Centenary: St. Michael's Lodge.

CENTENARY : ST . MICHAEL'S LODGE

THIS Lodge , No . 211 on the Register , having attained its Centenary , celebrated the event on Tuesday evening at its ordinary meeting in November , at the Albion Tavern , Aldersgate Street . Brother George Cockrell W . M . presided . The Visitors included the following Brethren : —

W . Mason Stiles Grand Treasurer , Dr . Ralph Gooding P . G . D ., J . M . McLcod P . P . S . G . W . Derbyshire , It . C . Mount P . P . S . G . W . Berks and Bucks , Past Masters R . I ' oore 1919 , F . A . Powell -157 , J . B . Stevens 1 C 27 , S . Webb 1287 , Stephen Richardson 183 , G . W . Goss 176 , Henry Massey 1928 , E .

Austen 1793 , G . E . Higginson 1791 , A . R . Meggy W . M . 214 ( which Lodge , the Hope and Unity , will celebrate its centenary on the 16 th inst . ) , H . P . E , Harrison W . M . 1793 ; also Charles Wells J . D . 2323 , H . A . Harris 1421 , and H . Appleford 190 .

Thero were also present Bros . W . G . Jennings , G . E . Abseil , F . W . Berry , G . C . Brightiing , A . M . Usher , \ V . Parsons . Officers : W . J . Dyer I . P . M ., G . J . Copley S . W ., A . B . Suawforth J . W ., Alfred Green P . M . Treas .,

Wm . Radcliffe P . M . Sec , Cecil Mount S . D ., A . H . Collings J . D ., P . J . King I . G ., Orlton Cooper P . M . D . C , E . C . Collings Organist , H . Lindlicld P . M . Steward , and Past Masters of the Lodgo Bros . Alexr . Dickson , W . Kirkland and P . J . King .

After the Lodge had been opened , Bro . Eadcliffe P . M . Sec . read the correspondence between him and the Grand Secretary , which referred to the Centenary Warrant , which it was afterwards resolved should be eutered on the minutes . This was followed by a motion by Bro . A . Green P . M . Treasurer , and father

of the Lodge , seconded by Brother Orlton Cooper P . M ., to commemorate the Centenary by giving ten guineas to the Boys School to endow the S . W . chair as a Life Subscriber to that Institution , and a similar sum to the Girls School to confer the same rank on the J . W . chair to that Institution . Carried .

A letter from the Grand Secretary was read , in which that Brother regretted his inability to be present , as he was at Oxford at the installation of Viscount Valentia , M . P ., as Provincial

Grand Superintendent of the Eoyal Arch for Oxfordshire , and stating that Brother Stiles Grand Treasurer would present the Centenary Warrant . This letter was also ordered to be entered on the minutes .

Brother W . M . Stiles Grand Treasurer then rose , and said the event was a very important one and every Brother Mason must be justly proud that their predecessors in this Lodge had carried out their duties so ably and kept the Lodge minutes so well that there was no difficulty in obtaining the Centenary

Warrant . During all his Masonic experience he had known the St . Michael's Lodge , and had looked upon it as one of the grand old Lodges of the City of London . He was pleased to present on behalf of the Grand Secretary the Warrant from the Grand Master , and he hoped that during the W . M . ' s year of office as

well as afterwards tfie Brethren would not forget that the St , Michael's Lodge had been in existence 100 years . He also hoped that the same good fellowship would exist among the Brethren as had existed hitherto , that every success might attend the Lodge , and that the Warrant might be handed down from

W . M . to W . M . pure and unsullied as Bro . Cockrell now received it . He also pinned on the breast of the W . M . a Centenary jewel and congratulated Bro . Cockrell on his happy lot of presiding over the Lodge in its Centenary year , wishing him many years of life and health to be a P . M . of the St . Michael's Lodge .

Bro . George Cockrell W . M ., in accepting tho presentation said : On behalf of myself and the Brethren of St . Michael ' s Lodge I have to convey my thanks through Bro . William Mason Stiles the Grand Treasurer , to the Grand Master and to the Grand Officers for kindly allowing us to celebrate our Centenary ,

and granting us this Centenary Warrant , and I hope that at the end of my year of office I shall hand the Warrant over to my successor as pure and unsullied as I now redeive it . I am sure

that not only myself , but also all of us wish to thank our Bro . Past Master William Mason Stiles Grand Treasurer for presenting it , and for the kind remarks he has made to the Brethren of the Lodge and to myself .

Centenary jewels were then presented to the members of the Lodge , and hearty good wishes having been given by the Visitors , Bro . Cockrell said , Brethren your hearty good wishes are heartily reciprocated by me . The Lodge was thereupon closed , and the Brethren

adjourned to a superb banquet , at which Brother Cockrell W . M . presided , the toasts were subsequently honoured , and some first class singing was given by Madame Stella , Master S . Bennett , and Messrs .. Challenger , Eichmoud , Bennett , Dorman , F . W .

