Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS -Ql Ninety-eighth Festival of the Girls' School 297 Consecration of the Lodge of Hope , No . 2 * 35 , at Gosport 302 The Consecration of the Huguenot Lodge , No . 2140 303 Provincial Grand Royal Arch Chapter of
Northumberland 304 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire 304 Board of Benevolence 305 Consecration of the Surbiton Lodge , No . 3146 , at Surbiton 30 J The Phcenix Club 305 Knights Templar 30 $ Theatres 305
CORRESPONDENCERe Past Masters' Collars 307 Past Masters 307 Royal Asylum of St . Anne ' s 307 Reviews 307 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 308
Instruction 311 Royal Arch 311 Mark Masonry 312 Allied Masonic Degrees 312 Ark Mariners 312 Obituary 312 Masonic and General Tidings 313 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 314
Ar00101
THE Girls' School Festival on Wednesday resulted more favourably than most people anticipated . The Board of Stewards was of about the same strength as last year , and it was generally understood that one or two Provinces would make very effective returns , worthy of being compared with those of even the largest amongst them in brighter and more
prosperous times . But , in spite of these promising conditions , there was a feeling or depression prevalent in many quarters , and a very considerable reduction from last year ' s total was feared . These fears , we are glad to say , have not been realised to the extent that was expected . There has been a falling off from £ 14 , 000 to ^ 13 , , but , even had there being no Sir
H . EDWARDS Presentation Fund to account for the difference , it is not such a decrease as , having regard to tlie state of our trade and commerce , might have been and , in fact , was looked for . Moreover , Surrey , which ' , as we explained last week , was held to be less well organised than Provinces usually are oh the eve of celebrations , at which their chiefs are engaged lo
preside , seems to have pulled itself splendidly together , and to have raised a total which has surpassed all its best performances of past years , and will stand comparison with those of other Provinces on which have devolved similar responsibilities . Then it was very generously supported by its sister Provinces , Northumberland in particular , which has of recent years ,
at all events , given most of its help to the Boys' School , having come forward with a grand subscription of upwards of £ 900 —a subscription of which it would have had good reason to be proud had Earl PERCY been in the chair instead of General BROWNRIGG . There were also more Provinces represented than usual , and the returns from this source were in very
fair proportion . But London does not seem to have put forward its strength to as good purpose or to as considerable an extent . There are very few three-figure lists , and not one within £ 30 of £ 200 , while the average per list is not as we like to see it . In fact , London , speaking roundly , shows a falling off of nearly / 900 from what it raised at the
Girls' School Festival last year ; while the Provinces , though their returns are not swelled by a Perpetual Presentation Fund , as they were in 1885 , are only about £ 300 below what they were on that occasion . However , these are matters of detail which will be more appropriately dealt with elsewhere . It is enough that the Girls' School Festival has , under all circumstances ,
proved a success , that is to say , the standard of contribution has been generally maintained , though it may have fallen below the mark in particular directions , and we tender our warm congratulations to our respected General BROWNRIGG , who has exerted himself to such good purpose at his second
Chairmanship , to his loyal Province of Surrey for their generous support of his advocacy , to the Board of Stewards , and Bro . HEDGES , their indefatigable counsellor and guide , and , lastly , to the Institution , whose financial position has been thus satisfactorily assured for the current year .
* » WE feel justified in claiming some little credit for the promptness with which the printed lists of Stewards' returns were published and circulated in the Hall of Freemasons' Tavern on the day of the Festival . Only a
short time elapsed after Bro . HEDGES had made his usual announcement , when these lists , containing the particulars from which it was derived , were in the hands of the guests . We do not often speak of our own performances , but this seems to us to be a case in which a slight departure from custom is permissible .
