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Article PROVINCIAL ← Page 5 of 8 →
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Provincial
part of the Brethren to one who had been an assiduous member of , and an honour to , that Lodge" for a great number of years . He ( Bro . Mattinson ) had seen a , great deal of Masonry , but he had never been more pleased than in witnessing that evening the introduction of three gentlemen at a moment when the Lodge could publicly boast of its position and the prestige it had derived through the unwearied exertions of a beloved Brother . Let him inform the newly initiated that the prosperity of that Lodge had ebbed and flowed . Its rise , like all other Lodges , had
been honourable ; but it was more , —it was ancient , like the rise of the Order ; and unfortunately , like many others , it fell for a while into disuse ; but it had been assisted to a considerable extent by Brethren of other Lodges ; and , speaking for the length of time that he had belonged to No . 92 , their acquisition that night of three members , all inhabitants of the town , had never been witnessed before ; and to adopt the w ords of the last song of their Senior Warden , he felt that it was truly a ¦ "Mason ' s Holiday . " He assured the Brethren that he acceded to the task imposed on him by the W . M . with great pleasure , especially when on looking
round he contrasted the full board and the smiling countenances surrounding him with the appearance of the Lodge when in its low condition . There was , however , one present whose uniform conduct and endeavours had especially stood prominent in its good and indifferent report ; some slight token of respect was certainly due from the Lodge to one who had mainly stood by the old charter and had carried the Lodge through until it shone brighter from its temporary desuetude . He never experienced more pleasure than in thus assisting to present a member who had supported the Lodge in its decadence , as well as its prosperity , with a token
of esteem and love . In presenting a Past Master ' s jewel to Bro . Booth , as a slight token of the veneration in which he was held by the members of the Imperial George , he might say that it was to mark the further progress" he had made in a truly Masonic life . Throughout all stages he had pleased the Lodge , —as a W . M . and then as P . M . he had done his duty , and as Secretary for a long series of years had observed such a line of careful and unremitting duty that his position could not have been replaced . It had been the pleasure of all Brothers who rejoiced in his acquaintance , to observe that throughout his life—apart from
Masonry—he had made the liberal arts and sciences his especial study ; and in presenting him with a Past Master ' s jewel , without inscription , it was in consequence of the unanimous wish of the Brethren that he should himself have the opportunity of employing his own peculiar art in acknowledging the presentation . Long might they be privileged to meet him wearing with health and happiness that slight record of their love , and long might the day be in arriving when
he should be summoned to the Grand Lodge above , to he regretted by all whom he now addressed , and by many of the Craft at large . ( Applause . ) The health of Bro . Booth was then drunk with the greatest enthusiasm ; after which the worthy Brother said he must confess that he had certainly been taken by surprise , not , however , with the remarks that had fallen from Bro . Mattinson with regard to the Lodge , but in seeing himself the object of such a mark of kindness after the little service he had been able to render to the well-being of the Imperial George . He could not adequately express the new feelings which then pervaded
him , but he must beg to tender his sincerest thanks not only for the kindness which had been uniformly exhibited towards him by the members of that Lodge , but for the unexampled generosity which they had been pleased to display towards him that evening . Whatever he had found would tend to the interests of masonry , and therefore to the Lodge Imperial George , he had always been happy to perform to the utmost of his power . He was the oldest member on the hooks of that Lodge , and he could remember the time when the late Bro . 1
Hcott , a provincial grand officer , and he , had attended as the only two members , and therefore could not even open the Lodge . He was glad , however , that evening to see new faces around him , and such as would support and revive the Lodge . lie might instance their present Senior Warden , who he knew would prove a great acquisition to the Lodge . At this period Bro . Booth became so overpowered by his feelings that he concluded by again thanking the Brethren for the honour they had conferred upon him , and sat down amid vociferous cheering on the part of the whole Lodge . Bro . Thompson then proposed the healths of the newly-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial
part of the Brethren to one who had been an assiduous member of , and an honour to , that Lodge" for a great number of years . He ( Bro . Mattinson ) had seen a , great deal of Masonry , but he had never been more pleased than in witnessing that evening the introduction of three gentlemen at a moment when the Lodge could publicly boast of its position and the prestige it had derived through the unwearied exertions of a beloved Brother . Let him inform the newly initiated that the prosperity of that Lodge had ebbed and flowed . Its rise , like all other Lodges , had
been honourable ; but it was more , —it was ancient , like the rise of the Order ; and unfortunately , like many others , it fell for a while into disuse ; but it had been assisted to a considerable extent by Brethren of other Lodges ; and , speaking for the length of time that he had belonged to No . 92 , their acquisition that night of three members , all inhabitants of the town , had never been witnessed before ; and to adopt the w ords of the last song of their Senior Warden , he felt that it was truly a ¦ "Mason ' s Holiday . " He assured the Brethren that he acceded to the task imposed on him by the W . M . with great pleasure , especially when on looking
round he contrasted the full board and the smiling countenances surrounding him with the appearance of the Lodge when in its low condition . There was , however , one present whose uniform conduct and endeavours had especially stood prominent in its good and indifferent report ; some slight token of respect was certainly due from the Lodge to one who had mainly stood by the old charter and had carried the Lodge through until it shone brighter from its temporary desuetude . He never experienced more pleasure than in thus assisting to present a member who had supported the Lodge in its decadence , as well as its prosperity , with a token
of esteem and love . In presenting a Past Master ' s jewel to Bro . Booth , as a slight token of the veneration in which he was held by the members of the Imperial George , he might say that it was to mark the further progress" he had made in a truly Masonic life . Throughout all stages he had pleased the Lodge , —as a W . M . and then as P . M . he had done his duty , and as Secretary for a long series of years had observed such a line of careful and unremitting duty that his position could not have been replaced . It had been the pleasure of all Brothers who rejoiced in his acquaintance , to observe that throughout his life—apart from
Masonry—he had made the liberal arts and sciences his especial study ; and in presenting him with a Past Master ' s jewel , without inscription , it was in consequence of the unanimous wish of the Brethren that he should himself have the opportunity of employing his own peculiar art in acknowledging the presentation . Long might they be privileged to meet him wearing with health and happiness that slight record of their love , and long might the day be in arriving when
he should be summoned to the Grand Lodge above , to he regretted by all whom he now addressed , and by many of the Craft at large . ( Applause . ) The health of Bro . Booth was then drunk with the greatest enthusiasm ; after which the worthy Brother said he must confess that he had certainly been taken by surprise , not , however , with the remarks that had fallen from Bro . Mattinson with regard to the Lodge , but in seeing himself the object of such a mark of kindness after the little service he had been able to render to the well-being of the Imperial George . He could not adequately express the new feelings which then pervaded
him , but he must beg to tender his sincerest thanks not only for the kindness which had been uniformly exhibited towards him by the members of that Lodge , but for the unexampled generosity which they had been pleased to display towards him that evening . Whatever he had found would tend to the interests of masonry , and therefore to the Lodge Imperial George , he had always been happy to perform to the utmost of his power . He was the oldest member on the hooks of that Lodge , and he could remember the time when the late Bro . 1
Hcott , a provincial grand officer , and he , had attended as the only two members , and therefore could not even open the Lodge . He was glad , however , that evening to see new faces around him , and such as would support and revive the Lodge . lie might instance their present Senior Warden , who he knew would prove a great acquisition to the Lodge . At this period Bro . Booth became so overpowered by his feelings that he concluded by again thanking the Brethren for the honour they had conferred upon him , and sat down amid vociferous cheering on the part of the whole Lodge . Bro . Thompson then proposed the healths of the newly-