Reports Of Meetings.

SHURMUR LODGE , No . 2374 . THE announcement at the head of the regular summons for this Lodge , to the effect that it is Patron of the Benevolent Institution , with 600 votes in perpetuity ; Vice-Patron of the Boys School , with thirty votes in perpetuity ; and Vice-President of the Girls School , with ten votes in

perpetuity , may be taken as the key note on which the whole affairs of the Lodge are based , and supplies living testimony of the fact that during the first few years of its existence its members have zealously carried out the intention of the Founders , that the Lodge should make a special feature of Masonic Benevolence , particularly in connection with the three great Institutions associated with the Craft .

But it is not in the direction of benevolence alone that the Lodge has won renown ; it has created records in other ways , and may justifiably be referred to as proof of the old adage that there is nothing so successful as success . It has enthusiastic workers to manage its concerns , an ever extending membership , and , above all , there is such evidence of the spirit of jovial good fellowship as is sure to secure for its future career even greater triumphs than have yet fallen to its share .

A very heavy agenda of business to be transacted at the annual installation meeting of the Lodge , held on Thursday , at the Royal Forest Hotel , Chingford , necessitated an early commencement of the work , and as a result the meeting was called for two o'clock , shortly after which hour the Lodge was formally opened and the minutes were confirmed , Bro . 0 . H . Bestow Worshipful Master being supported during the proceedings by Bros .

S . C Kaufman P . M . S . W ., Joseph Holland P . M . J . W ., W . Shurmur P . M . P . G . S . B . Eng . P . P . G . Tr . Essex Treasurer , James Clark W . M . 2472 Secretary , James Speller P . M ., H . F . Bromhead P . M ., Percy Tricket S . D ., W . Fortescue J . D ., S . Wildash A . D . C , T . H . Lloyd I . G ., J . T . Haskins P . P . G . O . Essex and Herts Organist , W . Gower Prov . G . Treasurer Essex , J . B . Carter , G . H . Pizey , M . Siegenberg P . M ., and M . Bleick Stewards , John Ives P . M . Tyler .

The work performed in Lodge included the raising of Bros . E . Temple , G . T . Bastard , and George Barker ; the passing of Bros . Blax Croner and John Newlands ; and the initiation of Messrs . W . M . Beck and H . 0 . Gardiner . In addition to this Bro . Charles Thompson 2192 and Bro . W . H . Thrower P . M . 1766 became Joining Members . The Auditors' Eeport and the Balance Sheet were received , and , on the proposition of Bro . Shurmur , a

sum of ten guineas was voted from the Funds of the Lodge for the relief of the sufferers from the recent hailstorm in Essex . After all this work there was a welcome break in the proceedings while the Masonic Hall of the Hotel was being arranged for the installation ceremony , the room previously occupied being inconvenient for the very large number of Brethren who had by this time assembled .

Besuming his Lodge the W . M . handed over the gavel to Bro . James Speller P . P . G . D . Essex , who proceeded to instal Bro . S . G . Kaufman P . M . as Worshipful Master , who , in turn , appointed the Assistant Officers for the year as follow ; Holland S . W ., Fortescue J . W ., Tricket S . D ., Lloyd J . D ., Siegenberg I . G ., Carter D . C , Wildash A . D . C , Haskins Organist , Gower , Bleick , Pizey , J . Hamilton , and J . 0 . Francis Stewards .

The usual addresses completed the ceremony of installation , after which the Immediate Past Master was elected to represent the Lodge on the Essex Charity Committee , the Visitors tendered good wishes , and the W . M . closed the Lodge , an adjournment being subsequently made to the banquet room , where , alter an enjoyable dinner , the customary toast list was gone through . The Queen and the Craft , and H . B . H . the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M .

having been honoured , the W . M . rose to propose the Officers of Grand Lodge . During their vacation , he said , a very great honour had been conferred on the Father of their Lodge Bro . William Shurmur , who now enjoyed the distinction of being numbered among the Grand Officers of England . He felt the members would express their appreciation of this honour in a hearty reception of the toast , with which he coupled the names of the Father and Founder of the Lodge Bro . Shurmur , and Bro . Bolton .

Needless to say Bro . Shurmur was most heartily received on rising to respond . As a minor representative of the Officers of Grand Lodge he felt gratified to hear the Pro and Deputy Grand Blasters spoken of in such high terms as had just been expressed by the W . M . There could be no doubt that the interest and work of those Brethren had added greatly to the prestige of Freemasonry , and had widely extended the sphere of its usefulness . Personally he thanked the Brethren most heartily for the way in which they had received his name in association with the toast .

