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retained for the day , and started at 10 T 5 from Mr . Bathurst ' s landing stage for a two hours' trip on the Avon . A party of nearly 120 availed themselves of the excursion . The sky was overcast , and the weather generally dull ; but little rain fell , and the two hours were pleasantly spent , light refreshments being

served on board , and being very acceptable to those who had made an early start by road or rail to join the party . The " Jubilee" was announced to return at 1230 , in good time for the opening of Lodge at L 30 , and within a few minutes of the time stated the " Lodge of recreation" ended at the landing stage .

Provincial Grand Lodge was held , by permission of the Vicar of Tewkesbury ( Rev . H . A . Sheringham ) , in the Abbey Schools , which adjoin the Abbey yard . The Provincial Grand Master was attended by his Deputy Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith P . G . D .

Provincial Grand Lodge , having been opened with the usual formalities , the first business was the reception of the report of the Provincial Grand Treasurer , which was presented by Bro . Bruton , and showed a balance in his hands of £ 117 Is 9 d . Bro . R . P . Sumner , as Charity Secretary , brought up the report of the Charity Committee . From this it appeared that a

candidate for the Girls School had been carried by the Province at the election in October last . No cases were , however , undertaken at the Charity elections in April and May , with the result that the voting strength of the Province now stood in this position , that while it was in debt 1 , 054 votes on the Schools ' account , there was a credit balance of 5 , 740 votes on tho

Benevolent account . The attendance at the Masonic Festivals during the year had been : Boys School , 1897 , 9 Stewards , collecting £ 324 7 s ; Benevolent Institution , 1898 , 1 Steward , collecting £ 47 5 s ; Girls School , 1898 , £ 78 15 s ; a total of 14 Stewards collecting £ 450 7 s , as compared with 13 Stewards collecting £ 544 13 s last year . The falling off in amount was doubtless to be attributed to the forthcoming Centenary Festival

of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which was being most generously supported in the Province . On the Provincial Benevolent Fund Account , though the grants had been larger in amount than usual , there was still the substantial balance on Fund B . on deposit and current accounts of £ 221 7 s 3 d . The report was adopted , with an expression of thanks to the Charity Secretary .

At this stage of the proceedings Prov . G . Lodge adjourned in order to attend the special service in the Abbey . A procession was formed in order of seniority , juniors leading . Passing along the street , the procession entered the main gateway of the Abbey grounds in double file , and through the great west door up the nave to the reserved seats . The Rev . H . A . Sheringham , the

vicar , conducted the service , which was choral . Psalm cxxxii , "Lord remember David , " was sung , together with the " Magnificat" ( Stainer in A ) and "JNunc Dimittis" ( Stainer in A ) . The anthem , admirably sung by the choir , was Sir John Goss ' s " Stand up and Bless the Lord . " Bro . the Rev . W . S . Fallon Provincial Grand Chaplain , read the lessons—I Chronicles

xxix , verses 1 to 14 , and Revelations xxi , verse 10 . The hymn , " Saviour Blessed Saviour" brought the service to a close , and during the singing of this , collection was taken , the sum realised being £ 19 8 s . Mr . Bath , the Abbey organist , played the voluntary and hymn upon the new organ , the accompaniment to the rest being performed on the tuneful instrument associated with Milton's name .

The preacher was Bro . the Rev . Canon Cbilde Past Grand Chaplain of England , who took as his text : I Corinthians iii , 9 , 10 ( Revised Version ) , "We are God ' s fellow-workers . Ye are God ' s building . Let each man take heed how he buildeth . " [ We propose to give the sermon in an early issue , pressure on our space precluding its publication this week . ]

At the conclusion of the service the Brethren reformed into procession , and returned to the Lodge room . Before proceeding with the business , tbe Provincial Grand Master proposed that a cordial vote of thanks be passed , and recorded on the minutes , to the Vicar , the Churchwardens , tbe Mayor of Tewkesbury , and . to the Rev . Canon Childe , for their

share in arranging the service which they had just been privileged to attend . Everyone present would , he felt sure , embrace the opportunity of expressing their indebtedness to the Brethren mentioned for the admirable management displayed by them . To Bro . Canon Childe were tbeir thanks particularly due , for none listened to the excellent sermon but would be inspired with the desire that they might not be unmindful of what Masons had done

in the past towards preserving the ancient building within which they had met in worship that afternoon . The duties which Masons kept in view were two-fold : rfhsfcly , charity towards the widows and fatherless children ; and secondly , the effecting of what they could , in operative Masonry , to retain intact such temples of Divine worship as they found at Tewkesbury , and to hand them down as memorials of history to future generations . This year , by their contributions to the Royal Masonic Institution

