Masonic Certificates.

The Grand Lodge certificate may be made a very interesting document . The writer has seen one that was ¦ quite an encyclopaedia of Masonic information . The back of it was ruled into spaces in which were set forth the various Masonic dignities of its owner , offices held , lodges visited ,

degrees taken , and so on . Another form of certificate is described in Article 203 . This is a statement of all dues being paid to enable a brother to join more than one lodge at a time . The certificate referred to in Article 213 plainly infers an act of withdrawal

, but this is quite different . A lodge which grants a certificate ¦ of the kind prescribed , or rather permitted , in Article 203 , should be very particular in ascertaining exactly what it is for . Otherwise it may be found , when too late , tnat Article . 202 has been transgressed . That article imposes an onus

upon every lodge . The intention may be innocent and laudable , but the effect may be to let loose on the whole Ciaft one who would benefit the Order by severing himself from it . If a lodge unfortunately have one such on its rolls it must be borne with . There can be no reason for the

whole Craft to be made co-sufferers . It occasionally happens that a certificate of this kind is given to a brother who proposes to go on his travels and who desires to visit lodges in many places . Even this would be a technical violation of Article 203 , although , if the brother concerned were well

known and his bond fides above suspicion , it does not seem : as if harm would accrue . Still even less harm will be likely to accrue if both lodges and brethren are content to keep ¦ within the strict limits of the Constitutions .

At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight was held at Bournemouth ¦ on the 20 th July , under the Presidency of the Provincial Grand Master , Sir Augustus Webster . As a matter of convenience the customary luncheon was the first item in the

day ' s proceedings . The brethren afterwards proceeded to the church of St . Stephens . By permission of the vicar , a special service was held , and an offertory taken in aid of the local charities , and the preacher was the Rev . F . E . Kennedy , Vicar of St . John ' s Boscombe , P . G . Chaplain . The service

concluded with the singing of the " Te Deum . " On the return of the brethren Provincial Grand Lodge was opened and the usual business proceeded with , after the reports of the various ¦ committees had been read and adopted .

© o © The Prov . Grand Master then delivered a brief address to the brethren , in the course of which he explained the circumstances of the Eve bequest , which was shared in by the Provinces of Warwickshiz-e and Worcestershire . The

bequest was a thousand guineas to each province with the view of purchasing a Perpetual Presentation for each province , but the cost of a Presentation had been raised to 1600 guineas , and this had created some difficulties , which he and others had tried to arrange without effect , but now

he hoped the matter was in a fair way of settlement , and that , with the assistance of Prov . Grand Lodge funds , they would at last get their Presentation . The province was now composed of 473 8 members . He referred sympathetically to the deaths of brethren since the last meeting , particularly

mentioning Bro . Newman , of Ryde , Bro . Druitt , of Christchurch , and Bro . Middleton , Rector of Old Alresford , and , in conclusion , referred to the fact that the Wardens' chairs were occupied that clay by the Grand Wardens of England for the present year . They both belonged to the province ,

and he thought the brethren should be grateful to the Grand Master for the consideration he had given to the Province for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in awarding his honours this year . The officers for the year were then appointed as well as six brethren to Past Provincial Grand rank , and Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in ancient form .

<©> © <©• The late Bro . Herbert Campbell , who was a member of the Drury Lane Lodge , No . 2127 , was for some years a colleague of Bro . Harry Nicholls in Freemasonry as well as in Pantomime . The genial comedian ' s loss will be felt as much by his Masonic brethren as by the wider public circle .

© © « s > Among the most interesting events of the past month is the creating of a new Church Lodge , under the title of the Sanctuary Lodge . Its locale is Westminster , and Sir Joseph Dimsdale is the Worshipful Master , and Bishop Welldon ,

Canon Childe , the Rev . Sir Borradaile Savory , and Bro . Holdsworth ( of the Church Reform League ) fill the principal offices .

o © <§> The Provincial Grand Lodge of North and East Yorkshire was held at Saltburn-by-the-Sea on the 25 th July . The R . W . Bro . the Earl of Zetland presided and he was supported by R . W . Bro . Lord Bolton , D . P . G . M ., and an unusally large

number of Provincial Grand Officers and brethren , and representatives from the Provinces of Durham , Northumberland , and Westmorland .

<§> o < s > After the appointment and investiture of the Provincial Grand Officers , the Provincial Grand Master said that it gave him great pleasure to once more meet the brethren in annual convocationa welcome gathering in which old friends

, renewed their recollections of each other and also became acquainted with those brethren who had recently entered the Order , and whom , they trusted , were imbued with that zeal for the Craft which would in time make them enthusiastic Freemasons . The great tie which united individuals of such

diversity of sentiment upon other questions well-merited the attention it received from the thinking portion of mankind , and it was undoubtedly an important factor in the civilisation of the world . They , therefore , loved Freemasonry because it led them to love their fellow man , and within their lodges

it broke clown those partitions which religious and political differences had artificially erected to divide them into sections to the manifest injury of universal philanthrophy . It should , therefore , be the special duty of every Mason to take special care that all who were admitted to the benefit of

the institution should be thoroughly worthy of that honour , and by their own conduct prove to the world how excellent was their profession by acting in every department of life as men to be trusted and respected , distinguished . alike for benevolence and honourable character . The province would be gratified to know that R . W . Bro . Lord Bolton had

recently been installed Worshipful Master of the Alma Lodge . That distinguished lodge , which dated back to 1722 , was one over which the present King had , like his Royal predecessors , several times presided as W . M ., and he was sure that they would join with him in wishing Lord Bolton a successful and

happy year of office . He alluded with pleasure to the fact that 28 years ago he was present at Saltburn to consecrate the Handyside Lodge . He [ congratulated the lodge on the success it had achieved , and thanked the brethren for the hospitality which they had extended to Prov . Grand Lodge .

He announced that an invitation had been received from the Anchor Lodge , Northallerton , to hold the next Provincial Grand Lodge there , and that he had accepted the invitation . Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed .

000 The R . W . Provincial Grand Master , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , has intimated to the Provincial Grand Secretary of Cornwall , Bro . Bernard F . Edyvean , his intention to