Lewis , P . M . No . 2508 , P . P . G . Deacon of Essex , and R . E . F . Lander ,
P . M . No . 2086 , being chosen to ( ill the vacancies . A vote of thanks to the retiring members for their past services was ordered to be entered on the minutes of the Lodge . On the 25 th of January an expression of sorrow and regret , on the part of the brethren , at the death of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , was recorded on the minutes .
At the weekly meeting on the 8 th February " Bro . P . M . R . E . F . Lander referred to the great calamity which had befallen the Lodge and Masonry generally by the sudden decease of Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W ., and moved that our deepest sense of sorrow and sympathy be inscribed on the minutes of the Lodge . This was seconded by Bro . J . Collett
Smith , W . M ., and on its being carried , the Secretary was desired so to record it . " Bro . Fenn's last attendance at the Lodge was at the Annual Festival in 1900 . His death on the 2 nd of February , 1 9 , was most tragic in its suddenness , as on that clay he was a spectator , from a window of his club , of
the funeral procession of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , and a few hours later was himself summoned from our midst . The Annual Festival on the 1 st of March was very numerously attended , about 500 brethren being present in
the Grand Hall , doubtless influenced to some extent by a desire to support the Earl of Warwick , Deputy Grand Master of England , who had kindly consented to preside at the festive board .
The lodge olhces were filled as follows : Bros . R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., W . M . ; Chas . Lewis , I . P . M . ; Geo . Rankin , S . W . ; D . D . West , J . W . ; J . H . Jenks , S . D . ; T . W . Allsop , J . D . ; and J . Collett Smith , I . G . The work was the First Lecture , performed in the following order : 1 st Section by Bros . G . R . H . Clark ; 2 nd ,
by J . F . Roberts ; 3 rd , by M . V . Cassal ; 4 th , by J . H . Jenks ; 5 th , by T . W . Allsop ; 6 th , by J . Collett Smith ; and 7 th , by W . R . Bennett . At the close of the work , the Earl of Warwick bore testimony to the grace and skill with which it had been
accomplished , and remarked that Lodge 1965 should be proud of the distinction that it could contribute no fewer than three of its brethren ( Bros . G . R . H . Clark , W . M ., J . Collett Smith , and W . R . Bennett , P M . ) to assist in the grand intellectual treat they had listened to ; and he proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the whole of the workers for providing them with that magnificent entertainment . Bro .