Hants And Isle Of Wight.

HANTS AND ISLE OF WIGHT .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Town Hall , Ryde , on Tuesday afternoon , 2 nd inst ., under the presidency of Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master , and was largely attended by Brethren from all parts of the Province .

The roll was called by Bro . Lancaster Assistant Sec , and was reponded to by representatives of nearly every Lodge in the Province . The accounts were submitted by the Provincial Grand Treasurer Bro . J . W . Gieve , and were of a satisfactory character .

Bro . R . Eve , in proposing that the accounts be received and adopted , said he was sorry that the position he decupled that day was not held as usual by their Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . LeFeuvre , whose illness continued , to the ' very * great regret of all the Brethren . The

Provincial Grand Lodge had expended a considerable amount in charity during the past year , for not only had they yoteci the usual hundred guineas , but 500 guineas as well to the Boys School , and notwithstanding this large payment there was a balance at the bank ' to the credit of the Province .

He remembered the time when they had no invested capital iii the Provincial Grand Lodge , but now they received interest from investments in Consols and Victorian and New Zealand Bonds , and also on a deposit at the bank . The motion was seconded , and carried .

Bro . Lashmore moved , and Bro . Francis Newman seconded , the re-election as Treasurer of Bro . Gieve , and the motion , was carried with applause , the Provincial Grand jyiaster expressing his appreciation of the value of the services rendered to the Province by Bro . Gieve , who , in

acknowledging the vote , said it would give him pleasure to continue in the office , arid he had particular pleasure in now acknowledging : his re-appointment , inasmuch as it was ten years ago

that day , that he was first elected to it . Nine times had he heen re-elected , and he felt sure that had his opponent at the first election been present that day he would have been glad to have proposed or seconded his re-election .

The Audit Committee was then appointed , after which Bro . Lancaster read the report of the Provincial Grand Lodge , Committee , which detailed , among other matterSj the successful efforts made on behalf of the Province in

connection with the elections of candidates to the benefits of the Masonic Charities . The Provincial Grand Master said they had heard by the report that the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . Le Feuvre was prevented attending through illness . They had

hopes on the last occasion that his illness would be only temporary , and that he would in due course meet the Brethren and occupy his usual place in Provincial Grand Lodge in ' the enjoyment of good health . He regretted , however , that those hopes had not been fulfilled . Bro . Le

Feuvre ' s health was now so impaired that that Brother felt he could no longer continue in the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master . He received this communication , in the first instance , with very deep regret , and he at once asked him to continue in the office , but lighten his labours by taking a

rest , which he trusted would have happy results . Bro . Le Feuvre did so for a little time , but his health did not improve , and not feeling happy in an office in which he could not be active , he had , the P . G . M . regretted to say , written that he could not continue to act any more . He could only

say . for himself that he felt the loss deeply , and he was sure that all the Brethren would join him in a feeling of regret that Bro . LeFeuvre had been compelled to retire from the office which he had well filled for many 3 / ears . His recollection of him went back a very long time ; he had

known him as Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary , then as Provincial Grand Secretary , and afterwards as Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and they all knew how he threw into the work of those offices all that energy which was characteristic of his disposition . He was sure they all joined

with him in the hope that his present illness was only temporary , and that , though he would no longer fill the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , he would recover sufficiently to be able to again take an active part in that Masonic work which he loved so well . Bro . LeFeuvre had

been of the utmost service to him as his Deputy ; he had found in him a most able counsellor , to whom he looked for help on every occasion ; he had been most indefatigable in

his work , taking an interest in every Lodge in the Province , and making himself acquainted with the capabilities of the Brethren . He asked them to join him in extending towards him their hearty sympathy , trusting that his health would be

Hants And Isle Of Wight.

speedily restored , and that they would have him among them for many years to come . Bro . R . Loveland Loveland said the Provincial Grand Master had given him the opportunity of saying a few words concerning Bro . LeFeuvre , from an Isle of Wight point of view . The Provincial Grand Master had principally

spoken , and well spoken , of him as his Deputy , and they all knew what an excellent Deputy he had made . He had known him for thirty-three years ; he had seen him in his Masonic work in Hampshire , and he had , too , seen much of his work in London , where he was connected with many societies of which that Provincial Grand Lodge was not cognisant , and he was afraid that , the present state of his

health was very greatly due to his activity and hard work as a Freemason . He had suddenly collapsed , for a time only , they hoped ; and they trusted that the voyage he was now taking would restore his health . Bro . LeFeuvre was a man who did not care to fill an * office in which he could not work , hence his resignation of the office . Bro . Loveland Loveland made further sympathetic allusions to the late D . P . G . M ., and was followed by

Bro . Eve , who said he missed Bro . LeFeuvre as a personal friend . He hoped they would not lose his presence among them , for there was no Brother in Hampshire who had rendered more faithful service to Masonry than he . The Provincial Grand Master said that the office of

Deputy Provincial Grand Master being now vacant , he felt he could not better consult the wishes of the Province than by appointing Bro . Goble to fill the vacancy . Bro . Goble had been for many years Provincial Grand Secretary , and the Brethren generally could hardly conceive what an onerous position that was . He had discharged the duties with the utmost ability , and he felt sure that in the higher office he would act in the interests of the Craft , and bring to

the discharge of the duties all the abilities he had shown in his previous capacity . He had every confidence in asking him to accept the office of Deputy Grand Master of this large arid important Province . Bro . Lancaster read the patent for the appointment of Bro . Goble , who then took the obligation , and was next invested and saluted in Masonic form .

The D . P . G . M . said he heartily thanked the Provincial Grand Master for having selected him as his Deputy , and he assured him he would endeavour to carry out the duties to the satisfaction of every Officer and Brother of the Province . He made some graceful allusions to the late Deputy , and read extracts from two letters he had received from him , which were full of sympathy , and in one of which he said that if his

memory served him rightly he had never come into personal conflict with any of the Brethren . He added , in a letter written from on board the " Gaul , " on the 2 nd of July , that he looked forward * to meeting all the Brethren again with the highest satisfaction , and to supporting him as his successor , and to join in the congratulations which he was sure his appointment would evoke .

tThe Provincial Grand Master then invested the Officers for the year , as follow :

Bro . A . E . F . Francis - Senior Warden E . A . Farr ----- Junior Warden r-l ^ ohardson l I l l J Ohaptain . 3 . W . Gieve ... - Treasurer W . Dunn ----- Registrar H . G . Giles --- - - Secretary

w . B D nck : : : : I Senior Dcac ° i : mmdg e - - - - - l JUQior Deaco * 0 . S . Dusantoy ... - Superintendent of Works

E . W . Ward .... Director of Ceremonies Shepherd ---- - Deputy Dir . of Cers . S . Frampton - - - - j J . M . Godfrey - - - - > Assistant Dirs . of Cers . R . Young - - - - - ) H . Hussey ----- Sword Bearer

T . M . Taylor - ) R . Wyatt - - - - , Standard Bearers G . H . Atkinson - - - - ) H . Siebert ----- Organist G . F . Lancaster - Assist . Secretary G . Rogers - ---- Pursuivant E . G . A . Nash - Assistant Pursuivant E . R . RatclifE - - - - \ F . Fairweather - - - -

Evanf :::::stewards - Dake - - - - - | Guy- ) 3 . Exall ----- Tyler .

The Provincial Grand Master went on to refer to the increase of Masonry in the Province during the year , and particularly spoke of the interesting ceremony at St . Paul ' s ,