Progress Of The Mark Degree. Provincial Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons, Lincolnshire. Great Grimsby.

PROGRESS OF THE MARK DEGREE . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS , LINCOLNSHIRE . GREAT GRIMSBY .

GOOD fellows are by no means infrequent in Masonry , but it does not fall to the lot of every Province to be under the sway of such a right worshipful good fellow as the Provincial Grand Mark Master of Lincolnshire . On the morning of Thursday , 30 th September , the Provincial

Grand Officers proceeded by early trains to Stallingbro' House , the residence of E . W . Bro . John Sutcliffe , where , after a sumptuous breakfast , they were photographed as a group , in full costume—the first Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Masters held in Lincolnshire—which , it will be remembered , was constituted some eleven months ago at

Lincoln . This , in the early morning , was quick work ; the consecration of a new Lodge , named after the hospitable Chief , having been advertised to take place at 11 . 15 at Grimsby . Thither , nevertheless , by the aid of special trains , all in due time assembled . The consecration

ceremony was performed by the Grand Secretary , Bro . Frederick Binckes , in his customary able manner , and the Provincial Grand Chaplain , Eev . Daniel Ace , D . D ., being called upon to improve the occasion , delivered an impressive extempore oration , upon the moral bearings of the Degree . He observed that earliest records had disclosed

to ns bow the Supreme Artificer had specially marked both persons and things for the maintenance of His Glory , with the object of assisting our infirmities : for without forms or figures we could derive no ideas . From the Psalms we learned that the Lord had set apart men that were godly for Himself . Marks were upon the Tabernacle

and on tho Temple , and Mr . Godwin ' s work , " Marks on Stones , demonstrated the same of other ancient edifices . The Hebrew Tan was a sign used by the Prophet Ezekiel as a mark of the Almighty to be set upon the Jews ; and such a marie was used by the Egyptians in the shape of a Cross , prior to the Christian Era . As in

architecture , the copestone is essential to the perfect arch , so the rejected stone of Mark Masons proved to be the most valuable , the head of the corner . The Mark , then , is indicative of him who possesses it , that he possesses distinguishing mental and moral qualities ; and a Mark Mason who should fail to cultivate these would disgrace his

Order . The Eev . brother concluded with a solemn invocation to the G . O . O . T . U . The officers of the new " Sutcliffe Lodge " were appointed and invested ; the Lodge was closed , and at about half-past one the Provincial Grand Lodge was opened , it being a noticeable fact that every

officer was there present in his place , a diligence not always noted at similar gatherings . The Province contains the following Mark Lodges : —

The St . Botolph . The Bemigius . The John 0 'Gaunt . The Sutcliffe . The Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year were appointed : — W . Watkins , S . W . Bland , J . W .

Kirk , M . O . A . Watson , S . O . A . Bates , J . O . Dr . Ace , Chaplain , Gough , Secretary , & c ., & o .

After which the P . G . M ., in a forcible speech , nrged upon his hearers the duty of not relaxing for an instant the strenuous efforts which the Province had been making in the sacred cause of Charity , but to keep the Province well in the front as a supporter of our charitable Institutions .

The brethren adjourned to the banquet at the Eoyal Hotel , where , as throughout all the arrangements , tho kind and careful forethought of the P . G . M ., were sufficiently evident . During the evening a numerous contingent of brethren from Yorkshire , headed b y E . W . Bro . Th . Perkinton , their P . G . M ., vied with those of Lincolnshire in

rendering honour to tho chairman , and in evincing , by every means in their powers , their appreciation of the " entente cordiale . " To the toast of the " Bishops and Clergy , " the Eev . Dr . Ace , Prov . G . C ., responded , and observed that many among the Clergy are now active in Masonry . It was not always so , for there was a time

when they did not understand it , when some of them derided it , and others thought their dignity would be compromised by their mixing with it . Such would , however , find that they would be respected in

Masonry , both for their work and office sake . He would briefly advert to a proposition he had made , relative to raising a tangible memorial to the venerated memory of Dr . Oliver , once a clergyman of this town . He had received encouraging letters from all parts ,

Progress Of The Mark Degree. Provincial Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons, Lincolnshire. Great Grimsby.

urging him to continue that task—to set on foot a testimonial which should benefit some poor boy from our Masonic School , by procuring for him a University Scholarship . The health of the Prov . G . M . was proposed by his E . W . colleague of Yorkshire , in pithy but telling terms , " What need to descant upon

the good qualities of one so well known , who is here present amongst you ? You know him , what could I say to increase the honour and estimation which ho has won . " The E . W . brother did not propose to paint the rose , or gild the lily , and he was right . In addition to the Masonic Mark salutes , this toast was followed by spontaneous musical honours .

