Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lnstallation Of His Royal Highness The Duke Of Connaught As M.W. Grand Master Of England.
up to the East . The demonstration was wonderful in its volume , and svas fittingly likened by a military brother to a " hundred maxim guns , " if the said brother ever witnessed as many in full operation . Anyhow , the simile svas not at all extravagant . Then , as Bro . Walmsley Little , the Grand Organist , struck the first note of the National Anthem , the
whole audience took up the patriotic strain , svhich added considerably to the heartiness of the demonstration . Eventually the M . W . Pro Grand Master proceeded svith the simple yet impressive ceremony of installing His Royal Highness , when , after another " sound of trumpet , " Bro . Richardson ,
acting Grand Director of Ceremonies , proclaimed His Royal Highness by his many titles in the quaint heraldic language of mediaeval times , following svhich he called upon the brethren to salute their nesv Grand Master according to antient form . This was the climax to the coup d ' tvil , which of
itself would have provided the material for a fine cinematographic display . Next , the M . W . Grand Masters of Ireland and Scotland svere saluted , in response to svhich honour there svere felicitations from the ts \ ' 0 exalted brethren , one of whom ( Bro .
Hozier ) mentioned that Scottish Masonry had only tsvo honorary Past Grand Masters , one His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , and the other His Imperial Highness Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia .
The M . W . Pro Grand Master , Earl Amherst , then rose to address the newly-installed Grand Master in the name of the Craft . His lordship said : Your Royal Highness , it has been an immemorial custom on occasions like this , when any Master of the Craft has been placed in this chair , to remind him of the duties he then undertakes , and although it is unnecessary
for me , in view of the experience your Royal Highness has had as Dist . Grand Master of India and Prov . Grand Master of Sussex , that I should say much on this head , it is right that our time-honoured custom should not wholly disappear ; it will be my chit } - , therefore , to address a very fesv words
to you on behalf of the Craft . Sir , I svell remember that His Majesty , our late Grand Master , when installed in this Hall twenty-six years ago , spoke of the tsvo watchwords of Masonry as Loyalty and Charity . As regards the last , it may interest you in this great assemblage to know
that during the time His Majesty occupied that chair ¦ £ 1 , 750 , 000 was subscribed by the Craft in support of its three great Charities . During this year , although there has been no special incentive in the way of extra votes or the excitement of a Centenary to influence the brethren ,
over £ 75 , 000 has been cheerfully contributed to the same end . I think I may therefore claim , Sir , that the Craft has at least not neglected its benevolent usages . As regards
Loyally , Sir , sve may congratulate ourselves that in this country , at least , Freemasonry has never had the misfortune to desert its proper functions and find itself allied with faction and intrigue . In other countries it has not always been so , and if any brother cares to inspect a relic of the Carlist wars svhich I has e lately deposited in our Museum
, they svill see proof positive hosv Masonry in the Peninsula was at that time allied with faction and civil war . Here , on the contrary , s \ -e have been able to hold aloof from any suspicion of political motive , and though I do not claim that sve are more loyal than our fellosv subjects , yet I do claim
that His Majesty , our Protector , has no more loyal or devoted subjects than the Ancient Confraternity . Hence it is that we have had the advantage of many Grand Masters of your Royal House , and sve nosv greet your presence as successor to your brother the King in the chair that has been
occupied of old by your ancestors . Sir , it only remains for me nosv to respectfully congratulate you on being unanimously chosen Head of this great Body , those representatives you see before you to-day , and to express a fervent wish , in svhich all the Craft both within and without this hall svill
cordially join , that T . G . A . O . T . U . may grant you many years of health and strength to prosperously fulfil the duties of the high office to svhich this day you have been formally inducted .
On the M . W . Grand Master rising to reply , the assemblage broke into cheering , and also rose , this nesv demonstration , however , being instantly checked by a gentle movement on the part of His Royal Highness , svhose interesting address svas distinctly heard from the most distant part of the auditorium . He said : Brethren , I have in the first place to
express my grateful thanks to the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master for the exceedingly kind words he has just spoken , and to this great assembly for the hearty and fraternal reception accorded to those kind words . Believe me , brethren , I am proud to fill the high position of Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of England to which you have been pleased to elect me . It is a position svhich for a long , though intermittent , succession of years has been filled by members of my family , svho have always taken the warmest interest in the Order . The records of Grand Lodge showthat since the year 1737 , when my ancestor , H . R . H . Frederick
Prince of Wales , became a member of the Craft , the Royal Family of England has closely identified itself svith the Craft . In the year 1766 , their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Gloucester were initiated . In the following year , H . R . H . Henry Frederick , Duke of Cumberland , became a member of the Order of svhich , in 1781 , he was elected
Grand Master . In 1787 , His Majesty George IV . —then Prince of Wales—and the Duke of Clarence , afterwards William IV ., svere initiated , and three years later , in 1790 , H . R . H . the Duke of Kent , the father of my beloved mother , was admitted to the Craft , and H . R . H . the then Prince of
Wales was elected to the office I nosv have the honour to hold . Since that date , members of the Royal Family have from time to time joined the ranks of the Order , among them , Prince William of Gloucester and my great uncle , the Duke of Cumberland , who took the deepest interest and filled the office of Grand Master from 1813 until his death in 1843 . During more recent years , the Craft has
VISITORS FROM THE ANTIl'ODE
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lnstallation Of His Royal Highness The Duke Of Connaught As M.W. Grand Master Of England.
