History Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement, No. 256.——(Continued).

ex-olhcio members , and that every brother appointed to preside over the Lodge is expected to be fully qualified for the post he is lo fill . We trust that tiie Lodge may have a long and useful career .

TIIK ST . J AMES' LODGE OK IXSTRTCTIOX , NO . 4 82 . W . Bro . Frank Hughes , P . Prov . G . Registrar of Staffs ., Secretary and Preceptor , has been good enough to furnish the following particulars : — This Lodge of Instruction was established at the end of

18 90 , about the time that W . Bro . R . Clay Sucllow came clown to Staffordshire to supervise the working of the Ceremonies . W . Bro . Josiah F . Pepper , P . D . G . D . C ., one of the Past Masters selected to work a Ceremony on that occasion , was

elected the first Preceptor , which position he still occupies . W . Bro . William Lister was elected to assist him in 18 9 6 , and W . Bro . Frank Hughes , who has also been Secretary since 18 91 , in 1900 . Meetings tire held on 2 nd and 4 H 1 Mondays , from

September to May , inclusive , at the Masonic Rooms , Wretham Road , " Handsworth , Staffs ., the home of the Mother Lodge , but membership is not in any way restricted to 4 82 . The Lectures as well as the Ceremonies are worked and the Annual Festivals of the Lodge have more than a local

reputation , in large measure owing to the kindly interest of W . Bro . Sucllow , who has been present on several occasions , and in the interim kept in touch with the doings of the Lodge , of which he is an Honorary Member . At the Festival in 1900 , the kite W . Bro . G . W . Speth gave his address on "The Development of the Masonic Ritual . "

That the charitable side of Masonry is not lost sight of is evidenced by the considerable sums voted to the great Masonic Institutions and the local funds from time to time . The " Emulation " system of government has also been adopted , the present officers being : Committee—W . Bros . Josiah F . Pepper , P . D . G . D . C , P . M . " 4 82 , P . P . G . W . ; William

Lister , P . M . 4 82 , P . P . G . R . ; Frank Hughes , P . M . 4 82 , Prov . G . R . ; Edward Booth , P . M . 4 82 ; Lincoln C . Lamsdale , I . P . M . 4 82 . Treasurer—W . Bro . P . H . Whitehead , P . M . 4 82 . Secretaries—W . Bro . Frank Hughes , P . M . 2878 ; and Bro . William E . Oakley , No . 482 .

YAoKixt ; EMULATION LODGE OK IMPROVEMENT KOR M . Ms ., No . 1395 . This Lodge was founded in April , 1888 , chielly by the exertions of Bro . John J . Black , P . M . and Secretary of No . 156 4 ( an old " Emulation " worker ) , who during the whole period

of its existence has been its Preceptor . The Treasurer of the Lodge is Bro . Arthur H . Bowles , P . G . Deacon , and the Secretary is Bro . Douglas C . Robinson , S . D . No . 108 . The Lodge is held at the Masonic Hall , Woking , on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7 o ' clock , from

September to May , and the meetings average one a week , a list of which is compiled at the beginning of each year . The working , needless to say , is strictly in accord with " Emulation . " The members are recruited from the three Lodges in the town and various Lodges surrounding , with a

goodly sprinkling of brethren from the adjoining Province of Hampshire . A peculiar feature of this Lodge is that there are two series of meetings ; those held on Tuesday being in every detail precisely similar to the meetings of the Emulation

Lodge of Improvement . At the Friday meetings one part of the evening is devoted to general instruction , and the other to the practice of elocution and rehearsals of portions of ceremonies for the benefit of the officers of particular Lodges . The Annual Festivals are invariabl y successful and have generall y been presided over by a Grand Officer of high rank ,

the last three Provincial Grand Masters of Surrey , and the late Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire , on two occasions , having so honoured the Lodge . In the earlier clays the late Bro . Richard Eve , P . G . Treasurer , also frequently presided over its Festivals , at which we find the names of Bros . Robert F . Gould , P . G . Deacon ,

and R . Clay Sudlow , as occasional visitors . The lirst Secretary of the Lodge was Bro . Thomas Aitken , P . M . of No . 3 82 , who rendered great assistance to Bro . Black in firmly establishing the Lodge on a sound basis . Although not so closely connected with the Emulation Lodge of Improvement as are its more recent metropolitan

off-shoots , the By-Laws we find are in many respects similar , and where differences exist they have been found necessary in order to meet the requirements incidental to a Provincial Lodge ol Instruction . There can be no doubt that Bro . Black , by his Masonic skill and assiduit y , has rendered valuable service to the Craft during the fifteen years of his preceptorship .

ll' / io / o El it , Vmli-iiil C „ . ) liKXKV SAIM . KH , ( illAXD TYLL'It , AND Si : ll-LI lilt A I ! IA X OF TIIK tlllAXI ) LOIK'K OK r'NGLANI ) . LONDON RIKI . E BRIGADE LODGE OK INSTRUCTION , NO . 1962 . The W . Bro . John H . Jenks , P . G . Steward , P . M . No . 8 ,

Preceptor , has kindly furnished the following statistics : — This Lodge of Instruction was founded by resolution of the London Hi lie Brigade Lodge in April , 1 9 , and is indebted to that Lodge for nearly the whole of its furniture . It was inaugurated on the 4 th of October , 1 9 , by the

W . Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . A . G . D . Ceremonies , who worked the Installation Ceremony . STATISTICS 1900-1901 . The Lodge was held at the Clarence Hotel , Aldersgate

Street , on Thursday evenings at 7 . 45 , from 1 st October to 31 st May ; J 2 members on the Register ; 32 meetings during the session ; average weekly attendance , 11 . First Annual Festival 18 th April , 1901 . President , W . Bro . R . Clay Sudlow . The third Lecture was worked ; number

present , ( io . The Ceremonies consecutively worked on following Thursdays , with occasionally a Section and the Installation Ceremony .