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Article OTTE ARCHITEGTURAL CHAPTER, ← Page 4 of 5 →
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Otte Architegtural Chapter,
making proper arrangements , which do not now exist , provincial Brethren shall , in their attendance on Grand Lodge or sojourn m the metropolis , see the mysteries celebrated with due reverence and solemnity .- The provincial Brother naturally looks for this , and it is a source of severe disappoint to him to find the noble hall belonging to the Craft , devoted to the purposes of a benefit society ,
or to some other object altogether unconnected with Freemasonry , while the Lodge he attends is content with defective service and inadequate space . For these defects he has long awaited a remedy ; and we hope the Provincial Masters and officials who attend Grand Lodge will make a point-of securing ib , however earnest or lukewarm
metropolitan Brethren may prove to be . Some of these latter have been so long accustomed to the present state of affairs , that they reconcile themselves to it , and may perhaps be found holding up a helping hand in behalf of the status quo ; but others / more seusitiye , certainly object to it .
The provision of proper accommodation for refreshment likewise affects the provincial Brethren , but it further behoves them to see that the buildings are appropriated to the use of the members , and not of tenants aiid the strangers they may choose to admit . One notable want is a proper library and reading room , and we-are glad to see that the Board of General Purposes has not neglected this , but has urgently recommended it to Grand Lodge , We are again obliged to institute a comparison with the clubs , and we put it to
members , whether we can bear a favourable comparison with any decent club in this respect ; and yet a library and reading room are what can be most economically maintained and most efficiently provided . Were rooms provided of suitable character and capacity , donations of books and bequests of libraries would in time afford a
large ' collection ; and an optionalsubscription of five shillings a year is ail that need be demanded for the maintenance of this department from those who choose to avail themselves of it-Freemasons' Hall ought to be Freemasons' Hall in earnest , Masons ought to be its masters , and not the tenants of their own tenants ; and they have the means in their own hands of satisfying their own requirement . If Grand Lodge goes to work prudently and
systematically , the funds required in the course of years for making the needful alterations will be very moderate ; and if considered necessary , further funds will be created by the new arrangements . There may be fees from Lodgesand Chapters forthe use of the Lodge rooms ; and the refreshment department , in the shape of a charge of table money or head money , will afford more than tho amount of revenue which
ought reasonably to be exacted . A club , in its financial organization , approaches that of an association like ours when wo enter upon the details of the arrangements , and availing ourselves of such , comparison and of such experience ; we can have no hesitation in arriving at a decided judgment . We must repeat that wc hare not , like tho Carl tori , tho Reform , or
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Otte Architegtural Chapter,
making proper arrangements , which do not now exist , provincial Brethren shall , in their attendance on Grand Lodge or sojourn m the metropolis , see the mysteries celebrated with due reverence and solemnity .- The provincial Brother naturally looks for this , and it is a source of severe disappoint to him to find the noble hall belonging to the Craft , devoted to the purposes of a benefit society ,
or to some other object altogether unconnected with Freemasonry , while the Lodge he attends is content with defective service and inadequate space . For these defects he has long awaited a remedy ; and we hope the Provincial Masters and officials who attend Grand Lodge will make a point-of securing ib , however earnest or lukewarm
metropolitan Brethren may prove to be . Some of these latter have been so long accustomed to the present state of affairs , that they reconcile themselves to it , and may perhaps be found holding up a helping hand in behalf of the status quo ; but others / more seusitiye , certainly object to it .
The provision of proper accommodation for refreshment likewise affects the provincial Brethren , but it further behoves them to see that the buildings are appropriated to the use of the members , and not of tenants aiid the strangers they may choose to admit . One notable want is a proper library and reading room , and we-are glad to see that the Board of General Purposes has not neglected this , but has urgently recommended it to Grand Lodge , We are again obliged to institute a comparison with the clubs , and we put it to
members , whether we can bear a favourable comparison with any decent club in this respect ; and yet a library and reading room are what can be most economically maintained and most efficiently provided . Were rooms provided of suitable character and capacity , donations of books and bequests of libraries would in time afford a
large ' collection ; and an optionalsubscription of five shillings a year is ail that need be demanded for the maintenance of this department from those who choose to avail themselves of it-Freemasons' Hall ought to be Freemasons' Hall in earnest , Masons ought to be its masters , and not the tenants of their own tenants ; and they have the means in their own hands of satisfying their own requirement . If Grand Lodge goes to work prudently and
systematically , the funds required in the course of years for making the needful alterations will be very moderate ; and if considered necessary , further funds will be created by the new arrangements . There may be fees from Lodgesand Chapters forthe use of the Lodge rooms ; and the refreshment department , in the shape of a charge of table money or head money , will afford more than tho amount of revenue which
ought reasonably to be exacted . A club , in its financial organization , approaches that of an association like ours when wo enter upon the details of the arrangements , and availing ourselves of such , comparison and of such experience ; we can have no hesitation in arriving at a decided judgment . We must repeat that wc hare not , like tho Carl tori , tho Reform , or