Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

— : o : — PROVINCIAL . CHARITY LODGE , No . 223 . WHEN the members of the Lodge and their lady friends assembled at the Freemasons' Hall , Plymouth , on the 18 th inst ., for their third annual outing , the prospect was certainly not promising , says the " Western Morning News . " Rain was falling in torrents . The shower clearing at lost , a start

was made half an hour late , with a faith that was justified by the result , for only a few brief-light showers fell for the rest of tho day . In two fours-in-hand , a breezy run across Roborough Down to Tavistock was enjoyed , and after a capital luncheon at the Newmarket Hotel , the party , numbering nearly 50 , drove to

Endsleigh . There sylvan charms , artistic gardening ( reflecting credit on Mr . Yeo , the head gardener ) , the model dairy , the fish pond , the daisy dell , the grotto , the Swiss cottage , and much else that goes to make the Duke of Bedford's Devonshire cottage home a delightful memory , was greatly enjoyed in beautiful weather .

Returning to Tavistock , an elegant tea was served at the Newmarket Hotel , and at eight o ' clock a start was made for home . The working bees of the Outing Committee were Bro . C . B . Gale the W . M . of the Lodge ; Bro . R . Blight one of its P . M . ' s ; Bro . James Hoyten its Hon . Sec . and another of its P . M's ; and Bro . W . Biscombe the . S . D .

The completeness and success of the arrangements won the gratitude of one and all . The Duke of Bedford's kindness in giving permission for the visit to Endsleigh was heartily acknowloged . Mr . Skinner ' s catering was highly praised . o o o

EVERTON LODGE , No . 823 . THE members had a very successful and pleasant gathering on tho 18 th , at the Masonic Hall , Hope Street , Liverpool , on the occasion of the Installation as Worshipful Master of Bro . T . W . King . Over a hundred members and visitors were present .

Bro . W . J . Guilbert I . P . M . was the Installing Master . He performed the dutes with exceptional efficency , and after the ceremony he was presented on behalf of the Lodge with a Past Master ' s Jewel in recognition of his very acceptable occupancy of the chair during the past year . The usual banquet followed . o o o

ST . KEW LODGE , No . 1222 . ON Thursday , 21 st ult ., a Lodge of Emergency was convened at the Masonic Hall , Weston-super-Mare , when upwards of thirty Brethren responded to the call of tho W . M . Bro . F . Blackmore . The Lodge having been foimally opened , the W . M . explained the immediate business on the agenda , the presentation of

an address to Bro . F . W . £ > . Wicksteed , on his leaving Westonsuper-Mare . The W . M . presented Bro . Wicksteed with the following illuminated address , in a frame ( mbellished with Masonic emblems , adding , " May this always remind you of absent friends " : —

" St . Kew Lodge , Weston-super-Mare , 1222 21 st June 1894 . To our well-beloved Brother , FBANCIS WILLIAM SLOW WICKSTEED

P . M ., P . P . G . J . W ., P . P . G . J ., P . G . M . S . W ., K . T ., & c . "No words can adequately express the hcartlelt sorrow and regret which we all feel at your leaving the town for which you have done so much , and the Lodge of which you have been the life and soul for so many years—a Lodge in which every Brother felt the happier for your presence , and felt something was lacking to make it perfect when you were absent . You have been a generous and true friend

to all : not only a Brother in the Lodge , but always a Brother out of the Ledge—every ready to carry out those principles which we all profess to admire . The only thing wc have ever had to forgive is your leaving us . Partings are , alas , inevitable in this transitory world , but this parting is too painful to dwell on . Rather would we look upon it as no parting at all , but hope that we shall see you amongst us almost as often in the future as we have done in the

past . Not ' Good-bye ' therefore , but ' Au revoir . Wherever you may be you take with jou the goodwill and affectionate regard and love of us all , both collectively and individually . May the Great Architect of the Univeise long give you health to be a blessing to those around you , and may you often return to the Lodge of St . Kew to receive that welcome which you and you alone will ever be able to call forth . "

Bro . Wicksteed , who was visibly affected , responded in the course of a feeling speech , observing that he had not chosen the step he was taking , but was leaving Weston-super-Mare through circumstances over which he had no control . The Louge of Instruction subsequently presented to the mother Lodge of St . Kew a framed portrait of their late preceptor ( Bro . Ffarington ) . o o o

DUKE OF LANCASTER LODGE , No . 1353 . rTUlE Installation meeting was held at the MasonicHall , Church J _ Street , Lancaster , on Wednesday , 18 th inst ., when the Lodge was opened in due form . One candidate was initiated , and two

Reports Of Meetings.

passed to the second degree . Bro . J . L . Oglethorpe P . M . P . P . G . R . next took tho chair as Worshipful Master , and installed Bro . J . L . Barrow S . W . into the chair for the ensuing vear . Tho W . M . then

appointed and invested the Officers . The Installation ceremony being over , a vote of thanks was accorded to Bro J . E . Oglethorpe for the very efficient manner in which lie had performed the ceremony .

