Reports Of Meetings.

Afan Lodge , No . 833 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER MATTHEW HENRY J ONES . ON Tuesday afternoon , 16 th inst ., Bro . Matthew Henry Jones , of Briton Ferry , Senior Warden Afan Lodge , Aberavon , was installed as Worship ful Master by his predecessor in Office Bro ^ Arthur Steel . About sixty Brethren gathered on the occasion , and the ceremony was performed with efficiency .

A banquet was held at the Public Hall in the evening , presided over by the Worshipful Master .

* * » ¦ Egerton Lodge , No . 1030 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER HERBERT R . GREAVES . TITHE annual meeting and Festival of St . John took place at the JL George Hotel , Heaton Norris , on Monday , 15 th inst .

After the reading and confirmation of minutes , a successful ballot was taken for Mr . William Albert Downham , Schoolmaster , Newtown , New Mills , who was afterwards initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry by Bro . R . B . Preston P . M .

The Auditors' and Treasurer's accounts having been presented and accepted , the principal business of the day commenced , namely that of installing Bro . Herbert R . Greaves J . W . into the chair of K . S . Twenty-one Brethren formed the Board of Installed Masters . The Installation ceremony was performed * by Bro . William A . Bacon W . M ., with Bros . Thos . Knott P . M . P . S . G . D . as Installing

S . W ., and Bro . G . L . Vaughan P . M . P . P . G . R . as Installing J . W . j the I . P . M . ' s jewel was explained by Bro . W . A . Vaughan P . M . ; Bro . G . B . Goodfellow P . M . D . C . proclaimed the W . M . in the E ., W . and S .., the Working Tools in the three degrees were presented and explained bv Bro . Abraham Pemberton P . M . P . P . G . D . C . ; and the address to the W . AI . was given by Bro . G . L . Vaughan P . M . P . P . G . R ., that to the Wardens being delivered by Bro . Thos .

Knott P . M . P . S . G . D ., and that to the Brethren generally by Bro . Abraham Pemberton P . M . P . P . G . D . C . The jewels of the newly appointed Officers were explained by Bro . R . Basnett Preston P . M . Before the Lodge was closed a vote of condolence was passed to the family of the late Bro . Lieut . Col . Wilkinson P . P . S . G . W . Cheshire ( a former member of the Lodge ) , and a deputation comprising the W . M . and his Wardens was appointed to attend the funeral .

The following Masonic Hymn , specially Written by Brother William A . Bacon , ; the retiring W . M ., with music by Bro . Alfred Boyd Organist , was sung at the closing of the Lodge , with much effect : — Come , Brethren all , with one accord , Unstinted praises constant sing To One oh high , beloved , adored : Great Architect , Eternal King . J

To Thee , O Lord , ascribed be The blessings of our Art Divine , May work we do be done for Thee , And , like Thy face , resplendent shine . Oh , fill our hearts with holy zest To act upon the moral plan , Our thoughts with Charity invest , With Hope in Thee and Faith in man

Come , Brethren all , your voices raise To Him who rules Grand Lodge above ; In gladsome hymn arid song of praise . Laud , magnify , for He is Love . —S . M . I . B

As the festive board , Bro . W . A ; Bacon I . P . M ., in proposing the health of the W . M ., expressed the pleasure it had afforded him that day to instal into the chair of K . S . such a highly esteemed and devoted Mason as Bro . Greaves . The Lodge could not fail to go on and prosper under his able guidance .

The W . M ., on rising to respond , was most heartily received . He commenced by paying a tribute to the truly Masonic feeling which had prompted Bro . Oldham S . W . ( at their last regular meeting ) to withdraw his name from the list of candidates for the office of Master in order that he ( the W . M . ) might have an

opportunity of serving that honourable position before leaving England to take up his residence in India . He heartily thanked the Brethren for the honour they had conferred upon him , and assured them he would do all in his power to emulate the example of his predecessor , and maintain the proud position which the Egerton Lodge occupied in the Province of East Lancashire .

The health of the Installing Master was proposed by . Brother Pemberton , who said he considered the toast second only in importance to that of the W . M . himself . It was only a little over four years since the late Bro . Abbott proposed ^ and he ( Brother Pemberton ) seconded , Bro . Bacon's election as a Joining Member of the Lodge , and in doing so they had high hopes that he would make

a valuable member and eventuall y do them credit . Those hopes had been more than fulfilled , for in Bro . Bacon they had had one of the best Worshipful Masters who had presided over the Lodge during the twenty-three years he had been a member of it . The W . M ., in asking him to propose the toast had requested him to lay stress upon the fact that Bro . Bacon's working and

rule over the Lodge during his year had been most exceptionally creditable , and an honour to the Brethren . In this he was sure every member , and especially the Past Masters and Officers , would fuily coincide . During his year of office Bro . Bacon had performed all the ceremonies , in a manner none could excel . He had also

inaugurated several reforms which had added greatly to the solemnity and religious character of the working , and to its general improvement . With the able co-operation of Bro . Boyd , the Organist , he had established full musical ceremonies in the Lodgeand a fine organ had been purchased by the generous donations

