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Article PROVINCIAL ← Page 3 of 18 →
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Provincial
his indisposition . He had not prepared any formal resolution , but would suggest that a committee , consisting of the Prov . G . Master , and the Prov , Q . Warden , be appointed to draw it up . Bro . Peter Matthews , P . Prov , G . W ., seconded the motion . Bro . Burton , Prov . G . Reg ., trusted that some more lasting testimonial than a mere vote of thanks would be presented to Bro . Skinner , knowing it to be the
feeling of a large number of the Brethren that some fitting memorial should be presented - . to .-their late D . Prov . Grand Master , to mark their estimation of the manner in which he discharged the duties of his office , and the courtesy with which h £ always met every Brother . There was no ostentation in Bra . Skinner , and when he visited a Lodge , he always expressed the utmost desire rather to be received as a private member of the Craft than as B . Prov . Grand Master , He would suggest , an addition to the committee , in order to consider of an appropriate testimonial for presentation to Bro . Skinner .
After some conversation with regard to the most appropriate testimonial , it was resolved that the committee should consist of the Prov . Grand Master and Wardens , and the Masters of the various Lodges in the province , with power to add to their number . The Prov . Grand Master then proceeded to appoint his officers :- —Bros . G . Addison , Prov . S . G . WV ; Hall , Prov J . G . W . ; Mann , Prov . G . Sec . ; Rev . G . W . Arnold , Prov . G . Chaplain ; G . Owen , Prov . G . Reg . ; J . P . Saul , Prov . S . G . D . ; Webb , Prov . J . G . D , ; P . Hatthews ; Prov . G . D . C ; J . Matthews , Assist . Prov . G . D . C . ; Chas . Ind , Prov . G . Purst . , * Bro . Pattison was re-elected Prov . G . Treas .
The Prov . Grand Master then said that he had returns from various Lodges laid before him , and he was happy to say that the province was generally in a prosperotis condition , andthat the Lodges were in good working order . In some of the Lodges there has been an increase in the number of members , and in others a slight decrease ; but he looked not so much to numbers as to the regularity of the working , and he hoped and trusted that the Brethren would be careful to elect only those to office who could efficiently discharge their duties , or otherwise
Masonry would only become a byword and a sneer . The R . W . Prov . G . M . then called attention to some of the irregularities in the manner in which the returns were made , and remarked that one Lodge was particularly distinguished by not appending the address of any of the members to their names . This placed him in considerable difficulty in selecting Brethren for office , as by the Book of Constitutions it was laid down that no person could be appointed to office unless he was resident within the province . In his province there were two Lodges immediately
adjacent to the metropolis many members of which resided in London , and he was thereby deprived of the opportunity of giving them office . This placed him in some difficulty and he intended to bring the matter before Grand Lodge at no distant day ; though he admitted from the tone that had characterized the discussions in that assembly of late , he shrank from bringing anything hefore it upon which a difference of opinion could arise . It was true the M . W . G . M . had the power of granting dispensations for parties resident -without the province , to hold
office , but it would place the Prov . Grand Master in a very awkward position , should he apply for such dispensation , and be refused . [ A letter was here read from the Chigwell Lodge , stating that the members had heard with surprise of the determination come to by the Prov . Grand Master not to confer office on non-resident Brethren , which they lo » oked upon as a great injustice , the Lodge having been for years supported by London Brethren , though of late , some local strength had been obtained ; and the effect of carrying out the determination would he to exclude the old members from office to the advantage of the
younger—if not to destroy the Lodge—by the secession of the old members , who , after working hard to maintain the efficiency of the Lodge , thought it would be most unjust to be deprived of their share of the honours of the province . J He had formerly appointed Bro . Peter Matthews to office , and certainly no brother could have rendered himself more useful to the province ; but after the discussions which had been recently going on relative to non-resident officers , and looking attentively at the Book of Constitutions , he certainly should have felt some difficulty in his ye appointment , had not ; Bro . Matthews become a resident of Essex , and thus got
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial
his indisposition . He had not prepared any formal resolution , but would suggest that a committee , consisting of the Prov . G . Master , and the Prov , Q . Warden , be appointed to draw it up . Bro . Peter Matthews , P . Prov , G . W ., seconded the motion . Bro . Burton , Prov . G . Reg ., trusted that some more lasting testimonial than a mere vote of thanks would be presented to Bro . Skinner , knowing it to be the
feeling of a large number of the Brethren that some fitting memorial should be presented - . to .-their late D . Prov . Grand Master , to mark their estimation of the manner in which he discharged the duties of his office , and the courtesy with which h £ always met every Brother . There was no ostentation in Bra . Skinner , and when he visited a Lodge , he always expressed the utmost desire rather to be received as a private member of the Craft than as B . Prov . Grand Master , He would suggest , an addition to the committee , in order to consider of an appropriate testimonial for presentation to Bro . Skinner .
