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Article MASONIC AFFAIES IN CANADA. ← Page 11 of 11
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Masonic Affaies In Canada.
England and Scotland had acted , or would act . We had sought the aid of their opinions , but had never deemed ourselves incompetent to draw our own conclusions , ^~ a difficult task , perhaps ; but we did not shrink from it . ' " After pointing to the formation in 1717 of the Grand Lodge of England as one precedent , and herself and other Grand Lodges as all having been established 'by the suffrages of the very bodies they were to nile , Bro . Eurnell proceeds to say : —_;
"' We also could not but feel that the Canadian Lodges ought best to know their own wants and their own resources ; and that if the moment had arrived when they had attained strength and maturity to support themselves , it was an idle and childish attempt to keep them in a state of pupilage and dependence . ' "Again : — - ' We therefore resolved to accede to the proposition of our Brethren , —because it was both reasonable , and , as we deemed , consistent with usage , so far as usage existed to guide us . '
. " And lastly : — < The measure was not taken by the Grand Lodge of Ireland without the cordial assent of its Grand Master , the Duke of Leinster , who had care fully considered the question before it was submitted to the Grand Lodge by his Deputy Grand Master , and Mly concurred in the decision . ' " My lorcl , I have added this postcript because , at page 10 , I have called your attention to Ireland . The prompt action of the Grand Lodge there , as shown above , contrasts fiorcibly with the supineness of England , and the circumlocution evinced by the latter throughout . T . D . Harington '"
The Mastee . —The character of a good Master may be summed up in a few words . He has been invested with power that he may promote the happiness and prosperity of the Lodge . For this purpose he considers that , when he undertook the office , his duties were greatly increased , embracing' many points which require his utmost attention and solicitude . He feels that much will depend on his own example ; for how excellent soever the precepts which he enforces may appear , they will lose half their value if they be not borne out and verified by his own practice . This is the main-spring which actuates and gives vitality to the whole
machine . If his power be exercised tyrannically , the Brethren will not love him ; if he allow the reins of government to be too much relaxed , they will despise him ; if he be irregular and dissolute in his habits , they will condemn him . He must be a pattern of correctness to his Lodge , and never allow his authority to be pleaded in extenuation of any serious delinquencies . The Master ought to possess knowledge , to diversify his instructions ; judgment , to preserve the happy medium between rashness and cowardice ; talent , to address the Brethren at length on every emergency ; tact , to conciliate disputes , and reconcile contending Brethren
and presence of mind , to decide correctly on any sudden indiscretion or irregularity which may occur amongst the members of the Lodge , that order and good fellowship may be perfect and complete . He should always bear in mind that a strict and unwavering adherence to the laws , on every practicable point , will never produce rebellion , although temporary dissatisfaction may sometimes occur . But it is always short-lived . The evils arising out of disorganization in a Lodge are usually the effects of an unnecessary interference in trifling matters , which , if passed over without notice , would create no sensation , either of pleasure or pain .
The great secret of government is to understand correctly under what circumstances authority ought to be exercised , and where it would be profitably withheld . The Master may be easy in his manners , and courteous in disposition , but he must beware how he permits any kindness of heart to interfere with stringent duties , or to tolerate disobedience to the laws of Masonry . He must never exercise partialit y , or be detected in the slightest bias in ' favour of individuals ; he must be firm in his decisions , and prompt in the enforcement of any sentence which may be found necessary to promote the welfare of Masonry in general , or his own Lodge 'in particular . — Boole of the Zod , VOL . TV , ' ' 2 V
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Affaies In Canada.
England and Scotland had acted , or would act . We had sought the aid of their opinions , but had never deemed ourselves incompetent to draw our own conclusions , ^~ a difficult task , perhaps ; but we did not shrink from it . ' " After pointing to the formation in 1717 of the Grand Lodge of England as one precedent , and herself and other Grand Lodges as all having been established 'by the suffrages of the very bodies they were to nile , Bro . Eurnell proceeds to say : —_;
"' We also could not but feel that the Canadian Lodges ought best to know their own wants and their own resources ; and that if the moment had arrived when they had attained strength and maturity to support themselves , it was an idle and childish attempt to keep them in a state of pupilage and dependence . ' "Again : — - ' We therefore resolved to accede to the proposition of our Brethren , —because it was both reasonable , and , as we deemed , consistent with usage , so far as usage existed to guide us . '
. " And lastly : — < The measure was not taken by the Grand Lodge of Ireland without the cordial assent of its Grand Master , the Duke of Leinster , who had care fully considered the question before it was submitted to the Grand Lodge by his Deputy Grand Master , and Mly concurred in the decision . ' " My lorcl , I have added this postcript because , at page 10 , I have called your attention to Ireland . The prompt action of the Grand Lodge there , as shown above , contrasts fiorcibly with the supineness of England , and the circumlocution evinced by the latter throughout . T . D . Harington '"
The Mastee . —The character of a good Master may be summed up in a few words . He has been invested with power that he may promote the happiness and prosperity of the Lodge . For this purpose he considers that , when he undertook the office , his duties were greatly increased , embracing' many points which require his utmost attention and solicitude . He feels that much will depend on his own example ; for how excellent soever the precepts which he enforces may appear , they will lose half their value if they be not borne out and verified by his own practice . This is the main-spring which actuates and gives vitality to the whole
machine . If his power be exercised tyrannically , the Brethren will not love him ; if he allow the reins of government to be too much relaxed , they will despise him ; if he be irregular and dissolute in his habits , they will condemn him . He must be a pattern of correctness to his Lodge , and never allow his authority to be pleaded in extenuation of any serious delinquencies . The Master ought to possess knowledge , to diversify his instructions ; judgment , to preserve the happy medium between rashness and cowardice ; talent , to address the Brethren at length on every emergency ; tact , to conciliate disputes , and reconcile contending Brethren
and presence of mind , to decide correctly on any sudden indiscretion or irregularity which may occur amongst the members of the Lodge , that order and good fellowship may be perfect and complete . He should always bear in mind that a strict and unwavering adherence to the laws , on every practicable point , will never produce rebellion , although temporary dissatisfaction may sometimes occur . But it is always short-lived . The evils arising out of disorganization in a Lodge are usually the effects of an unnecessary interference in trifling matters , which , if passed over without notice , would create no sensation , either of pleasure or pain .
The great secret of government is to understand correctly under what circumstances authority ought to be exercised , and where it would be profitably withheld . The Master may be easy in his manners , and courteous in disposition , but he must beware how he permits any kindness of heart to interfere with stringent duties , or to tolerate disobedience to the laws of Masonry . He must never exercise partialit y , or be detected in the slightest bias in ' favour of individuals ; he must be firm in his decisions , and prompt in the enforcement of any sentence which may be found necessary to promote the welfare of Masonry in general , or his own Lodge 'in particular . — Boole of the Zod , VOL . TV , ' ' 2 V