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Article At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar Page 1 of 4 →
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At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar
At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar
The agenda for the last meeting of Grand Lodge—of which a report appears in another column—Avas a lengthy one , and moreover provided some material for a more than usually animated debate . It is very rare indeed that the opinion of the Grand Registrar and a decision of the Board
of General Purposes are reversed by Grand Lodge , as was the case in the appeal of the Regent ' s Park Lodge , and this fact alone is a tolerably conclusive evidence that the rule bearing on the question is so indefinitely worded as to allow of an entirely opposite interpretation by two presumably competent
authorities . Whatever the general opinion may be as to the real meaning and intention of the rule , it is quite obvious that the next step must be an amendment of its terms , so that a clear indication of its intention may be placed beyond doubt .
© « $ > « s > It is important to point out that the decision arrived at is only decisive as to the one case of appeal submitted to Grand Lodge , and does not affect the future action of the authorities in giving effect to what they believe to be its true meaning in dealing with other cases that may arise , and therefore the greater reason exists for a prompt and speedy settlement of the matter in dispute .
«»! & 0 , For ourselves Ave think that a common sense way out of the difficulty would be to assimilate the practice which obtains in the Royal Arch Degree with that of the Craft , and to reckon " clue service " of a Warden from the date of his appointment rather than from his investiture . The obvious
intention of the rule is to ensure the proper training and the acquiring of the necessary experience by a brother for the exercise of his more important duties as Master of the Lodge , and , according to the present rule , a Warden may be present to be invested but he may fail to attend a single other meeting during the year and yet be qualifed for election as
Master ; while , on the other hand , he may from some unavoidable cause be unable to present himself for investiture , and although he may attend every subsequent meeting and -assiduously discharge his duties as Warden ,, he is bebarred from deserved promotion by a technicality . We commend this view of the matter to the earnest consideration of the authorities as Avell as to the Craft generally .
< Q > l » E Qt There is one feature of the question which appears to have been insufficiently considered by those who voted in the majority in favour of the appeal , and that is the confushn which must ensue if the records of lodges have to be consulted , as of necessity they must be in many cases , for
evidence of the qualification of Wardens for the Master ' s chair . If six months as junior Warden and a similar period as Senior Warden qualify , there appears to be no reason why any tAVO or more broken periods making up a full year , at whatever intervals of time , should not also qualify . These
considerations , with others before-mentioned , point to the absolute necessity of a revision of the present rules , and Ave trust the procedure , which has been found to work Avell in the Royal Arch Degree , will be fully investigated , and , if found practicable , . adopted as a simple and ready way out of the difficult } -.
Among the most noticeable of the new lodges for which warrants have been granted since the September meeting of Grand Lodge , other than those to which Ave have alread y referred , are the Incorporated Society of Musicians Lodge , Xo . 2881 , composed largely of Past Grand Organists ; the Westminster City Council Lodge , No . 2882 , formed in
connection with the Borough Council of Westminster , Bro . the Hon . A . de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., being its Worshipful Master designate ; the Deo Dante Dedi Lodge , Xo . 2885 , founded for Old Carthusians ; and the Borough of Stepney Lodge , No . 2884 , Avhich is now the third lodge to represent the newly-formed Borough Councils .
We are pleased to be able to announce that the vacancy caused by the lamented death of R . W . Bro . Colonel Lvne . Provincial Grand Master for Monmouthshire , has been filled by the appointment of Bro . H . Martyn Kennard , whose
qualifications for the office are of no mean order . A Justice of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenant for the-county , Bro . Kennard Avas already Senior Provincial ( band Warden of Monmouthshire , and it will be hoped that the province may long prosper under his rule . Bro . Charles Penny , AVIIO for many years has been an
active member of the Fraternity in the Province of Middlesex , enjoys the somewhat rare distinction of occupying the chair simultaneously of two lodges , namely , Clapham , No . a' 818 , and the King Solomon , No . 2029 , the latter lodge being composed , Ave believe , entirely of total abstainers from alcoholic drinks . This naturally indicates that the subject of our notice is a temperance man , and possesses the courage of his convictions in endeavouring to carry his crusade
MHO . ClIAlil . KS I'K . N'XV .
against drink into Freemasonry . He is also a Past Master of the Unity Lodge , Xo . 16 37 , meeting at Harrow-on-the-Hill and at the last Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex he received the collar of Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works . Bro . Penny has taken an active interest in parish
and municipal affairs as Councillor and Vice-Chairman of both the District Council , Board of Guardians , and Overseers . He has also been a member of the School Board . Bro . Sir Squire Bancroft , P . G . Deacon , who is one of the
most regular attendants at the quarterly meetings of Grand Lodge , has been giving in a weekly contemporary some of his early experiences of the stage . His first engagement , he relates , was obtained at the Theatre Royal , Birmingham , at a salary of a guinea a week , on which he lived , playing
during his apprenticeship of four and a-half years , some 34 6 different characters . His reminiscences do not omit to conclude with a characteristic tribute lo Lad y Bancroft , to whom , he says , he owed " bright gleams of genius—which in every art are priceless . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar
At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar
The agenda for the last meeting of Grand Lodge—of which a report appears in another column—Avas a lengthy one , and moreover provided some material for a more than usually animated debate . It is very rare indeed that the opinion of the Grand Registrar and a decision of the Board
of General Purposes are reversed by Grand Lodge , as was the case in the appeal of the Regent ' s Park Lodge , and this fact alone is a tolerably conclusive evidence that the rule bearing on the question is so indefinitely worded as to allow of an entirely opposite interpretation by two presumably competent
authorities . Whatever the general opinion may be as to the real meaning and intention of the rule , it is quite obvious that the next step must be an amendment of its terms , so that a clear indication of its intention may be placed beyond doubt .
