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Article INSTRUCTION. ← Page 2 of 8 →
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Instruction.
Officers present with us this evening —( applause ) - —brethren who are some of them the ablest of modern Masons . ( Cheers ) . I shall not particularize them ; I need only say that they are all good and worthy Brethren . I look on the Grand Officers as occupying very much the same position in the Grand Lodge as the Past Masters occupy in the private Lodges . The Grand Officers have no more power in Grand Lodge -than belongs to Past Masters in private Lodges- —they have only that power which their individual character and influence secure for them . I believe they do
exert considerable influence , but it is derived wholly and solely from their individual character and merits . We have many of them present this evening who have done good suit and service to Masonry ; but we have one who is particularly distinguished , whether in his own Lodge , in Gi * and Lodge , or in the Prov . Grand Lodge of which he is the Master ; and I need hardly say that I refer to my Bro . Hall , who sits on my right hand . ( Applause ) . In giving you'" The health of the Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers / ' whose ranks I hope to see recruited , year by year , from amongst the best and worthiest of the Craft , I shall couple with the toast the name of Bro . Hall , Prov . G . M . for Cambridgeshire The toast was then drunk amidst much applause . Bro . Hall returned thanks ;—I am deeply sensible , Worshipful Master and Brethren , of the honour which you have conferred upon the Grand Officers , by the manner in which this toast has been proposed and received . In so numerous a
body there must necessarily be many differences of opinion ; but for those who are present , and for those who are absent , I may say that those who are present are , and those who are absent would be , highly gratified by the proceedings of this evening . I am a very old member of this Lodge , I knew it in its early days , when I sat at the feet of Peter Gilkes . ( Applause ) . I regret , however , that this is the first time I have attended one of these annual gatherings ; but i assure you , that if spared , it shall not be the last . ( Hear , hear ) . We have not met here to while away an idle hour , we are drawn here by an anxious desire to promote the interests
of the Craft , and to perpetuate in all their purity and integrity those ancient ceremonies and mystic rites of our Order which we desire to preserve , not only as the bond which holds us together , but as symbolical of those grand principles on which Freemasonry is founded . ( Hear / hear . ) Brethren the manner in which these ceremonies have been performed to-day is honourable to this Lodge of Instruction ; and the Grand Officers are delighted at what they have seen and heard , and at having an opportunity of meeting such an assemblage as has been gathered together on the present occasion . On behalf of the Grand Officers , I do not say
that every appointment which has been made is the best that could have been made . I feel that many of the appointments which we hold . might have been conferred upon more worthy men . But every appointment which has been made by the Grand ' Master has been made from pure and disinterested motives , and therefore those appointments are honourable to the Brethren , and honourable to the Grand Master who appointed them . ( Hear . ) Were it otherwise , those appointments would be disgraceful both to the conferrer , aud to those who accepted them . ( Applause . ) On behalf of the Deputy Grand Master , and the Grand Officers present and absent , 1 return you sincere thanks . ( Cheers . )
The Worshipful Master—Brethren , in approaching the toast of tho evening , I can assure you that I by no moans undervalue the difficulties of the task I have before me . To tell you that in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement Masonry is taught in all its purity , would be to tell you that which has been repeatedly told you by abler and older Masons than myself . To tell you that this Lodge of Instruction , not only by its labours tins evolving , but by its constant labours , and by the admirable manner in which the duties are performed , is entitled not only to
the gratitude of every one present , but to the gratitude of every Brother wherever English Masonry is known and taught , | would be but to reiterate a thrice told tale , ( Hear . ) To speak to you of the services of those who have laboured worthily in tho work of thin Lodge , and none more ho than our distinguished Bro . Wilson , whose absence no one regrets more than myself , but who is compelled by indisposition to leave us ( loud applause ) , would be , if not to weary you , at least to adduce nothing new . Rather let me , and I trust I shall not be deemed too bold in the attempt ,, endeavour to add my mite to tho instruction of the evening ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Instruction.
