Advance Of The Mark Degree.

ADVANCE OF THE MARK DEGREE .

THE most speculative and sanguine adherents of the Mark cannot but be satisfied with the rapid strides the Degree is making at the time present . In February last we had the satisfaction of reporting * progress as to the doings of the Mark Masters in Norfolk , and this week we

have again to announce the projected opening of a new Lodge in the same district . The Youell Lodge of Mark Masters will be consecrated on Monday next , the 21 st inst ., at the St . Andrew ' s Hall , Gorleston ; the interesting ceremony will be performed by the Most Worshipful Brother

the Ri ght Hon . Lord Henniker , who will be assisted by several of his present and past Officers . The Installation ceremony will be undertaken by tbe Grand Mark Secretary Bro . Frederick Binckes , Bro . Edward P . Touell , of the Walpole Mark Lodge , No . 92 , is the W . M . designate , while

Bros . William Dods , Albert Victor Lodge , No . 70 , and James Bond , Constantine , No . 145 , have been nominated as the Senior and Junior Wardens . Amongst those who have intimated their intention of seeking advancement to the Degree in connection with this Lodge are the following brethren : —

Charles Diver United Friends 313 P . M . George Arthur Ward St . Andrew ' s 1631 Herbert Willougbby Yonell Ditto 1631 Hugh H . W . Elwes St . Margaret ' s 1452 George Bush Ditto 1452

Benj . M . Bradbeer Ditto 1452 James J . Owles United Friends 313 J . W . George Francis Crane St . Andrew ' s 1631 P . M . Henry Harvey . George Ditto 1631 Eichard Martins Friendship 100 P . M .

Herbert F . Brooks Ditto 100 Henry Owles Ditto 100 S . W . Charles W . Chaston St . Margaret ' s 1452

Joseph Hndspith St . Andrew ' s 1631 William Sayer Ditto 1631 P . M . Alexander Mitchell Friendship 100 John Hammond St . Andrew ' s 1631

A second prominent event in connection with this meeting will be the formation of the Grand Lodge of East Anglia , and the Installation of the Most Worshipful Grand Mark Master Designate , the Right Hon . Lord Henniker G . M . M . M . The Most Worshipful Brother W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G-. M . M . M . has undertaken the duties of

Installing Master , and we feel confident this feature will not be the least interesting in the proceedings of the day As a natural sequence a banquet will take place , when Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Henniker has kindly consented to preside .

Mark Masonry At Bradford.

MARK MASONRY AT BRADFORD .

f \ N Tuesday evening , the 1 st May , there was a gather-^ ing of Masons at the Masonic Hall , Bradford , the meeting being called by invitation of the W . M . of the Old tork Mark Lodgo ( T . I . ) , Bro . James Wright , for the

purpose ot hearing a lecture by Bro . T . B . Whytehead , of York , £ ast Grand Mark Master Overseer , on Mark Masonry . inere were about eighty brethren present , the bulk of whom were not members of the Mark Degree , and the meeting was held in the banquetting hall . The lecturer

Mark Masonry At Bradford.

was introduced by Bro . J . Wright W . M . in a few appropriate words . Bro . Whytehead then said : — BRETHREN , —I must confess that I feel in a rather peculiar position to-night in standing up as a Mark Mason to address an assemblage of brethren , many of whom , I

understand , have not entered the Order ; and nnder the circumstances it seems desirable that I should in the first instance place myself in a fair position in this matter . I do not come before you in any sense either as the apologist for Mark Masonry or as its proselytising apostle . The

Order needs no such adventitious assistance . There may have been a time , but that era in its history has long passed away , when possibly it was desirable to call in artificial assistance to further the cause of its progress ; but the position Mark Masonry has now attained in tbe

Masonic world not only would render any such movement or attempt ridiculous in the extreme , but would fairly subject the agent of such a scheme to the charge of deliberate impertinence . An Order that has a register of over three hundred prosperous Lodges , that has enrolled

on its list of Past Grand Masters a Royal Dnke and several members of tbe Peerage , that is now ruled by a Mason so eminent as Baron Henniker , and many of whose Grand and Past Grand Officers are also Officers and Past

Officers of the Grand Lodge of England , stands in a position so strong as to afford to smile at carpers and cavillers , and to continue its career of usefulness regardless of the opinions of those who do not care to range themselves under its banners .

At bbe same time I do not wish , you to mistake my meaning . I am one of those who think that absolute freedom is the prerogative of every Mason . I consider that every brother has a perfect right to judge for himself as to what Orders and Degrees based on Masonry he shall join ,

and what he shall avoid , and so long as any Order is conducted in a Masonic manner and within the usually accepted lines laid down in the Masonic lex non scripta , I say that a brother has an equal right to ally himself with it , or to refrain from all connection with it . There do

exist Orders and Degrees that I shall not mention , doubtless many of you know to which I allude , which do not possess what may be called a good Masonic standing . They are or have been guilty of un-Masonic practices , they are not in accord with other bodies of Masonic repute , and

they are and are likely to remain ostracised by Masons of weight and influence . Bnt of this I shall say no more . I have come here to speak of Mark Masonry , an Order than which none save the Craft takes a better stand , and to which any brother may be glad and prond to belong .

I am here by invitation of your W . Master and of Bro . J . L . Atherton , brethren whom I believe you all know as honest workers in the Craft and genial Masons , and , as I understand them , their desire is that I should say something to you as to the History of Mark Masonry . This ,

yon must understand is quite distinct , in one sense , from the history of Masonic Marks . On the latter subject numbers of arcbteologists have written . It is of the deepest interest , and value , and assists in forming a powerful and valuable aid in the elucidation of architectural

problems . Mr . George Godwin , M . Didron , Mr . P . Chalmers , Mr . Fitzgerald , Mr . Papworth , Sir W . Ouseley , and many other authors and architects have published papers , and alluded in their works to this subject , and within the last few weeks Bro . R . P . Gould , in the second volume of his