Reports Of Meetings.

of the Brethren . A new Lodge summons containing a full list of Past Masters for the last thirty-five years had also been instituted . Another good thing which Bro . Bacon had done was to . resuscitate the Annual Picnic during the recess , which for the last six . had been allowed to . fall into abeyance . He could ;

years remember the time when the Lodge was dependent upon outside help for an Installing Master , but for the last sixteen or seventeen years , with one or two exceptions , the retiring Master had installed been done

his successor , but in his opinion the work had never , better than it had been done that evening by Bro . Bacon , and he called upon all present to join with him in drinking to the goodhealthlong and life of the Installing Master .

, prosperous The W . M . then presented Bro . Bacon with a beautiful 18-carat gold Past Master's Jewel , upon which was inscribed :

Presented to BROTHER WILLIAM A . BACON by the Brethren of the Egerton Lodge , No .. 1030 , . for valuable services as W . M . 1899-1900 .

In a few well chosen words Bro . Bacon expressed his acknow- ledgments . Twelve months ago he had evidence that he commenced his year of office with the good will of every member of the Lodge , and he was proud to believe that the same feeling existed at . the time of his retirement from the Chair .

The musical arrangements—of an exceptionally high orders-, were under the direction of Bro . Alfred Boyd Organist , and the Brethren were indebted to Bros . W . H . Anderton , F . W . Millington , R . W . Nuttall , I . Steeple , and others , who contributed to the harmony of the evening .

* » Urmston Lodge , No . 17 30 . THE regular meeting was held at the Victoria Hotel , Urmston , on Monday , 8 th inst ., Bro . Hedley Herbert Jones W . M . After the confirmation of minutes , Mr . Francis Bebbington

Goodacre , Student , Ormskirk , was successfully balloted for and initiated , this being followed by the raising of Bro . Robert Henry H . Briggs to the sublime degree of M . M . The festive board succeeded these proceedings .

# # Montgomerie Lodge , No . 1741 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER FRANCIS WILLIAM J ENNINGS . rp ' HE annual installation festival was held at the Masonic Hall , JL King ' s Head . Hotel , Diss , on Thursday , iSth inst .

The ceremony of installation was most impressively performed by Bro . Arnold A . Bobby , at the conclusion of which the newlyinstalled Master appointed and invested his Officers for the ensuing year .. , ¦ - ¦ „ . ;

The installation banquet followed . In proposing the toast of the Worshipful Master of Lodge Montgomerie , Bro . G . A . Westrope said all who had the slightest knowledge of Bro . Jennings knew , that he was a man of good report , and one who was in every sense of the word fully qualified to till the position to which the members had unanimously elected him .

The toast was received with full Masonic honours , and the Worshipful Master , in response , said as a young member of the Lodge he could assure all the Brethren he would do all he could to further the interests of Freemasonry in general , and Lodge Montgomerie in particular .

Eleanor Cross Lodge , No . 17 64 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER W . H . TARRY . rnUESDAY , 16 th inst ., was the annual festival of this Lodge at JL Northampton , when Bro . W . H . Tarry , of Wolverton , was installed as Master for the year . Nearly seventy Brethren attended

to show their respect for Bro . Tarry , and the installation ceremony was admirably performed by the out-going Master Bro . W . F . Tipler P . Prov . G . Steward .

At the subsequent banquet the new W . M . was supported by the Deputy Prov . Grand Master Bro . Haviland , Bro . H . Manfield Grand Treasurer of England , and many of the leading Masons of the town and district .

The usual toasts were honoured , that of the health of the Master being entrusted to Bro . T . Ashdowne P . M ., who spoke in eulogistic terms of the . earnestness and thoroughness of Brother Tarry's work during his fourteen years connection with Freemasonry . The toast was enthusiastically honoured .

A delightful musical programme had been arranged , to which Bro . Tarry himself , Bro . Thomas ( a commercial representative of Sbuth Africa ) , and the Wolverton Orpheus Glee Union contributed . The singing was of a first-class character , all the contributors being in excellent form . The company were charmed' with the singing of the Wolverton quartette party : it was an artistic triumph .

Victoria Lodge , No . 2360 . INSTALLATION OF BROTHER WILLIAM PORTER . ON Tuesday , 16 th inst ., Bro . Porter was installed as Worshipful Master , at the Freemasons' Hall , Eastbank Street , Southport , the ceremony being performed by Bro . Stozle I . P . M ., assisted by Bro . J . F . Roberts P . P . G . A . D . C . West Lancashire .

Zion Lodge , No . 1798 . THE regular meeting was held at the Grand Hotel , Manchester , on Wednesday , 10 th inst ., Bro . Mark Steel W . M . The programme for the evening consisted of two initiations ^