Provincial Grand Lodge Of Gloucestershire.

Gen . W . J . Vizard - - - Director of Ceremonies E . N . Witchell - Assistant Director of Cor . W . Renwick ... - Sword Bearer J . Hyde ] Standard Bearers

J . Bradstook - - - - ) W . Parry ----- Pursuivant H . Browett - - - - ] stewards J . F . Nicholls - - - - j

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF STAFFORDSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Staffordshire was held at the Borough Hall , Stafford , on Tuesday , the 29 th inst . Grand Lodge was opened at half-past twelve , under the presidency of Worshipful Bro .

Col . Foster Gough , acting Provincial Grand Master , and there was a large muster from the various Lodges throughout the Province , in all rather more than 200 brethren singing the Tyler's book . The following among other brethren were present : —

Bros . J . F . Pepper P . G . S . W ., E . H . Croydon P . G . J . W „ the Rev . F . H . Beaven 726 P . G . Chaplain , T . Spencer P . G . Registrar , E . H . Thorne P . G . Secretary , VV . G . Lowe 629 P . G . S . D ., D . Smith 633 P . G . J . D ., W . Brown 347 P . G . Superintendent of Works , G . H . Stanger

419 P . G . Director of Ceremonies , T . H . Copo 1520 P . G . Assistant Director of Ceremonies , Dr . E . W . Taylor P . G . Organist , G . C . Kent 546 P . G . Assistant Secretary , W . Bamford 966 P . G . Pursuivant , G . S .

Hildick 539 , J . Smith 460 , and G . W . Dance 662 P . G . Stewards , W . Twist 419 526 1838 P . G . Tyler , J . J . Tomlinson 726 Assistant-Tyler , and a numerous assemblage of the brethren of the Province .

The minutes of the last annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Westbromwich , and of an emergency meeting , held at Etrnria , having been read , the Provincial Grand Secretary read a letter from Bro . Col

Tudor , in which he said that after a service of twenty years it was with feelings of regret that , in consequence of the state of his health and his inability to reside in the Province

during the winter months , he had felt it his duty to resign his appointment in the Province . He acknowledged the invaluable assistance that he had received from Col . Poster

Gough , and noted the fact that there were now 29 Lodges in the Province as compared with 19 when he was appointed P . G . M . He had appointed about 300 brethren P . G . Officers , and his only regret in this respect * was that

he had been obliged to pass over so many brethren who were deserving of the honour . He recorded his thanks to the P . G . Officers generally for the valuable assistance that he had received from them , and io the brethren throughout

the Province for their unvarying loyalty and support . In conclusion , he said the sceptre he was laying down was one of which a prince might be proud , and asked that the same sympathy and support might be extended to his successor .

Col . Foster Gough said he was sure they must all feel very deeply the loss they had sustained by the resignation of the Worshipful Brother who had so long and so faithfully performed the duties of his high office . For

himself personally , it was a terrible wrench to find himself thus separated from those with whom he had been associated for upwards of 30 years . They could not possibly have found one more faithful , more industrious ,

more loyal to the solemn trust reposed in him , and scarcely one so thoroughly skilled in all the ancient usages , traditions , customs , and ceremonies of the Order . It could also be said of him that he was a pattern of justice

and sincerity m all his actions , and there was no one of whom it could be said with greater truth that he possessed the true spirit of an English soldier and an English gentleman . He moved , that this meeting of the P . G .

Lodge of Staffordshire has received with profound regret the letter of the Eight "Worshipful Brother Col . Tudor , intimating his resignation of his office of P . G . M ., and desires to express its sincere and hearty appreciation of his lonr > ' raid valuable services to tho Province and its earnest .

wishes for his long life , health , aud happiness ; also that the resolution be engrossed on vellum and presented to the late Right Worshipful Prov . G . M . The resolution was seconded and carried unanimously . The roll of Lodges

in the Province was then called over , and apologies were announced from various brethren , including Col . Shadwell H . Gierke Grar . a f _' ec , Bros . Frank James , Bodcnham ( the

latter of whom was unable to be present owing io domestic bereavement ) , and G . Gordon-Warren . On the motion of Col . Gough , seconded by flu G . S . Y / Y , a ro .-olution wa . _ passed deploring' . to o-tct barectvemcafc anabamed by Bro .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

