Twenty-Five Years Service In Masonry.

templated , the brethren of England should show their appreciation of what he has accomplished . In the earlier part of our remarks we omitted reference to Bro . Binckes ' s Masonic career previous to his

appointment to the Secretaryship of the Boys' School , firstly ,

because we have alread y mentioned it in these pages , and secondly because it was not necessary to speak of it when referring to his Secretaryship . As , however , a new generation of Masons has sprung up since the sketch of " Our

Hercules ' appeared , and as it may interest Masons of today to know that Bro . Binckes has distinguished himself in other ways than as an official of one of our Institutions , we now briefly refer to his earlier Masonic career . He

was initiated in December 1851 in the Enoch Lodge , No . 11 , and filled the chair of his mother Lodge in 1856 , but previous to that year he had made a name for himself in Grand Lodge , being then recognised as an able debater on

any subject he approached . In 1855-6 he took a prominent part in the discussions on the Canadian and other great questions , and was recognised as a leader on what has always been recognised as the "Blue " side of Grand

Lodge . He was one of the members of the Board of General Purposes of 1856-57 , and a member of the first Building Committee appointed to consider the re-erection of Freemasons' Hall . Here his independent spirit brought

him into opposition with some of his colleagues , notably with the then President of the Board , and a determination was expressed that he should not be re-elected , which determination , by reason of a little manoeuvring on the part of

his opponents , was duly carried into effect . In 1860 he filled the chair of the Crescent Lodge , No . 1090 , and since then has occupied the same exalted position in the Peace and Harmony , Grand Stewards , Lewis , and other Lodges .

In the Royal Arch , and in the higher degrees of Freemasonry , he has likewise distinguished himself ; no small share of his popularit y having been achieved in connection with the Mark Degree , of which he has been the Grand

Secretary for almost as long a period as he has been Secretary of the Boys' School ; in fact , he received the two appointments during the one year . It would be unwise to give Brother Binckes the credit of all the

progress which has taken place in Mark Masonry , but here also no small portion is due to his endeavours . When he was appointed to the Grand Secretaryship there were but 60 Lodges under the rule of

the Mark Grand body , now there are 388 , and to the brethren of most of these Lodges Bro . Binckes is personall y known , either as consecrating officer , visitor , or personal friend ; indeed it would be difficult to point to one

who has more usefully devoted his talents to Freemasonry or who enjoys a wider circle of Masonic friends than does the brother whose twenty-five years of Secretarial service have done so much for Freemasonry in general , and for the cause of Charity and the Mark Degree in particular .

In another part of our present issue we give a copy of the circular which has been issued by the Executive of the Testimonial Fund ; from this it will be seen that the proposal is to limit individual subscriptions to one guinea , and

to allow the subscription lists to remain open until the end of March next , by which time all who may desire to do BO will have had an opportunity of showing their appreciation of merit . It is only necessary to add

that the Bi ght Hon . the Earl of Lathom , Deputy Grand Master of England , is the President of tbe Fund , while the Vice Presidents are the Right Hon . the Earl of Bective Provincial G . M . Cumberland and

Westmoreland , Colonel Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., Provincial G . M . Middlesex , Colonel Edward C . Malet De Carteret Provincial G . M . Jersey , the Right Hon . Lord Henniker Provincial G . M . Suffolk , the Right Hon . the

Earl of Kintore Pro G . M . M . M ., his Grace the Duke of Manchester Provincial G . M . Northants and Hunts , and the Rev . Canon Portal Past G . M . M . M . Bro . Raynham W .

