Freemasonry In Brecknockshire.

feeling Avhich should actuate all members of our body is absent audits privileges are not observed , then a lodge must soon get into a state of disorder , decay , ancl disrepute . The Brecknock Lodge , I am delighted to say , stands out prominently as one in which all the high privileges of Masonry are duly valued and honoured to the prosperity and good of the province . I trust those fraternal feelings ivill never depart from it , but thafc you may continue and abide in good works . I ask you to accept my

grateful thanks for the honour you have done me in drinking to my good health . Song— "Old Simon , the Cellarer , " by Bro . Parkes , Swan-- sea . The AVorshipful Master said : The next toast js that of a true , zealous , ancl consistent Mason , Avhose AVorthls so well known ancl appreciated , that his health will be received ivith enthusiasm . I have great leasure in proposing "The Health of

p the Deputy Provincial Grand Master . " Brethren I may truly denominate him a thoroughly operative—not simply a speculative Mason . He discharges his duties in his province in a most painstaking manner ; he is a zealous supporter of our noble charities ancl our festivals , and I think Ave are greatly favoured in having such a working Mason in our province . The D . Prov . G . M . in reply said : AVorshipful Master , I rise

with very much pleasure to return thanks to you , AVorshipful sir , for the kind Avay in Avhich you have spoken of me , and to you , brethren , for the manner in which you have received the toast . I am glad to find my name not associated so much Avith ornamental as ivith practical hard Avork in Masonry , and I consider it a source of pride and gratification that Ave are presided over by a gentleman whose abilities are second to none , and who is this and all

upon occasions our principal mainstay . Ifc gives me great pleasure to second bis noble efforts to advance Freemasonr- * in this province . I trust we may have the pleasure and gratification of seeing Freemrsonry flourish throughout the world , but no Avhere more successfully than in the town of Brecon . Tho W . MASTER then gave the toast of "The Provincial Grand Officers of the eastern portion of the province of South Wales . "

Bro . P . H . ROWLANDS , of Swansea , replied . His excellent friend , Bro . Michael , the Senior Grand Officer , was a very old man , being now in his eighty-first yecr , ancl therefore unable to be amongst them Avithout much fatigue ; bufc he had served Masonry for upwards of half a century , and still felt a warm interest in its spread . He ( Bro . Rowlands ) had very pleasant recollections of his former visit to Brecon , and he hoped that would not be the last time he should enjoy the hospitalitand

y the fraternal feeling that pervaded thafc room . The R . W . PEOV . G . MASTER then rose and said : ¦—The AA'orshipful Master has upon this occasion given me permission to use fche gavel , and I have considerable pleasure in asking you to drink ivith all enthusiasm to his good health . It would be very difficult in his presence to say all I coulcl wish to say of himand to enlarge sufficiently upon his merits as a Mason

, . But I feel that upon the present occasion such a course is highly unnecessary , for the manner in which yon have received his name ivould render any eulogy of mine quite superfluous . I shall therefore content myself with asking the brethren of the Brecknock Lodge to rise and drink his health with that measure of enthusiasm they think him entitled to ,

and thus show their appreciation of his conduct as a Mason , and of the manner in which he has discharged his duty as Master of this loclge , and especially of the able way in which he has brought about the completion of the New Masonic Hall we have dedicated to-day . I will also ask the visiting brethren to rise and join the Brecknock Loclge , in doing honour to their popular Master , and to thank him for the zeal and efficiency he has displayed to-day .

The toast was drunk with full Masonic honours . Bro . PERROTT , W . M ., in reply , saicl -. —Right Worshipful Sir and brethren , —It is quite impossible I can find words adequately to express my thanks for the honours conferred upon me this day . —in the first place by you Right AVorshipful Sir , and secondly , by the brethren by whom I have the pleasure to be surrounded . Permit me to that I clo not consider

say my myself deserving the high compliment that has been paid me ; for _ I assure you I do nothing more than discharge the duties which it is incumbent upon me to perform as a working Mason , and as the Master of the Brecknock Lodge . My brethren have clone me the honour to express their approbation of my efforts by re-electing me to the position of Master of this lodge—an honour I feel I am unworthy of—and I also