Bodenham in the lamented death of his wife , and tendering to him sincere sympathy in his great trial . In the absence of Bro . Bodenham , the Treasurer's statement was

submitted by Bro . Watkins . It showed the dues received from the various Lodges during the year , the fees ^ of honour paid by the Provincial Grand Officers on appointment , and several other items of income , the total receipts

having been £ 181 15 s 3 d , or , with a balance of £ 20 4 s 6 d for the previous year , £ 201 19 s 9 d . On the other hand , the expenditure , including expenses of P . G . meetings , insurance premiums , expenses of elections to the Royal Masonic Institutions , donations , & c , had amounted to £ 136 . On the investment account , it appeared that there

was a sum of £ 570 invested in Government stocks . Col . Gongh , in moving that the accounts be adopted , testified to the admirable system on which they were kept . The only thing he found fault with was that out of a total of

upwards of 12 , 000 subscribing brethren 117 were in arrear with their subscriptions , while of that number as many as 62 were in three Lodges . On the present occasion he would not name those Lodges , but he trusted to hear a better account of them in the future . Theaccounts were unanimously passed . The following appointments were

then made by Col . Foster Gough : — Bro . Blair 546 - - - •) Wardens J . E . Woods 456 - - - j Eev . F . H . Heaven 736 ( ro-app . ) ] ChapIa { nS Rev . H . Abud 45 b - - )

J . Bodenhnm 726 ( re-elected ) - Treasurer J . L . Hatnshaw 418 - - Registrar E . H . Thorne 1838 - - Secretary J- % der 1792 - - - } Deacons S . Bentlev 98 - - 5

E . V . Greatbatoh 418 - - Superintendent of Works G . H . Stanger 419 - - Director of Cer _ moaies — Wooldridge 726 - - Assistant D . C . J . F . Milner 966 . - - Sword Bearer - JJ ! _ i * . o / i * " ] Standard Bearers O . W Wiit-. bini . 1941 . - 4

Dr . E . W . Taylor 726 - - Organist — Ashwell 637 - - - Assistant Secretary G . Ashmall 1039 - - - Pursuivant — Bates 419 - - - Assistant Pursuivant W . D . Batkin 726 - - - ^

— Bates 1060 - - - j H . J . Clarson 1060 - - | W . E . Marsh 526 . - - J-Stewardg J . Woorls 1038 - - - | E . J . Monsloy S . W . 726 - - j T . Masters J . W . 726 - ¦ I

W . Twist 526 ( reelected ) ¦ Tyler Col . Gongh said it had been his intention , after the appointment of Officers , to direct the attention of Grand Lodge to several matters of importance to the Province ,

bufc owing to want of time he must confine himself to the briefest summary . He first offered a few words of congratulation on the large attendance of brethren , and then proceeded to speak of the excellent effect produced by

frequent attendance of Officers at Lodges of Instruction , and to congratulate the Province on the good discipline and harmony prevailing in the various Lodges , and tbe excellent work that was being carried on in behalf of the Charities .

He added a few words commendatory of the London " Quatuor Coronati" Lodge ( of which Sir Charles Warren was W . M . ) and its objects of spreading information among the Craft on all matters of recondite interest by means of a

Correspondence Circle of which every properly constituted Lodge may become a member . In conclusion , he noticed the contemplated alteration in the boundaries of some counties , and intimated that so far as Freemasonry was

concerned his Royal Highness the Grand Master was not in favour o . any alteration whatever being made in the boundaries of his Masonic Kingdom . The brethren then proceeded to St . Mary ' s Church , where Divine service was held .

On the re-assembling of tho Provincial Grand Lodge after service , votes of thanks wero passed to the Rev . F . H . Beaven for his excellent sermon , to the Rector for tho use of the church , and to Dr . Taylor for his admirable

arrangement of the service . The collection amounted to £ 9 , and of this sum £ 6 was voted to St . Chad's ( Stafford ) Building Fund , two guineas to St . Mary ' s Eastgate Schools , and two guineas to St . Paul ' s Schools , Burton-on-Trent . Col .

Gough testified to the admirable way in which the auditors of the Provincial Grand Lodge had performed their duties . He moved the re-appointment of tho auditors- —viz ., Wor .

Bros . W . H . Hales P . M . 418 P . P . G . W ., J . F . Pepper P . M . 432 Prov . G . W ., and 0 . W . Watkins P . M . 1941 . This was unanimously agreed to . Bro . F . Woolley ( Stafford ) jhrouahl ap a report from the Cartwright Memorial Fund