Bro . J . L . Barrow was also cordially congratulated upon being placed in the chair of K . S . The Brethren then adjourned to a substantial supper . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts were given and responded to . The Brethren intended holding their Installation banquet at the Rothesay Hotel , Grasmere , on Wednesday last .

o o o LIBERTY OF HAVERING LODGE , No . 1437 .

Ol EVERAL of the members had an excursion into Kent , on the ( O 19 th . They travelled to Tilbury , and crossed the river there to the Clarendon Hotel , Gravesend , where , after a drive , they sat down to a capital dinner . o o o

TRUTH LODGE , No . 1458 . rriHE annual pic-nic took place on Saturday , the 14 th inst ., when I upwards of one hundred members and friends availed themselves of the opportunity to visit Windermere and some of its lakes . A very formidable programme had been provided , and at a first glance it did not seem possible to crowd so much enjoyment into one day , and successfully carry the some iuto effect without a hitch of any description ; but so perfect had been the arrangements

that this was happily effected . ' Special saloon carriages had been provided , and our party ( for we were of tho number ) left Victoria Station , Manchester , shortly after 8 a . m ., arriving at Windermere about 11 . Coaches awaited tho arrival of the traiu , and we were driven to the Belsfield Hotel , Bowness , a distance of a mile and a half , very shortly afterwards

sitting down to an enjoyable lunch which had been provided by Mr . McLeod , the proprietor , in anything but a barmecide fashion . This over , and after wandering for some little time about the beautiful grounds of the hotel , we proceeded to the landing stage and were soon on board one of the steam yachts , bound for Waterhead , Ambleside , passing on the way Belle Isle , Wray Castle ,

and Low-wood , and gaining a distant view of Scafell , the serrated peaks of Crinkle Crags ( 2816 feet ) , Laugdale Pikes , & c . Coaches were in waiting at Waterhead , and no time was lost in commencing a lovely drive of fourteen miles , the route being through the villages of Clappersgate ( which lies at the foot of Loughrigg ) , and Elterwater .

This is the neighbourhood described in Wordsworth ' s elaborate work "The Excursion , " of which Judge Thomas Noon Talfourd was so great an admirer that he wrote several reviews in Wordsworth ' s favour , and it is generally considered that he helped in no small degree to establish the poet ' s reputation . Lord Byron , on the other hand wrote of this effort

as" A drowsy , frousy poem called tho Excursion , Writ in a manner that is my aversion , " at the same time laying himself under obligation to the lake poet by drawing from his resources , abundant evidence of which will be found in the third and fourth cantos of Childc Harold .

Resuming our journey we neared the heights and peaks of Red Bank , then by Rydal Water to the Vale of Grasmerc , situate in tho heart of the Lake district , and described by Wordsworth as

" The loveliest spot that man hath ever found . " Here , for purposes of refreshment we paid a visit to the Rothsay Hotel , of which Bro . Joe Cowperthwaite ( Windermere Lodge , No . 2217 ) , is the proprietor . In the south cast corner of the church , which is close by , there lie the remains of Wordsworth and Hartley Coleridge , and several of the party , impelled by a laudable curiosity , were attracted to the graves of these celebrities .

Returning to Waterhead in time for the 4 25 steamer , we sailed back to Bowness , and from here returned to the Belsfield Hotel , where a most substantial dinner awaited us . This over , several toasts were proposed . Bro . Fred Hilton P . M . P . P . G . D . C , in submitting that of the W . M ., announced in a humorous speech

that the latter was a single man , and regretted that he had not yet found the time and inclination to join the ranks of those who were married . He , however , wished him every success , and congratulated him upon the very admirable pic-nic which had been arranged , to which remarks Bro . H . L . Burgess W . M . felicitously responded .

Bro . W . H . Worsley J . W . proposed the toast of the Visitors , both ladies and gentlemen . The W . M . respondod on behalf of the former , and with regard to the latter , Bro . Jas . W . Abbott P . M . P . P . G . D . C . said that it gave him very great pleasure to say a word or two about their excellent pic-nic . He would indeed be difficult to please who had not been satisfied that day . In the whole of his experience of Masonic pic-nics this had been the most enjoyable and the most agreeable which he had attended .

Bro . T . Russell P . M . P . P . G . D . D . C . also thanked them for the privilege which he had enjoyed in accompanying them to Windermere . He spoke of the delightful day , the lovely scenery , the magnificent hotel , and the excellent catering . Their pic-nic to Chester last year had been a fine one , but this had eclipsed oven that one , and for his own part he thought it would be difficult to improve upon it .

Bro . J . Robinson I . P . M . 1219 also expressed the pleasure which he had derived , and he should try to induce the W . M . of his own Lodge to pay a visit to Windermere next year . Bro . Burgess W . M . proposed a vote of thanks to Bros . W . H . Worsley J . W ., Sam Luke , A . B . Taylor Treas ., and T . Hall P . M . Secy , ( the pic-nic Committee ) , for the excellent arrangements