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Article CORRESPONDENCE. ← Page 5 of 8 →
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Correspondence.
what the members already pay , five shillings have to be annually remitted by each member of Grand Lodge . We cannot afford to pay the rent of a place of meeting , in order to have the use of it , when we require it ( mark the consistency ) ! but we are spending five pounds each for a silver-gilt medal , to be given to every honorary member of the Grand Lodge ! There is surely room for improvement here . Againlook at the costumewhich is tolerated in Grand
, , Lodge . There is nothing regular either in the cut or colour of the coats ; and here , as well as in private Lodges , there is no regularity as to badges or jewels . The taste and fancy of the wearer is the sole guide ; and it is no uncommon event to see a pocket-handkerchief , not over clean , used as a badge side by side with the more aristocratic productions of a "ROBINSON , " or an "EVANS ! " Let the Grand Lodge show that she is in earnestand anxious to redeem the
cha-, racter of Scotch Masonry . Let her do away with one paid officer , and let the person , who does the work , be properly remunerated . Let her rent a place , which she may at all times command , for meetings and other business . Let her exercise a kind and faithful control over the Lodges , and urge them affectionately to he more regular and orderly in conducting Masonic business , and , above all , strive to inculcate some sort of regularity into the degrees for the entering ,
passing , and raising of candidates . If this be done in a truly Masonic spirit , we are convinced that the Lodges and Brethren generally would support her , and would not grudge the additional five shillings which has been recently imposed upon them , even
although it may be spent upon silver-gilt badges to decorate honorary Brethren , who , I am sure , if they knew the jiresent " rotten state of Denmark , " would decline to receive them . In your retrospect of Masonic proceedings for the year 1851 , you express a strong hope that improvement may take place in Scotland . In that wish I join most heartily and sincerely , and trust that it will not be long , ere some energetic and influential Brethren may be more thoroughly interested in the welfare of our ancient Order . As an
earnest towards such improvement , there is a motion on the table of Grand Lodge at present to this effect : — " That a Committee be appointed to consider the propriety of sending deputations to the Sister Grand Lodges . " The long and the short of this is , that we in Edinburgh are hoping to visit you in London , and our Brethren across the Irish Channel . This , I have no doubt , will be at once agreed to , as deputations are now the order of the day . And if they
can only be carried forward for truly Masonic purposes , and for the benefit of Masonry , they cannot but be productive of much good to the visitors ; but there must be no mere reciprocity of idle compliment , or bandying high-flown eulogiums betwixt the Lodges ; — no , no ! — that will not do ! If we go to London , headed hy our Grand Master , let us say to your G . M . and G . Lodge , " We come that we may see your workand how you conduct your Masonic
proceed-, ings . " If this be done with the desire of obtaining information , and of applying it when anything commendable is found , then there will be a chance of improvement , and we may expect to see our venerable institution , within a reasonable period , restored to that respected character , which many , in their blindness , believe she still holds in the eyes of the Masonic world . But if the deputation , or
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
what the members already pay , five shillings have to be annually remitted by each member of Grand Lodge . We cannot afford to pay the rent of a place of meeting , in order to have the use of it , when we require it ( mark the consistency ) ! but we are spending five pounds each for a silver-gilt medal , to be given to every honorary member of the Grand Lodge ! There is surely room for improvement here . Againlook at the costumewhich is tolerated in Grand
, , Lodge . There is nothing regular either in the cut or colour of the coats ; and here , as well as in private Lodges , there is no regularity as to badges or jewels . The taste and fancy of the wearer is the sole guide ; and it is no uncommon event to see a pocket-handkerchief , not over clean , used as a badge side by side with the more aristocratic productions of a "ROBINSON , " or an "EVANS ! " Let the Grand Lodge show that she is in earnestand anxious to redeem the
cha-, racter of Scotch Masonry . Let her do away with one paid officer , and let the person , who does the work , be properly remunerated . Let her rent a place , which she may at all times command , for meetings and other business . Let her exercise a kind and faithful control over the Lodges , and urge them affectionately to he more regular and orderly in conducting Masonic business , and , above all , strive to inculcate some sort of regularity into the degrees for the entering ,
passing , and raising of candidates . If this be done in a truly Masonic spirit , we are convinced that the Lodges and Brethren generally would support her , and would not grudge the additional five shillings which has been recently imposed upon them , even
although it may be spent upon silver-gilt badges to decorate honorary Brethren , who , I am sure , if they knew the jiresent " rotten state of Denmark , " would decline to receive them . In your retrospect of Masonic proceedings for the year 1851 , you express a strong hope that improvement may take place in Scotland . In that wish I join most heartily and sincerely , and trust that it will not be long , ere some energetic and influential Brethren may be more thoroughly interested in the welfare of our ancient Order . As an
earnest towards such improvement , there is a motion on the table of Grand Lodge at present to this effect : — " That a Committee be appointed to consider the propriety of sending deputations to the Sister Grand Lodges . " The long and the short of this is , that we in Edinburgh are hoping to visit you in London , and our Brethren across the Irish Channel . This , I have no doubt , will be at once agreed to , as deputations are now the order of the day . And if they
can only be carried forward for truly Masonic purposes , and for the benefit of Masonry , they cannot but be productive of much good to the visitors ; but there must be no mere reciprocity of idle compliment , or bandying high-flown eulogiums betwixt the Lodges ; — no , no ! — that will not do ! If we go to London , headed hy our Grand Master , let us say to your G . M . and G . Lodge , " We come that we may see your workand how you conduct your Masonic
proceed-, ings . " If this be done with the desire of obtaining information , and of applying it when anything commendable is found , then there will be a chance of improvement , and we may expect to see our venerable institution , within a reasonable period , restored to that respected character , which many , in their blindness , believe she still holds in the eyes of the Masonic world . But if the deputation , or