Bro . Bolton also replied , stating that his presence on that occasion was not so much in the capacity of a Grand Officer , as it was to see an old friend installed in the chair of the Lodge . The Senior Warden proposed the toast of the Provincial Grand Master the Earl of Warwick and the other members of the Provincial Grand Lodge , At this point the W . M . announced that the contents of the Chaiity box , which had been introduced to the notice of the members , amounted to £ 4 6 s 6 d .

Bro . J . J . C . Turner acknowledged the toast . All knew what a splendid head the Freemasons of Essex had , in fact , were they to search the land through from end to end , they could not get a better man than the Earl of Warwick as President . The same might with equal truth be said of the Deputy , while in regard to minor Officers he could point on his left hand to Bro . Shurmur Past Prov . Grand Treasurer , and on his right to Bro . Gower the present holder of the office , as bright examples of the Officers to be found

in their midst . Then there was Bro . Balling , whom all must delight to honour as Provincial Grand Secretary , an appointment he had now filled for twenty-one years - . in connection with which fact the Provincial Grand Master let drop a hint at the last meeting of Prov . G . Lodge , to the effect that a special effort should be made to recognise the work of Bro . Balling . He ( Bro . Turner ) was one of the Secretaries of the fund proposed for this object , the claims of which would shortly be brought to the notice of the members of the Lodge by Bro . Shurmur .

Bro . Gower also replied . He had experienced great pleasure in carrying out the duties of his office , which , so far , had appeared to be to do good to others . He felt that so long as Essex had such good permanent officials the Province must succeed . He was exceedingly pleased at the unanimous way in which he had been elected to the high office of Provincial Grand Treasurer .

The Immediate Past Master now assumed authority . He considered it a pleasure to be in the position to propose the toast of the W . M . of the Lodge . He had had the pleasure cf working side by side with Bro . Kaufman since the foundation of the Lodge , and had found that no matter what he had been applied to for he had always been willing to give the benefit of his experience , and render help in any way possible . He ventured to think they might look forward to one of the most successful years known in the history of thc Shurmur Lodge , whilst it was under the charge of its present Master ,

Reports Of Meetings.

The W . M . tendered his acknowledgments of the toast and the heartiness of its reception . He really fe . lt inflated with the flattery that had been poured out upon him . He had worked side by side with the I . P . M . in the Lodgo , and had progressed upward step by step to the proud position he had been placed in that night . Ho hoped all would combine to ensure the continued success of the Lodge . He considered that a big Lodge like theirs

took a great deal of governing , and required a great deal of power on the part of its ruler . He could but hope he should vacate the chair with the same honour as was the case in his Mother Lodge , where he felt he was honoured and esteemed by every member . He had worked side by side with the Father of the Lodge , and felt Bro . Shurmur would hardly have supported him in his different offices had he not been convinced as to his ability to carry out the work required of him . '

The next toast was that of the Past Masters of the Lodge , including the Immediate Past Master . The members knew what a very successful year of office Bro . I . P . M . Bestow had just completed , and on their behalf it was now his pleasure to present to that Brother tho Past Master ' s jewel of the Lodge , as a testimony of the approbation of the members of the good work Bro . Bestow had done for it . The W . M . did not know it had been his privilege in the course of his career to bestow a jewel on any Master more

worthy to wear it than Bro . Bestow , and he felt the members were unanimous in wishing him long life and health to wear it in their midst . Going on to the other Past Blasters of the Lodge he felt the members had had many opportunities of learning what they were capable of . No one knew better than himself how ably the work of installation had that day been performed by Bro . Speller . Then they came to the Father of the Lodge , Bro . Shurmur . They had seen that night how at a moment's notice , he was ready to take

up any of the work of the Lodgo , by initiating their newly-admitted members . They could look also at the readiness with whioh he offered tuition at the Lodge of Instruction and elsewhere . In fact , the effort of the Past Masters was evidence of their continued anxiety to do all they could for tho good of the Lodge and its members . It was but seven years since the establishment of the Lodge , which was by no means a long period to devote to its foundation on a firm basis—they would remember that King Solomon was employed

for a similar period in building the Temple . The toast was heartily received . The Immediate Past Master returned hearty thanks , not only for the toast , but for the handsome jewel the members had been good enough to present . He had been fully prepared to instal his successor , but for a cause over which he had no control he had thought it best to ask their good Bro . Speller to undertake the work . He heartily thanked him for doing so , and again acknowledged the kindness of every member of the Lodge in association with his office of Worshipful Master .

