Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Candidates For Initiation And Joining.
of twenty no candidate is even asked to produce his clearance certificate from his last lodge ; j et what avoidance of an element of discord may hinge upon this formality being insisted upon . On no other account than distance or surrender of charter should a Mason be permitted to join a lodge Avithout
submitting Ills clearance certificate for inspection . Has he lost it ? Let him write for another . But through "waiving this objection a candidate maybe elected wlio , iii less time than liis real character could have been ¦ obtained from the last lodge to Avhich lie subscribed , ¦ will have irremediably ruined your community .
Does the experience of any reader afford an instance ¦ of a proposition relative to the initiation or joining of a candidate , brought forward unexpectedly by a member of a lodge , falling to the ground through lack of a seconder , even though the person on whose behalf the proposition was made was completely unknown to -all but the solitary friend who suggested his admission ? Statutes and regulations , general or particular , are
powerless in preventing such laxity verbose fulminations and theoretical precautions are behind the age . The only practical way of inducing the requisite circumspection is by appealing earnestly to tlie Craft to reflect , that a sweeping acceptance of candidates not only lowers our society in the estimation of the outer worldbutby the inevitable influx of unfit persons
, , , paves the way to still greater evils . In several lodges "the following by-law ia rigorously enforced : — " Proposers and seconders are to be particularly cautious in their recommendations , as no one can be initiated in , or join this lodge , unless -well known by two or more members . " This , though occasionally ineffectual , is a
• step in the right direction , and may suggest improvement on the prevailing custom in the minds of Masonic reformers . The object of these remarks will be fully attained if they have convinced any member of the Order that the subject herein handled , is deserving of greater ¦ attention than it has yet met with . Ill
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. Vii.
THE THREATENED SECESSION FROM THE SUPREME GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND . —No . VII .
( From our own Correspondent ?) Undeterred by the firmness and unanimity with which Supreme Grand Chapter decline acceding to their demands , the committee of the Western Companions seem determined upon the vigorous prosecution of the crusade against the authority of Supreme
Chapter upon which they have so madly entered ; and with that view have addressed the following 'circular to every Companion within the district : — " DEAR Sin AXi ) COMI ' ANIOX , —The Committee of the Eoyal Ai-eh Masons of ihe "Western Districts having received no answer from Supreme Com raittee , or Supreme
Chapter , to the resolutions adopted by the Companions at the general meeting held on the 12 th of September iast , the Committee have to'intimate that a general ¦ meeting of the Royal Arch Masons of the AVest of Scotland will be held on Thursday , 13 th inst ., in St . Mark ' s Hall , 213 , Buchanan-street , to determine the final steps to be taken by them in the matter of tbe dispute between them and Supreme Chapter . The attendance of all the . members of the several Chapters is specially requested ;
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. Vii.
if inconvenient to be present , they will please send a deputation to represent their Chapter at the meeting , or forward to me in writing , previous to tbe day of meeting , whether the Chapter adheres to the resolutions agreed to at the meeting of the 12 th of September . " I am , dear Sir and Companion , yours fraternally , " EOBT . WALLACE , Int . Secy .
" Glasgow , 3 rd Nov ., 1862 . " That by a majority of their members a number of the Chapters in the west will withdraw their allegiance from Supreme Chapter is now stated to be quite certain ; but granting this to be the the caseit by no means follows that these Chapters
, will be lost to Supreme Chapter . It is . not unreasonable to suppose that in the greater number of the seceding Chapters a remnant will be left uninfluenced by the spirit of insubordination , and both able and willing to work the Charters in connection with the body by whom they were
granted . By the secession , ' Supi * eme Chapter may suffer a slig ht diminution of numbers , but otherwise her position will remain , impregnable . We understand that the arrangement of Supreme Chapter for the maintenance of her authority are in a high state of forwardnessand that the expulsion of the
ring-, leaders of the movement has been determined upon . On the other hand , the secessionists are very sanguine as to the success of their plans aud the advantages to Royal Arch Masonry , that will result from their accomplishment . Whatever be the immediate issue of
the dispute , we cannot believe that the contemplated division can have a permanent existence , for the Supreme Chapters of England and L-eland must look upon the temporary triumph of the schismatics as in no small degree derogatory to the dignity of the Order , and tending to weaken the authority and
jeopardize the very existence of all properly constituted Supreme Masonic bodies in this country . Had the secession been to escape from the systematic oppression and mis-rule of their superiors , there might have been some justification of their conduct . But the reverse is the case : and it is because of Supreme
Chapter ' s repudiation of the tyranical proceedings of their inferiors that the schism is threatened . That the grounds upon whicli the secessionists rest their claim to be recognised as an independent Grand Chapter will be narrowly scrutinized by all sister Supreme Chapters , we may be assured of , and it may
be taken for granted that their verdict will be condemnatory of the conduct of that small section of the Order in Scotland who Lave , by the engendering of strife and dissension , done so much to lower our noble institution in the eyes of the neutral world , and whose latest acts have been of such a character as to draw down upon them the marked and unanimously expressed censure of the Supreme Chapter of Scotland .
Alfred the Great is said to have compiled the laws contained in the Dom Boc , or Dome Book . Tlie general opinion has long heen that Alfred was the li-nmer of these laws ; hut , according to Dr . Pauli , in his life of that monarch , he created no new laws ; his aim was simply to restore , to renovate , to improve . In every part of his dominions he met with existing laws which required revision , alteration , or arrangement , and to this duty
Alfred addressed himself , assisted by the advice ancl co-operation of the wisest and best men of the time . Everywhere throughout this code is the character of Alfred ' s own mind shown mush more than that of the age in which he lived .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Candidates For Initiation And Joining.
of twenty no candidate is even asked to produce his clearance certificate from his last lodge ; j et what avoidance of an element of discord may hinge upon this formality being insisted upon . On no other account than distance or surrender of charter should a Mason be permitted to join a lodge Avithout
submitting Ills clearance certificate for inspection . Has he lost it ? Let him write for another . But through "waiving this objection a candidate maybe elected wlio , iii less time than liis real character could have been ¦ obtained from the last lodge to Avhich lie subscribed , ¦ will have irremediably ruined your community .
