Record Keeping.

RECORD KEEPING .

IT is a matter of every clay regret amongst Freemasons that a more perfect record of our Lodge proceedings in the early stages of their career has not been preserved . At the present day , when so many energetic brethren are willing to make an attempt to write a history of their Lodge , they are brought to bay , so to speak , on formulating almost their first question , —What records have you ? when the reply made is , —Several of our Minute Books are missing ,

and from such and such a year the entries have not been made with anything like regularity . This kind of reply has a tendency to damp the ardour of many a hopeful spirit , and but few of those who might readily have undertaken such a task have the courage

to beat about the bush or seek elsewhere lor such information as would make the labour , if ever it be entered upon , such an one as would be appreciated by those for whom it was designed , or that would satisfy the conscientious worker who had volunteered for such a duty .

At this time when the members of Grand Lodge have under consideration the desirability of creating additional offices for those asuirins to the Purple we

may spare a brief space to the consideration of a suggestion that has recently been made to ns , that is , that a new Officer should be appointed , to be designated the Eecord Keeper , and that his duty should be to supervise a staff of three or four naid officials

whose function it would be to annually examine the Minute Books of all the Lodges , and make a precis of their contents , which should be accessible to any one who might desire to make reference to them , and for which a small charge could be made similar to that

made for the examination of a will . On this occasion we intend merely to give an outline of what is proposed ; should the suggestion be entertained details could follow . We may as well , however , at once state that the scheme if taken up would entail an annual outlay of from £ 500 to £ 1 , 000 .

And now foi * a little consideration ol what this scheme embodies . In the first place wo may roughly place the number of accessible Lodges at 2 , 0 0 . The several Secretaries , at a given interval after the installation meeting of their various Lodges , should

iorward to tirand Lodge their mmnte books or au attested copy thereof ; these should be carefully examined by one of the salaried staff , who would thereupon make his precis , which should eventually he entered in a book nrovided for the run-nose . Wn

amy take it that a competent man would be able to get through three or four of such returns each day , so that our estimate as to the numerical staff required ! s within the mark . The incidental expenses would have to provide for books , printed forms , and the carriage of parcels . This latter item , however , need ttot of necessity be made a heavy charge . The ordinary postage would in many cases cover this , especially

Record Keeping.

where attested copies were supplied , but in any case the outlay for this would not exceed £ 150 per annum . One of the difficulties pointed out to us when this suggestion has been under consideration is that there would be great difficulty in finding a brother competent to fill such an office , an office it is desirable should be distinctly of an honorary character . We

do not think so ; the permanent officials would do the work , the duty of the Grand Becprd Keeper should be to periodically inspect such work , ancl generally advise as to details . We are ready to concede that it would not be practicable if a change should be made annually ; the custom as applied to the Grand Registrar should be adopted , and when a change became absolutely necessary the mantle of the outgoer might be readily adjusted for his successor .

The Three Rabbonis.

THE THREE RABBONIS .

ADDRESS ON CAPITULAR MASONRY . By Alexander H . Morgan , M . E . Grand High Priest M . E . Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of

Pennsyl-. PART FIRST . rr \ HE name or term of Rabbmii is of particular interest _ L to the moat excellent Master Mason , and in that connection it has a significant and radical meaning . In its general application it is a teacher , a preceptor , a wise and

learned man . We are told that" the Jews , m imitation of the Greeks , hadf their seven wise men who were called Rabbonis . " Bat a Rabboni of the Jews during the time of the Republic and a Rabboni of the Monarchy was

something different in its meaning and application . The teacher of the law and expounder of the Talmud , the pedagogical Rabboni became transformed into the Master , the Ruler , the King . But while this was true , yet the

name Rabboni continued to be applied as well to the teacher as to the monarch , and it was used by the Jews in addressing those whom they considered as possessing the

functions of royalty . Christ was hailed by his followers as " Rabboni or Master , " because many of those who gave him that title looked upon him as the " King of the Jews , " who was to be the destroyer of their Roman oppressors .

In Capitular Masonry this name or title as used in the sixth degree assumes an important part , and . it is right that we should endeavour to trace out and explain its meaning . I apply it to the three kings of Israel who first

wore the purple and established monarchy in Jerusalem—Saul , David and Solomon , all oi whom , but more particularly the two last , are intimately associated with this most interesting and impressive part of

Freemasonry—interesting in the facts of its historical remembrances , and impressive in the solemn and dramatic character of the work . It is not too much for me to assume that these emotions are shared by all who have been received and accepted

Most Excellent Master Masons . Of the practical meaning of the ceremonies used in the sixth degree it is not necessary for me to speak ; thoy aro or should be familiar to all who have reached that distinction . It is to the