Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

— : o : — •We shall be pleased to receive particulars of Masonic meetings tor insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative , to report Lodge or other proceedings . We do not sanction anyone attending Lodge meetings as our reprer ' sentattve without a specific invitation .

CRAFT : METROPOLITAN . — : o : —

Duke of Connaught Lodge , No . 15 24 . IT will be' in the memory of our readers that the installation meeting of this Lodge was held on the 31 st January last , at the time the nation was first experiencing the shock caused by the death of Her Majesty Queen Victoria , and that as a consequence the installation banquet was postponed until the March meeting , which was

held' on Thursday , 28 th ult ., at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , the whole of the proceedings being of such a hearty and cordial character as to in a measure compensate the new W . M . Bro . Albeit Smith for the disappointment he experienced at the time of his installation , when the . whole , of the surroundings were of a really funereal character .

The Lodge was called for 4 . 30 p . m ., and was regularly opened by the W . M ., who was well supported by Past Masters , Brethren , and Visitors during the meeting . Eleven of the fifteen Past Masters on the roll of the Lodge were present , including the four highest in point of seniority , and six of the first seven .

Those present wearing collars of Office were Bros . James Bedford LP . M . / F . Henderson S . W ., H . W . D . Willis J . W ., W . H . Brand P . M . ( 1 SS 0 ) Treasurer , C . Lorkin P . M . ( 188 3 ) Secretary , E . Dignam P ; M . ( 1 S 82 ); A . Ferrar P . M . ( 1886 ) , A . R . Olley P . M . ( 1889 ) , J . H . Rich P . M . ( 1891 ) , W . T . Oakley P . M . ( 1 S 9 6 ) , H . Pearse P . M . ( 1897 ) , A . M . Archer P . M . ( 18 9 8 ) , E . Frisby P . M . ( 18 99 ) Organist , H . G . C . Hollinghurst S . D ., J . B . Welch J . D ., L . G . Hammond D . C ., E . T . Stevens and A . S . Black Stewards , T . Williams Tyler .

There was a full agenda of business , and after having opened the Lodgethe W . M . proceeded to dispose of it in really masterly manner . There were three raisings , two passings , and two initiations , all of which were carried through in most approved form . A grant of ten guineas was made from the Lodge for a late

member's widow , while further effort in the cause of Masonic benevolence was . specially made by Bro . Frisby P . M ., who succeeded in collecting nearly three hundred and fifty votes on behalf of the daughter of the late Bro . Allardyce , an old member of the Lodge , who died some short time since .

At the conclusion of the work the Lodge was closed , and the Brethren proceeded to the banquet hall , where the Installation Festival was celebrated . The visitors included Bros . G . A . Sturgess W . M . 53 8 , A . J . Wood 1706 , Howard E . Mullins S . W . 211 , J . Stevenson 2 . , Russell Hill P . M . 2343 , A . Haylock 27 , Alfred Kelland Steward 16 72 , J . Newlands 2374 W . W . Morgan 177 .

, At . the conclusion of the dinner grace was said , and then the W . M . ' submitted ' the Loyal toast of the King and the Craft . His Majesty had shown himself to be a worthy son , and he believed that in him they had' a good successor of a most worthy sovereign . Then followed the toast of the Duke of Connaught Grand Masterelect , and the Officers of Grand Lodge .

Bro . Bedford next assumed the gavel . The toast he had to propose was one that always came with a great deal of joy from the Immediate Past Master , who was enabled to look back upon all his shortcomings with the knowled ge that no one could then find fault with him , no matter what he did . He looked upon a new Worshipful Master as one in the teething stage—with all his troubles to come .

As in the outer world they said the King never died , so in their Lodges neither did the W . M . The W . M . was dead , long live the W . M . The present ruler of the Lod ge assumed the reigns of government at the last meeting , under somewhat distressing surroundings , but the way in which he took up the work convinced them all—from the highest

to the lovyest—that he was the soul of courtesy and kindness , and one in whom the Lodge might take pride and pleasure . The day for long speeches . for him was past , the fact being he had done so much talking that there was little left for him to say . Happily it was not necessary m proposing the health of the W . M ., which was most cordially honoured .

The W . M . tendered his sincere thanks for the hearty reception of the toast , and he also thanked Bro . Bedford for the kind words with which he had introduced it . He had tried to redeem the promise he made when the Brethren elected him to the proud position of Master , and if he in any way came up to their expectations he should indeed be a proud man that day .

_ The next toast , said the W . M ., was usually considered , and rightly so , the toast of the evening , being the health of the initiates . Masonry , like everything else , could not succeed without additions to . its ranks . They had admitted two gentlemen that evening and one was initiated at the last meeting , so that they had to welcome three

worthy Brethren who , he felt , would become a credit to the Craft . He hoped they would at once aspire to , and eventually reach , the position he at present occupied in the Lodge . Each of the new members replied , expressing their thanks , and the pleasure they had experienced in being admitted to the Craft .

