Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS 3 ' 3 The Revised Book of Constitutions 310 Annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Inscitutinn for Boys 3 lS Lod . » e of Benevolence 32 3 Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks , and Bucks ¦¦ ; 3 = 3 Inauguration of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Oxfordshire 3 J 3
CORRESPONDENCEGeneral Committee Election — Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 324 A Mandate 3 * S OM . r of Precedence 3 3 S Prerogatives of Grand Lodge and of the M . W . Grand Master 3-S
Reviews 32 $ Notes and Queries 335 Stewards' Visit to tlie Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 326 Grand Comer-Stone Ceremony at Bolton ... 326 ¦ Presentation to a Liverpool Musical Brother 127
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 327 Instruction , , 330 Royal Arch 330 The Theatres 330 Masonic and General Tidings 331 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 332
Ar00100
THE annual Festival of the Boys' School took place on VVednesday last at the Crystal Palace , under the presidency of Viscount HOLMESDALE , Provincial Grand Master for Kent . There were close upon 400 Stewards , and the returns of the Festival amounted to the most striking total of ^ 22 , 444 . We congratulate all concerned on the result , and especially Bro . BINCK . ES , and refer our readers to the details of the Stewards' list in another column .
« # A " SPECIAL Grand Lodge" is convened for Friday , the 29 th inst ., to consider the Book of Constitutions finally drafted by the Board of General Purposes , after dealing with the 800 provincial amendments , & c . Wedo not quite see , we confess , how such a meeting will satisfy the wishes of those who have special
amendments to move , but presume that some " modus agendi will be discovered , which will give satisfaction to all , those who wish to talk , those who aspire to change , those who seek to conserve , those who are anxious to relax . We will just make this one further observation , that the Book of Constitutions is of such essential , nay , vital , importance to the liberties of the Craft ,
the prestige of Grand Lodge , and the progress of Freemasonry , that we hope nothing will be done rashly or cursorily , so that this change now made will last for years to come . Whether the Board of General Purposes is the fittest body to submit such a revision to maybe a matter of considerable question , even doubt ; and we trust that no hasty objection to amendments or
impatience of criticism may result in a compilation which will ignore some needful amendments and retain obviousincongruities , so that perhaps before long again , under less favourable circumstances , in a season of excitement or controversy , we may have to pass the Book of Constitutions again through the crucible of still more sweeping changes and still more vital alteration . We call attention to the Agenda Papers elsewhere .
* # THE question of the Table of Precedence , as will be seen by some letters in our issue last week , creates much interest , and opens out many complicated questions . Wehavenever concealed our humblejopinion that the proposal was hasty in inception , crude in developement , and more than dubious in
policy , or constitutional law . Subsequent consideration has convinced us that our original views were sound and correct . The more we look into the matter , we are convinced alike historically and legally , that any such claim of prerogative and inherent power to alter the Table of Precedence without the sanction of Grand Lodge is untenable , and that Grand Lodge
alone has the power to do so . Weare assured on no mean authority that the relative rank of the President of the Board of General Purposes was actually settled in Grand Lodge , just as that of the more recent new Grand officers , and we therefore hope that we shall hear before long one of two facts , either that the proposal to alter the Table of Precedence is given up , or that it is submitted to Grand Lodge .
* * * As regards District Grand Masters we are inclined to think for various reasons that it would be very advisable to insert a provision in the new Book of Constitutions that in presiding over Grand Lodge , Provincial Grand
Masters take the precedenceof District Grand Masters . This alteration , we believe , would meet the views of all who have looked into the question , and would be alike a proper and constitutional rearrangement , and in no sense unfair to our District Grand Masters .