Stewart is Chairman , Bro . John L . Mather Deputy Chairman , Bro . George Plucknett Treasurer , and Bro . C . P . Hogard Secretary of the Fund , while the brethren enrolled on the Committee are some of the most active

workers in Freemasonry , the mere co-operation of whom would be sufficient to stamp any proposal as worthy of support ; we give a list of their names elsewhere . It is not our intention to urge our readers to support this Testimonial Fund . We leave them to decide for themselves tbe part they will fake in it . We have referred—very feebly , we are aware—to the doings of a brother who has

done much for Freemasonry in days gone by , and who is

Twenty-Five Years Service In Masonry.

deserving of much from those of his brethren who feel that reward should follow labour . In devoting our space to this subject , it was not our intention to associate with it another proposal which i = t

before the Craft of a similar nature , but as the two are alike in many particulars , it will perhaps be best to depart from our intention rather than leave this second suggested testimonial to a later issue . We have already referred to it

however , so that our readers will need no telling that we now speak of the proposed testimonial to Miss Davis , the Head Mistress of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls who in her own sphere has been equally active for a like

period of twenty-five years . It is not only in this matter of time that the case of Miss Davis is similar to that of Bro . Binckes ; she , equally with him , has devoted the whole of her energy and ability to the duties she has had to per .

form , and how far she has succeeded the present state of efficiency of the Girls' School is the best answer . Tho brethren who have interested themselves on her behalf , aud of whom we recently gave a list , are equally well

known to those on Bro . Binckes ' s Testimonial Committee , and we feel it is only necessary that Craftsmen generall y should know what is being done in order to secure for each a substantial recognition for what they have accomplished .

Of course Miss Davis has been debarred , by the rules of Freemasonry , from playing so active a part in its doings as her coadjutor , but she has done what it was possible for her to do , with equal credit to herself and , we may say , with

equal benefit to the cause with which she has been associated . These two officials—each of whom has stood the test of a quarter of a century ' s trial—may well be held up as

patterns worthy of imitation by the pupils of the respective Institutions with which they have been so long associated . May they both live for many years longer to enjoy the honours they have worked so hard to secure .

Red, White, And Blue.

RED , WHITE , AND BLUE .

WHITE , blue , and red , are famous colours . The words , " The red , white , and blue , " have great significance , as all know , when uttered in impassioned oratory , or chanted in the chorus of a song of freedom , home , and fatherland . By common perception and con .

sent , they are allied with Liberty , Equality , and Fraternity , in the highest sense of those terms , which includes loyalty to charity , truth , and order . The ideas and thoughts they

represent are but a few of those excellencies which have their origin within the tessellated border of the Lodge , and flourish in the li ght of its blazing star .

The Star Spangled Banner , the only flag on earth which is strictl y Masonic , is but one of the gifts of Masonry to the champions of humanity . It bears the white , and blue ,

and red , of the Ancient Craft , with its star , the pentalpha , whose lines , each continually returning on itself , are the emblem of infinity and symbol of " Masonic light . "

All things Masonic belong to ancient Craft Masonry : otherwise there would be a part of its " mystery " excluded from its own Lodge , which is its receptacle ; hence it is strange that we hear of " the Blue Lodge / ' meaning the

Ancient Craft Lodge . True it is , there is what mi g ht be termed the blue Lodge or degree , but will those who use the term please inform the Craft where , or what , is the

ivhite Lodge , or the red Lodge ? Those who know there is a blue Lodge ought to know the two other Lodges , and be ready to point them out . Wh y should the " blue Lodge " be so often mentioned , and the others never heard of ?

It is also true that there are three Lodges , which together form a one , as the three degrees of the universe form a one , or unity , which term unity always implies

union ; consequently , as the colours are three there is , when they are separated , one for each Lodge , but , when united , three for the entire Lodsre .

Every one can tell on hearing for the first time of the white Lodge , that it is the Entered Apprentices' Lodge , for there is the white apron , the emblem of innocence . Ask

any Mason where he received his white badge—the sole badge of a Mason—and he will answer , " In the Lodge of Masons "—the first degree—it belongs there .

Which Lodge is next , the blue or the scarlet ? Certainly not the scarlet , for the men who instituted the Royal Arch knew too much to adopt for that the colour of the Fellow Craft ; so it might be determined from that fact alone that " in the olden time " the colour of the second degree was not red .