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for Boys , the Province had aimed at fulfilling its first duty . Next year he hoped they would be able to discharge some part of the second duty by fche initiation of work in connection with Tewkesbury Abbey , similar to that which recently they had effected in connection with Gloucester Cathedral . It would not be the first occasion on which Masons had directed their attentions to that building , and it might be recalled that in the time when

Lord Sherborne presided over Provincial Grand Lodge a portion of the Abbey was repaired from Masonic funds . He suggested that the Deputy Provincial Grand Master should , at some time during the current year , confer with those who were responsible for its structural maintenance , and obtain information as to the portion of the building' which might advantageously receive attention .

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in seconding the vote of thanks , referred to the ready acquiescence which had been forthcoming from the Vicar when permission for the holding of the service had been asked . The vote met with hearty approval from the Brethren , and the remainder of the business of the Lodge was proceeded with .

The Mayor of Tewkesbury mentioned the fact that the cloisters were in a state of disrepair , and their restoration might provide a distinctive work for the Craft . Among the amounts voted to the Charities was 100 guineas to the Boys School , granted on the proposition of the Provincial Grand Master , seconded by his Deputy .

During the reception of the reports of the various Lodges in the Province , the Provincial Grand Master expressed the hope that next year the Provincial Grand Lodge would be able to be held at Cirencester , and the Worshipful Master of the Cotteswold Lodge extended , on behalf of the members , a cordial invitation to that town .

The Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year were then appointed and invested , as follow :. Bro . A . Baker ----- Senior Warden S . W . Hadingham - - •- - Junior Warden Rev . E . W . Morris - - - . Chaplain P . Hannam Clark - - - - Registrar

Jas . Bruton .... Treasurer Jas . B . Winterbotham ... Secretary E . W . Prevost .... Senior Deacon H . P . Sare ..... Junior Deacon W . H . Godby - Superintendent of Works Conway Jones .... Director of Ceremonies

T . H . Gore --- -- Assistant Dir . ot Cers . L . Pullen --- -- Sword Bearer P * A ' Pike - - - - - i" Standard Bearers H . Rogers ..... Organist

M . Ll . Evans ... . Assistant Secretary L . D . Winterbotham - - - Pursuivant H . 0 . Baillie - - - - 1 „ O . 0 . Moore - - - - } Stewards W . Window .... Tyler .

In commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen last year , the M . W . Grand Master had authorised the appointment in each Province of a Brother to past rank , and in accordance with tbat authority the Provincial Grand Master announced that

he had conferred the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden on Bro . F . Ticehmst P . M . of the Foundation Lodge , No . 82 . Bro . Ticehurst had filled the chair of his Lodge as long ago as the year 1883 , and had since served it as Secretary , but he had * not taken Provincial Office .

Lodge being closed , an adjournment took place to the Town Hall , where the banquet was served , over 160 Brethren partaking , and Messrs . George , Limited , of Cheltenham , being caterers . The Provincial Grand Master presided , and discharged the complimentary duties of the chair in happy manner . The usual Loyal toasts having been honoured , a reference by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the relaxation of the tobacco duty was received with laughter .

In giving the toast of the Officers of Grand Lodge , the Chairman made cordial recognition of the services to Masonry of those mentioned , and made sympathetic reference to the affliction that had befallen the Pro G . M . in the death of Lady Lathom . To Bro . the Rev . Martyn fell the duty of responding—a duty which was discharged in a highly amusing speech .

Bro . Jas . B . Winterbotham gave the Prov . Grand Master . The annual occasions , he said , on which Sir Michael met them were occasions from which tbe Brethren derived a great amount of Masonic enjoyment , and he trusted the enjoyment was , to some extent , shared by their President . He contrasted the feelings which the Prov . Grand Master experienced when within the closed

door of the Lodge , guarded by the Tyler ' s drawn sword , with those he must experience when standing in the National Assembly , prepared to draw the national sword in the maintenance of the " open door . " Of him it could be truly said that he adorned every position he undertook , and with absolute satisfaction every duty that fell to him . Sir Michael , in acknowledgment of the enthusiasm and musical honours the toast evoked , expressed the satisfaction