* # WE cannot help feeling somewhat anxious about the arrangements for the rebuilding of Freemasons' Hall . We think it must strike all , that the proposal to convert the Board of General Purposes into a Building Committee Was both unsound and unscientific , and certain not to give satisfaction to the
Craft , or educe a satisfactory result . There are many questions of delicacy and difficulty sure to arise , which will require thorough " experts " to deal with and decide . It is useless to attempt to persuade the Craft or Grand Lodge that any mere question of personal confidence or official infallibility can be permitted to stand in the way of the wants and convenience of our
great Order . What we want , and we say it advisedly , is a good working Building Committee , composed of business men , scientific men , reasonable men , those who are perfectly aware of what building expenditure entails , and what the Craft itself desiderates and expects . We fear that unless some method is devised of arresting the present deadlock , and improving the presen t
Ar00101
hasty and admittedly unsatisfactory arrangement , many before long will be the complaints of those of us all who have the interests of English Freemasonry at least , and are anxious that these great building operations should not degenerate into a blunder or a " fiasco , " that in fact they should not vote a large sum for which the Craft at large will derive the minimum of convenience and comfort . , «_ ..... _» .... * t .... _ . . ....... is ... . . j
* # WE repeat and most deferentially that in the rearrangement of Freemasons' Hall provision should be nude for a library , a museum , and a general waiting room . Considering the present position of our body , and its possible extension in the years before us , it seems to us that the time has surely come lo readjust and reconsider the whole of the arrangements
for official accommodation . Our " bureaux , " to use a French word , are neither conveniently arranged nor sufficient for the work done , and we also venture to be of opinion that a convenient writing room and waiting room would be a great boon not only to provincial but even metropolitan Freemasons . A suggestion has been made that a Masonic Club should be started , and though we are clearly favourable in the abstract to any such
proposal , and would gladly join in any such movement , we are also aware , and perhaps more so than our friendly correspondent , of the many difficulties which attend on the proposal and which surround the movement " ab initio " in the concrete . Still we think the effort ought to be made , and whether the club is to be part and parcel of Freemasons' Hall or whether it is to be a purely voluntary association , managed
as clubs are for the most part , we repeat we think that the proposition is one which deserves consideration and encouragement . At any rate we invite remarks and suggestions on the subject , as we venture to believe that such an Institution , if well managed , and truly Masonic in arrangement and outcome , might be productive of much convenience and good for us all alike !
* WE understand that at the last meeting of the United Grand Lodge Bro . the Duke of PORTLAND was raised to the Sublime Degree of a M . M ; in the most masterly manner by Bro . the Earl of MILLTOWN , GAV . in . the
presence of Bro . W . W . BEACH , Provincial G . M . Hampshire j Bro . MONTAGUE GUEST , Provincial G . M . Dorsetshire ; Bro . J HAVERS , P . G . W ., and other brethren , with several peers of the realm , including Bro . Lord ALCESTER . It is very satisfactory to note the large number of the old and young nobility who are now joining our good old Order ,
"And who are not ashamed To hear themselves named With a Free and an Accepted Mason . " # * * WE have received letters referring to a melanchol y matter which has recently occurred at Monmouth ; but concerning which , for various reasons , we think
it better to exercize the Masonic virtues of reticence and reserve , as it lies , strictly speaking , outside our Masonic purview . Suffix it then to say that we deeply regret to be informed by a hasty and mista ' c : n act of ministerial intenerence great pain has been inflicted on the sorrowing members of a bereaved family and great disrespect shown to many worthy members of our Order
. # * # THE presentation of the prizes by the Stewards of the Boys' School will take place on Tuesday next , the 26 th inst ., when a goodly * ' programme " awaits the numerous friends and visitors of the School . May it bean " Alba Dies " to all .
# * # OUR readers will note the passing away from amongst us of a once wellknown , and active member of our Order , Bro . MATTHEW COOKE . Without reopening questions which have long been settled , or remembering matters which have long since been happily forgotten , sufficient for us it is that our brother has died a Freemason to the last , and an inmate of our
admirable Institution at Croydon . Sickness and suffering , adversity and trials , constitute a claim for kindly consideration and fraternal remembrance . Bro . MATTHEW COOKE was a Masonic studentof no mean order , and we shall ever gratefully associate with his name the "MATTHEW COOKE M . S . " as the outcome of his patient industry , and as a witness of what under happier auspices | he might have done [ for the benefit and advance of Masonic archa ; ology .