**
THE enumeration of "the best ioo books , " prepared and proposed by Sir J LUBBOCK , has led the Editor of our able contemporary the Keystone ( Philadelphia ) to try his hand at describing " the best 10 Masonic books , " from a Pennsylvanian point of view . Whatever may be the merits or demerits of Sir J LUBBOCK ' choice , Bro . MACCALLA says truly , " No
one can go astray in reading any one , or more , or all , of the list , " and certainly the same may be said of the Keystone enumeration , which consists of the following : —1 , Fort ' s " Early History and Antiquities of Freemasonry ;" 2 , Macltey ' s " Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry ; " 3 , Httghan ' s " Old Charges of British Freemasons ; " 4 , Anderson ' s " Constitutions of the Freemasons ;"
Ar00102
5 , "Ahiman Rezon of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania ; " 6 , "The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania : its Early History and Constitutions , its Minutes and Proceedings ; " 7 , Oliver ' s "Historical Landmarks of Freemasonry ; " 8 , Lyon ' s " Freemasonry in Scotland ; " 9 , Gould ' s " History of Freemasonry ; " and 10 , Hughan ' s "English Masonic Rite . "
* * * WE are pleased to find that the " best in books " include six works of British authors , two are distinctly for the Grand Lodge more immediately concerned , and the remaining two , by Bros . FORT and MACKEY , are almost as well known in England as in America , their reputation being deservedly great . Bro . FORT ' later works should also be consulted by Masonic
students , whether American or British , that on " Mediaeval Builders "being a little gem , and the other on Masons' marks deserves a large circulation , because of its scholarly treatment of the subject . The only author who is honoured with two of his works being selected is Bro . HUGHAN , of Torquay , his " Old Charges " having been a favourite since its publication in 1 S 72 , and his " Masonic Origin " has been so eagerly subscribed for , only though
a year old , that copies already are at a considerable premium . In no 10 books selected for any jurisdiction , or , in fact , any five , can Bro . GOULD ' S magnificent History or Bro . LYON ' grand volume be excluded . We should like now to consider similar lists from a British standpoint—say "the best 10 Masonic books " for members of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland , and shall be glad to be favoured with suggestions thereon .
* # * UNDER several of the books in the list , Bro . MACCALLA mentions others of the class—e . g ., respecting No . 2 , "KENNING ' S Masonic Cyclopaedia " and others are recorded ; No . 5 contains alternative Books . of Constitutions for other jurisdictions , as also No . 6 in regard to Grand Lodge Histories ; No . 7 makes mention [ of various books by Dr . OLIVER as also worthy of
perusal ; and No . 8 does not forget the " History of Mother Lodge Kilwinning , " by Bro . R . WYLIE . Under No . 9 the Editor declares Bro . GOULD ' S " the fullest history of Freemasonry extant , and its author deserves the largest praise for his industry and judgment , " and the " Four Old Lodges , " by the same gifted author , is entitled " a work of refined
gold . Concluding the series , Bro . MACCALLA refers mos t appreciatively to Bro . HUGHAN ' S labours as one " who has long devoted his best energies to discovering and disseminating Masonic light and knowledge , and who , we trust , will live yet many years to add to his own laurels , and to our pleasure and orofit . "
* # * WE were fully prepared for the kind of answer to our cricticisms on the abuse of the ballot , with which Bro . J AMES STEVENS favoured us last week . Our worthy friend has fallen into the error common to all men with a grievance of imagining that some very terrible catastrophe will happen if the trumpery wrong of which he complains is not instantly remedied . We have said that the ballot as a rule works well , and that it will be difficult , if not
impossible , to find a better mode of electing candidates for admission into a Society like ours . That is a broad and general principle which cannot be controverted , but it does not satisfy Bro . STEVENS , who appears to think our Masonic system of ballot must be made incapable of being abused . That being so , it is clearly no good prolonging the controversy . We say , Let well alone ; Bro . STEVENS retorts , But it is not well ; and there , we think , we must let the matter stand . We have no space for a discussion which , in the nature of things , must be fruitless .
Ninety-Eighth Festival Of The Girls School.
NINETY-EIGHTH FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL .
The Ninety-eighth Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Tavern . Gen . J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., P . G . Warden , Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , presided . He was supported on his right by Bro . Sir W . Clarke , District Grand Master of Victoria , and on his left by Bro . Thomas W . Tew , Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , There was a large and distinguished company present .
