Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

^• ^ w l ^ L " "I Chaplains Kev . F . E . Waters 418 - - j F . Brandon 418 - - - Eegistrar J . Bodenham 726 - - - Treasurer W . Cartwright 460- - - Secretary H . Hare 1080 - - - Senior Deacon Capt . F . Morgan 1838 - - Junior Deacon B . H . Brongb 514 - - - Superintendent of Works T . E . Fowke 726 - - - Director of Ceremonies F . Woolley 726 - - - Assist . Director of Cera . G . Buttery 1941 - - - Sword Bearer J . R . Leo 1792 - - " } standard Bearers J . T . Snape 460 - - - j H . Hartland 662 - - - Organist E . H . Croydon 460- - - Asst . Secretary T . B . Cull 1587 - - - Pursuivant F . Perkins 1039 - - - Assistant Pursuivant H . Bagguley 460 . - - Tyler E . A . Wilicock 419 - - T . Rigby 726 - - - / D . Batkin 726 - - > Stewards

Pierpoint 98 - - - l J . Wooldridge 726 - - - EJ ? At two o ' clock the Lodge adjonrned , in order that the

brethren might attend Divine service at St . Mary s Church , to which they walked in procession from the Shire Hall . The lewises who joined the procession and carried the Volume of fche Sacred Law were H . Fowke , J . H . Motfcram ,

T . B . Motfcram , and G . T . Batkin . The prayers were read by the Rector , the Rev . D . R . Norman , the first lesson by the Rev . T . Lloyd , and the second by the Rev . F . H . Beavan . The sermon was preached by Worshipful Bro .

the Rev . Gr . Tnthill , Prov . Grand Chaplain , who took for his text Luke xi . 2 , " Oar Father , which art in heaven . " He insisted upon the fact that Nature and revealed religion showed that there was a tie between men and a Supreme

Being , and that that relationship was that of children to a father . This text suggested to them the two great truths of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man , and he hoped it might be long before Masonry ceased to

recognize those great truths . He urged them to assist one another , to be courteous to all , and at the same time to be " sons of thunder" in reproving vice and encouraging virtue . The amount of the collection was £ 7 5 s lOd . At

the close of the service the brethren returned to the Lodge and resumed business . The following grants were voted : —Fifty guineas to the Masonic School for Girls ; £ 10 10 s ( to be given annually ) to the B Fund of the Staffordshire

Masonic Charitable Association . On the motion of Bro . Col . Gough , seconded by Bro . E . Roberts , a vote of thanks was accorded to Bro . Tnthill for his sermon . It was decided to contribute £ 3 3 s to Easfcgate-street schools

Stafford ; £ 2 2 s to fche fund of the Sunday and day schools in the parish of the P . G . Chaplain , the Rev . G . Tnthill ; £ 2 2 s to St . Chad ' s ; and £ 2 2 s towards windows to be placed in St . James ' s Church , Longton , as memorials of the

late Bro . the Rev . Adam Clarke , rector of Longton , a former P . G . Chaplain . Lodge having been closed , the hrethren adjourned to the Assembly Room , where a most sumptuous banquet was provided by Mr . Mundy of the

Swan Hotel . The loyal toasts were drunk with much heartiness . Brother F . James gave the toasfc of the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master the Earl of

Carnarvon , with which was coupled the V . W . D . G . M . the Earl of Lathom , and other Officers of Grand Lodge present and past , whom he ( Bro . James ) highly complimented on their devotion to the interests of the Craft . Bro . F . Gousrh

as P . G . S . B . responded . In the course of his remarks he said there was the same difficulty with regard to appointments in Grand Lodge as in Provincial Grand Lodge : they could not all be Wardens , and wifch reference to the lower offices ho considered that an invitation of a brother

co join the ruler of the Craffc in carrying on the work and governing the Provinco should be regarded as an absolute and imperative command which proper discipline and Masonic feeling should compel them cheerfully to obey .

