Proposed Kentish Testimonial.

PROPOSED KENTISH TESTIMONIAL .

THE proposal which has been set on foot at the instance of the Charity Committee of the Province of Kent , to present a suitable testimonial to Bro . Alfred Spencer ( ex-mayor of Maidstone ) , upon completion of twenty-one years of gratuitous services he has rendered

to the Province , is being taken up very heartily , and is , we venture to think , a very befitting way of recognising good and faithful services to the Craft . The proposal has been placed before the Masons of Kent by Earl

Amherst , chairman of the Committee , and the Countess Amherst has , we believe , consented to act as Secretary of the fund . The subscriptions from Lodges are limited to £ 3 3 s , and from individual members £ 1 Is , and the

result of the invitations issued will probably be the collecting of a handsome sum . The form the testimonal will take is , of course , not decided upon yet , and

probably the recipient will be consulted before the Committee make any selection . The presentation is proposed to be made at the next Provincial Grand Festival , at Canterbury , in the summer .

The Province of Kent , of which Bro . Spencer is Grand Secretary , is one of the most important in the country , and comprises no fewer than 59 Lodges . This one fact will indicate the amount of work that Brother

Spencer has been performing for so many years in the promotion of Freemasonry . We may say without fear of contradiction that few Masons in the county are better versed in the details of the work of the Craft than the

Prov . Grand Secretary , who has always been willing to afford help and instruction to the Secretaries whenever they have required to consult him . Not only is Bro . Spencer closely connected with the Provincial work , but

locally he is Treasurer of the Douglas Lodge , a P . M . of the Mailing Abbey Lodge , and a subscribing member of the Bobinson Lodge ; while in the wider circle of Masonry he is well-known as a Past Grand Sword Bearer of England .

The position of Freemasonry in Kent may be judged from its charitable subscriptions . We learn that the amount of Masonic subscriptions to charities from the Province of Kent during the past six years amounts to

£ 16 , 346 8 s 6 d , which does not include the dues which every subscribing member of a Lodge pays to the Grand Lodge and the Provincial Lodge charities . This goes to prove how actively Masonry has been

pursued in the Province of Kent , and particularly in the local district with which Bro . Spencer is connected . The testimonial will , we are sure , be a popularly approved one , and will do something , we should say , to further the Craft in the Province . —" Kent County Standard . "

Western Masonic Association.

WESTERN MASONIC ASSOCIATION .

ALAEGELY-ATTENDED and widely representative meeting of the Masons of the Three Towns was held on the 27 th ult ., at the Masonic Club , Princess Square , Plymouth , to consider a proposal of Bro . C . G . Withell P . M . 70 Treas . 2025 Preceptor Plymouth Lodge

of Instruction , to form a Western District Masonic Association . Bro . Captain G . Strode-Lowe P . G . J . W . was voted to the chair . Bro . Withell having explained his scheme , it was resolved to form an association of the W . M . ' s , Wardens , and P . M . ' s of the Three Towns , to be called the Western District Masonic Institution . The

Officers appointed were : —Bros . Strode-Lowe President , J . B . Lord Vice-chairman , W . Allsford Treasurer , and J . Gilford Secretary . The Brethren at a previous meeting revised the laws of the Fortescue Annuity Fund , with a

view to increasing its usefulness . The alterations suggested will , says the " Western Mercury , " have to be submitted to a meeting of the governors and subscribers of the Institution , and , if adopted , be confirmed by Provincial Grand Lodge . It was decided to recommend that in the future all

special general meetings of the fund shall be held alternately at Exeter and Plymouth , that two auditors shall be appointed instead of one , that donors of five guineas instead of ten guineas shall be governors , that the election of candidates on the fund shall occupy a shorter time ,

Western Masonic Association.

and the rules be more clearly defined , and that at each election the subscribers , as well as the governors , shall be entitled to vote and to take part in the general management of the Institution .

West Yorkshire.

WEST YORKSHIRE .

npHE following Officers were appointed at the annual JL meeting of this Province , which was reported in our last issue : — Jno . R . Armitage , J . P . - - Senior Warden Alfred Arnold , J . P . ... Junior Warden RevJasGeoWilliams - )

. . . - „ , . _ Rev ! Thos . Michael Turnbull - -f Cha P lains Thomas Richards ... Treasurer Thomas Brayshaw ... Registrar Herbert G . E . Green - - - Secretary William Colver

John Taylor Simpson - - -l Senior Deacons Thos . Henry Vernon - - - ' Alfred Scarth - - -. Wm . Edward Smithies - - [ Junior Deacons Wm . Henry Bradford - - - '

Thomas Wrigley ... Sup . of Works William Watson ... Librarian John Wm . Bailey ... Dir . of Ceremonies Edward Jno . Massie ... Deputy D . C . John Dawson

Howgate Holroyd - - - [ Assistant D . C . Wm . Hy . Dawson - - - ' Henry Mitchell ... Sword Bearer John Hy . Roper - - - ) „ , ¦ , ¦ , -n John Spencer - - - Standard Bearers

Walter Bailey ... Organist Joseph Matthewman - - - Assistant Sec . Jno . Archibald Heastio - - Pursuivant James Oldroyd ... Asst . Pursuivant Isaac Kaberry - \

Asa Fawthrop Fountain Read - - ~ , , Frederick C . Robinson - - -f »««««»• Joseph Hartley Charlesworth Goldthorpe . - -I

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CRITERION RESTAURANT . EAST KOOM FOB E / EOHESOHE DINNEES & SUPPERS A LA CARTE . THE WEST ROOM , DINNER , 5 / - ; SUPPER , 4 / - Instrumental Music 11 . 0 to 12 . 30 . Grand Hall 3 / 6 Dinner , AT SEPARATE TABLES , 6 TO 9 . Accompanied by the Celebrated " 8 PIERP 0 N" ORCHESTRA , Academy Luncheon in West Room , 2 / 6 .