Humble and Will Bowyer , Mr . J . Bennett as the accompanist , In the course of the evening Brother Past Master Orlton Coopei recited the following , which was specially composed by him for the occasion :

A hundred years lie buried in the past Since first St . Michael ' s saw Masonic Light . One hundred years I Oil ! what a prospect vast Whoso grandeur fills our hearts with joy to-night .

One hundred years !—And yet 'tis but a span Amid the mighty centuries gone before Wherein our Fathers worked , joined man with man To found the Order that we all adore .

Centenary: St. Michael's Lodge.

Our noble Craft , whose aim is always pressed In furtherance of everything that's good To hoip the weak , to solace tho distressed , And bind the world in oue grand brotherhood .

lu that great cause , St . Michael ' s has done much To send into tho world good men and true , To bring together in a closer touch All sects , all peoples , e ' en the far Hindu .

It's name is blazoned on the glorious roll Of our Grand Charities , which none exceed , W hose fame is spread on earth from pole to pole •Assisting young and old in time of need . To mark this meeting with a special gift

Wo have to-day endowed the Wardens' Chairs So in tho future we may chance to lift The load from those who bear the weight of years . Full many a change we ' ve seen of Brothers dear Who laboured for the Cause—then passed away

To realms beyond the night ; but ever near Their Spirits cheer us on Life's fitful way . And so may we when this brief life is done Find our reward for all our earthly pains ; And join our Brothers when our course is run Where the Great Architect for ever reigns .

Bro . Cockrell W . M ., in proposing the health of the Queen , said the Brethren all knew what a good Queen they had , and how she was blessed with that virtue which was the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart .

In giving the toast of the M . W . G . M . H . E . H . the Prince of Wales , Bro . Cockrell said Freemasons were aware what an able Grand Master they had , and how the Order had flourished throughout the nation by his influence . All the Prince of Wales ' s talents in Masonry were devoted to its best interests .

Bro . W . M . Stiles Grand Treasurer , replying to the toast of the Pro G . M ., & c , said that the Grand Officersjwere very pleased to be present at this Centenary festival , and their only regret was that the Grand Secretary was not among them . It was a proud moment for St . Michael ' s Lodge , to be able to take its place in

the ranks of the Centenary Lodges . He had to thank the Brethren of the St . Michael ' s Lodge for their recent efforts in securing for him the position of Grand Treasurer , without which he should not have been able to be there that evening in such a distinguished capacity .

Dr . Ealph Gooding P . G . D . also responded , and congratulated the W . M . on being in the chair on such an auspicious occasion . He also congratulated the Brethren of the Lodge on having such a worthy Brother to rule over them . Bro . W . J . Dyer I . P . M ., in proposing the health of the

W . M ., said the Brethren of the St . Michael ' s Lodge knew what a good Mason Bro . Cockrell was , what an excellent Master he had proved himself to be , how he had taken care of the Lodge , and had done the work as well as it was possible to be done . Visitors who might not known the W . M . should be told that he was

a worthy ornament in the long roll of Past Masters of the Lodge ; he was in every way a good Mason ; ever since he had been initiated he displayed the true principles of the Craft , and with regard to the Charites he had done his duty . During his year of office he had served a Stewardship and taken up a list of £ 350 .

Bro . Cockrell W . M ., in acknowledging the toast , which was most enthusiatically received , said he felt very much flattered by Bro . Dyer ' s remarks . Ail the Brethren knew Geo . Cockrell , and they knew he was very proud of the position he now held as their W . M . at this Centenary festival . It was the proudest

moment of George Cockrell ' s life to be in that position and to have his health proposed and responded to in so genial and enthusiastic a way . As their W . M . he had tried his utmost to do his duty as he had taken an obligation to do when he was installed . He had not had an extraordinary quantity of work to

do in the Lodge , not half as much as he should like to have had , being capable and willing to take the management of any work brought before him . He had had an initiation , a passing , and a raising , which , if he had done to the Brethren ' s satisfaction , he was very pleased . If any Brother would bring him any more

work he sUould be only too thankful to do it . The Initiate he had had was not present , but he had sent a telegram wishing every success . That member was very proud to be one of the Brethren of the St . Michael ' s Lodge . In conclusion Brother Cockrell said he hoped to do his duty during the remainder of his

year of office to the satisfaction of all , and to instal his successor . The W . M . next proposed the toast of the St . Michael ' s Lodge , which was really the toast of this most festive night . It was a proud position for a Lodge to hold—to have passed through 100 years without breaking its record . He considered that that

was clue to those extraordinarily good P . Ms , and members who had gone before them . All credit was due to the P . Ms , of this Lodge for the splendid record they had established , and not doing anything that was wrong , and not swerving from their

duty to Grand Lodge . It had inspired him in going through all the Offices of the Lodge , and he hoped it would inspire all the Officers and the young members who were coining on . If they had the same inspiration as he had when he took office in the Lodge , and when he became W . M ., they would do their duty