The Royal Arch Degree.

THE ROYAL ARCH DEGREE .

BY the courtesy of Comp . C . L . Mason we are this week enabled to reprint the address he delivered at the recent meeting of the Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire , on the subject of the degrees of

Freemasonry and the Royal Arch , and we are convinced its perusal will prove most instructive to all who are interested in the degree .

Perhaps the most attractive part of Companion Mason ' s paper is its finish , wherein he seeks to account for the small amount of interest displayed by English Masons in the Order . He refers to the

alteration in the period of a Master Mason ' s probation prior to admission , which was agreed to a few years back , and shows that the improvement that was then contemplated has not resulted from the change , and he discusses probable causes for the inanition .

One particular point touched upon by Companion Mason is in reference to the allotment of Offices in

Grand Chapter . He argues—and very rightly sothat the fact of appointment to Office in Grand Lodge should not of necessity lead to preferment in Grand Chapter also , and herein lies one of the chief subjects ,

to our thinking , to which Royal Arch Masons should devote their attention . There are many very active workers in the Royal Arch who deserve and would highly prize Grand honours , and they are excluded

from receiving them because there are so many more working to the front in Craft Masonry , without a thought or a care for the higher degree , who win distinction in both , as a matter of form , rather than as a reward for merit as far as the Arch is concerned .

Grand Lodges Next Week.

GRAND LODGES NEXT WEEK .

A MONG the most interesting items of business to ¦ * »¦ be transacted at next week's meetings of our Grand Lodges are the proposals to grant sums of money to relieve the distress occasioned by the war in South Africa . The United Grand Lodge of England

will be asked to sanction a grant of one thousand guineas , and Grand Mark Lodge one of a hundred guineas , and no doubt the two sums will be unanimously

given , together with the warmest sympathy and best wishes of all who take part in the respective gatherings . The nomination of a Grand Master and of a

Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year will also require attention at the two meetings , while as regards other business—which we may dismiss as formal only—we refer our readers to the full agendas given elsewhere in this issue .

After nine years loyal service Colonel T . Davies Sewell P . M . P . G . S . has relinquished the Secretaryship of the Alliance Lodge , of which he was one of the founders . He is succeeded by another Guildhall official , Bro . Frank Stather P . M . Registrar of the Mayor ' s Court .

Cambridgeshire.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE .

f | HHE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was JL held at Wisbech , on Monday , Bro . Colonel R . Townley Caldwell Prov . G . M . presiding . The following Officers for the year were appointed and invested : — Bro . R . Smith 809 Senior Warden W . H . Francis 859 - Junior Warden

Rev . A . C . Crossfield 809 - - ¦ I „ , . . Rev . A . L . Brown 859 - - - ) Chaplains C . H . Davey 2107 - Treasurer K . W . Potts 441 - - - - Registrar Oliver Papworth 88 - - - - Secretary A . S . Bell 859 - - - - Sonior Deacon R . J . Sharman 809 - Junior Deacon

H . S . Davison 88 - - - - Superintendent of Works F . Dewberry 441 .... Director of Coremonies F . H . Potts 2107 ... - Assistant Dir . of Cers . H . Kompton 2727 - Sword Bearer T . Cowline 809 .... Onanist

A . J . Armitage 859 ... - Pursuivant W . Tyler . .... W . Dudley Ward 859 - - - af „„„^ D R . H . Adie 1492 - " Stewards . C . Laceby 2727

Masonic Aid For War Victims.

MASONIC AID FOR WAR VICTIMS .

rflHE following additional sums have been acknowledged JL on behalf of the different relief Funds started in connection with the South African campaign :

MANSION HOUSE WAR FUND . Mount Edgcumbe Lodge , No . 1446 - - - £ 28 18 6 Jerusalem Lodge , No . 19 T - - - 21 0 0 Montefiore Lodge , No . 1017 - - - 21 0 0 Haven Lodge , No . 2022 - - - 21 0 0

Clapham Lodge , No . 1818 - - - 10 10 0 Felix Lodge , No . 2371 - - - - 10 0 0 St . Paul Lodge , No . 194 - - - - 5 5 0 Corinthian Lodge , No . 1382 - - - - 5 5 0 Salisbury Lodge , No . 435 - - - 3 13 6

DAILY TELEGRAPH FUND . Shillings . William Preston Lodge , No . 766 525 City of Westminster Lodge , No . 1563 - - - - 500 Royal Warrant Holders' Lodge , No . 2789 - - 500 Columbia Lodge , No . 2397 ... 420

Ebury Lodge , No . 1348 ... 380 Walthamstow Lodge , No . 2472 - - - 365 Old King ' s Arms Lodge , No . 28 210 Royal Oak Lodge , No . 871 210 De Grey and Ripon Lodge , No . 905 ... . 210 Tyrian Lodge , No . 1110 ----- 210

Gatwick Lodge , No . 2502 ----- 210 Temperance in the East Lodge , No . 898 - - - 203 Honour and Generosity Lodge , No . 165 ... 200 Langborne Lodge , No . 1421 ... 200 St . Martin Lodge , No . 2455 ----- 200 Lewisham Lodge of Instruction , No . 2579 - - - 168

Mount Moriab Lodge , No . 34 - - - - - 155 Bromley St . Leonard Lodge of Instruction , No . 1805 - I . Commemoration Lodge of Instruction , No . 26 G 3 - - ( St . Luke Lodge , No . 144 - - 105 Vale o £ Jehoshaphat Chapter , No . 291 ... 105 Victoria Lodge , No . 1056 ... . 105

Duke of Cornwall Chapter , No . 1839 - - - 105 Doric Chapter , No . 933 ... .. 100 United Mariners Lodge , No . 30 .... 80 Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 1744 65 Percy Lodge of Instruction , No . 198 ... 63 Asaph Chapter , No . 1319 ... G 3

Stuart Lodge , No . 1632 - - - 63 Royal Victorian Jubilee Lodge of Instruction , No . 2184 - 60 Alleyn Lodge , No . 2647 - - - - - 42 New Cross Lodge of Instruction , No . 1559 34 Wanderers Lodge , No . 1604 - - - - - 32 Skelmersdalo Lodge of Instruction , No . 1658 - - 25 Granite Lodge , No . 1323 .... 15