up to the East . The demonstration was wonderful in its volume , and svas fittingly likened by a military brother to a " hundred maxim guns , " if the said brother ever witnessed as many in full operation . Anyhow , the simile svas not at all extravagant . Then , as Bro . Walmsley Little , the Grand Organist , struck the first note of the National Anthem , the
whole audience took up the patriotic strain , svhich added considerably to the heartiness of the demonstration . Eventually the M . W . Pro Grand Master proceeded svith the simple yet impressive ceremony of installing His Royal Highness , when , after another " sound of trumpet , " Bro . Richardson ,
acting Grand Director of Ceremonies , proclaimed His Royal Highness by his many titles in the quaint heraldic language of mediaeval times , following svhich he called upon the brethren to salute their nesv Grand Master according to antient form . This was the climax to the coup d ' tvil , which of
itself would have provided the material for a fine cinematographic display . Next , the M . W . Grand Masters of Ireland and Scotland svere saluted , in response to svhich honour there svere felicitations from the ts \ ' 0 exalted brethren , one of whom ( Bro .
Hozier ) mentioned that Scottish Masonry had only tsvo honorary Past Grand Masters , one His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , and the other His Imperial Highness Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia .
The M . W . Pro Grand Master , Earl Amherst , then rose to address the newly-installed Grand Master in the name of the Craft . His lordship said : Your Royal Highness , it has been an immemorial custom on occasions like this , when any Master of the Craft has been placed in this chair , to remind him of the duties he then undertakes , and although it is unnecessary
for me , in view of the experience your Royal Highness has had as Dist . Grand Master of India and Prov . Grand Master of Sussex , that I should say much on this head , it is right that our time-honoured custom should not wholly disappear ; it will be my chit } - , therefore , to address a very fesv words
to you on behalf of the Craft . Sir , I svell remember that His Majesty , our late Grand Master , when installed in this Hall twenty-six years ago , spoke of the tsvo watchwords of Masonry as Loyalty and Charity . As regards the last , it may interest you in this great assemblage to know
that during the time His Majesty occupied that chair ¦ £ 1 , 750 , 000 was subscribed by the Craft in support of its three great Charities . During this year , although there has been no special incentive in the way of extra votes or the excitement of a Centenary to influence the brethren ,
over £ 75 , 000 has been cheerfully contributed to the same end . I think I may therefore claim , Sir , that the Craft has at least not neglected its benevolent usages . As regards
Loyally , Sir , sve may congratulate ourselves that in this country , at least , Freemasonry has never had the misfortune to desert its proper functions and find itself allied with faction and intrigue . In other countries it has not always been so , and if any brother cares to inspect a relic of the Carlist wars svhich I has e lately deposited in our Museum
, they svill see proof positive hosv Masonry in the Peninsula was at that time allied with faction and civil war . Here , on the contrary , s \ -e have been able to hold aloof from any suspicion of political motive , and though I do not claim that sve are more loyal than our fellosv subjects , yet I do claim
that His Majesty , our Protector , has no more loyal or devoted subjects than the Ancient Confraternity . Hence it is that we have had the advantage of many Grand Masters of your Royal House , and sve nosv greet your presence as successor to your brother the King in the chair that has been
occupied of old by your ancestors . Sir , it only remains for me nosv to respectfully congratulate you on being unanimously chosen Head of this great Body , those representatives you see before you to-day , and to express a fervent wish , in svhich all the Craft both within and without this hall svill
cordially join , that T . G . A . O . T . U . may grant you many years of health and strength to prosperously fulfil the duties of the high office to svhich this day you have been formally inducted .
On the M . W . Grand Master rising to reply , the assemblage broke into cheering , and also rose , this nesv demonstration , however , being instantly checked by a gentle movement on the part of His Royal Highness , svhose interesting address svas distinctly heard from the most distant part of the auditorium . He said : Brethren , I have in the first place to
express my grateful thanks to the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master for the exceedingly kind words he has just spoken , and to this great assembly for the hearty and fraternal reception accorded to those kind words . Believe me , brethren , I am proud to fill the high position of Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of England to which you have been pleased to elect me . It is a position svhich for a long , though intermittent , succession of years has been filled by members of my family , svho have always taken the warmest interest in the Order . The records of Grand Lodge showthat since the year 1737 , when my ancestor , H . R . H . Frederick
Prince of Wales , became a member of the Craft , the Royal Family of England has closely identified itself svith the Craft . In the year 1766 , their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Gloucester were initiated . In the following year , H . R . H . Henry Frederick , Duke of Cumberland , became a member of the Order of svhich , in 1781 , he was elected
Grand Master . In 1787 , His Majesty George IV . —then Prince of Wales—and the Duke of Clarence , afterwards William IV ., svere initiated , and three years later , in 1790 , H . R . H . the Duke of Kent , the father of my beloved mother , was admitted to the Craft , and H . R . H . the then Prince of
Wales was elected to the office I nosv have the honour to hold . Since that date , members of the Royal Family have from time to time joined the ranks of the Order , among them , Prince William of Gloucester and my great uncle , the Duke of Cumberland , who took the deepest interest and filled the office of Grand Master from 1813 until his death in 1843 . During more recent years , the Craft has
VISITORS FROM THE ANTIl'ODE