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|( 0 nd Pas 0 iTtcitstitutia « for § 0 jjs . V fche Patrons , Vice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , uid Life Governors of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys . BttFTHREN desirous of assisting and supporting BKO . GORDON ssMITH ( M . A . ) , P . G . S . Kng ., P . M . 11 aud 2011 , Member of the Board of . „ 7 i piirooaes , & c & c . in his Candidature for the SecrUu-yship of the i ' Jwinii are requested to kindly send their names to liuo . EL-OBXE Mosranuis . P . M- W , 2060 , " 2 * 13 , P . G . S ., G . Sword U . Eug ., & c , & c ., Hon . Seo . to the Comm ^ ij 1820 < 2 Paper Umklings , Temple , B . C .

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fflmB 5 HflrtWw | g } M ** JJ -W-WJUJM a ^^^^^^^ g SATURDAY , 17 TH MAY 1890 .

Dedication Of A New Masonic Hall At Ashburton.

DEDICATION OF A NEW MASONIC HALL AT ASHBURTON .

rPHREE years ago , or little more , the town of Ashburton counted JL a few members of the Masonio body among its inhabitants , but they were as followers without a leader , and up to that time lacked , perhaps , the confidence necessary to establish a Lod » e in their midst . But a movement having at length been made , a Ledge was

started , and called after tbe name of the town in which it had its existence , with the additional advantage of having as its first VV . M . the Hon . Richard Dawson , who has always taken a great personal interest in promoting a knowledge of Freemasonry in tho Province of Devon . It has , in fact , made snch progress in the art that the room in one of the hotels of the town in whioh the brethren have

hitherto met has become too small for existing requirements , and " anew departure" had , in consequence , to be decided upon . The initiative waa taken by Bro . il . Stevens , Treasurer of the Lodge , who generously offered a site on whioh to build a Masonic Hall if the Lodge wonld undertake the further responsibility of erecting it . The responsibility was not a light one , but the promised assistance of Bro . the Hon . R . Dawson made the task much easier than it

otherwise would have been , aud without loss of time the erection of the new hall , on a site just outside the railway station , was commenced . It has been erected at a coat , including the furniture of the Lodge and all internal fittings , of about £ 100 , under tho supervision of Bro . Stevens , who has charged no more than the bare cost

of the materials used . The Lodge-room is substantially fitted up and furnished , and tho other rooms aro of good size , and in every way suitable for the purpose . The ceremony of dedicating the new hall was performed , on the 30 fch ult ., by Bro . Viscount Ebrington , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire , in tho presence of nearly a hundred brethren from many parts of the Province . The

imposing ceremony of dedication was impressively carried out by the Provincial Grand Master ( Visconnt Ebrington ) , assisted b y Bros . W . G . Rogers D . P . G . M ., aud the Hon . 11 . Dawson . The Provincial Grand Master presided during the ceremony , having as his Senior Warden Bro . tbe Hon . R . Dawson , und as his Junior Warden Bro . Ivimy , while Bro . H . Steele acted as Master of the

Ceremonies . Corn , wine , oil , and salt were scattered and poured upon the floor of the Lodge—corn as the emblem of abundance , wine as the emblem of joy and gladness , oil as representing cheerfulness , and salt as the emblem of hospitality . Then tho Provincial ¦ brand Master formall y dedicated the building to " Freemasonry , virtue , and universal benevolence . " Hymns aud prayers were sung

¦ and intoned during the ceremony , and these included a dedication ° r w £ cially wrifcten and composed for the occasion by Bro . Fred hi WS S ' ' and 0 r S anisfc of bho Lodge , by whom also the whole of the musical arrangements wero admirably carried out . A Judication prayer b y the P . G . Chaplain bronght the ceremony to a oiose . Immediatel y afterwards a banquet , attended by about seventy brethren

, was held at the Londou Hotel . Bro . Gervia W . M . presided , and the Provincial Grand Master , Deputy Provincial Grand master and many other Provincial Grand Officers , past and present , aiso attended . After the toast of the Queen and Craft had bsen nonoured the W . M . gave His Royal Highness tbe Prince of Wales , "ur - arand Master . They regarded his Royal Highness from two T » ninfa f ¦ * " * v ' - 'fj "*"'"^* - * » 'o AU-SJUI jui- ^ uuuou nuui t , * rtu jHumra ot view

, in each of which he commanded their confidence and noon ? ° ; t As ne ! r t 0 thQ Tll , * ° n ° he lived in the affections of the l wipie at largo , while as tho Grand Master of English Freemasons i who were connected with the Fraternity recognised how it had . it fat Under his kadership and guidance , and that ho had made nr * ' r . ° ° P ° P nlar than over it was before . In proposing the toast Of tho P • i — """" u . ui it vvua UDIUIB . in [ jrupusiUH cuo toast

Slid n , ' Grand Mastor and Pro'i » cial Officers , tbo W . M . PmJ * i o Under 8 reat obligations to V sconnt Ebringto-- , their hononr ° rt u * Master , and the other Provincial Offbere , for tho iocr Ji , td doao the Lod ° coming to Ashburton and renderthreeVP Valuable ^ rvices as tbey had doue that day . It was about sav tbi T - f thafc the Lodse was firsb formefl > and he was glad to 3 "uoy nao * now not only a Lodge but a home of their own , of

Dedication Of A New Masonic Hall At Ashburton.