After dinner , which was splendidly supplied and served by Messrs . Spiers and Pond , grace was sung , and the usual toasts were proposed . Bro . Gen . BROWNRIGG , in giving the first toast , said : We now will drink the first toast—that of " The Queen . " It is not only on our lips that we give this first toast , but , as Freemasons , we give it with all our hearts . It is not merely as loyal subjects of that gracious lady , who for now nearly 50 years has ruled us so wisely and so well , but it is
impossible that we should forget her Majesty's relationship to us as Masons . Her Majesty ' s father was a Freemason , and she has had three sons Freemasons and distinguished Masons . One , however , is unhappily removed from us ; but we remember that her Majesty ought to have our homage as being so intimately acquainted with our Order , as having so many branches of her family as members of the Craft . I give you " Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , the Chief Patroness of this Institution . " ' ""
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS -Ql Ninety-eighth Festival of the Girls' School 297 Consecration of the Lodge of Hope , No . 2 * 35 , at Gosport 302 The Consecration of the Huguenot Lodge , No . 2140 303 Provincial Grand Royal Arch Chapter of
Northumberland 304 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire 304 Board of Benevolence 305 Consecration of the Surbiton Lodge , No . 3146 , at Surbiton 30 J The Phcenix Club 305 Knights Templar 30 $ Theatres 305
CORRESPONDENCERe Past Masters' Collars 307 Past Masters 307 Royal Asylum of St . Anne ' s 307 Reviews 307 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 308
Instruction 311 Royal Arch 311 Mark Masonry 312 Allied Masonic Degrees 312 Ark Mariners 312 Obituary 312 Masonic and General Tidings 313 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 314
Ar00101
THE Girls' School Festival on Wednesday resulted more favourably than most people anticipated . The Board of Stewards was of about the same strength as last year , and it was generally understood that one or two Provinces would make very effective returns , worthy of being compared with those of even the largest amongst them in brighter and more
prosperous times . But , in spite of these promising conditions , there was a feeling or depression prevalent in many quarters , and a very considerable reduction from last year ' s total was feared . These fears , we are glad to say , have not been realised to the extent that was expected . There has been a falling off from £ 14 , 000 to ^ 13 , , but , even had there being no Sir
H . EDWARDS Presentation Fund to account for the difference , it is not such a decrease as , having regard to tlie state of our trade and commerce , might have been and , in fact , was looked for . Moreover , Surrey , which ' , as we explained last week , was held to be less well organised than Provinces usually are oh the eve of celebrations , at which their chiefs are engaged lo
preside , seems to have pulled itself splendidly together , and to have raised a total which has surpassed all its best performances of past years , and will stand comparison with those of other Provinces on which have devolved similar responsibilities . Then it was very generously supported by its sister Provinces , Northumberland in particular , which has of recent years ,
at all events , given most of its help to the Boys' School , having come forward with a grand subscription of upwards of £ 900 —a subscription of which it would have had good reason to be proud had Earl PERCY been in the chair instead of General BROWNRIGG . There were also more Provinces represented than usual , and the returns from this source were in very
fair proportion . But London does not seem to have put forward its strength to as good purpose or to as considerable an extent . There are very few three-figure lists , and not one within £ 30 of £ 200 , while the average per list is not as we like to see it . In fact , London , speaking roundly , shows a falling off of nearly / 900 from what it raised at the
Girls' School Festival last year ; while the Provinces , though their returns are not swelled by a Perpetual Presentation Fund , as they were in 1885 , are only about £ 300 below what they were on that occasion . However , these are matters of detail which will be more appropriately dealt with elsewhere . It is enough that the Girls' School Festival has , under all circumstances ,
proved a success , that is to say , the standard of contribution has been generally maintained , though it may have fallen below the mark in particular directions , and we tender our warm congratulations to our respected General BROWNRIGG , who has exerted himself to such good purpose at his second
Chairmanship , to his loyal Province of Surrey for their generous support of his advocacy , to the Board of Stewards , and Bro . HEDGES , their indefatigable counsellor and guide , and , lastly , to the Institution , whose financial position has been thus satisfactorily assured for the current year .
* » WE feel justified in claiming some little credit for the promptness with which the printed lists of Stewards' returns were published and circulated in the Hall of Freemasons' Tavern on the day of the Festival . Only a
short time elapsed after Bro . HEDGES had made his usual announcement , when these lists , containing the particulars from which it was derived , were in the hands of the guests . We do not often speak of our own performances , but this seems to us to be a case in which a slight departure from custom is permissible .
