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Article PROVINCIAL GRAND RANK. ← Page 2 of 2 Article PROVINCIAL GRAND RANK. Page 2 of 2 Article PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY. Page 1 of 2 →
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Provincial Grand Rank.
Grand Master considers this as the most onerous , and the one requiring the exercise of the most careful tact and discrimination . There are , of course , always those who consider that they could make a better selection than the P . G . M ., and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , in the
course of some remarks he let fall at a meeting of the Doric Lodge at Harrogate recently , expressed himself personally in favour of the election of an advisory committee . Doubtless , Bro . Wilson felt he would like some one to share with him the responsibility of advising the Provincial Grand Master ,
which , under present conditions , rests with him alone . The District Grand Master of the Punjab not long ago issued a circular to all Masters of " lodges in his district asking that they would forward recommendations to him on the same subject . We do not , however , think that responsibility
of this land can be delegated in the manner suggested Were General Wolseley's suggestion universally acted upon , then every brother who expected promotion , and failed to get it , would blame the Master of his lodge . True , under present conditions , he blames the Provincial Grand Master or his
Deputy ; but he ascribes their want of perception to a cause different to that to which he would ascribe his W . M . ' s want of perception . Moreover , the P . G . M . ' s back is BYoad , and his relation to the brethren is quite different from that of a W . M .
to his lodge . The latter is the personal friend of all the brethren over whom he rules , but we venture to suggest that , as far as the Past Masters are concerned , this relation would be imperilled if General Wolseley ' s proposal became a universal practice .
Let us consider the position of the ruler of the province when about to make his annual selection . He has before him the returns—up-to-date , let us hope—of every lodge under his jurisdiction . The absence of any one of these returns clears the ground considerably , as such disrespect as is implied in
failure to make a prescribed return in due course quite justifies the Provincial Grand Master in neglecting the lodge concerned . The ground is still further cleared by the fact that certain offices , namely , the Provincial Grand Treasurer and Tyler , are out of his hands entirely . There are also certain other offices his right
of appointment to which is only nominal . For instance , he may appoint the Provincial Grand Secretary , but , inasmuch as the Board has to provide the salary of that officer , the Board has
practically the appointment . It is quite conceivable that if an unacceptable brother were nominated , the P . G . M . might have to pay the honorarium himself . The same consideration applies to the Assistant .
The President of the Board , if not re-appointed , and the Treasurer , if not re-elected , have prescriptive rights of advancement to the Wardens' chairs . It might here be me ntioned that in the Districts abroad , where the powers of the Board are more extensive than in England , the President is nearly always a Past Warden of considerable experience .
The Deputy is nearly always selected from among those brethren who have served the office of Registrar or Warden , and in many cases he serves until he cares to resign . Appointment to several other offices is limited by the professional capacity of the brethren concerned . Thus the
Registrar ought to be a brother of legal attainments , and the Superintendent of Works should be professionally familiar with the use of the working tools . The Chaplains are necessarily reverend gentlemen , and the Organist must of equal necessity be a musician . The officers available for the rank and file are .
therefore , much more limited in practice than appears to be the case on paper . There seem to be about 20 collars available for annual distribution . These are the Deacons ' , Standard Bearers ' , Sword Bearers ' , Directors of Ceremonies ' , Pursuivants ' , and their respective deputies and assistants . Thus , in
the Province of West Yorkshire , which , having already quoted , we continue for the purpose of illustration , there are 81 Worshipful Masters installed every year , and 20 collars , or thereabouts , to be given away . That is , that of absolute necessity three-fourths of the brethren , deserving and eligible , have to see
their claims neglected . But , of course , this number increases every year . The proportion this year—if we exclude all Past Masters—is three-fourths , or 6 r out of 81 . Next year it will be 142 out of 162 , and the year after 223 out of 243 . Let the
brethren who consider themselves to be aggrieved by what they consider persistent neglect , study these figures carefully , and they may find reason to sympathise with the authorities rather than to accuse them .
Theoretically it is desirable to select the best man , and the "nly two proposals hitherto made have been those to which we have alread y referred , We have shown R . W . Bro . Wolseley ' s
idea to be an undesirable one , and it remains to consider Bro . Wilson ' s . An advisory committee is very well in theory . But Jts composition ought to be unknown . That was the weak point in the other proposal . Had the District Grand Master consulted
Provincial Grand Rank.
all the Worshipful Masters in Ins district in a confidential , manner no one could have objected ; but to embody that proposal in the printed minutes of the communication , was , we venture , to think , a mistake . An openly-elected advisory committee would lead to all sorts of Masonic corruption . At present -no
one would dream of personally urging his claims to the Provincial Grand Master , but he would feel no restraint of delicacy in urging the representatives of his lodge to press his claims in committee . The feeling that they had the power of dispensing Masonic patronage would create new and undesirable relations
between members of the committee and private members . Obligations incurred outside Freemasonry might come to be considered as adequately discharged by a vote given at a critical moment . What used to occur during the election of Grand
Treasurer , is a sample of what might be expected to happen when election clay came round , the difference being , that it would be multiplied by 20 . It may be remembered that at one time it was seriously proposed to alter the Constitutions in order to allow the Treasurer to be appointed by nomination .
