Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of South Wales.

Br J . John Sheridan , W . M . 28 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ F . C . Remfrey , W . M 255 ... ... •¦¦ Prov . J . G . W . „ C . G . Brown , W . M . 116 ... ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ J . Coleman , 28 ... ... ¦•••-- Prov . S . G . O . „ Hy . Cadle , P . M . 116 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . „ Rev . D . Bowen , 256 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap .

„ T . Rule Owen , P . M . 297 ... ... •¦•Prov . G . lreas . „ T . D . Bounsall , 28 ... ... ... ¦••Prov . G . Reg . „ N . D . Marks , P . M . 28 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ O . Rowlands , 256 ... ••••••- ••Prov . S . G . D . „ J . Prosser , 297 ... ... •••••¦ Prov . J . G . D .

„ W . H . Williams , 28 ... ... ... ... Prov , Lr . l . ot W . „ John Mundy , I . P . M . 28 , P . P . G . S . ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ T . Rogers , 297 ... ... •••¦¦•Prov . G . S . B . „ J . M . Gerhold , 28 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ G . F . Green , 28 ... ... ... Prov . G . I . G .

,, J . C . Champneys Smith , 20 ... ... ... "* ) „ F . H . Simpson , 28 ... ... ... ... [ - Prov . G . Stwds . ,, Mat . Proctor , 28 ... ... ... ¦ ¦¦ _ „ Amos Jenkins ... ... ... •¦•Prov . G . Tyler . A pleasing incident of the investment of officers was the presentation by the

Provincial Grand Master , on behalf of the Worshipful Master of the Langley Lodge , to Bro . J . M . Gerhold , of a handsome Provincial Grand Organist's jewel , in recognition of the very valuable services rendered by him to the Langley Lodge . The annual banquet was held at the Angel Hotel , under the presidency of Bro . Sir Pryse Pryse , Bart ., the catering of Bro . J . G . Bland being everything to be desired .

The usual loyal and Masonic toasts having been responded to , a very enjoyable evening was spent , and enlivened by songs from Bros . Homfray , Anstice , and F . H . Simpson , and recitations from Bros . Sheridan , Gerhold , and Ingram .

The Proposed New Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

THE PROPOSED NEW CODE OF LAWS FOR THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

( Concluded from Page 148 . J Laws LVI . —LXIV . treat of the "Qualifications and Admission of Boys " and correspond with present Laws L . —LIX ., the first of the latter group , so far as it is dealt with , being treated in the Rules applicable to Boys out of the Establishment . The alterations are neither numerous nor very material . The limits of age remain as now , namely , for the reception of petitions , not less than six years , and

for the admission of boys not under seven or over eleven years . Petitions must be recommended and supported by the same certificates , & c , as now , the petition , where recommended by a provincial lodge , being " accompanied by a report of the circumstances of the case , signed by the Provincial Grand Secretary of the province in which the petitioning lodge is situated . " Moreover , the certificate of health must set forth that the

boy to whom it relates is in a good state of health and not subject to any disease or infirmity which would render him unfit or ineligible to be received as an inmate of the Institution . " No distinction is made between London and country petitions so far as regards the time at which they must be forwarded to the Secretary , but both classes equally must be sent to him " two weeks before the meeting of the Council "—the passage we have quoted reads "two week before

the meetings of the Council . " Law LXIV ., corresponding with present Law LIX ., raises the standard of examination which a candidate must pass before admission , as follows ; for candidates under nineyearsofage from the "First" tothe "Second " "Standard of the Government Education Department "; between the ages of nine and ten years from the " Second " to the " Third , " and over the age of ten years from the " Third " to the " Fourth . "

Of the laws relating to " Boys maintained , clothed , and educated in the Establishment "—Nos . LXV . —LXVIII . corresponding with present Laws LX . —LXIII . —only the last has undergone any great alteration , and that in the direction of greater precision and amplitude . The existing law requires that before a boy can bc admitted into the establishment , two " respectable " householders must sign an undertaking to remove him " on a representation by the Medical Officer that

he is afflicted with scrofulous , dangerous , or infectious disease , or , if found deficient in intellect , or in any way unfitted for retention in the establishment ; to receive him upon leaving the Institution , and in case of death to bury him free of expense to the Institution . " The new law requires the undertaking to be signed by two " responsible" householders to remove him " if and when required by the Board of Management ; to receive

him during vacation , also upon leaving the Institution ; and in case of death to bury him free of expense to the Institution ; " and the cases in which the Board may order a boy ' s removal are stated to be —( 1 ) If the Medical Officer certifies he is afllicted with any infectious or other illness rendering him unfit to remain ; ( 2 ) If there be any physical or other cause similarly affecting him ; and ( 3 ) "If they are of opinion , after inquiry , that the circumstances of the boy ' s parents or

other relatives are such as to render it improper for him to be maintained and educated in the Institution for the future . " Very important alterations have been made in the Laws ( LXIX . —LXXIL ) " applicable to boys maintained , clothed , and educated out of the Establishment . *' The existing laws bearing on this subject arc Law L . and Laws LXIV . —LXVIL , and a comparison of these latter with the new rules will bear out our statement .