Bro . Gough then proceeded to propose the health of the R . W . P . G . M ., which was drank with enthusiasm . Col . Tudor , in reply , said Col . Gough was the first to give him an appointment in Prov . Graud Lodgo , and thoy had

always worked harmoniously together . Since he ( Col . Tudor ) had been P . G . M ., Col . Gough had rendered him every possible assistance . Touching upon the subject of the difficulty experienced in regard to the appointments , he

remarked that he was afraid he should not give satisfaction to all , but he assured them that he should strive to do the best he could for the Province . During the time he had been D . P . G . M . and P . G . M . he had appointed 240

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

officers , and had only had reason to complain of the conduct of two or three out of that number . —Bro . Barker submitted the toast of the D . P . G . M ., which was heartily received , and to which Colonel Gough

suitably responded . He observed that he visited different Lodges without giving them warning , and seldom saw anything to complain of , and he believed that they would all admit thafc when he did call attention to any little

irregularity he always endeavoured to blend the suaviter in modo with the fortiier in re—a remark which was endorsed by the applause of the brethren present . The Worship , ful Masters of the Lodges in the Province was the next

toast , which was proposed by the P . G . M ., and acknowledged by Bro . Wooldridge . Bro . Lewis proposed the health of " The newly-appointed P . G . Officers , " for whom

Bro . Bromley responded . Bro . the Rev . J . Frome Wilkinson , P . G . Chaplain for Suffolk , replied to the toasfc of The Visitors . He mentioned that he arrived at Stafford .

on the previous day , and should have been a stranger amongst strangers , but he visited the Staffordshire Knot Lodge and found himself with brothers , who welcomed him cordially amongst them . Amidst all the questions

which divided men , it was a treat to meet on the platform where they practised brotherhood . Bro . the Rev . T . Lloyd , in a neat and appropriate speech , proposed The Masonic Charities . Bro . N . Joyce ( 726 ) responded , and in

the course of his remarks , he mentioned that he was one of the originators of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association , and was glad to find that the Province of Staffordshire was nofc behind any other in enthusiasm for

the Charities . Bro . E . H . Thorne gave the toast of The Stewards , for whom Bro . Rigby responded . Bro . the Rev . E . 0 . Perry gave the toasfc of The Ladies , of whom there

were several in the gallery at each end of the room . Bro , Moss responded , and the Tyler's toasfc concluded the list , The pleasure of the company was materially enhanced by

the excellent vocal music supplied by the Stafford Glee Union .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And Isle Of Wight.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT .

THE Grand Lodge of this Province met at the Philharmonic Hall , Above Bar , Southampton , on Thursday afternoon , the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master ( Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P . ) in the chair . There was an

unusually large attendance . The minutes of the last Lodge aud of various committee meetings were confirmed , and . from the Report of the Charities Committee ifc appeared that during the year one brofcher from this province had

been placed on the funds of the Masonic Benevolent Institution . The province had also been successful in securing the election of three boys and four girls to the Schools connected with the Craft . The accounts of the Provincial

Grand Treasurer ( W . Bro . R . J . Rastrick ) showed that during the year , after payment of £ 156 in charitable contributions , the funds in hand had increased from £ 193 to £ 378 . This , however , included fche repayment of a £ 100

Southampton pier aud harbour bond , and it was resolved that this amount should again be invested in some stiitable security . The accounts were passed , and W . Bro . R . J . Rastrick was re-elected , with acclamation , as Grand

Treasurer . On the motion of W . Bro . G . F . Lancaster P . M ., it was resolved to alter the bye laws so as to provide for the annual payment of a donation of twenty-five guineas to the Hampshire aud Isle of Wight Masonic Educational

and Benevolent Institution . Ou the proposition of W . Bro . Wyatfc P . P . S . G . W ., the sum of £ 20 was voted to the widow of a deceased brofcher ; and a donation often guineas was voted fco each of the three central Charities , aud also

fco the Provincial Charitable Institution , on the suggestion of W . Bro . Robertson P . M . The Provincial Grand Master then appointed ancl invested the following as the Provincial Grand Officers for fche ensuing year : — Bro . J . 'E . Le Fetivro 130 - - Depnty Grand Master

Goor ? : o Dnnlop 130 - - Senior Warden Lord ' John Taylour G 9 S - ¦ Junior Warden Rov . R . S . Wood 151 - - \ 0 haplaiB £ I Rev . J . A . Alloway 551 - ¦) l G . Felton Lancaster 1090 - - Eegistrar E . J . Easfcrick 1009 - - Treasurer Edgar Goble 309 - - Secretary H . E . Loader 487 - - " ] Senior Deacons H . Lashmore 394 - » <)