The Masonic "Poet's Corner."

The Masonic "Poet's Corner . "

( Original and Selected . ' ) " THE GRAND OLD CRAFT . "

Masonic Song , dedicated to the Oriental and Bulwcr Lodges of Constantinople , by Bu . \ A . II . ScAil'E . Co . iiE ! drink long life to the grand old "Craft , " ' None " s rigged more tightly fore and aft ; Ancient , Free , while ages run .

She s still Accepted as A 1 . Chorus—And he who will this truth deny : Down among the dead men , Down among- the dead men , Down , down , down , down , Down among the dead men let him . lie .

Across life ' s wild , tempestuous Sea Swift sails the good craft " Mason'' ;/ , " Well found , well manned , with trusty crew Composed of none but Masons true . Chorus . Now in this '' craft " of Masonry

Are high and low of each degree ; And none too great and none too small If only true , they ' re welcome all . Chorus . There ' s work to do for all on board : And work that brings it ' s own reward—Since no good Mason neei despair Of getting , some day , "past the Chair . " Chorus .

But if he would attain to this , Attending Lodge he should not miss , And when he gets the Master ' s call . He should come to Freemasons' Hall . Chorus . Now Masons all , of all degrees , Do not forget to pay your fees—For rocks the old craft mostly fears , Financially , are called "arrears . " Chorus ,

Remember that the Mason ' s grip Implies five points of Fellowship—But . fclloicsh /';; -mates we are not AVhcn we omit to " pay our shot . " Choru--, Then ma v fair breezes always waft

And fill the sails of the Grand-Old Craft . While she freights Lore , Truth and Relief There is no fear she'll come to grief . Chorus . Constantinople , Jan . ! ith . 1 S 8 !» .

Our Trestle Board

OUR TRESTLE BOARD

" For the Master to lay lines and draw designs upon . "

The importance of the Special Court on the affairs of the Boys ' School , to be held this day , cannot be over estimated by the Craft generally , for to our mind the enquiry lately held affects the entire system of Masonic charity , " root and branch . " Most thinking English Freemasons are thrown back to a serious consideration of what our predecessors intended when the earliest of the three existing Institutions was founded . Did they ever contemplate or

desire such palatial establishments as are now to be seen respectively at Clapha' . n , AA ood Green , and Croydon . ' AVe doubt it , and are far more disposed to think that a continuance in the rough and ready , yet nevertheless effective plan of education and support of children , and the maintenance of the aged and the infirm , would have been mo e useful , and have spread the bounties of charity to a greater number of deserving objects than have , notwithstanding arithmetical calculation of large totals , benefitted thereby .

* * * # * Accepting matters as they now stand in relation to establishments , or wc should say as they may stand after the reform imperatively demanded , what are wo doing for posterity . ' Can we secure in perpetuity the necessary funds for maintaining these large buildings and the staff of officials and dependents absolutely

necessary for upholding them . ' Even now there is no certainty from year to year as to our respective r ' - ' estival funds , and by-:: ndbye what may possibly ensue . ' There is no need to specify evils of the on-coming of which we have no prescience , nor need we be pessimistic ; but the experience of the past should be the guide for

the future , and we learn from the former how nations can be afflicted and fortunes dissolved . It is worth while to consider what might be the result of any great national calamity paralysing the will to succour tho helpless and infirm , and preventing the sustentation of the magnificent residences we have erected .

A correspondent who is an ex-pupil of tho Boys' School , and a letter from whom over the motto "J'almam qui meruit feral , " appeared in our columns of the Kith ult .. again asks us for the promised answer thereto . AVe cannot but admit that the pressure of other important Masonic matters had quite driven the promise from our mind : and now , when we take the enquiry into consideration , Ave find it is not an easy one to reply to . AVe know of no Lodge which would initiate a "Lewis"' for a " much red need

Our Trestle Board

sum below its ordinary initiation fee : nor do we think it cither politic or necessary that any Lodge should do so . The entrance into the Alasonic Order is already made a great deal too cheap , and the circumstances surrounding those who offer themselves for initiation are not sufficiently considered lie fore they are " accented . " '

Our ex-pupil will kindly take it from us , without taking offence that he had better put aside his desire to enter the Order until he is so circumstanced as to be abb ; . without detriment to himself or connections . "' to be more careful for the interest of others than oi himself , particularly in respect of pecuniary matters .

