Interloping Brethren.

his own election as District Master . None of us may know of such cases specially , but some of this has often been heard of . In view of the infrequency of special instructions from Lodges ever accompanying their proxies , is there not much to be said in favour of Lodges whose Officers cannot

attend our annual communications having their choice of proxies restricted to their fast Masters ! Some of the undesirable features that crop out in connection with the scrambles for Office would disappear , and peradventure the result might be a larger number of Lodges represented by their own membership . —G . M ., Canada .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE General Committee of Grand Lodge held its last meeting for the present year on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . James Henry Matthews President of

the Board of Benevolence in the chair . Bros . D . D . Mercer Senior Vice-President , and Bro . Henry Garrod J unior Vice-President , Bro . Edward Letchworth Grand Secretary , Bro . W . Lake Assistant Grand Secretary , Bro . W . Dodd and Bro . G . S . Recknell , and a large number of other Brethren were also

present . Grand Secretary read the agenda paper for the next meeting of Grand Lodge , which refers among other items of business to the nominations of the Most Worshipful Grand Master and of the Grand Treasurer , the appointment of the

President of the Board of Benevolence , the election of Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents , the election of members of the Board of Benevolence ( and as there were only the requisite number nominated , there will be no contest ) , the reports of the Board of Benevolence and of the Board of General Purposes , and one appeal . There were no notices of motion .

Board of Benevolence was duly opened . Bro . D . D . Mercer moved , and Bro . Henry Garrod seconded , a vote of thanks to the President for the able , kind and courteous manner in which he had conducted the business of the Board

during the last twelve months , and on it being carried Bro . J . H . Matthews acknowledged it , thanking the Brethren , but saying that as he ¦ could do nothing without the Brethren ' s assistance they were by their vote only patting their own backs .

The Beard then dealt with the list of petitions , first confirming the grants recommended for the sanction of the Grand Master at the October meeting . There were forty-two petitions on the new list , and of these four were deferred and one was dismissed . Grand Lodge was asked to sanction one

grant of £ 100 , and three of £ 50 each . The Grand Masters approval was asked to six grants of £ 40 each , six of £ 30 each , and one of £ 25 . The Board made fourteen grants of £ 20 each , five of £ 10 each , and one of £$ . The total sum voted was £ 1 , 030 .

Bro . Mercer said it might interest the Brethren to know the number of cases and the amounts given last year , and compared with those of the year now ended . In the year

ended November 1900 , there were 304 cases relieved , with a total of £ 8 , 539 ; in the year ended November 1901 the cases relieved were 416 , and the amount awarded £ 10 , 610 . The Board was then closed .

Cornwall.

CORNWALL .

THE Provincial Grand Chapter will meet at Hayle , under the banner of the Hayle Chapter , on Thursday , 12 th December , at 2 . 45 . The Chapter will be held in the

Cornubian Lodge Room , and the banquet m the Lodge dining hall . A large gathering is expected , as there are a great numbers of Arch Masons in West Cornwall , and Thursday is the half-holiday in Redruth , Camborne , Hayle , and St . Ives . Communications can be addressed to Comp . J . G . Osborn , Mount Pleasant , Hayle .

****************** A graceful compliment was paid to one of the " best of Masons , " in one of the " best of Provinces , " at a recent meeting of the Acacia Lodge , No . 1314 , held at the Royal Hotel , Bromley , Kent , when in the course of an interesting

speech Bro . G . R . Bolton P . P . J . G . W . W . M . explained the pleasure he had in presenting to Bro . W . Russell P . M . 77 Prov . G . Treas . P . G . A . D . C . England a gold jewel , with an

appendage of the " White Horse of Kent , " in commemoration of his having accepted the honorary membership of the Acacia Lodge . The presentation was made amidst much applause , and Bro . Russell , in replying , said he hoped to hand the jewel

Cornwall.

down to posterity , and that he might- be spared for many years to enjoy a Fraternal friendship with the members , which had been so happily begun . An inscription on the

jewel testified that it was presented " by the Brethren of the Acacia Lodge , No . 1314 , in appreciation of the valuable services he had rendered to Freemasonry in general and the Charities in particular . "

* Tt- ******** Although we in England are apt to smile at some of the " records" achieved by our trans-Atlantic cousins , we must certainly at times concede to them points in the race for novelty . The details in regard to a " Masonic Family , " given

elsewhere in this issue , are certainly sufficient to interest members of the Craft the world -over . It is probable many other instances of family association could be recorded , but we are afraid it will take us a lone time in ¦ " old fashioned "

England to attempt comparison with our American cousins in the example of Masonic relationship now quoted . We should imagine there are very few cases where a father and five sons could assist at the initiation of a sixth son ; with a grandson , also a Mason , taking part in the ceremony .

********** Bro . John N . Willis P . M . 483 , having served for two years in succession the office of Mayor of Gravesend was upon his retirement on 9 th inst . presented with a Past Mayor ' s badge , and an illuminated address on vellum recording the

thanks of the Town Council for his service to the Borough , tie was further unanimously elected as an Alderman , and appointed by his successor as Deputy Mayor . These facts speak highly for the great popularity of Bro . Willis , and we congratulate him most cordially upon his fulfilling a very difficult position with tact and discretion .

********** The installation meeting of the Queen ' s Westminster Lodge , No . 2021 , was held on Tuesday , igth inst ., at the Hoiborn Restaurant , on which occasion Bro . W . Vicars S . W . was placed in the chair . The meeting' proved most Successful . We hope to give a full report of the proceedings in our next issue .

Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

We shall be pleased to receive particulars of Masonic meetings tor insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative , to report Lodge or other proceedings . We dJ not sanction anyone attending Lodge meetings as our representative without a specific invitation .

Derby Allcroft Lodge , No . 2168 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER SAM GARCIA P . M .

CRAFT : METROPOLITANS .

" Then fill the bowl—away with gloom ! Our joys shall always last ; For hope shall brighten days to come , And memory gild the past . " THIS verse of the immortal Moore was forcibly brought to our mind on the occasion of the installation meeting of the Derby Allcroft Lodge , held on Thursday , 14 th inst ., at the Midland Grand

Hotel , St . Pancras , when ample evidence was given that Our joys shall always last , despite the fact that a painful personal affliction called for special effort to do " away with gloom . " We felt on this occasion really too unwell to leave home , but ventured to risk the possibility of an " Allcroft" entertainment being better than a doctor's treatment , and those who know the Lodge of which we write will not be surprised to hear that the result went far to prove that we did not err in the selection of our " medicine . "

Memory certainly gilds the past of the Derby Allcroft Lodge , and happily there seems to be very little necessity for the exercise of hope in regard to the days to come , despite the fact that one at least of those who might have been expected to continue his association with the Lodge has thought it desirable to resign , because he feels it unnecessary to continue membership of a Lodge he is

unable to attend . We may well ask , with Shakespeare What ' s in a name ? " That which we call the Derby Allcroft Lodge will probably be as sweet in the future as it would have been with what we cannot help regarding as more fitting associations , but it is not for us to attempt to analyse the feelings of individual Brethren , we can only " shed a tear of sympathy" when we hear of family ties being rudely severed , as they occasionally arc , even in Freemasonry .

The Lodge has won a name for itself as an example' of what a Lodge should be , and the performances at its installation meeting last week were sufficient to maintain that reputation . The work was good , luxurious comfort was evidenced on every side , and a true Masonic welcome was accorded to visitors and members alike . The attendance was not , perhaps ,, so numerous as usual , but if anything was lacking in quantity it was amply ms . de up for in other ways ,