© « $ > « s > It is important to point out that the decision arrived at is only decisive as to the one case of appeal submitted to Grand Lodge , and does not affect the future action of the authorities in giving effect to what they believe to be its true meaning in dealing with other cases that may arise , and therefore the greater reason exists for a prompt and speedy settlement of the matter in dispute .
«»! & 0 , For ourselves Ave think that a common sense way out of the difficulty would be to assimilate the practice which obtains in the Royal Arch Degree with that of the Craft , and to reckon " clue service " of a Warden from the date of his appointment rather than from his investiture . The obvious
intention of the rule is to ensure the proper training and the acquiring of the necessary experience by a brother for the exercise of his more important duties as Master of the Lodge , and , according to the present rule , a Warden may be present to be invested but he may fail to attend a single other meeting during the year and yet be qualifed for election as
Master ; while , on the other hand , he may from some unavoidable cause be unable to present himself for investiture , and although he may attend every subsequent meeting and -assiduously discharge his duties as Warden ,, he is bebarred from deserved promotion by a technicality . We commend this view of the matter to the earnest consideration of the authorities as Avell as to the Craft generally .
< Q > l » E Qt There is one feature of the question which appears to have been insufficiently considered by those who voted in the majority in favour of the appeal , and that is the confushn which must ensue if the records of lodges have to be consulted , as of necessity they must be in many cases , for
evidence of the qualification of Wardens for the Master ' s chair . If six months as junior Warden and a similar period as Senior Warden qualify , there appears to be no reason why any tAVO or more broken periods making up a full year , at whatever intervals of time , should not also qualify . These
considerations , with others before-mentioned , point to the absolute necessity of a revision of the present rules , and Ave trust the procedure , which has been found to work Avell in the Royal Arch Degree , will be fully investigated , and , if found practicable , . adopted as a simple and ready way out of the difficult } -.
Among the most noticeable of the new lodges for which warrants have been granted since the September meeting of Grand Lodge , other than those to which Ave have alread y referred , are the Incorporated Society of Musicians Lodge , Xo . 2881 , composed largely of Past Grand Organists ; the Westminster City Council Lodge , No . 2882 , formed in
connection with the Borough Council of Westminster , Bro . the Hon . A . de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., being its Worshipful Master designate ; the Deo Dante Dedi Lodge , Xo . 2885 , founded for Old Carthusians ; and the Borough of Stepney Lodge , No . 2884 , Avhich is now the third lodge to represent the newly-formed Borough Councils .
We are pleased to be able to announce that the vacancy caused by the lamented death of R . W . Bro . Colonel Lvne . Provincial Grand Master for Monmouthshire , has been filled by the appointment of Bro . H . Martyn Kennard , whose
qualifications for the office are of no mean order . A Justice of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenant for the-county , Bro . Kennard Avas already Senior Provincial ( band Warden of Monmouthshire , and it will be hoped that the province may long prosper under his rule . Bro . Charles Penny , AVIIO for many years has been an
active member of the Fraternity in the Province of Middlesex , enjoys the somewhat rare distinction of occupying the chair simultaneously of two lodges , namely , Clapham , No . a' 818 , and the King Solomon , No . 2029 , the latter lodge being composed , Ave believe , entirely of total abstainers from alcoholic drinks . This naturally indicates that the subject of our notice is a temperance man , and possesses the courage of his convictions in endeavouring to carry his crusade
MHO . ClIAlil . KS I'K . N'XV .
against drink into Freemasonry . He is also a Past Master of the Unity Lodge , Xo . 16 37 , meeting at Harrow-on-the-Hill and at the last Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex he received the collar of Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works . Bro . Penny has taken an active interest in parish
and municipal affairs as Councillor and Vice-Chairman of both the District Council , Board of Guardians , and Overseers . He has also been a member of the School Board . Bro . Sir Squire Bancroft , P . G . Deacon , who is one of the
most regular attendants at the quarterly meetings of Grand Lodge , has been giving in a weekly contemporary some of his early experiences of the stage . His first engagement , he relates , was obtained at the Theatre Royal , Birmingham , at a salary of a guinea a week , on which he lived , playing
during his apprenticeship of four and a-half years , some 34 6 different characters . His reminiscences do not omit to conclude with a characteristic tribute lo Lad y Bancroft , to whom , he says , he owed " bright gleams of genius—which in every art are priceless . "