which they had no reason whatever to be ashamed . They had done their best , in the short time that had elapsed since the Lodge was formed to establish a position among the Lodges of the Province , and he thonght they had every reason to congratulate themselves that their efforts had succeeded so well . Bro . W . Rogers Deputy Provincial Grand Master responded . It was a great pleasure to him to

be able to testify to the able manner in whioh the brethren of Ashburton Lodge had discharged their dnties , and he congratulated them on the success with which the Lodge had been worked , a sucoesa which had resulted in their acquiring tbe excellent building which bad been dedicated that day to the purposes of Freemasonry . It was a great pleasure to him also to be able to state that of all the

Lodges that bad been started since he had had the honour of hold , ing office in the Province there was none in whioh the work had been more satisfactorily done than in the Ashburton Lodge . Brother Davie Provincial Grand Secretary also returned thanks . It waa an especial pleasure to him to take part in that day ' s proceedings , b ^ . cause he had the hononr of installing their first Master . He little

thought when , threeyears ago , he installedBro . Dawson in the W . M . ' a chair that in so short a time they would have been called together for the purpose of dedicating a new Lodge . It was almost unprecedented in the history of Freemasonry tnat a Lodge bad advanced so rapidly in so short a time . If its example waa followed throughout the Province , Devonshire wonld be in a muoh better position than

it was at present in the matter of providing for its poorer brethren . Viscount Ebrington , who was heartily received , thanked the brethren for the cordiality of their reception , and asked them io drink tq the next toast—Prosperity to Ashburton Lodge . In his position as Prov . Grand Master , it gave him much gratification to wish prosparity to a Lodge that had done so much to deserve it . As they had

already heard , it was very little more than three yeara ago that the Lodge was consecrated , but they now had something like three times as many members as they had then , and instead of meeting in a hired room , they had their own castle with their own roof above their heads . This was owing to the energy and pnblio spirit of the brethren , nnd especially to the kindness and liberality of one of

their members , Bro . Stevens , who not only gave them a site , b-at also superintended the erection of the handsome and commodious bnilding in which they had just met . From what Bro . Stevens bad himself told him , he was quite sure that this had been to him a labour of love , as it must also be a great gratification to him to see how the resnlt of his labours was appreciated . But while their

charity had begun at home , he was glad to know that it had not ended there . Setting an example to many Lodges in the Province , they had made themselves Patrons of all the three great Masonio Charities , and had acquired permanent votes for the advancement of the poorer brethren of the Province in connection with eaoh of those great Institutions . Therein they had not only set a good example to

other Lodges , bnt had laid a solid fonndation for themselves ,. both in a practical form and in another shape whioh , thongh not , per . haps , so solid or so tangible , yet would be eqnally enduring—a foundation on whioh he hoped and believed they would raise np the edifice of a good name and reputation whioh would endnre for many generations . Ho coupled with the toast the names of two-of the

founders of the lodge—their W . M ., who had so ably presided over their proceedings that evening , and the Hon . R . Dawson , to whom thoy were also largely indebted for the valuable services he had rendered since the Lodge was formed . The Provincial Grand Master , in conclusion , tendered his thanks to the Organist of the Lodge , Bro . Crowe , for the admirable manner in which the musical

portion of the dedication service in the Lodge was rendered . Brother Crowe , he said , must have taken a great deal of trouble with the choir , in order that the musical portion of the service should have been rendered so accurately and well . The VV . M . ( Bro . Jervis ) and Bro . the Hon . R . Dawson both acknowledged the toast . Bro . Dawson said it was , as previous speakers had explained , little more than

three years since the light of Masonry first reached Ashburton , and Masonry being a progressive art they had endeavoured to fulfil that principle , and to progress . A good deal bad already been said abont the way in which they had progressed during the past three years , and certainly during the first year , when he filled the position of W . M ., they hnd a great deal of work to do . Many new brethren

joined tho Craft , nnd successive" initiations meant a good deal of anxious work for the Ollicers of the Lodge ; but he was most ably snpported by all the Officers , and not only so , but a generous support was also given by the brethren of neighbouring Lodges , who oame from Newton , Totnes , aud elsewhere , and showed a true Masonio spirit in thns coming to the assistance of tho brethren at Ashburton .

To their present W . M ., and to the S . W . ( Bro . Acock ) they wero also greatly indebted for valuable assistance rendered to tho Lodge . IIo hoped the success thus far attained would be coutinued in tbo future , aud that now they wero in possession of their new building , they would havo many seekers after the true light of Masonry . Thoothor

toasts were—the Visitors , proposed by Bro . H . Steele , and the Tyler ' s toast , submitted by Bro . Acock S . VV . The toasts wore interspersed with some excellent singing , aud tho whole proceedings , both in tho Lodgo and at tho banquet , were thoroughly hearty and harmonious . — Wen tern Morning News .

Opening Of New Masonic Rooms At Glossop.

OPENING OF NEW MASONIC ROOMS AT GLOSSOP .

T j lUE brethren of the Devonshire Lodge , INO . G 25 , opened their new J- rooms , Norfolk Square , Glossop , on Thursday evening , tho 8 th inst . Luncheon was-partaken of at the Norfolk Arms Hotel , after which the Lodgo adjournei fo tbo now rooms , the door being unlocked

by Captain Partington , who formally declared tho rooms open . Bro . W . Evorbdon VV . M . presented to Captain Partington an 18-carat gold miniature key as a fitting emblem of thc clay ' s proceedings .