The health of the Deputy Prov . G . M ., Dr . Harris , was also drunk with enthusiasm . Bro . W . H . Prince , of Eochdale , addressed a few feeling remarks to the chair , and some of the speeches ( not except , ing those of Bros . F . Binckes and J . Terry ) were much above the average . A gathering happier in the perfect good understanding

which subsisted between all , cemented by love and respect for the occupant of the chair , has never been witnessed in Masonry . If the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters has other provinces after the manner of Lincolnshire , its members need not regret the technical objections which prevented the incorporation of their degree into Craft Masonry .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Ayrshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF AYRSHIRE .

LAYING OF A MEMORIAL STONE AT KILWINNING .

SATUEDAY , 25 th September , was a day that will long bo remembered in the annals of this quiet Ayrshire village , as that on which Colonel Mure , M . P ., P . G . M . of Ayrshire , attended to lay the memorial stone of the new schools , erecting by the School Board , for the children of this large parish . Kilwinning , as is well known to all Masonic students , claims to have been the cradle of British Freemasonry , inasmuch as the builders of the old abbey , whose ruins

still grace tho village , are said to be the oldest members of the Craft in this Isle of whom we have any authentic record , and whose descendants have continued to hold their meetings np to the present time . For a long time after the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , the Kilwinning Lodge not only held aloof , but she continued to grant charters to daughter Lodges , and when a reconciliation was

effected it was only by conceding to her her priority over all tho other Lodges , and allowing her to call herself Mother Kilwinning , No . 0 , with the privileges of her members paying less for the registration and diploma than other Scotch Masons , and also granting her this unique privilege that the Master shall , from time to time elect , become thereby , ipso facto , tho Provincial Grand Master for the whole

of Ayrshire . This honourable office Colonel Mure , of Caldwell , M . P ., has long held , and very worthily filled , and when it was known that the School Board bad asked him , in that capacity , to lay the memorial stone of the splendid new schools they are erecting to meet the wants of this populous parish , it was determined that the occasion should be made worthy of the place and its memories . Notwithstanding

that Friday was a very stormy day , and that the morning of Saturday was equally unpropitious , a goodly number of the mother ' s bairns resident in Glasgow obeyed the summonses of tho Proxy Wardens—Bros . Ferguson and Tweed , —and went in special carriages by rail to this old and picturesque village . They were accompanied by a deputation of the following : —Glasgow Lodge , St . John ' s , No . 3 £ , a Lodge

which lays claim to equal antiquity with Kilwinning , but one always ready to assist the mother Lodge ; they were headed by their respected Master , W . Bell , P . M . Fletcher , and other influential brethren ; Thistle and Eose , No . 73 , were next followed by No . 116 ; while the Clyde , No . 408 , with its banner , her Master , and both his Wardens , and a fair proportion of the brethren , brought np tho rear

of the Glasgow contingent . Bro . Wyllie , the indefatigable P . G . S . of Ayrshire , had a band in waiting at the station to escort them into the town , and up to the oldest Lodge room in Scotland , where they were welcomed by Colonel Mure , Lord Eglinton , D . Murray Lyon , the Masonic historian , Sir James Ferguson , late Governor of New Zealand , W . E . Partrick , of Woodhonse D . P . G . M ., and the 6 lite of

the Masons of Ayrshire . The Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in the Temperance Hall , as the largest available building , by the P . G . M . Colonel Mure , M . P ., E . Montgomery D . P . G . M ., J . Partrick S . P . G . M ., D . Murray Lyon S . W ., Dr . J . Campbell E . W . M ., J . W . of Maybale , No . 11 , E . Wyllie S ., J . Winton Treasurer . A procession was than formed by A . Bryce , the Grand Tyler of Scotland , in which the

following Lodges took part : —Mother Kilwinning , No . 0 , St . John ' s , No . 3 £ , Maybale , No . 11 , St . John , Kilmarnock , No . 22 , Thistle and Eose , No . 73 , Troon , No . 86 , St . Marnock , No . 109 , St . John , Butherglen , No . 116 , Ayg , No . 124 , St . James , No . 125 , St . Andrew , No . 126 , Sfcewton , No . 127 , Tarbolton , No . 135 , Operative , No . 138 , Irvine , No . 149 , Ayr , No . 165 , St . Mnngo , No . 179 , Maybale , No . 198 , Muirkirk

No . 201 , Cumnock , No . 230 , Girvan , No . 237 , Johnson , No . 242 , St . John ' s , No . 248 , Dairy , No . 290 , Ardrossan , No . 320 , Galston , No . 331 , Dal . mellington , No . 433 , Neptune , No . 442 , Catrine , No . 497 , Hurlford , No . 505 , Stranraer , No . 519 , and Patna , No . 565 , Darby Ferguson , St . James . On reaching the building , which is at the outskirts of

the town , the Earl of Eglinton , in the name of the committee , presented Col . Mure with a handsome silver trowel , who gracefully acknowledged the compliment , and promised to transmit it as a heirloom to his family . The stone was then laid with the accustomed Masonic honours . Colonel Mure , M . P ., P . G . M ., then addressed the assemblage . He said it waa a very long time ago now—he thought it was in the year