New Hall At Ilkley.

NEW HALL AT ILKLEY .

THERE was a numerous attendance of Brethren at Ilkley on Saturday afternoon , to take part in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of new Masonic rooms which are being erected for the members of the Olicana Lodge , No . 1522 . Assembling in the present Lodge room , in the yard of the Crescent Hotel , the Brethren , wearing the regalia , were

marshalled in processional order by Bro . J . Monckman , who officiated throughout as Director of Ceremonies , and walked thence down Church Street to fche site of the new building in Cunliffe Eoad . There was a large concourse of spectators all along the route of the procession , and also in the immediate

vicinity of the new building . Afc the head of fche procession was the Tyler , with a drawn sword , the visiting Brethren , two abreast , immediately following , representatives of the youngest Lodges leading . Next came the Brethren of Olicana , preceded by the banner , and after them the Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge ,

present and past ; next were the bearers of corn , wine , oil , and salt , and of the various implements required in the ceremony , in the rear being Bro . J . Gaunt , and Bro . Johnstone W . M ., who were the mosfc prominent participants in the subsequent ceremony .

The Olicana Lodge , which was constituted on the 10 th February 1875 , had as its first Worshipful Master Bro . J . Gaunt . It was , therefore , only fitting that he should have the honour of

laying the foundation for the new premises , especially as during the whole of the subsequent period he has taken a prominent part in the affairs of the Lodge , and has had no small share in pressing forward the provision of larger and better premises .

The ceremony commenced by the singing of the hundredth Psalm , followed by a prayer by the Eev . Bro . Irton Smith , Vicar of St . Margaret ' s , Ilkley . Bro . J . Illingworth P . M ., on

behalf of the Past Masters of the Olicana Lodge , presented Bro . Gaunt with a silver trowel , and called upon him to lay the stone , and Bro . Gaunt proceeded to perform his portion of the ceremony .

Bro . Johnstone , the regnant W . M ., afterwards proved the just position of the stone wifch the plumb , rule , level , and square , and proceeded , according to ancienUcustom , to strew corn , pour wine and oil , and sprinkle salt over the stone . Then , following the ancient rule of the Order , gold coins were placed upon the

stone for the workmen , and the architects ( Bros . E . Critchley and A . Adkin ) were commanded to complete the building without loss of time . Bros . Johnstone and Gaunt afterwards delivered addresses , at the conclusion of which the anthem , " Hail 1 Masonry , sublime , " was sung . The procession was re-formed , and the members returned to the Lodge-room .

Later on the company banquefcted together at the Middleton Hotel , where the usual Masonic toasts were honoured and congratulatory addresses given . — " Leeds Mercury . "

The representatives of the Lodges on the Committee of Petitions in Devonshire , in recognition of the services of Brother Eev . W . Whittley P . G . D . England P . P . G . S . W . Devon , so freely rendered for many years in London , at the meeting in Exeter , on the 12 th insfc ., presented him wifch a silver salver suitably engraved .

One thing that we cannot understand is how any Mason can accept an office in a Masonic body , take a solemn obligation at his installation to faithfully discharge the duties of ifc to the best of his ability , then not attend more than one-half , or perhaps one-fourth , of the meetings during his term of office . There are

several such instances in the Masonic bodies within our knowledge , and we feel very much like publishing the names of these non-attending Officers , who are thus violating their installation vows and doing a great injury to the bodies that honoured them with an official position . We trust thai ; none of the bodies thus

suffering , will make the mistake of continuing one of these delinquent officials in any position at the approaching annual election . A little show of interest on their part during the remainder of their term will not compensate for the lack of it during the past ten months , nor afford any surety that they will do any better in the year to come . Drop them . — " Advocate . "

A writer to the " Masonic Advocate " asks : —In the case of the funeral of a Brother , after the Lodge had been duly opened and all is in readiness to proceed to fche house of the deceased and to the cemetery , should the Lodge be called from labour to

refreshment , or should the ceremonies be performed by the Lodge at work ? Our contemporary replies : —When the Lodge is ready to leave the hall fche Worshipful Master directs the Marshal to form the procession . The Stewards take their place just inside the door , and the members and officers fall in in the

New Hall At Ilkley.

