-
Articles/Ads
Article MARK MAS ONE Y ← Page 2 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Mark Mas One Y
proposed for the ballot at the next meeting , and the Lodge was closed in regular form . This meeting has afforded the Brethren the b ighest gratification , having at last accomplished , in a legal manner , the restoration to this district of an ancient and interesting Degree which has been in abeyance here for nearly half a century .
Jeesey . —The agitation maintained in England on the subject of Mark Masonry has extended to J " ersey , where the Mark Masons are very numerous . In consequence of the interest ' which is excited in the island on the subject , there have been several meetings of late . The Mark Lodge here is held in connection with the Justice Lodge and Chapter , No . 34 on the Irish Registry . The Master of the Justice Lodge is ipsa facto Master of the Mark Lodge , though no " constitution "or " warrant" can be produced for the practice , beyond the fact that this has been for a long time the custom . '
A -meetingwas held on the 15 th Sept ., which was numerously attended by the more influential portion of the Craft in Jersey , with the R . W . the Prov . G . M . at their head , accompanied by his Prov . G . Chaplain , and a number of the P . G . Officers' and P . Masters-of the various Lodges . Amongst the visitors was Bro . H . Risebourgh Sharman , S . W . of St . Mark ' s Lodge of Mark Masters , No . 1 , London , under the Scotch Registry . It appeared that the W . M . of the Irish Lodge , as R . W . M . of the Mark Lodge , had convened a meeting by circular , addressed to the
Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of the various Lodges in the island , for the purpose of forming a code of by-laws , and settling the regular subscription to the Mark Lodge ; and on this occasion it was intended to resume the discussion ; but Bro . Hammond , the Prov . G . M ., suggested that the R . W . M . should postpone any further discussion till it had been authoritatively ascertained from the Grand Lodge of Ireland whether the Master of a Craft Lodge was ex-officio Master of the
Mark Lodge connected with it . This suggestion was agreed to . Bro . Goring , of London , and a number of the local Brethren , were then advanced to the Degree , in a very able manner , by the Rev . Bro . Bernard Hastings . There are several little points in the ritual to w hich objection might be made ; but the working , as a whole , was able and impressive . Every officer seemed familiar with his part , and everything passed off pleasantly .
After the advancements a discussion ensued , from which it " appeared that there is a disposition on the part of some of the Brethren to take a charter from Scotland ; and they seem to be induced to wish this for two reasons ; first , because in the only Mark Lodge now in Jersey the members have not the power to elect t > heir own Master , but the Master of the Irish Lodge ex officio presides over them , and
none but Irish Masons hold office under him in the Mark Degree . The second reason is , the desire to assist the large hody of Mark Masons holding Scotch charters in England in their endeavours to get the Degree recognized by the Grand Lodge of England . In reply to several questions ,
Bro . II . Riseborough Sharman said that there certainly was no similarity between the connection of the Scotch Mark Lodges in London with the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and the connection of the Mark Lodge of Jersey with the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The Grand Chapter of Scotland gave them power to elect their oion Masters ; and they appointed whomsoever they thought best as Officers , without ever asking whether they were or were not Scotch Masons ; in fact , giving no preference to English , Irish , Scotch , or Colonial Masons , as such , but selecting them on the same principles as Officers were selected in any
Craft Lodge . As he was a member of that ( the Jersey ) Mark Lodge , he would take the liberty " of telling them that the London Mark Masons would not endure such a state of tilings for a moment . The idea of telling the Brethren of a Mark Lodge in London that the Master of some Irish or Scotch , or even of an English , Craft Lodge was ex-oficio Master over them , was absurd , and would only be laughed at as an anomaly so enormous as to be impossible . He did not like the idea of their being ruled by the Master of the Irish Lodge , although to the present R . W . M ., Bro . Bernard Hastings , they could take no exception personally . The principle was , however , a bad one ; and in its working it had been proved to be
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Mark Mas One Y
proposed for the ballot at the next meeting , and the Lodge was closed in regular form . This meeting has afforded the Brethren the b ighest gratification , having at last accomplished , in a legal manner , the restoration to this district of an ancient and interesting Degree which has been in abeyance here for nearly half a century .
Jeesey . —The agitation maintained in England on the subject of Mark Masonry has extended to J " ersey , where the Mark Masons are very numerous . In consequence of the interest ' which is excited in the island on the subject , there have been several meetings of late . The Mark Lodge here is held in connection with the Justice Lodge and Chapter , No . 34 on the Irish Registry . The Master of the Justice Lodge is ipsa facto Master of the Mark Lodge , though no " constitution "or " warrant" can be produced for the practice , beyond the fact that this has been for a long time the custom . '
A -meetingwas held on the 15 th Sept ., which was numerously attended by the more influential portion of the Craft in Jersey , with the R . W . the Prov . G . M . at their head , accompanied by his Prov . G . Chaplain , and a number of the P . G . Officers' and P . Masters-of the various Lodges . Amongst the visitors was Bro . H . Risebourgh Sharman , S . W . of St . Mark ' s Lodge of Mark Masters , No . 1 , London , under the Scotch Registry . It appeared that the W . M . of the Irish Lodge , as R . W . M . of the Mark Lodge , had convened a meeting by circular , addressed to the
Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of the various Lodges in the island , for the purpose of forming a code of by-laws , and settling the regular subscription to the Mark Lodge ; and on this occasion it was intended to resume the discussion ; but Bro . Hammond , the Prov . G . M ., suggested that the R . W . M . should postpone any further discussion till it had been authoritatively ascertained from the Grand Lodge of Ireland whether the Master of a Craft Lodge was ex-officio Master of the
Mark Lodge connected with it . This suggestion was agreed to . Bro . Goring , of London , and a number of the local Brethren , were then advanced to the Degree , in a very able manner , by the Rev . Bro . Bernard Hastings . There are several little points in the ritual to w hich objection might be made ; but the working , as a whole , was able and impressive . Every officer seemed familiar with his part , and everything passed off pleasantly .
After the advancements a discussion ensued , from which it " appeared that there is a disposition on the part of some of the Brethren to take a charter from Scotland ; and they seem to be induced to wish this for two reasons ; first , because in the only Mark Lodge now in Jersey the members have not the power to elect t > heir own Master , but the Master of the Irish Lodge ex officio presides over them , and
none but Irish Masons hold office under him in the Mark Degree . The second reason is , the desire to assist the large hody of Mark Masons holding Scotch charters in England in their endeavours to get the Degree recognized by the Grand Lodge of England . In reply to several questions ,
Bro . II . Riseborough Sharman said that there certainly was no similarity between the connection of the Scotch Mark Lodges in London with the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and the connection of the Mark Lodge of Jersey with the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The Grand Chapter of Scotland gave them power to elect their oion Masters ; and they appointed whomsoever they thought best as Officers , without ever asking whether they were or were not Scotch Masons ; in fact , giving no preference to English , Irish , Scotch , or Colonial Masons , as such , but selecting them on the same principles as Officers were selected in any
Craft Lodge . As he was a member of that ( the Jersey ) Mark Lodge , he would take the liberty " of telling them that the London Mark Masons would not endure such a state of tilings for a moment . The idea of telling the Brethren of a Mark Lodge in London that the Master of some Irish or Scotch , or even of an English , Craft Lodge was ex-oficio Master over them , was absurd , and would only be laughed at as an anomaly so enormous as to be impossible . He did not like the idea of their being ruled by the Master of the Irish Lodge , although to the present R . W . M ., Bro . Bernard Hastings , they could take no exception personally . The principle was , however , a bad one ; and in its working it had been proved to be