The Three Grand Lodges.

on such and such a date the Grand Master or Provincial Grand Master visited the lodges under his care does not embody a conspicuous event in the annals of Scottish Masonry . It was his duty to do so periodically , and it is a plain inference

that the duty had been previously neglected , seeing that its accomplishment is thought remarkable enough to be made a note of . The announcement , once for all , that the Grand Lodge of Scotland celebrates the Festival of Saint Andrew

on or about the 30 th of November yearly would render an annual record of the fact unnecessary . Masonic balls , hoAvcver graced by nobility , are of importance only to the individual lodges Avithin whose Avails the brethren Avith handles to their

names have gone through certain saltatory revolutions , much like other people , and not calling for special observation . A little consideration of the wording of the memorandum refen-oq ; to the Festival of the Provincial-Grand Lodg-e of Glasgow

on 4 th March , 1858 , Avas requisite . As the note stands , it conveys a meaning not intended , and the same remark is applicable to the festival of the same body in celebration of the Bums' centenary , -the proceedings of which could scarcely have been

ruled by about five hundred presidents . I recommend these jottings to tbe attention of the editor and his assistant . There is no mention made in the English memorabilia of festival , visit , ball , congratulatory , or other sort of address .

In the pvehce to the " Calendar , " several improvements on this year's issue aro detailed . Under the third head of these a re-arrangement of lodges , holding their meetings in the three cities , is mentioned ; and I would suggest that in the edition j ^ et to be sent forth this excellent feature should be extended so as to include all the

large toAvns iu the United Kingdom . As is the O CD case Avith lodges in England and Scotland , English chapters , and Irish lodges and chapters , should be all arranged alphabetically , according to the towns Avhero they assemble , and not of the counties . A

traveller generally knows the town or village in which he may happen to be located for the night ; but ho is not , in every instance , perfectly sure in Avhat county the said town or village lies . The arrangement last suggested would save him

makinginquiries , and exhibiting his geographical attainments . To brethren who are not like your correspondent , Royal Arch Masons , Knights Templar ,

and Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem , & c ,

it must be an incentive to farther progress in the Order to know that by perseverance they may ha \ r e in due time conferred on them , and so understand , the proper signification of such titles as Grand Mareschal , Grand Provost , First Grand

Captain , Second Grand Expert , First Grand Principal , Baucennifer , Bearer of the Yexillum Belli ; and that , should they ever go to Paris , and wish to see the working of the Grand Orient de France , they , by taking their Masonic " Calendar "

from their pockets , and turning- to pag-e 258 , will find that the Grand Master , His Excellency Marshal Magnan , Avill be happy to see them any Monday in the Hotel , 16 , Rue Cadet , between three and five in the afternoon—and so Avill Bro .

Heullant any other day of the Aveek , betAveen the same hours . I do not know Avhether Bro . Heullant receives on Sundays , or if he and the Marshal , both together , hold the Monday levee ; and I doubt such are not the facts , notAvithstandina' the " Calendar" distinctly says so . An explanation of several of the contractions

Avhich occur in the " Calendar" would have been another improvement . Very young Masons , and it is they Avho are most anxious to visit different lodges , do not all know that the letters F . M . T . denote Freemasons' Tavern , London , only ; To . Ha .,

the Town Hall of the particular place ; M . L . Ro ., Masonic Lodge Room ; F . M . H ., Freemasons ' Hall ; M . Tern ., Masonic Temple ; Ro . Ho ., Royal Hotel ; Lo . Ro ., Lodge Room ; Ma ., March ; My ., May ; Tn . n . f . m ., Tuesday next full

moon—referring- of course to the clay of meeting- ; Fr . on oraf . f . m ., Friday or after full moon ; 4 th Th . De ., No ., & c , fourth Thursday iu December , November , as is shown at No . 66 of the English lodges ; only it should have been No . De . instead

of De . No . It would take a brother of more than ordinary penetration to discover Avhat " Lo . George Ho . " implied . The riddle can be examined at page 125 , No . 493 ; and the hint that " Lo . " stands for lower , not for lodge , in this instance , as I only found out by reference to former " Calendars , " makes the matter clear .

The able and enthusiastic editor of the " Calendar , " Bro . Donald Campbell , in his preface expresses a hope that this year's issue will be found superior in freedom from inaccuracies to any of its predecessors . It is certainly so . Indeed , after

a pretty close scrutiny only two other observations , besides the very feAV above noted , occur to me , and they are of very little moment . The " D . ' s" in