Does the experience of any reader afford an instance ¦ of a proposition relative to the initiation or joining of a candidate , brought forward unexpectedly by a member of a lodge , falling to the ground through lack of a seconder , even though the person on whose behalf the proposition was made was completely unknown to -all but the solitary friend who suggested his admission ? Statutes and regulations , general or particular , are
powerless in preventing such laxity verbose fulminations and theoretical precautions are behind the age . The only practical way of inducing the requisite circumspection is by appealing earnestly to tlie Craft to reflect , that a sweeping acceptance of candidates not only lowers our society in the estimation of the outer worldbutby the inevitable influx of unfit persons
, , , paves the way to still greater evils . In several lodges "the following by-law ia rigorously enforced : — " Proposers and seconders are to be particularly cautious in their recommendations , as no one can be initiated in , or join this lodge , unless -well known by two or more members . " This , though occasionally ineffectual , is a
• step in the right direction , and may suggest improvement on the prevailing custom in the minds of Masonic reformers . The object of these remarks will be fully attained if they have convinced any member of the Order that the subject herein handled , is deserving of greater ¦ attention than it has yet met with . Ill
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. Vii.
THE THREATENED SECESSION FROM THE SUPREME GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND . —No . VII .
( From our own Correspondent ?) Undeterred by the firmness and unanimity with which Supreme Grand Chapter decline acceding to their demands , the committee of the Western Companions seem determined upon the vigorous prosecution of the crusade against the authority of Supreme
Chapter upon which they have so madly entered ; and with that view have addressed the following 'circular to every Companion within the district : — " DEAR Sin AXi ) COMI ' ANIOX , —The Committee of the Eoyal Ai-eh Masons of ihe "Western Districts having received no answer from Supreme Com raittee , or Supreme
Chapter , to the resolutions adopted by the Companions at the general meeting held on the 12 th of September iast , the Committee have to'intimate that a general ¦ meeting of the Royal Arch Masons of the AVest of Scotland will be held on Thursday , 13 th inst ., in St . Mark ' s Hall , 213 , Buchanan-street , to determine the final steps to be taken by them in the matter of tbe dispute between them and Supreme Chapter . The attendance of all the . members of the several Chapters is specially requested ;
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. Vii.
if inconvenient to be present , they will please send a deputation to represent their Chapter at the meeting , or forward to me in writing , previous to tbe day of meeting , whether the Chapter adheres to the resolutions agreed to at the meeting of the 12 th of September . " I am , dear Sir and Companion , yours fraternally , " EOBT . WALLACE , Int . Secy .
" Glasgow , 3 rd Nov ., 1862 . " That by a majority of their members a number of the Chapters in the west will withdraw their allegiance from Supreme Chapter is now stated to be quite certain ; but granting this to be the the caseit by no means follows that these Chapters
, will be lost to Supreme Chapter . It is . not unreasonable to suppose that in the greater number of the seceding Chapters a remnant will be left uninfluenced by the spirit of insubordination , and both able and willing to work the Charters in connection with the body by whom they were
granted . By the secession , ' Supi * eme Chapter may suffer a slig ht diminution of numbers , but otherwise her position will remain , impregnable . We understand that the arrangement of Supreme Chapter for the maintenance of her authority are in a high state of forwardnessand that the expulsion of the
ring-, leaders of the movement has been determined upon . On the other hand , the secessionists are very sanguine as to the success of their plans aud the advantages to Royal Arch Masonry , that will result from their accomplishment . Whatever be the immediate issue of
the dispute , we cannot believe that the contemplated division can have a permanent existence , for the Supreme Chapters of England and L-eland must look upon the temporary triumph of the schismatics as in no small degree derogatory to the dignity of the Order , and tending to weaken the authority and
jeopardize the very existence of all properly constituted Supreme Masonic bodies in this country . Had the secession been to escape from the systematic oppression and mis-rule of their superiors , there might have been some justification of their conduct . But the reverse is the case : and it is because of Supreme
Chapter ' s repudiation of the tyranical proceedings of their inferiors that the schism is threatened . That the grounds upon whicli the secessionists rest their claim to be recognised as an independent Grand Chapter will be narrowly scrutinized by all sister Supreme Chapters , we may be assured of , and it may
be taken for granted that their verdict will be condemnatory of the conduct of that small section of the Order in Scotland who Lave , by the engendering of strife and dissension , done so much to lower our noble institution in the eyes of the neutral world , and whose latest acts have been of such a character as to draw down upon them the marked and unanimously expressed censure of the Supreme Chapter of Scotland .
Alfred the Great is said to have compiled the laws contained in the Dom Boc , or Dome Book . Tlie general opinion has long heen that Alfred was the li-nmer of these laws ; hut , according to Dr . Pauli , in his life of that monarch , he created no new laws ; his aim was simply to restore , to renovate , to improve . In every part of his dominions he met with existing laws which required revision , alteration , or arrangement , and to this duty
Alfred addressed himself , assisted by the advice ancl co-operation of the wisest and best men of the time . Everywhere throughout this code is the character of Alfred ' s own mind shown mush more than that of the age in which he lived .