Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters mitst bear the name anl address of the TTn ' er , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our CorrespiticZents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION . To tlie Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Brother " MARS , " in his letter of 20 th inst ., finds f > iult with the work done in a certain Lodge of Instruction . I venture to think that he loses sight of the fact that Lodges of Instruction are for the improvement of aspirants , in order to qualify them to fulfil the dnties of their different offices , ancl also to impart

a knowledge of the ceremonies , the proper working of which renders our proceedings especially effective , while the want of such knowledge mars and spoils the whole . Repetition therefore is necessary , not only for the perfecting of the several parts , bat because , from various causes , members of Lodges are debarred from regular attendance , and many therefore would of ttimes lose opportunities of gaining that

knowledge of which they are in search . Lodges of Instruction are also necessary for those who have passed the chair , to keep them aw fait with the work , that they may the better be enabled to fulfil their obligation of instructing those in the inferior degrees , and be ready when called upon to help and assist any of the Officers who may be deficient . Again , my experience is , that in spite of regular

attendance there are many who require the aid of the Preceptor to carry them through their dnties , and but very few , perhaps not one in a hundred , who can go through the work perfectly without . I cordially agree with Bro . " ALDERMAN " that a Superior School or Lodge of Improvement , where the more hidden mysteries were tanght , would be a great boon to many . Lodges of Instruction are not

meant for those who are perfect , but for the imperfect , and those who are not above being taught ; where due credit should be paid to those ¦ willing'o impart what knowledge they possess . In the curriculum mentioned by Bro . " MARS . " I find no mention of the ceremony of installation , which should find a place occasionally in a Lodge of instruction , as also should a recital of the Charges after the rehearsal

of the first , second , and third ceremonies . These Charges are peculiarly appropriate and impressive , but they are seldom given . I would now like to call the attention of your readers to the following notice of motion , and my amendment thereto , whioh will come before Grand Lodge on the 7 th September : — "That applicants who have been granted sums exceeding £ 50 by the Board of Benevolence

shall receive up to that sum on the action of the Board being con . firmed by Grand Lodge ; and the remainder at the next Quarterly C mmunication when the Grand Lodge shall have confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting . " Thus Bro . Nunn . Upon this I move the following amendment : " That the whole of the sum agreed upon shall be given an the first meeting of Grand Lodge after such

grant shall have been made . " I now earnestly entreat all qualified members of Grand Lodge who have the speedy relief of their brethren in distress at heart to attend , and by using their voting privilege ensure the same . Another urgently-needed amendment in our laws I would likewise call the attention of vour readers to . As the law now stands , no child of a Mason can make application for relief shonld two years

have elapsed after his father ' s death previous to his making the application ; that is to say , if the widow or the orphans have been able to maintain themselves withont seeking relief from the Fund for two years , no matter what reverse of fortune take place that source of relief is cut off from them . I feel quite sure that snch an anomaly was never intended , and that it only requires to be brought prominentl y forward to ensure the necessary alteration . Yours fraternally , C . J . PERCEVAL .

Lodge Work And Lodges Of Instruction.

LODGE WORK AND LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — I am glad to find that some brother has at length taken np the cudgels on behalf of Lodge Work as exemplified in onr Lodges of Instruction . It savours of merctlessness to continue attacking a person or institntion for whom or for which no defence is attempted . Howeveryour correspondent " ALDERMAN "

, has gallantly put pen to paper , anc calls in question the justice of the attack which has latterly been made on this particular class of Lodges . No material exception can bo taken to what he says on their behalf . It is quite true that , " before you can learn a language , you must first master the alphabet , " and equally true that " you must be perfect in the ceremonies before the explanation of them

can be of any benefit . " I think it highly probable that what he calls n Lodge or Lodges of Oratory "—though why he should so designate them I cannot see—mi g ht in time attract a very considerable amount ° r support . It does also , I admit , seem uncharitable , and therefore on-Masonic , to speak lightly of those very worthy brethren who take "t upon themselves "to afford assistance ancl instruction to their

younger friends . " But what then ? The complaint urged so forcibly y some of your correspondents that the work done in Lodges of Instruction is monotonous almost beyond the utmost limits of a ""• other ' s endurance still holds good , and "ALDERMAN" very wisely ooeai not go the length of saying that such a state of things is absolutel y without remedy . His argument amounts to this . Young brethren stand in need of assistance and instruction , ancl this , thanks to the self-devotion of

Lodge Work And Lodges Of Instruction.