hold the exceptional position of being at the same time Master of the Aberysfcwith Lodge . The labours are considerable , but the pleasure is also great . One of the points of Masonry is that men are not born merel y for their own personal enjoyment , but to minister to the enjoyment of others . It therefore becomes a pleasure to me to discharge to the best of my ability any duty that Masonry may require of me . I consider ifc a great compliment to be surrounded , by so many visiting

brethren , and to them and to all I desire to express my most grateful thanks . Song— " The Englishman . " Bro . Rees AVilliams . The AV . MASTER then gave the toast of " Brethren of distant lodges "—Hereford , Aberystwith , Somerset ; , Cardiff , and Swansea . The AV . Master of the Palladian Loclge , Hereford ( Bro . Shellarcl ) , in replying to the toast said : AVorshipful Sir and

brethren , as you have been pleased to name Hereford first , I will endeavour to return thanks for the honour yon have done us , and leave ifc to those brethren who come from other lodges to enlarge ancl improve as much as they please upon the few simple remarks I shall address to you . In an assembly like thiscomposed of Masons of eminent social position , of high Masonic skill , great endowments , ancl gifted with Masonic eloquence , I may well feel diffidence in rising to respond to the toast so abl

y proposed , and so warmly received by the brethren of the Brecknock Lodge ; but if I am bankrupt in words I ara rich in grateful feelings , and on the part of the lodge ivhich I have the honour to represent on this occasion , I beg to tender , you our grateful acknowledgements for the great kindness shown usin the first place in your invitation to the dedication of your new Masonic hallancl in the second place to the very handsome

, ivay in which you have treated us upon this auspicious occasion . You may rest assured , brethren , that this reception has made a deep and lasting impression upon the minds of the brethren of the Palladian Lodge present , and that when we return to Hereford and report the hospitable and fraternal character of the reception Ave have met ivith , those brethren who were

unable to be present ivill he moved by a deep sense of gratitude for the honour clone their loclge and be touched by a feeling of regret that they were nofc here to participate in it . AVorshipful Sir , ifc is a source of great pride to me to be privileged to meet your Provincial Grand Master and your Deputy Provincial GrandMaster this evening . It is the first time I have had the honour of meeting them , but I hope many opportunities will be afforded me of seeing them again not only iu their own province ,

but should they he pleased to extend their visit into Herefordshire , I will venture to offer tbem the most hearty welcome that can bo given to them . I say this to all brethren assembled , that they will find Hereford not retrograding in social feeling , zeal , kindness , or hospitality , and that the white faces ivill prove themselves to be as good a breed as any other . Although Ave haveparfcaken this evening of the most delicious Welsh mutton it is possible to produceAve hope to be able to return the kindness

, shown tous by giving you some of our very prime Herefordshire beef . As no doubt many other brethren are Avaiting to respond to this toast , I will only assure you again of our deep , earnest , and most sincere fraternal feeling towards you , and . offer our grateful acknowledgments for the kindness received at your hands . Bro . PIEECE appropriately replied for Abergavenny ; and

Bro . Smith , J . W ., for Aberystwith . The latter brother expressed his gratification at the ceremony he had witnessed , and said the members of 1072 ( who had the privilege of the excellent services of the W . M . of 651 ) , were delighted with their visit to the Brecon Loclge , which is the mother loclge of 1072 ; three members initiated in 651 having done more to establish the Aberystwith Loclge than any others . Aberystwith was a young lodge bufc

since last November they hacl initiated forty-five brethren , and it was now showing evident signs of prosperity . Bro . C . BATH , of Swansea , and Bro . J . FELTOBE , of Aberavon , also replied . The PEOV . G . MASTEE gave " The Health of those who had filled the chair in the Brecon Lodge , " regretting the absence of Bro . Eve , aucl calling upon Bro . Captain Brerefcon to respond to tho tnasfc .

Bro . BBEEETOJJ in tho course of his reply , said it ivas a source of great gratification to himself and his brethren of the Brecon Loclge to find themselves surrounded on that occasion by such distinguished guests . They had witnessed with a great deal of pleasure tho ceremony just performed in opening their new Masonic hall . He was himself one