Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

THB Quarterly Convocation of Grand Chapter was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , London . In the absence of the regular Grand Officers the chair of Z . was filled by Comp . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , that of H . by Comp . James Glaisher , and that of J . by

Comp . J . Sampson Peirce . There were also present Comps . Col . Shadwell H . Gierke S . E ., the Rev . Thomas Robinson S . N ., Robert Grey President of the Committee of General Purposes ; Baron de Ferrieres as 1 st A . S ., the

Rev . 0 . W . Spencer Stanhope as 2 nd A . S . The minutes having been confirmed , the acting Z . announced thafc H . R . H . the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M . was , by virtue of that office , Grand Z . of England for tbe year . His Royal

Highness had appointed the Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon Pro Grand Z ., while the Right Hon . tbe Earl of Lathom was , by virtue of his Deputy Grand Mastership in Grand Lodge , H . of Grand Chapter . The Grand Z . had

appointed the Right Hon . Lord Leigh J ., Comp . Col . Shadwell H . Gierke S . E ., and tbe right Hon . the Earl of Limerick S . N ., Comps . Robert Grey President of the

Board of General Purposes , D . P . Cama Grand Treasurer , and F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar . The Companions were invested witb tbe otber collars of Grand Chapter : —

Comp . the Rev . J . Nelson Palmer ... Principal Sojourner W . Mortimer Heath ... ... 1 st Assistant Sojourner Ralph Clntton ... ... 2 nd Assistant Sojourner J . E . Le Feuvre ... ... Sword Bearer

Rudolph Glover ... ... 1 st Standard Bearer H . Trueman Wood ... ... 2 nd Standard Bearer Wm . Roebuck ... ... 3 rd Standard Bearer

George Toller ... ... 4 th Standard Bearer Frank Richardson ... ... Director of Ceremonies E . Dean Davis ... ... Deputy Dir . of Cers . Wm . Clarke ... ... ... Assistant Dir . of Cers .

Wilhelm Kuhe ... ... Organist Henry Sadler ... ... ... Janitor Comp . Philbrick then read a communication from the Grand Z ., to tbe effect tbat , in recognition of the

distinguished services rendered to Royal Arch Masonry for many years past by E . Comp . Thomas Fenn Past Grand Sword Bearer , His Royal Highness had been pleased to confer upon him the rank and precedence of a Past

President of the Committee of General Purposes , which he requested the acting Z . to duly announce to Grand Chapter . Companion Philbrick conld scarcely express the pleasure it gave him to he the means of conveying to

Grand Chapter this announcement of an honour as worthily deserved as he believed it was well bestowed . Every Companion knew how thoroughly this great mark of His Royal Highness ' s favour was deserved by Comp .

ienn , and it was fully appreciated by the Companions . The Report of theJCommittee of General Purposes , which we published in our last issue , was taken as read , duly received , and ] * ordered to be entered on the minutes .

Comp . Robert Grey P . A . G , Soj . President of the Committee moved , and Comp . J . Lewis Thomas seconded , the granting of the eight warrants for new Chapters for which petitions had been received , as also the granting of

a centenary warrant for the Chapter of Fidelity , No . 3 . Comp . Grey said that , with respect to tbe Chapter which had exalted a brother before he had been twelve months a Master Mason , it was only a few days within the year , and

it appeared in this case , as be believed it was in others , the Companions took the date of initiation instead of the date of tbe raising , and that they bad unwittingly fallen into error . Perhaps if this was made known among the

Order generally the mistake would be avoided in the future . Tbe acting Z . stated that the new Royal Arch Regulations provided that the Committee of General Purposes should consist of the Grand Principals , a President , and

two other members to be nominated by tbe Grand First Principal at the Quarterly Convocation in May , and six other members to be elected by Grand Chapter at the same Convocation . Whereupon Col . Shadwell IL Gierke

informed the M . E . Z . that the Princo of Wales had appointed Comp . Robert Grey President of the Committee , and Comps . E . Letchworth and Robert Turtle

Pigotfc the two nominated members . Comps . C . F . Hogard , Geo . Lambert , J . L . Mather , F . Davison , W . A . Dawson , and James Lewis Thomas were elected by Grand Chapter

Royal Arch.

to complete the Committee . The appeal of Companion Joseph Dawson P . Z . 832 was then considered and subsequently dismissed , after which Grand Chapter was closed . Ifc was announced dnring tbe meeting thafc the new Royal Arch Regulations were ready for distribution .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Essex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF ESSEX .

nP-TE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapter was held * on Monday list , at Colchester , under the presidency of the Grand Superintendent of the Province , Ex-Comp . Fred . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar . The business meeting was held in the handsome library of Colchester Castle ( kindly lent by Bro . James Round , M . P . ) , and commenced at two o ' clock , with the confirmation of the

minutes of the last meeting , held at Southend , on 19 th November 1881 . The P . G . S . E . then called the roll of the Chapter .., which showed them all to be represented , the total number of members for 1885 boing 114 , as aorainsfc 110 in 1884 . The Auditors reported a balance in hand of £ 25 17 s 6 d . The Officers of the year were appointed and invested as

nnder—Comp . Vero W . Taylor P . Z . 270 ... P . G . H . Alfred Welch P . Z . 51 ... P . G . J . T . J . Railing P . Z , S . E . 51 ( 3 rd year ) P . G . S . E . George Cowell P . Z . 214 P . G . S . N . Thomas King Z . 1000 ... ... P . G . Registrar