certain older brethren , known commonly as Preceptors , thoy are ia a position to obtain in Lodges of Institution . But as a man cannot learn a language until he has first mastered tho alphabet , so no explanation of our ceremonies and lectures will be of any profit till a brother has become perfect in tho ceremonies and lectures themselves . Therefore nothing more can possibly be clone in a Lodge of

instruction than teach our young brethren tho alphabet of Masonry , that is , its ceremonies and lectures . But this is au argument to which I must entirely demur . For instance , what acquaintance should I be likely to possess with , say , the Greek language at the end of a two or three years course of instruction , if I had advanced no further than the alphabet , and , if you like , the declensions of

substantives , adjectives ; and pronouns , and possibly soma of tho conjneations ? I can picture to myself what the result would be , if , with this limited knowledge , I attempted to translate an easy sentence from a Greek Delectus or averse from the New Testament , Yet Bro . Alderman would have us believe that a brother will in time attain to some degree of proficiency by eternally going through the

same endless iteration of alphabet , declension , conjugation ; or , to speak Masonically , First' Ceremony and Lecture , Second Ceremony and Lecture , Third Ceremony and Lecture . I admit , he is more likely to be letter-perfect in his knowledge , so far as it goes , bnb bow much of it will he be likely to understand ? Masonry , we are told—and one of your corresponpents has made a note of this—ia

a progressive sciencn . But if we are not required to know anything more about it than the ceremonies , lectures , and tracing boards of the three degrees , then I say it is a " stationary , " not a " progressive " science . It never recedes , but neither does it make a step in advance . Is it asking too much of a Preceptor that occasionally he shonld set apart one evening for an exposition of the more hidden

meaning of different passages in our several ceremonies and lectures , so that a young brother , at the end of his course of instruction , may be able to congratulate himself on understanding a portion at least of what he has been learning by rote . I allow that , on the principle that one must not " look a gift horse in the mouth , " it is a question of great delicacy to criticise the

manner in which a Preceptor fulfils his self-imposed task of affording assistance and instruction to his younger brethren . We know that he willingly gives up much of his leisure time to this end , and thafc be does so withont hope or expectation of reward . But what must an educated brother think to himself wheu he finds the Preceptor of his Lodge never opens his mouth withont murdering the Queen ' s

English , and that though the latter knows his work by rote , he is incapable of explaining its meaning ? How can | an educated Mason be expected to sit under a Preceptor so incapable of imparting anything beyond a mere parrot-like knowledge ? Yet a very large number of our Preceptors are of the character I have depicted . They are capital fellows , and as ready as the day is long to do a

fellow-Mason a good turn , but they have not the requisite ability to teach , and the question , therefore , arises , Quia prcccipiet preceptores ipsos ? I write withont the slightest animus . There are many Preceptors whom I both know and respect , but you were pleased to insert a letter of mine in your issue of last week , in which I furnished a

summaiy of the work done by one of our Lodges of Instruction in tbe course of thirteen consecutive weeks . I did not mention the Lodge , for obvious reasons . I made the selection afc hazard , nofc even troubling myself as to which volume of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE I searched in order to compile my statement . But I venture to say ,

thafc if you had the space and I had the leisure to continue tho search , it would be found there was not in any one of the volumes of the CHRONICLE which have yet been published a single report of the proceedings of this Lodge of Instruction in which was recorded any sort or kind of work above or beyond what I noted in my letter of last week .

"With an apology for writing afc suob . length , I remain , faithfully yours , MARS . London , W ., 23 rd August 1881 .

Lodge Work.

LODGE WORK .

To the Editor of the FREEJIASON ' S CHBONICLE . DEAR BROTHER ,-- ! think no one , after reading M . uis ' s letter of last week , will venture to assert that the work done in our Lodges of Instruction is not monotonous , or that it is calculated to excite theenthusiasm , I was going to say , but I will correct mrself and snb . stitute the word—interest of young brethren . Fn > m rriv

exw'ience of these Lodges , I have no manner of doubt that the stiitPmci ! showing the work done daring a period of three months might have been extended over ten times as many months , ancl yet there vvnnM be seen the same endless repetition of initiations , passings , raisings , & c , & c , varied by an occasional installation or consneration . Of course , I know there must be repetitions , or newly made Masons would never be able to acquire the requisite knowledge of our

ceremonies , & c , but that is no reason why there should not be now aud again lectures explanatory of the inner or esoteric meaning of our mysteries . If such lectures were only given , say once a month , ifc would be a great boon to many brethren , who , like myself , rarely , if ever , attend a Lodgo of Instruction , because ifc is so wearisome to be compelled to listen to the same humdrum , dull routine of work endlessly repeated . Yours fraternally , BRO . JACK .

Ad00303

BUO . B ,. HIRST engages to provide , at short notice , an efficient Band for Annual Banriuets , Dinnars , Excursions and Quadrille Parties . For terms apply to " R . Hirst , The Throo Crowns , 237 Mile Bud Eoad , E . "