The present system may be an incomplete one , and , brethren eminently deserving may be occasionally overlooked , but it should be remembered that in profane politics there is no form of government which more readily affords opportunity for corrupt practices than a republic , and from a Masonic republic may we be delivered .
We know of oneDistrictG . Master who goes outside the recognisedchannelsof information—that is , the returns—and studies the minute books of the lodges , whenever he has a chance . Notice is taken , mt only of regularity of attendance and punctuality in the payment of dues , but of such minor matters , as they might
be considered , as failure to apologise for absence . This is a District where no deserving brother is overlooked , and we commend the suggestion for the consideration of those who sometimes feel the responsibility of making selections weigh heavily upon them .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .
The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Surrey was held at the Public Hall , Woking , on Friday , the 21 st instant , when there was a large attendance of brethren . The R . W . Prov . Grand Master , Brio ' , the Earl of Onslow , was supported by Bros . Fredk . West , P . G . D ., Dep . Prov . G . Master ; R . F . Gould , P . G . D . ; R . Eve , P . G . Treas . ; the . Rev . Norman Lee , G . Chap . ; V . Freeman , P . G . D . ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B .,
Sec . R . M . I . B . ; Salter Whiter , Prov . G . W . ; Chas . Greenwood , P . P . G . W . ; W . B . Smallpeice , Prov . G . Treas . j C . T . Tyler , Prov . G . Sec . ; W . A . Latham , Asst . Prov . G . Sec . ; J . B . S . Lancaster , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . R . Cleave , P . P . G . D . ; J . H . Hawkins , Prov . G . D . C ; T . H . Roberts , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . D . Langton , P . D . G . D . C ; Col . Dundas , P . G . S . B . ; W . Pile , P . P . G . Treas . ; Thos . Clark , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . T . Mayo , P . P . G . P . ; and many others .
The Prov . Grand Lodge was opened in due form , and the minutes having been confirmed , the roll of lodges was called , two being unrepresented . The PROV . G . SECRETARY presented the Treasurer ' s accounts and the Report of the Audit Committee , showing a balance in hand ol £ 286 16 s . 3 d ., and in the Charity Account of £ 288 19 s . lod .
The Report was adopted , together with the following resolutions .-" Ten guineas each to the three Masonic Institutions , 10 guineas to the Woking Cottage Hospital , and two guineas to the Home for the Dying ;" The honorarium of the Asst . Prov . G . Secretary was also increased from £ 50 to - £ 60 .
The Report of the Charity Committee showed excellent work done during the past year , the most gratifying feature being that all lodges in the province are now represented upon the Committee . Seeps nad been taken to put a stop to Masonic vagrancy in the province , an Almoner
having been appointed in each town , and from the information received a considerable check had been put upon the abuse of Masonic Charity . Bro . T . H . Roberts , P . P . G . D ., was nominated for the office of Prov . Grand Treasurer , and there being no other candidate , he was declared duly elected . The following brethren were invested as Prov . Grand Officers for the ensuing year :
Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . H . Bircham , 1395 ,., ... Prov . S . G . W , „ S . S . Goodman , 2 G 52 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Rev . James Beebv , 182 G ... ¦ .. ) n- - -1 . „ Rev . W . Horan , 452 j Prov . G . Chaps . „ T . H . Roberts , ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ H . A . Howe , 1362 ... ,., ... Prov . G . Reg . „ C T . Tyler , 1395 ••• ... Prov . G . Sec . :: SrYtefftio ¦ ::: ::: " ¦{ P ^ . S . G . D *
,, A . Meier . 2502 ... ... ... ) D . _ _ . „ G . S . Horsnail , 1851 j Prov . J . G . Ds . „ C . P . King , 2422 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks . „ J . H . Hawkins , 410 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C .
„ W . E . Robinson , 1395 ... ... .., Prov . D . G . D . C . „ J . W . Dix , 2120 ... ... .., ¦) „ A . J . Newman , 777 ... ... ... C Prov . A . G . Dsvof C . „ S . H . Hodgkin , 1872 ... ... ... ) „ Capt . J . Hoey , 2317 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ John Jones , 2096 ... ... .. *) o „ - 0 .. „ „ E . A . Brown , 2521 j Prov . G . Std . Bra .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial Grand Rank.