Officers present with us this evening —( applause ) - —brethren who are some of them the ablest of modern Masons . ( Cheers ) . I shall not particularize them ; I need only say that they are all good and worthy Brethren . I look on the Grand Officers as occupying very much the same position in the Grand Lodge as the Past Masters occupy in the private Lodges . The Grand Officers have no more power in Grand Lodge -than belongs to Past Masters in private Lodges- —they have only that power which their individual character and influence secure for them . I believe they do
exert considerable influence , but it is derived wholly and solely from their individual character and merits . We have many of them present this evening who have done good suit and service to Masonry ; but we have one who is particularly distinguished , whether in his own Lodge , in Gi * and Lodge , or in the Prov . Grand Lodge of which he is the Master ; and I need hardly say that I refer to my Bro . Hall , who sits on my right hand . ( Applause ) . In giving you'" The health of the Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers / ' whose ranks I hope to see recruited , year by year , from amongst the best and worthiest of the Craft , I shall couple with the toast the name of Bro . Hall , Prov . G . M . for Cambridgeshire The toast was then drunk amidst much applause . Bro . Hall returned thanks ;—I am deeply sensible , Worshipful Master and Brethren , of the honour which you have conferred upon the Grand Officers , by the manner in which this toast has been proposed and received . In so numerous a
body there must necessarily be many differences of opinion ; but for those who are present , and for those who are absent , I may say that those who are present are , and those who are absent would be , highly gratified by the proceedings of this evening . I am a very old member of this Lodge , I knew it in its early days , when I sat at the feet of Peter Gilkes . ( Applause ) . I regret , however , that this is the first time I have attended one of these annual gatherings ; but i assure you , that if spared , it shall not be the last . ( Hear , hear ) . We have not met here to while away an idle hour , we are drawn here by an anxious desire to promote the interests
of the Craft , and to perpetuate in all their purity and integrity those ancient ceremonies and mystic rites of our Order which we desire to preserve , not only as the bond which holds us together , but as symbolical of those grand principles on which Freemasonry is founded . ( Hear / hear . ) Brethren the manner in which these ceremonies have been performed to-day is honourable to this Lodge of Instruction ; and the Grand Officers are delighted at what they have seen and heard , and at having an opportunity of meeting such an assemblage as has been gathered together on the present occasion . On behalf of the Grand Officers , I do not say
that every appointment which has been made is the best that could have been made . I feel that many of the appointments which we hold . might have been conferred upon more worthy men . But every appointment which has been made by the Grand ' Master has been made from pure and disinterested motives , and therefore those appointments are honourable to the Brethren , and honourable to the Grand Master who appointed them . ( Hear . ) Were it otherwise , those appointments would be disgraceful both to the conferrer , aud to those who accepted them . ( Applause . ) On behalf of the Deputy Grand Master , and the Grand Officers present and absent , 1 return you sincere thanks . ( Cheers . )
The Worshipful Master—Brethren , in approaching the toast of tho evening , I can assure you that I by no moans undervalue the difficulties of the task I have before me . To tell you that in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement Masonry is taught in all its purity , would be to tell you that which has been repeatedly told you by abler and older Masons than myself . To tell you that this Lodge of Instruction , not only by its labours tins evolving , but by its constant labours , and by the admirable manner in which the duties are performed , is entitled not only to
the gratitude of every one present , but to the gratitude of every Brother wherever English Masonry is known and taught , | would be but to reiterate a thrice told tale , ( Hear . ) To speak to you of the services of those who have laboured worthily in tho work of thin Lodge , and none more ho than our distinguished Bro . Wilson , whose absence no one regrets more than myself , but who is compelled by indisposition to leave us ( loud applause ) , would be , if not to weary you , at least to adduce nothing new . Rather let me , and I trust I shall not be deemed too bold in the attempt ,, endeavour to add my mite to tho instruction of the evening ;