After some conversation with regard to the most appropriate testimonial , it was resolved that the committee should consist of the Prov . Grand Master and Wardens , and the Masters of the various Lodges in the province , with power to add to their number . The Prov . Grand Master then proceeded to appoint his officers :- —Bros . G . Addison , Prov . S . G . WV ; Hall , Prov J . G . W . ; Mann , Prov . G . Sec . ; Rev . G . W . Arnold , Prov . G . Chaplain ; G . Owen , Prov . G . Reg . ; J . P . Saul , Prov . S . G . D . ; Webb , Prov . J . G . D , ; P . Hatthews ; Prov . G . D . C ; J . Matthews , Assist . Prov . G . D . C . ; Chas . Ind , Prov . G . Purst . , * Bro . Pattison was re-elected Prov . G . Treas .
The Prov . Grand Master then said that he had returns from various Lodges laid before him , and he was happy to say that the province was generally in a prosperotis condition , andthat the Lodges were in good working order . In some of the Lodges there has been an increase in the number of members , and in others a slight decrease ; but he looked not so much to numbers as to the regularity of the working , and he hoped and trusted that the Brethren would be careful to elect only those to office who could efficiently discharge their duties , or otherwise
Masonry would only become a byword and a sneer . The R . W . Prov . G . M . then called attention to some of the irregularities in the manner in which the returns were made , and remarked that one Lodge was particularly distinguished by not appending the address of any of the members to their names . This placed him in considerable difficulty in selecting Brethren for office , as by the Book of Constitutions it was laid down that no person could be appointed to office unless he was resident within the province . In his province there were two Lodges immediately
adjacent to the metropolis many members of which resided in London , and he was thereby deprived of the opportunity of giving them office . This placed him in some difficulty and he intended to bring the matter before Grand Lodge at no distant day ; though he admitted from the tone that had characterized the discussions in that assembly of late , he shrank from bringing anything hefore it upon which a difference of opinion could arise . It was true the M . W . G . M . had the power of granting dispensations for parties resident -without the province , to hold
office , but it would place the Prov . Grand Master in a very awkward position , should he apply for such dispensation , and be refused . [ A letter was here read from the Chigwell Lodge , stating that the members had heard with surprise of the determination come to by the Prov . Grand Master not to confer office on non-resident Brethren , which they lo » oked upon as a great injustice , the Lodge having been for years supported by London Brethren , though of late , some local strength had been obtained ; and the effect of carrying out the determination would he to exclude the old members from office to the advantage of the
younger—if not to destroy the Lodge—by the secession of the old members , who , after working hard to maintain the efficiency of the Lodge , thought it would be most unjust to be deprived of their share of the honours of the province . J He had formerly appointed Bro . Peter Matthews to office , and certainly no brother could have rendered himself more useful to the province ; but after the discussions which had been recently going on relative to non-resident officers , and looking attentively at the Book of Constitutions , he certainly should have felt some difficulty in his ye appointment , had not ; Bro . Matthews become a resident of Essex , and thus got