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Article MASK MASONRY ← Page 3 of 4 →
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Mask Masonry
honour so unexpectedly conferred on him , and said , he accepted it with gratitude —not as a mark ofdistinctiondue to himself , but as evincing their kindly sympathies for the Lodge over which he presided ; Alluding to the ceremony he had just witnessed / the R . W . Brother expressed his admiration at the marvellous
exactitude exhibited in that , the first trial of their strength as a Lodge , though , he said , it was only just that so beautiful a degree should have called forth all their best working ; and he felt bound to remark that , acquainted as he fancied he was with the ceremony of advancement , he had drawn a philosophy from what he had seen and heard that night from the chair , which would be useful and instructive to him on future occasions .
The Lodge was shortly after closed in regular form , about 7 P . M . ; but the Brethren immediately adjourned to a spacious apartment underneath the Lodge room , where a banquet had been prepared to which the visiting Brethren were courteously invited . At the banquet thechair was taken "b y the R . W . M ., Bro . J . Brooke Smith , P . M .,
No . 307 , at a quarter past seven p . m . ; and after the usual toasts had been given , the B . W . M ., in proposing the Grand Principals of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland , " under whose authority they were enrolled , and to whom they owed allegiance , ^ aid , he was quite sure they would receive the toast with that respect and attention which were due to their rulersin the Mark degree .
The next toast was the R . W . M . and Brethren of the Canynges Lodge , No . 7 , Bristol ; to which the chairman alluded in a most cordial spirit , trusting that the two L odges would ever remain united as then by the fraternal bonds of brotherhood and community of interests . A short time ago it had given him great gratification to visit the Canynges Lodge , when several of his Brethren were advanced to Mark Masonry , and not forgetting the kind welcome they had then received , he felt it a duty as well as a pleasure to request that an early opportunity would be found of admitting him a joining member of that Lodge . The R . W . M . resumed his seat amidst much applause .
Bro . Harris , in returning thanks on behalf of himself and the Brethren from Bristol , said he felt a difficulty in sufficiently expressing his sense of the obligations they were under , for the generous hospitality extended to them that evening . They had little expected , or indeed desired such high demonstrations as those with which they had been greeted , for he considered they had been amply recompensed already in being permitted to partake in the interesting proceedings consequent upon the opening of the Keystone Lodge . But the day they had passed would be cherished in their memories as one to be " marked with a white stone ! " For that
Lodge he argured a career of usefulness and extended influence ; and if he might be allowed to express an opinion on the course which would best tend to secure so desirable a result , he would strongly advise them to adhere to their determination of acknowledging no dubious authority , but to remain firm hi-their allegiance to the supreme body under which they now worked—nor to part with their present independence until the Grand Lodge of England should call upon them to do so , when the resignation of their rights would be a benefit to the Craft .
The R . W . M . ' s health having been given , and warmly received , the R . W . Brother disclaimed the merit attributed to him in previous speeches , of being the sole founder of the Keystone Lodge . If he had originated the idea , it was his friend the S . W ., Bro . Shirer , who had perfected the plan , and elaborated the details . To him , therefore , was the praise most due ? To him also and his fellow officers he felt deeply indebted for the manner in which he had been supported in the ceremony that day .
The R . W . M . then proposed the officers of the Keystone Lodge , which was responded to by Bro . Shirer , S . W ., who , referring to the R . W . M . ' s abnegation of self , in the good work which had been accomplished , remarked , that it was only another proof of that noble diffidence which ever actuated the R . W . M . in ascribing to another that merit which was solely his own . For himself and brother officers he felt grateful for the manner in which their names had been received , and would own that tho best reward they could possess for their past or future services , was and would be the kind approval of their R . W . Master .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Mask Masonry
honour so unexpectedly conferred on him , and said , he accepted it with gratitude —not as a mark ofdistinctiondue to himself , but as evincing their kindly sympathies for the Lodge over which he presided ; Alluding to the ceremony he had just witnessed / the R . W . Brother expressed his admiration at the marvellous
exactitude exhibited in that , the first trial of their strength as a Lodge , though , he said , it was only just that so beautiful a degree should have called forth all their best working ; and he felt bound to remark that , acquainted as he fancied he was with the ceremony of advancement , he had drawn a philosophy from what he had seen and heard that night from the chair , which would be useful and instructive to him on future occasions .
The Lodge was shortly after closed in regular form , about 7 P . M . ; but the Brethren immediately adjourned to a spacious apartment underneath the Lodge room , where a banquet had been prepared to which the visiting Brethren were courteously invited . At the banquet thechair was taken "b y the R . W . M ., Bro . J . Brooke Smith , P . M .,
No . 307 , at a quarter past seven p . m . ; and after the usual toasts had been given , the B . W . M ., in proposing the Grand Principals of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland , " under whose authority they were enrolled , and to whom they owed allegiance , ^ aid , he was quite sure they would receive the toast with that respect and attention which were due to their rulersin the Mark degree .
The next toast was the R . W . M . and Brethren of the Canynges Lodge , No . 7 , Bristol ; to which the chairman alluded in a most cordial spirit , trusting that the two L odges would ever remain united as then by the fraternal bonds of brotherhood and community of interests . A short time ago it had given him great gratification to visit the Canynges Lodge , when several of his Brethren were advanced to Mark Masonry , and not forgetting the kind welcome they had then received , he felt it a duty as well as a pleasure to request that an early opportunity would be found of admitting him a joining member of that Lodge . The R . W . M . resumed his seat amidst much applause .
Bro . Harris , in returning thanks on behalf of himself and the Brethren from Bristol , said he felt a difficulty in sufficiently expressing his sense of the obligations they were under , for the generous hospitality extended to them that evening . They had little expected , or indeed desired such high demonstrations as those with which they had been greeted , for he considered they had been amply recompensed already in being permitted to partake in the interesting proceedings consequent upon the opening of the Keystone Lodge . But the day they had passed would be cherished in their memories as one to be " marked with a white stone ! " For that
Lodge he argured a career of usefulness and extended influence ; and if he might be allowed to express an opinion on the course which would best tend to secure so desirable a result , he would strongly advise them to adhere to their determination of acknowledging no dubious authority , but to remain firm hi-their allegiance to the supreme body under which they now worked—nor to part with their present independence until the Grand Lodge of England should call upon them to do so , when the resignation of their rights would be a benefit to the Craft .
The R . W . M . ' s health having been given , and warmly received , the R . W . Brother disclaimed the merit attributed to him in previous speeches , of being the sole founder of the Keystone Lodge . If he had originated the idea , it was his friend the S . W ., Bro . Shirer , who had perfected the plan , and elaborated the details . To him , therefore , was the praise most due ? To him also and his fellow officers he felt deeply indebted for the manner in which he had been supported in the ceremony that day .
The R . W . M . then proposed the officers of the Keystone Lodge , which was responded to by Bro . Shirer , S . W ., who , referring to the R . W . M . ' s abnegation of self , in the good work which had been accomplished , remarked , that it was only another proof of that noble diffidence which ever actuated the R . W . M . in ascribing to another that merit which was solely his own . For himself and brother officers he felt grateful for the manner in which their names had been received , and would own that tho best reward they could possess for their past or future services , was and would be the kind approval of their R . W . Master .