Grand Master considers this as the most onerous , and the one requiring the exercise of the most careful tact and discrimination . There are , of course , always those who consider that they could make a better selection than the P . G . M ., and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , in the
course of some remarks he let fall at a meeting of the Doric Lodge at Harrogate recently , expressed himself personally in favour of the election of an advisory committee . Doubtless , Bro . Wilson felt he would like some one to share with him the responsibility of advising the Provincial Grand Master ,
which , under present conditions , rests with him alone . The District Grand Master of the Punjab not long ago issued a circular to all Masters of " lodges in his district asking that they would forward recommendations to him on the same subject . We do not , however , think that responsibility
of this land can be delegated in the manner suggested Were General Wolseley's suggestion universally acted upon , then every brother who expected promotion , and failed to get it , would blame the Master of his lodge . True , under present conditions , he blames the Provincial Grand Master or his
Deputy ; but he ascribes their want of perception to a cause different to that to which he would ascribe his W . M . ' s want of perception . Moreover , the P . G . M . ' s back is BYoad , and his relation to the brethren is quite different from that of a W . M .
to his lodge . The latter is the personal friend of all the brethren over whom he rules , but we venture to suggest that , as far as the Past Masters are concerned , this relation would be imperilled if General Wolseley ' s proposal became a universal practice .
Let us consider the position of the ruler of the province when about to make his annual selection . He has before him the returns—up-to-date , let us hope—of every lodge under his jurisdiction . The absence of any one of these returns clears the ground considerably , as such disrespect as is implied in
failure to make a prescribed return in due course quite justifies the Provincial Grand Master in neglecting the lodge concerned . The ground is still further cleared by the fact that certain offices , namely , the Provincial Grand Treasurer and Tyler , are out of his hands entirely . There are also certain other offices his right
of appointment to which is only nominal . For instance , he may appoint the Provincial Grand Secretary , but , inasmuch as the Board has to provide the salary of that officer , the Board has
practically the appointment . It is quite conceivable that if an unacceptable brother were nominated , the P . G . M . might have to pay the honorarium himself . The same consideration applies to the Assistant .
The President of the Board , if not re-appointed , and the Treasurer , if not re-elected , have prescriptive rights of advancement to the Wardens' chairs . It might here be me ntioned that in the Districts abroad , where the powers of the Board are more extensive than in England , the President is nearly always a Past Warden of considerable experience .
The Deputy is nearly always selected from among those brethren who have served the office of Registrar or Warden , and in many cases he serves until he cares to resign . Appointment to several other offices is limited by the professional capacity of the brethren concerned . Thus the
Registrar ought to be a brother of legal attainments , and the Superintendent of Works should be professionally familiar with the use of the working tools . The Chaplains are necessarily reverend gentlemen , and the Organist must of equal necessity be a musician . The officers available for the rank and file are .
therefore , much more limited in practice than appears to be the case on paper . There seem to be about 20 collars available for annual distribution . These are the Deacons ' , Standard Bearers ' , Sword Bearers ' , Directors of Ceremonies ' , Pursuivants ' , and their respective deputies and assistants . Thus , in
the Province of West Yorkshire , which , having already quoted , we continue for the purpose of illustration , there are 81 Worshipful Masters installed every year , and 20 collars , or thereabouts , to be given away . That is , that of absolute necessity three-fourths of the brethren , deserving and eligible , have to see
their claims neglected . But , of course , this number increases every year . The proportion this year—if we exclude all Past Masters—is three-fourths , or 6 r out of 81 . Next year it will be 142 out of 162 , and the year after 223 out of 243 . Let the
brethren who consider themselves to be aggrieved by what they consider persistent neglect , study these figures carefully , and they may find reason to sympathise with the authorities rather than to accuse them .
Theoretically it is desirable to select the best man , and the "nly two proposals hitherto made have been those to which we have alread y referred , We have shown R . W . Bro . Wolseley ' s
idea to be an undesirable one , and it remains to consider Bro . Wilson ' s . An advisory committee is very well in theory . But Jts composition ought to be unknown . That was the weak point in the other proposal . Had the District Grand Master consulted
Provincial Grand Rank.
all the Worshipful Masters in Ins district in a confidential , manner no one could have objected ; but to embody that proposal in the printed minutes of the communication , was , we venture , to think , a mistake . An openly-elected advisory committee would lead to all sorts of Masonic corruption . At present -no
one would dream of personally urging his claims to the Provincial Grand Master , but he would feel no restraint of delicacy in urging the representatives of his lodge to press his claims in committee . The feeling that they had the power of dispensing Masonic patronage would create new and undesirable relations
between members of the committee and private members . Obligations incurred outside Freemasonry might come to be considered as adequately discharged by a vote given at a critical moment . What used to occur during the election of Grand
Treasurer , is a sample of what might be expected to happen when election clay came round , the difference being , that it would be multiplied by 20 . It may be remembered that at one time it was seriously proposed to alter the Constitutions in order to allow the Treasurer to be appointed by nomination .