This is what the S : ufh African Freemason says about Lodge meetings in taverns : — "It is rather amusing to us to find certain of our brethren in England continuing to exercise their minds on the evils of meeting in public-houses , and seeming to view a general building of lodge rooms as a sort of Utopian idea . AVhy ,

bless their Masonic hearts , AVC in poor South Africa ncA * er think of meeting in a ' public-house . ' AVe haA-e solved the question long ago . AA e should like to SIIOAV some of our Home brethren little lodges of 20 to 30 members in out-of-the-way up-country villages , possessing their own Avell-built temples , land , lock , stock and baggage , bought and paid for by themselves . "

-. f % ' * * - ¥ AVe learn by the Voice of Masonry ( Chicago ") that the Grand Lodge of Mississippi which met at . Meridian on the Mth February last , '' inter alia , altered the Constitution so as to exempt from the payment of duos all brethren over 70 years of age , who had been affiliated Masons twenty-one consecutiA'c years . " This is , in our opinion , a reasonable concession to veteran Craftsmen , and might be worth consideration at home .

Ihe Xew Zealand Mail Avill be especially thanked by us if it will direct its masonic editor to carry out the masonic injunction to " act honorably by all men , " by acknoAvlcdging the sources from which he gets his " copy . " AVe consider he can do the paper with

which he is connected no harm by crediting the journals from which he selects poems and articles , and not entirely leaA'ing out the authors' names . AVe are hard hit ourselves by the insertion of our own " poor thing "— ' ¦ What better theme than Masonry "Avithout the slightest reference to its author .

Questions And Answers.

Questions and Answers .

. * Querists will please note that ire shall in fit are decline to pay attention lo enquiries made anonymously , or otherwise for warded than in closed , enrelojies . In , some instances it mag be found , impolitic to publish replies , but . answers may he assured by the enclosure of a stamped and , addressed , cover .

Q . —Are there any specially appropriate passages in V . S . L . at which the Greater Light should be opened in the several degrees of Craft Masonry ?—AooXTiiRA . Ar . A . —Dr . OliA'er says " AVe haA'O no especial directions about the place at Avhich the V . S . L . ought to be unclosed by the P . M . at the commencement of opening a Lodge . Any chapter of any book Avill

be correct , provided it has a direct application to some circumstance connected Avifch the degree under consideration . In the First Degree , Ruth iv . ; Gen . xxi ., xxii . : or 2 Sam . xxiv ., Avill be appropriate . The Second Degree Avould demand 1 Kings vi ., 2 Chron . iii .. or Judges xii .: and the Third , 2 Chron . iii . or vi . " AVe .

however , incline to the opinion of many well-informed brethren that tho opening at Psalm exxxiii . is sufficiently appropriate for each of the three degrees . ADOXTIIRA . AI is referred to the note at heading . His second question is not such as AVC can reply to in these pages . —En . M . S .

We Notify That:-

We Notify that:-

The Star Chapter of Instruction has adjourned until Friday , September ( ith . 'this evening , June ( ith . the veteran preceptor , AV . Bro . T . J . Barnes , so Avell knoAA-n in the east of London , "will nreside as

i- ' ection Master in the Victoria Park Lodge of Instruction , No . LSI <; . The fifteen sections Avill be Avorked by some of the most able brethren Avho have acquired proficiency under his tuition . Lodge Avill l ) e opened at 7 p . m . sharp , at tlie George Inn , Broadway , Stratford . E .

The Fidelity Lodge of Instruction . No . 3 . has adjourned till AVednesday , the 2 nd October next , when it Avill meet as heretofore at Bro . Silvester ' s . " The Alfred , " Roman Road , Barnsbury . A Crick "!*; Match Avill be played next Saturday . June Sth . a t Lake ' s Farm , AVans ' . ead . between tlie Moorloigh Club , the members of which are the compositors of the Masonic Star , Messrs . Adams Bros ., and the St . Dunstan ' s Club , comprising the employes of Messrs . Skipper i : East . AVickets Avill be pitched at 3 p . m . precisely .

TUT : ZIOTI . AXO Lonui- ; OF IXSTRUCTIOX—No . 511—At tho York and Albany , Park Street , Camden Town . MondaA' . June 3 rd . Present—Bros . S . Licbteni'eld . AV . M . ; Streeh , S . AV .. - Shutt . J . AV . ; Bartlett , S . D . ; II . Halliday , J . I ) . ; Darnell , Sen ., I . G . ; H . Lichtenfeld , Sec , ; Mulrey , Preceptor ; Gittens , Harnell . jun ., Higgs , Casely , Ram , Rex , Righton . and several other brethren . The lodge opened

Avith solemn prayer . 'The ceremony of passing and raising Avas rehearsed . Bros . Righton and Casely acting as candidates , respectively . Both ceremonies Avere rendered most impressive by the musical accompaniment . !> ro . Rex acting as organist . Bro . Higgs Avas elected hon . and Bro . Ram joining members . Bro . Streeh huA-ing been elected AV . M .. appointed officers in rotation , and the proceedings terminated .