The Charity box having been sent round the Lodge the W . M . announced the contents as amounting to 34 s . In giving the health of the Visitors the W . M . tendered them a hearty welcome . The toast had hitherto been received in the Lodge with the greatest ' enthusiasm , and he trusted it would be . as well received as usual , which proved to be the case . Bros . Sturgess W . M . 53 S , A . J . Wood 1706 , and the other

Reports Of Meetings.

visitors replied . Bro . Wood said that in the W . M . he had really his first Masonic friend . A near neighbour of theirs died , leaving a widow and children , and mainly through the efforts of Bro . Smith they had been enabled to get two of those children into ' the Masonic Schools .

The W . M . proposed the health of the Treasurer and Secretary , a toast he was sure they would drink most heartily . The worthy Brethren had held the positions they occupied in the Lodge for very many years , with satisfaction to the members and credit to themselves .

Bro . Brand Treasurer was very glad the new Worshipful Master had started a year of short speeches . The Brethren could understand that in his case it was very difficult to find fresh words to say on each occasion he was called upon . He was very pleased to see the Lodge still prospering , and hoped they would not only keep up the quantity but also the quality of their membership . The Lodge had always been known as one of the best working Lodges of London , and he hoped it would long enjoy that distinction .

Bro . Lorkin Secretary was very proud of the reception accorded him , and very pleased to see so large an assemblage . There were not so many as they had expected , but most of the absentees were to be accounted for by the ravages of influenza , and attacks of British climate on the chest . He felt that for some considerable time they had not had a Master in the chair who had let the ritual

really glide forth as their present Worshipful Master was able to do , and this came as a surprise to many of them , as the W . M . was what he might almost call a stranger in the Lodge . There were many of the members who hardly knew him until he rose to the dignity of the chairs . He had not been in many Offices , but he

had come to the front , and he evidently meant to stop there . Some years ago a member of the Lodge died , and little was said about the widow and children , but the wife of the present Worshipful Master worked zealously and admirably on their behalf , with the result that two of them were elected to the Masonic Schools . At that time the

W . M . was not a member of the Craft , but he saw the beauty of the Order and speedily sought admission . The wife of the W . M ., as they could see for themselves that evening , wore more jewels than any of the Brethren there that night , and no doubt many of them had wondered what jewels they were . They were the result of that lady ' s efforts on behalf of the Institutions of Freemasonry ; each one of them represented a service rendered by Mrs . Smith , who was a

Life Governor of the three Funds and Vice Patron of two of them , and she had funds in hand from which she hoped to make herself Patron of all three . Bro . Lorkin felt that Mrs . Smith had really done as much as all of the members of the Lodge put together , and all honour to her for doing so . He remembered on one occasion at a large gathering of Ladies and Brethren Mrs . Smith was referred to as the only lady medalist present .

Bro . Frisby felt it was not out of place to ask the Brethren to drink the health of Mrs . Smith , and pointed to a large batch of votes he had just received from that lady on behalf of the candidature of young Allardyce , as a tangible proof of her interest in the work of Freemasonry . The toast was heartily honoured , and was acknowledged by the Worshipful Master , who said it was exceedingly kind

of the Brethren to take so much interest , and for Bro . Lorkin to mention some of the virtues , of his very much better half . All the members of her family were Masons , and he confesssed it was really through her that he had sought admission to the Craft . She had qualified as Bro . Lorkin had told them for the honours of the

Craft , and was never tired of doing what she could in its behalf . The Institutions of the Craft for which she had laboured were certainly very worthy objects and he had no doubt she would continue to devote herself to the good cause ; He thanked the Brethren most sincerely on her behalf .

The W . M . proposed the health of the Past Masters , characterising them as the pillars of the Lodge—Brethren to whom they looked for help and assistance , and who were always found ready and willing to do anything to help the Brother who attained to the position of Worshipful Master .

Bro . Bedford replied . He felt he had done his work very badly during his term of Office , and had finished up worse ; he had the grace to know it , the pluck to acknowledge it , and just enough common sense to take all the kind things that were uttered and place them to the generosity of the Brethren who uttered them , rather than to the individual to whom they were directed . He knew—no man better

—the unsatisfactory way in which he went through his year of Mastership , but outside the Lodge he had had a year of trouble , and a year of heavy pecuniary losses , through doing kindly actions to others . He felt they had now a very excellent Master in the Lodgenot perhaps such a showy one , or one with such a gift of the gab as they had last year , but one with a thorough knowledge of

Freemasonry , and he thought they would find the Lodge would greatly benefit by his ruling . He was accustomed to put things down at what they were worth , and felt the Lodge had now a much better Master than it had last year . He had found a lot of good in Freemasonry , and was obliged to the Brethren for their reception of the toast of the Past Masters .

Bro . Dignam followed , adding his tribute to the ability displayed by the Worshipful Master . He should very much like to see the Lodge do better on behalf of the Charities ; he felt the Lodge ought to send up a Steward at least every year . Bros . Rich , Oakley , Archer , and Frisby also replied , Brother Oakley specially congratulating the W . M . on the great support rendered by his wife to the Masonic Institutions .

Bro . Frisby , in the course of his remarks , desired to thank the Brethren for the help they had given in support of the case of the daughter of their Brother Allardyce , and trusted with a continuance of such generous support that they would be able to carry the election . The toast of the Officers was next given , and those who were present acknowledged it in turn .