» # THE dreadful calamity at Sunderland will have appalled us all b y its almost unspeakable and untellable horrors . The realization of the dreadful end of so many innocent children passing in a moment from life to death is enough to arrest the most indifferent and
warn the most unheeding . Let us hope that it is not b y any so-called developement of hopeless and criminal " red tape , " that happygo-lucky indifference which marks public institutions and caterers for public popular entertainments in this country , that the lives of all these poor little children have been ruthlessly sacrificed . We are glad to hear that there is to be a Government enquiry .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
LEADERS 3 ' 3 The Revised Book of Constitutions 310 Annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Inscitutinn for Boys 3 lS Lod . » e of Benevolence 32 3 Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks , and Bucks ¦¦ ; 3 = 3 Inauguration of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Oxfordshire 3 J 3
CORRESPONDENCEGeneral Committee Election — Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 324 A Mandate 3 * S OM . r of Precedence 3 3 S Prerogatives of Grand Lodge and of the M . W . Grand Master 3-S
Reviews 32 $ Notes and Queries 335 Stewards' Visit to tlie Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 326 Grand Comer-Stone Ceremony at Bolton ... 326 ¦ Presentation to a Liverpool Musical Brother 127
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 327 Instruction , , 330 Royal Arch 330 The Theatres 330 Masonic and General Tidings 331 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 332
Ar00100
THE annual Festival of the Boys' School took place on VVednesday last at the Crystal Palace , under the presidency of Viscount HOLMESDALE , Provincial Grand Master for Kent . There were close upon 400 Stewards , and the returns of the Festival amounted to the most striking total of ^ 22 , 444 . We congratulate all concerned on the result , and especially Bro . BINCK . ES , and refer our readers to the details of the Stewards' list in another column .
« # A " SPECIAL Grand Lodge" is convened for Friday , the 29 th inst ., to consider the Book of Constitutions finally drafted by the Board of General Purposes , after dealing with the 800 provincial amendments , & c . Wedo not quite see , we confess , how such a meeting will satisfy the wishes of those who have special
amendments to move , but presume that some " modus agendi will be discovered , which will give satisfaction to all , those who wish to talk , those who aspire to change , those who seek to conserve , those who are anxious to relax . We will just make this one further observation , that the Book of Constitutions is of such essential , nay , vital , importance to the liberties of the Craft ,
the prestige of Grand Lodge , and the progress of Freemasonry , that we hope nothing will be done rashly or cursorily , so that this change now made will last for years to come . Whether the Board of General Purposes is the fittest body to submit such a revision to maybe a matter of considerable question , even doubt ; and we trust that no hasty objection to amendments or
impatience of criticism may result in a compilation which will ignore some needful amendments and retain obviousincongruities , so that perhaps before long again , under less favourable circumstances , in a season of excitement or controversy , we may have to pass the Book of Constitutions again through the crucible of still more sweeping changes and still more vital alteration . We call attention to the Agenda Papers elsewhere .
* # THE question of the Table of Precedence , as will be seen by some letters in our issue last week , creates much interest , and opens out many complicated questions . Wehavenever concealed our humblejopinion that the proposal was hasty in inception , crude in developement , and more than dubious in
policy , or constitutional law . Subsequent consideration has convinced us that our original views were sound and correct . The more we look into the matter , we are convinced alike historically and legally , that any such claim of prerogative and inherent power to alter the Table of Precedence without the sanction of Grand Lodge is untenable , and that Grand Lodge
alone has the power to do so . Weare assured on no mean authority that the relative rank of the President of the Board of General Purposes was actually settled in Grand Lodge , just as that of the more recent new Grand officers , and we therefore hope that we shall hear before long one of two facts , either that the proposal to alter the Table of Precedence is given up , or that it is submitted to Grand Lodge .
* * * As regards District Grand Masters we are inclined to think for various reasons that it would be very advisable to insert a provision in the new Book of Constitutions that in presiding over Grand Lodge , Provincial Grand
Masters take the precedenceof District Grand Masters . This alteration , we believe , would meet the views of all who have looked into the question , and would be alike a proper and constitutional rearrangement , and in no sense unfair to our District Grand Masters .