**
THE enumeration of "the best ioo books , " prepared and proposed by Sir J LUBBOCK , has led the Editor of our able contemporary the Keystone ( Philadelphia ) to try his hand at describing " the best 10 Masonic books , " from a Pennsylvanian point of view . Whatever may be the merits or demerits of Sir J LUBBOCK ' choice , Bro . MACCALLA says truly , " No
one can go astray in reading any one , or more , or all , of the list , " and certainly the same may be said of the Keystone enumeration , which consists of the following : —1 , Fort ' s " Early History and Antiquities of Freemasonry ;" 2 , Macltey ' s " Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry ; " 3 , Httghan ' s " Old Charges of British Freemasons ; " 4 , Anderson ' s " Constitutions of the Freemasons ;"
Ar00102
5 , "Ahiman Rezon of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania ; " 6 , "The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania : its Early History and Constitutions , its Minutes and Proceedings ; " 7 , Oliver ' s "Historical Landmarks of Freemasonry ; " 8 , Lyon ' s " Freemasonry in Scotland ; " 9 , Gould ' s " History of Freemasonry ; " and 10 , Hughan ' s "English Masonic Rite . "
* * * WE are pleased to find that the " best in books " include six works of British authors , two are distinctly for the Grand Lodge more immediately concerned , and the remaining two , by Bros . FORT and MACKEY , are almost as well known in England as in America , their reputation being deservedly great . Bro . FORT ' later works should also be consulted by Masonic
students , whether American or British , that on " Mediaeval Builders "being a little gem , and the other on Masons' marks deserves a large circulation , because of its scholarly treatment of the subject . The only author who is honoured with two of his works being selected is Bro . HUGHAN , of Torquay , his " Old Charges " having been a favourite since its publication in 1 S 72 , and his " Masonic Origin " has been so eagerly subscribed for , only though
a year old , that copies already are at a considerable premium . In no 10 books selected for any jurisdiction , or , in fact , any five , can Bro . GOULD ' S magnificent History or Bro . LYON ' grand volume be excluded . We should like now to consider similar lists from a British standpoint—say "the best 10 Masonic books " for members of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland , and shall be glad to be favoured with suggestions thereon .
* # * UNDER several of the books in the list , Bro . MACCALLA mentions others of the class—e . g ., respecting No . 2 , "KENNING ' S Masonic Cyclopaedia " and others are recorded ; No . 5 contains alternative Books . of Constitutions for other jurisdictions , as also No . 6 in regard to Grand Lodge Histories ; No . 7 makes mention [ of various books by Dr . OLIVER as also worthy of
perusal ; and No . 8 does not forget the " History of Mother Lodge Kilwinning , " by Bro . R . WYLIE . Under No . 9 the Editor declares Bro . GOULD ' S " the fullest history of Freemasonry extant , and its author deserves the largest praise for his industry and judgment , " and the " Four Old Lodges , " by the same gifted author , is entitled " a work of refined
gold . Concluding the series , Bro . MACCALLA refers mos t appreciatively to Bro . HUGHAN ' S labours as one " who has long devoted his best energies to discovering and disseminating Masonic light and knowledge , and who , we trust , will live yet many years to add to his own laurels , and to our pleasure and orofit . "
* # * WE were fully prepared for the kind of answer to our cricticisms on the abuse of the ballot , with which Bro . J AMES STEVENS favoured us last week . Our worthy friend has fallen into the error common to all men with a grievance of imagining that some very terrible catastrophe will happen if the trumpery wrong of which he complains is not instantly remedied . We have said that the ballot as a rule works well , and that it will be difficult , if not
impossible , to find a better mode of electing candidates for admission into a Society like ours . That is a broad and general principle which cannot be controverted , but it does not satisfy Bro . STEVENS , who appears to think our Masonic system of ballot must be made incapable of being abused . That being so , it is clearly no good prolonging the controversy . We say , Let well alone ; Bro . STEVENS retorts , But it is not well ; and there , we think , we must let the matter stand . We have no space for a discussion which , in the nature of things , must be fruitless .
Ninety-Eighth Festival Of The Girls School.
NINETY-EIGHTH FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL .
The Ninety-eighth Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Tavern . Gen . J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., P . G . Warden , Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , presided . He was supported on his right by Bro . Sir W . Clarke , District Grand Master of Victoria , and on his left by Bro . Thomas W . Tew , Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , There was a large and distinguished company present .
After dinner , which was splendidly supplied and served by Messrs . Spiers and Pond , grace was sung , and the usual toasts were proposed . Bro . Gen . BROWNRIGG , in giving the first toast , said : We now will drink the first toast—that of " The Queen . " It is not only on our lips that we give this first toast , but , as Freemasons , we give it with all our hearts . It is not merely as loyal subjects of that gracious lady , who for now nearly 50 years has ruled us so wisely and so well , but it is
impossible that we should forget her Majesty's relationship to us as Masons . Her Majesty ' s father was a Freemason , and she has had three sons Freemasons and distinguished Masons . One , however , is unhappily removed from us ; but we remember that her Majesty ought to have our homage as being so intimately acquainted with our Order , as having so many branches of her family as members of the Craft . I give you " Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , the Chief Patroness of this Institution . " ' ""