Frank Whitmore P . Z . 276 ... P . G . P . S . Arthur Mead J . elect 276 ... ... P . G . 1 st Assistant James S . Fraz ° r Z . 214 ... ... P . G . 2 nd Assistant Thomas Rix P . Z . 5 l ... ... P . G . Sword Bearer W . D . Merritt Z . elect 1000 ... P . G . Standard Bearer Albert Lucking P . Z . 1000 ( 3 rd year ) P . G . Dir . of Cers . Osmond Org . 51 ... ... P . G . Organist A . W . Martin 1000 ... ... P . G . Janitor

On the motion of Ex-Comp . the Rev . F . B . Shepherd P . Z . and S . E . 276 P . P . G . H ., seconded by Ex-Comp . A . C . Veley P . Z . 276 , Ex-Comp . Andrew Durrant P . Z . and Treas . 276 was re-elected P . G . Treas . The Grand Superintendent , in his address to the Companions , explained that in the ordinary course of things their meeting would

have been held in the autumn , bufc afc thafc time tbe country was in the turmoil of the General Election , and it was considered advisable to postpone it . The returns read by the P . G . S . E . showed thafc nofc only had the Chapters maintained their ground , but had made steady progress . That , he thonght , was a subject for congratulation ,

especially in these times , and situate as they were in the midst of an agricultural district suffering under an unprecedented state of depression . He was glad to note thafc there were signs of increased activity among the R . A . Masons of the Province , for only last week the brethren of the Liberty of Havering Lodge , meeting at Romford ,

sanctioned an application to the Grand Chapter for a Chapter to be attached to their Lodge . Should H . R . H . the Grand Z . be pleased to accede to the prayer of the petitioners , a Chapter at Romford would fill the void occasioned by the removal of the Brentwood Chapter to Chingford . Having referred to tho recent revision of the Book of

Constitution of the Grand Chapter , and explained somo of the provisions thereof , the Grand Superintendent congratulated the Comps . •upon the harmony thafc prevailed in the Province , aud expressed a J hope thafc when they next mot they should be able to report further progress . On the motion of tho P . G . H ., seconded by the P . G . J ., the

sumof . BIO 10 s was voted to tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Ex-Comp . Georgo Cooper P . Z . ancl S . E . 214 said he was authorised to invite the Grand Super ! ntendent to hold his next meet - ing under the banner of tii-3 Hope and Unity Chapter , at Chingford . Tho Grand Superintendent said he should be pleased to accede to the

kind invitation of tho Comps . of the Hope and Unity Chapter , and thanked them for it . A vote of thanks was passed to Bro . Round for his kindness in granting the use of the Castle Library , and fco Miss Philbrick ( sister of the Grand Superintendent ) for a thoughtful present of button-hole bouquets . P . G . Chapter was shortly afterwards

closed , and the Gomps adjourned to fche Red Lion Hotel , where a I recherche banquet was well served by the host ( Comp . Hart ) , the Grand Superintendent presiding . Among the R . A . Masons present , ; in addition to the Officers mentioned above , were—Ex-Comps . the Rov . F . B . Shepherd P . P . G . H ., George Cooper P . P . G . J ., E . England

Phillips P . P . G . J ., Fred . Wood P . P . G . S . N ., G . F . Jones P . P . G . P . S ., W . Sowman P . P . G . A . S ., James P . Lewin P . P . G , Swd . Br ., John J . 0 . Turner P . P . G . O ., A . C . Veley P . Z . 27 G , J . E . Wiseman P . P . G . Std . Br . ; and Comps . John Dean 51 , 11 . D . Poppleton 51 , J . G . Pothon 51 , A . S . B . Sparling S . E . 51 , George Harrison P . S . 51 , Charles Godfrey

214 , and Edmund Gowers 51 . Letters expressing regret afc their inability to attend wero received from ex-Comp .. Shadsvell Gierke P . G . S . E ., M _ jo .-Gor . eral Laurie G . Supt . Nova Scotia , the Rev . C . J . Martyn G . Supt . Suffolk , T . F . Halsey , M . P ., G . Supt . Herts , G . E . Lake P . G . S . B . Herts . W . H . Jarrold P . G . S . E . Cambs . ancl N . Tracy P . G . S . E . Suffolk . —Essex Standard ,

The Fifteen Sections

THE FIFTEEN SECTIONS

XX 1 LL BE WORKED By the brethren of the Percy Lodge of Instruction , No . 193 , by special invitation , at tho Kingsland Lodge of Instruction , No . 1603 , held at the Cock Tavern , Highbury , on Monday , 17 th May , at 7 o ' clock .

Bros . I . P . Cohen P . M . 205 W . M ., H . G . Gush P . M . 1541 S . W ., R . W . Galer S . W . 1366 J . W . First L . cture—Bros . Barnett , Garner , Turner , Jenkins , Penner , Be .-itton , Powell . Second Lecture—Bros . Hancock , Dixie , Giddiugs , Kirk , Gush . Third Lecture—Bros , Williams , Weeden , Cross . Bro . Collingridge 1677 Secretary .