* # WE cannot help feeling somewhat anxious about the arrangements for the rebuilding of Freemasons' Hall . We think it must strike all , that the proposal to convert the Board of General Purposes into a Building Committee Was both unsound and unscientific , and certain not to give satisfaction to the
Craft , or educe a satisfactory result . There are many questions of delicacy and difficulty sure to arise , which will require thorough " experts " to deal with and decide . It is useless to attempt to persuade the Craft or Grand Lodge that any mere question of personal confidence or official infallibility can be permitted to stand in the way of the wants and convenience of our
great Order . What we want , and we say it advisedly , is a good working Building Committee , composed of business men , scientific men , reasonable men , those who are perfectly aware of what building expenditure entails , and what the Craft itself desiderates and expects . We fear that unless some method is devised of arresting the present deadlock , and improving the presen t
Ar00101
hasty and admittedly unsatisfactory arrangement , many before long will be the complaints of those of us all who have the interests of English Freemasonry at least , and are anxious that these great building operations should not degenerate into a blunder or a " fiasco , " that in fact they should not vote a large sum for which the Craft at large will derive the minimum of convenience and comfort . , «_ ..... _» .... * t .... _ . . ....... is ... . . j
* # WE repeat and most deferentially that in the rearrangement of Freemasons' Hall provision should be nude for a library , a museum , and a general waiting room . Considering the present position of our body , and its possible extension in the years before us , it seems to us that the time has surely come lo readjust and reconsider the whole of the arrangements
for official accommodation . Our " bureaux , " to use a French word , are neither conveniently arranged nor sufficient for the work done , and we also venture to be of opinion that a convenient writing room and waiting room would be a great boon not only to provincial but even metropolitan Freemasons . A suggestion has been made that a Masonic Club should be started , and though we are clearly favourable in the abstract to any such
proposal , and would gladly join in any such movement , we are also aware , and perhaps more so than our friendly correspondent , of the many difficulties which attend on the proposal and which surround the movement " ab initio " in the concrete . Still we think the effort ought to be made , and whether the club is to be part and parcel of Freemasons' Hall or whether it is to be a purely voluntary association , managed
as clubs are for the most part , we repeat we think that the proposition is one which deserves consideration and encouragement . At any rate we invite remarks and suggestions on the subject , as we venture to believe that such an Institution , if well managed , and truly Masonic in arrangement and outcome , might be productive of much convenience and good for us all alike !
* WE understand that at the last meeting of the United Grand Lodge Bro . the Duke of PORTLAND was raised to the Sublime Degree of a M . M ; in the most masterly manner by Bro . the Earl of MILLTOWN , GAV . in . the
presence of Bro . W . W . BEACH , Provincial G . M . Hampshire j Bro . MONTAGUE GUEST , Provincial G . M . Dorsetshire ; Bro . J HAVERS , P . G . W ., and other brethren , with several peers of the realm , including Bro . Lord ALCESTER . It is very satisfactory to note the large number of the old and young nobility who are now joining our good old Order ,
"And who are not ashamed To hear themselves named With a Free and an Accepted Mason . " # * * WE have received letters referring to a melanchol y matter which has recently occurred at Monmouth ; but concerning which , for various reasons , we think
it better to exercize the Masonic virtues of reticence and reserve , as it lies , strictly speaking , outside our Masonic purview . Suffix it then to say that we deeply regret to be informed by a hasty and mista ' c : n act of ministerial intenerence great pain has been inflicted on the sorrowing members of a bereaved family and great disrespect shown to many worthy members of our Order
. # * # THE presentation of the prizes by the Stewards of the Boys' School will take place on Tuesday next , the 26 th inst ., when a goodly * ' programme " awaits the numerous friends and visitors of the School . May it bean " Alba Dies " to all .
# * # OUR readers will note the passing away from amongst us of a once wellknown , and active member of our Order , Bro . MATTHEW COOKE . Without reopening questions which have long been settled , or remembering matters which have long since been happily forgotten , sufficient for us it is that our brother has died a Freemason to the last , and an inmate of our
admirable Institution at Croydon . Sickness and suffering , adversity and trials , constitute a claim for kindly consideration and fraternal remembrance . Bro . MATTHEW COOKE was a Masonic studentof no mean order , and we shall ever gratefully associate with his name the "MATTHEW COOKE M . S . " as the outcome of his patient industry , and as a witness of what under happier auspices | he might have done [ for the benefit and advance of Masonic archa ; ology .
» # THE dreadful calamity at Sunderland will have appalled us all b y its almost unspeakable and untellable horrors . The realization of the dreadful end of so many innocent children passing in a moment from life to death is enough to arrest the most indifferent and
warn the most unheeding . Let us hope that it is not b y any so-called developement of hopeless and criminal " red tape , " that happygo-lucky indifference which marks public institutions and caterers for public popular entertainments in this country , that the lives of all these poor little children have been ruthlessly sacrificed . We are glad to hear that there is to be a Government enquiry .