usual order . When the procession is thus formed fche door is opened and the Tyler , with drawn sword , takes his place afc the head , and the Lodge moves oufc without further ceremony . Ifc is an open Lodge and under full control of the Worshipful Master , as much so as while in the Lodge room . No one should be

permitted to enter or leave the ranks without his permission while the Lodge is in public . On returning from the funeral , upon arriving at the hall the procession is reversed , and thus enters the Lodge room , which brings the Tyler back to his place outside the door , and the Lodge is then closed in regular form .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

SUPPLE MENTING our notice of last week , we learn thafc the late Bro . W . Taylor , of Torquay , was appointed , in 1885 , E . P . of the Eoyal Sussex Preceptory of Knights Templar , and became Prov . G . Treas ., afterwards receiving the distinguished appointment of Grand Captain of the Guards in the National Grand Priory . He was the Z . of the Eoyal Arch Chapter and

Prov . Grand Treasurer in 1888 . In 1890 he was W . M . of fche Jordan Mark Lodge , No . 319 , and Prov . Grand Eegistrar in 1891 . In 1892 he filled the chair of the Eoyal Ark Mariners , No . 319 ; and in 1893 he filled the chair of the Coryton and Rougemont Union Chapter of Eose Croix . He was forty-seven years of age , and leaves a widow and three children . As already

mentioned , the funeral took place on Wednesday , 5 th insfc ., amid general manifestations of respect and sympathy . The Freemasons of the several Lodges in the town and neighbourhood who responded to the invitation of Sfc . John Lodge to be present afc the obsequies—for which the Provincial Grand Master Viscount Ebrington had granted a dispensation for fche Brethren

to appear in Masonic clothiug—assembled afc the Masonic Hall , and were marshalled in procession by the Director of Ceremonies Bro . John Chapman P . Prov . G . D . The funeral procession was a . long one . Most of fche Freemasons walked four abreast in front of the hearse , following which there was a large number of carriages . The procession was met at the cemetery by the Eev .

G . H . Statham , Eector of St . Mark ' s , Torwood , who was assisted by the Eev . J . Henning , Vicar of Cockingfcon , P . Prov . G . Chap . Devon . The coffin was borne from the hearse to the church , and afterwards to the grave , by ten Past Masters of the Torquay Lodges . At the conclusion of the ordinary service , Bro . J . Chapman P . Prov . G . D ., as Director of Ceremonies

with the other Brethren , threw a sprig of acacia into the grave , and in doing so said , " Alas , my Brother . We consign his body to the grave ; we commend his spirit to God who gave ifc , and we cherish his memory here . " Bro . Chapman then delivered trie following Masonic oration * . — " We are met this day to pay the lasfc sad offices of respect to departed merit . We are thus

called upon by tbe most solemn admonition to recognise the uncertainty of life , the certainty of death , and the vanity of worldly ambition . By this evergreen we have just deposited in the grave we are forcibly reminded , in the beautiful words of our ritual , that in this perishable frame there resides a vital and immortal principle which inspires a holy confidence that the

Lord of Life will enable us to trample the King of Terrors beneath our feet . The last offices to pay to the dead are useless except as they point us to the happy future . Our Brother who has passed away from us has left behind him many tokens of a true Masonic life . His efforts to promulgate the principles of Freemasonry during the twenty-one years he was connected with

the Order have proved to all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance that he thoroughly believed in and practiced to the best of his ability the tenets to which he had subscribed . Bro . William Taylor was initiated into Ancient . and Accepted Freemasonry in St . John Lodge , No . 328 , Torquay , on the 19 fch day of April 1875 . He very early manifested zeal and ability for the

development of the several degrees of Freemasonry . His uniform kind and courteous demeanour won for him promotion in Masonic rank , so fchafc he soon became a centre fco which the newly-initiated gathered for general information . Ifc was , however , during the nine years in which he held the office of Secretary to the Lodge that his rare Masonic gifts and graces were

unfolded . It was while discharging those onerous duties that the bright traits of his character—benevolence , amiability , and devotion to the interests of the Craft—were amply displayed . He was- one to whom the burdened heart could pour forth its sorrows , and to whom the distressed could prefer his suit , whose

heart was guided by justice , and whose hand was extended by benevolence . While we mourn the loss of a veteran Brother , let us nofc withhold from his memory the commendation that his virtues claim at our hands , and , in consigning his mortal remains to the silent grave , may we not say :

And oh , when both broken , our bowl and our token ' , In that Home where dwell Honour , Virtue , and Love , These stamp'd in each soul , be our pass to th' goal , And we shall meet once more in the Grand Lodge above . " A number of wreaths were contributed by the Freemasons , and relatives and friends .