The present system may be an incomplete one , and , brethren eminently deserving may be occasionally overlooked , but it should be remembered that in profane politics there is no form of government which more readily affords opportunity for corrupt practices than a republic , and from a Masonic republic may we be delivered .
We know of oneDistrictG . Master who goes outside the recognisedchannelsof information—that is , the returns—and studies the minute books of the lodges , whenever he has a chance . Notice is taken , mt only of regularity of attendance and punctuality in the payment of dues , but of such minor matters , as they might
be considered , as failure to apologise for absence . This is a District where no deserving brother is overlooked , and we commend the suggestion for the consideration of those who sometimes feel the responsibility of making selections weigh heavily upon them .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .
The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Surrey was held at the Public Hall , Woking , on Friday , the 21 st instant , when there was a large attendance of brethren . The R . W . Prov . Grand Master , Brio ' , the Earl of Onslow , was supported by Bros . Fredk . West , P . G . D ., Dep . Prov . G . Master ; R . F . Gould , P . G . D . ; R . Eve , P . G . Treas . ; the . Rev . Norman Lee , G . Chap . ; V . Freeman , P . G . D . ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B .,
Sec . R . M . I . B . ; Salter Whiter , Prov . G . W . ; Chas . Greenwood , P . P . G . W . ; W . B . Smallpeice , Prov . G . Treas . j C . T . Tyler , Prov . G . Sec . ; W . A . Latham , Asst . Prov . G . Sec . ; J . B . S . Lancaster , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . R . Cleave , P . P . G . D . ; J . H . Hawkins , Prov . G . D . C ; T . H . Roberts , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . D . Langton , P . D . G . D . C ; Col . Dundas , P . G . S . B . ; W . Pile , P . P . G . Treas . ; Thos . Clark , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . T . Mayo , P . P . G . P . ; and many others .
The Prov . Grand Lodge was opened in due form , and the minutes having been confirmed , the roll of lodges was called , two being unrepresented . The PROV . G . SECRETARY presented the Treasurer ' s accounts and the Report of the Audit Committee , showing a balance in hand ol £ 286 16 s . 3 d ., and in the Charity Account of £ 288 19 s . lod .
The Report was adopted , together with the following resolutions .-" Ten guineas each to the three Masonic Institutions , 10 guineas to the Woking Cottage Hospital , and two guineas to the Home for the Dying ;" The honorarium of the Asst . Prov . G . Secretary was also increased from £ 50 to - £ 60 .
The Report of the Charity Committee showed excellent work done during the past year , the most gratifying feature being that all lodges in the province are now represented upon the Committee . Seeps nad been taken to put a stop to Masonic vagrancy in the province , an Almoner
having been appointed in each town , and from the information received a considerable check had been put upon the abuse of Masonic Charity . Bro . T . H . Roberts , P . P . G . D ., was nominated for the office of Prov . Grand Treasurer , and there being no other candidate , he was declared duly elected . The following brethren were invested as Prov . Grand Officers for the ensuing year :
Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . H . Bircham , 1395 ,., ... Prov . S . G . W , „ S . S . Goodman , 2 G 52 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Rev . James Beebv , 182 G ... ¦ .. ) n- - -1 . „ Rev . W . Horan , 452 j Prov . G . Chaps . „ T . H . Roberts , ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ H . A . Howe , 1362 ... ,., ... Prov . G . Reg . „ C T . Tyler , 1395 ••• ... Prov . G . Sec . :: SrYtefftio ¦ ::: ::: " ¦{ P ^ . S . G . D *
,, A . Meier . 2502 ... ... ... ) D . _ _ . „ G . S . Horsnail , 1851 j Prov . J . G . Ds . „ C . P . King , 2422 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks . „ J . H . Hawkins , 410 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C .
„ W . E . Robinson , 1395 ... ... .., Prov . D . G . D . C . „ J . W . Dix , 2120 ... ... .., ¦) „ A . J . Newman , 777 ... ... ... C Prov . A . G . Dsvof C . „ S . H . Hodgkin , 1872 ... ... ... ) „ Capt . J . Hoey , 2317 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ John Jones , 2096 ... ... .. *) o „ - 0 .. „ „ E . A . Brown , 2521 j Prov . G . Std . Bra .