Bro . Speller followed . He had felt particularly proud in being called upon to perform the ceremony of installation . He was a very persevering Mason , always ready to do any work , but he did not think it was fair to ask for speeches afterwards . He thanked the members for all their . kindnesses , nevertheless . Bros . Shurmur and Bromhead also responded . Bro . Shurmur submitted the toast of the Initiates . For many years he had enjoyed the friendship of the two gentlemen they had that day received into the Lodge , and felt much indebted to the Worshipful Master , who had

allowed him the privilege of proposing the toast of their health . While congratulating the Initiates on their admission , he felt he ought also to congratulate the Lodge on having enrolled two members so likely to do credit to the Lodge . In acknowledgment of the toast Bro . Beck desired to thank his Brother and friend Bro . Shurmur for his introduction and initiation , and the members generally for the kind attention they had shown him . As long as he lived he hoped he should do nothing to give the members of the Shurmur Lodge cause to regret having admitted him to membership .

Bro . Gardiner felt it a very great pleasure and honour to have been admitted a member of the Masonic Brotherhood , and this was enhanced by the fact that he had been nominated and initiated by his dear old friend Bro . Shurmur . It would always be his endeavour to act up to the principles of the Order . Bro . Bromhead next rose . The toast the W . M . had asked him to submit was that of the Visitors—and he regarded it as a most important one . If

they had no visiting among Freemasons they would become very limited in their ideas , and there would be none to criticise the work done in the Lodges . They were honoured on that occasion by the presence of many visitors , and he felt he could not do better than re-echo the wish of the Worshipful Blaster in the chair , that every Brother would go away with the feeling that he had enjoyed himself , and was anxious for another invite to attend the Shurmur Lodge .

Bros . Dunstan , Clark and other of the guests replied , after which the Treasurer , Secretary and Officers were toasted , and the proceedings were brought to a conclusion by the honouring of the Tyler ' s toast . The Visitors were : —Bros . C G . Zander I . G . 201 , W . Etheridge 933 , A . S . Gardiner 1437 , J , Davis 1662 , J . H . Langdon P . M . 1457 P . P . J . G . D ., E . G . Chapman 27 , A . L . London 205 , A . M . Goodrich 205 , B . Golanski 205 , J . H . Wakefield I . P . M . 95 , J . Boulton W . M . 2632 P . G . P ., Geo . Brown 65 , H .

Barrow W . B 1 . 2442 , A . T . Ives P . M . 1472 , J . J . C Turner P . M . 51 P . P . S . G . W ., C . J . Smith W . M . 2504 , C J . Cutchey 2256 , VV . Quennell W . M . 214 , 0 . Horst S . D . 1471 , Frank Budd 1472 , G . H . Clark S . W . 1766 , W . W . Morgan 177 , G . B . Brown W . M ., F . Dunstan P . M . 1326 , F . F . Nichols 1677 , G . Clark P . M . Sec . 1679 , W . H . Toye P . B 1 . 1228 , T . Lloyd P . M . 2571 P . P . G . C , W . W . Lee 2381 P . P . G . D . B'Iddx ., Henry Jacobs 1439 , T . Bettesworth 1693 , A . ¦ Kaufman 1766 , & c .

THE MANCHESTER LODGE , No . 2554 . QTHE first meeting after a lengthy recess was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Cooper Street , Manchester , on Friday , the Sth inst ., under the presidency of Bro . William Charlton , J . P ., Worshipful Blaster . There was a capital attendance both of members and visitors , many of these , we believe , being present through curiosity to witness the exceptional performance of a father initiating his own son into Freemasonry .

After the reading and confirmation of minutes , successful ballots were taken for Messrs . William Johnson Charlton , Bailway Carriage Builder , Victoria Street , Westminister , S . W ., and William Henry Crawford , Schoolmaster , Heaton Chapel , who were afterwards initiated , the former , as just indicated , by the W . M ., and the latter by Bros . Thomas Plumpton I . P . M . Tvyo other ceremonies were announced , but these were deferred .

The usual festive board followed , and a very pleasant evening was spent , most of the speakers expressing the pleasure which they had dervived from being spectators to the introduction into the Craft of tho latest neophytes . Among the visitors wo noticed Bros . Joseph Selby P . M . 1083 Prov . G . D . C , J . Bladon P . M . 317 P . P . G . A . D . C , J . Chadderton P . B 1 . 1213 P . P . G . A . S . ( W . L . ) , S . Gaskill P . M . 163 , and E . Webb P . M . 163 1134 ,