Histo Ry Of The Emulation Lod Ge Ofimprovement, No. 256.——(Continued).

Judge Philbrick , K . C , P . G . W ., seconded the vote in unqualified terms of approbation . Before the Lodge was closed , a list of 102 names of proposed joining members , headed by that of the noble Chairman , was handed in to the Secretary .

That the proceedings in the banquet hall , under the able guidance of the genial and popular Dep . G . Master , were of the most enthusiastic character , goes without saying . The V . W . Bro . Edward Letchworth , G . Sec , in proposing the toast of " The President of the Evening , " said at that

time last year they were looking forward to the pleasure of being presided over bv their Chairman , the Prov . Grand Master of Essex . Circumstances bevond his control ,

WILLIAM GEORGE KKNTISH , P . G . STD . BEARER , Si-cri-lnri / fnui 18 SS Iu IS !) . ") . unfortunately , prevented his being with them ; but he was sure they would all remember how good a substitute they

found in Bro . Col . Mark Lockwood , their Deputy Grand Master ' s personal friend . He felt sure that he was only expressing the feelings of all present when he tendered to Lord Warwick their warmest thanks for the great honour he had done them in presiding there that evening . As had

already been stated , it was the first occasion on which the Deputy Grand Master of England had presided over one of their festivals ; but he trusted it would not be the last , and he invited them to join with him in drinking health and long life to his lordship .

The toast was received with the greatest enthusiasm , and the noble Chairman having briefly but warmly responded for himself personally , concluded his remarks by referring to Masonic matters in the Province of Essex : " 1 have the good fortune to preside over a province which I have seen

increasing in numbers and in importance by leaps and bounds . On my left is one who , in my early days of office , was to me as a real right hand . I refer to Bro . Philbrick ; and what success I have achieved in Masonry in Essex I attribute entirely to the sound judgment and able manner in

which he performed his duties and educated me in the path which it has been my privilege to follow ever since . Masonry has vastly increased its sway since the beginning of the period of which I speak , not only in Essex , but throughout the kingdom , so that at the present moment we have something

like 200 , 000 Masons under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master , and every year , I am told , we have no fewer than 50 new lodges springing into existence . ( Applause . ) That must be regarded as a very satisfactory state of things , for it shows that Freemasonry is not on the downward path , but very much on the upward incline . "

The toast of " The Emulation Lodge of Improvement " " was responded to by Bro . Sudlow , who , in referring to the continued prosperity of the Lodge , said : " I think that it is generally understood and recognised why the Emulation Lodge of Improvement occupies such a strong position . It is simply because there is a very genuine need for an

institution of this kind , and that the Emulation Lodge of Improvement exactly and fully meets that need . It is quite true that the number of Lodges of Instruction increases year by year , and we rejoice that it is so , because there is less excuse for any brother accepting office without knowing his

duties . Yet , excellent though these Lodges of Instruction are , and worthy of the warmest support that can be accorded to them , there is undoubtedly a tendency , as years go by , and as Preceptor succeeds Preceptor , towards differences and variations in points of detail . If there were no recognised

standard of ritual , these variations might in time develop intoa very grave matter . It is in this particular connection that the Emulation Lodge of Improvement demonstrates its value . It not only provides a system which absolutely never varies ,, but a system that has the stamp of authority so that it may

be taken as the standard with which other systems may be compared , and by which , if thought necessary , those systems may be corrected . If , therefore , the Emulation Lodge of Improvement occupies this unique position , it is essential

that the brethren who are members of the Past Masters ' Committee should be men who may be implicity relied upon to be faithful to the sacred trust committed to them . And , inasmuch as some important changes have been made quite recently in the personnel of the Committee , I hope you will allow me , very briefly , to refer to those changes . We have ,

unfortunately , lost the services of Bro . Kentish and Bro . Rushton—in the one case from pressure of other duties , and in the other from very serious indisposition . For a great number of years Bros . Kentish and Rushton have afforded the most valuable assistance in the conduct of this Lodge , and

it was with the very greatest regret that the Committee received the resignation of these two brethren . But I will pass on to speak a word or two with regard to the two brethren who have been elected to fill their places , Bro . Charles Lewis and Bro . Lander . ' They are old students of

the Emulation system , and I am able to testify that they have completely mastered that system , so that they are deserving of the utmost confidence at the hands of every brother who attends our regular meetings . They know the unalterable nature of our system ; and they know that upon one particular member of the Committee rests the responsibility for the teaching of our system . You have heard from our

departed Bro . Fenn that four brethren have , since the foundation of the Lodge in 1823 , accepted this supreme responsibility . You know , brethren , their names—Bro . Peter Gilkes , Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , Bro . Thomas Fenn , and myself . If this Festival had only been held on the 1 st of February , instead of the 1 st of March , I should have

been able to say , as I had hoped to do to-night , that two of those four brethren are present with you . Instead of welcoming Bro . Fenn , as we have been accustomed to do at these Festivals , we are to-day called upon to mourn his loss ; . and I venture to say that it is impossible to exaggerate the

greatness of that loss to Masonry . You know that for the greater part of his Masonic career he was intimately connected with the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . For thirtyeight years he was an active officer in this Lodge—first as Secretary , then as principal member of the Past Masters '

Committee , and , lastly , as Treasurer . I think , brethren , it will interest you to know that only a week or two before our brother's call to the Grand Lodge above , we were speaking together about the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and he expressed his satisfaction at the renewal of the promise I

made to him that , so long as health and memory are preserved to me , I would retain my post in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , where he himself placed me in 1883 . "

( To he Continued ) .