In the first place , under the existing Law L . — " all boys duly elected may become " —but it is not necessary they should become— "inmates of the Establishment , " the reason why this option is given them being clearly set forth in the remaining clause of the same law— 'but tu it is a fundamental principle of flu ' s Instititti-, n that its benefits shall be extended lo the sons of all brethren under the Constitution of the Graud Lodge of England , without any distinction arising from religious belief , the benefits offered by the system in operation prior to the establishment of the

School House shall be continued to the sons of brethren whose parents or friends inav object to their being placed in the Establishment . " This important law is abrogated in thc proposed Code of Laws . The "fundamental principle " so gravely insisted on in the existing laws is entirel y ignored , and instead of leaving it to parents or friends of the boys to determine whether they shall be educated in or out of the Establishment , it is proposed that the Board of Management shall determine thc question for them . Section 2 of new Law LXIX . reads

thus" The Board of Management shall in all cases , where the parents or guardians of a boy elected to the Institution so desire , determine , previous to his admission whether he shall be educated out of the Establishment , and the Board of Manao * einent may in any case so resolve at any time a boy may be an inmate thereof . " We know of no reason why thc existing law , embodying as it does this

important " fundamental principle of this Institution , " should be altered . It hat worked well , so far as we know , during the 33 years the School House has been established . In only an extremely limited number of cases have thc parents or guardians of the boys availed themselves of the opportunity afforded them by this law of having their sons or wards educated out of the Establishment . We are not

aware of the privilege thus secured them having been at any time abused , and therefore on the principle of letting well alone , we recommend that the existing Jaw be retained .

The Proposed New Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

The other proposed laws relating to this class of boys need no comment , nor except in one particular do " Laws applicable to both Classes of Boys "—those in the Establishment and those out of the Establishment . The exception is Law LXXV ., which authorises the Council to vote a sum not exceeding , £ 20 to a deserving boy who has left the Institution . Present Law LXX allows the General Committee to vote an amount not exceeding ^ 40 "in cases of exceptional merit and necessity . " Here again , as we are not aware of any abuse of the power thus vested in the Committee , we consider the present law should be retained .

Proposed Laws LXXVI . and LXXVII . relate to the " officers of the Institution , " who are limited to the Secretary and his clerks . They contain nothing worthy of comment . Law LXXVIII . provides for the appointmentof an Auditor , " who must be a chartered accountant , " and will be responsible forthe proper keeping of the books , and prepare , under the Finance Committee , the annual

statement of account and balance-sheet . He will be appointed by the Council at its January meeting , and the Council will fix the remuneration to be paid him for his services . It seems to us , however , that this law should properly follow those relating to the Finance Committee . Law LXXIX . corresponds with present Law LXXV ., the word " Council " being substituted for " General Committee . "

With reference to Law LXXXL , which is new , and provides that "No pension or gratuity on retirement shall be paid out of the funds of this Institution , " we are aware there is a strong feeling in some quarters against pensions , on the ground that the bulk of the funds is raised by subscription for the education and maintenance of Boys , and that to apply any portion of them to pensions is a distinct violation of principle . To this we reply , with all deference , that in the naval and military

and civil services of the Crown , by most banking houses , insurance offices , and similar establishments in which clerical labour is largely employed , as well as by many private firms , the principle of granting pensions to tried and meritorious servants on retirement is recognised as a legitimate item of expenditure . Many charities , both endowed and unendowed , do the same , and all our Masonic Institutions have done so hitherto , nor is there the faintest suspicion of a

reason to suppose that their interests have suffered in consequence . On the contrary , we believe they have been better served by their officers , who worked with all the greater will when they knew there was some provision for them in their declining years , when age or health prevented them working any longer . Will this new principle of removing a Secretary from office when his services are no longer worth having produce results more beneficial to the interests of this

Institution ? We think not . Firstl y , an officer with the knowledge that he will receive nothing on retiring will cling to office with all the tenacity of a limpet to a rock , long after he is really useful ; and in the next , the Court , Council , or Board , in consideration of his long and meritorious services , will be most unwilling to remove him . And what is equally , if not still more important in the case of an Institution like this , which is so largely dependent for its income on the zeal and energy of its

chief executive ofiicer , the Secretary , when the latter knows that no amount of extra zeal and energy on his part will secure him even the smallest pittance of a pension or gratuity , he will very properly husband his working powers and will content himself with doing the duties prescribed " in the bond" of agreement during the official hours . We trust the Governors and Subscribers will consider well before they allow themselves to be persuaded into the adoption of this proposed law .

With these remarks we conclude our examination of the proposed new Code of Laws . We reiterate our opinion that , as a whole , it is an improvement on the existing Code , but there are proposals which we think may be amended , and proposals which will be better omitted . What these are the reader who has followed us closely through our series of articles knows well already .

Talks With The Craft.

TALKS WITH THE CRAFT .

BY M . QUAD . With me , Masonry is always divided into two classes—the active and real Mason , ancl the stay-away-and-sort-o ' -once-in-a-while Mason . The one labours for the good of the Fraternity—the future of it—the betterment of men . The other reasons that he paid so much for what he got , the same as he mi ght buy ducks and geese , and that neither the Fraternity nor the members of a lodge have any claim on his time .

X he hot weather creates still another class , and brings out another phase of selfishness . They are the members who declare that it is too warm to work , and who calmly walk off and leave a faithful few to doubly exert themselves to keep up with the work . If it rested with them nine-tenths of the lodges in the jurisdiction would be under discipline or their charters forfeited before frost comes again Next December , just previous to election , you will hear most of them relating their

heroic experiences—how they stuck to it until death stared them in the face—how they melted in their seats and had to be wiped up as grease spots—how grand it was in their lodge to pull through the dog-days and clear everything up for the fall campaign . Some of them , if they put it strong enough , may secure office for their . No not exactl y for their self-sacrifice , but for their attendance at lawn parties , their ice cream festivals , and their ferry boat trips .

For several winters past I have encountered Masons who excused their non-attendance on the ground that it was too cold . This gives us still another class , and we now have—The once-a-year Mason . The too-hot-weather Mason .

The too-cold-weather Mason . The every-day-in-the-year Mason . Should a worthy brother in good standing from the interior happen to meet with an accident while in Detroit , and desire to make himself known to the Fraternity , he must be prepared to deal with the various classes I have described . The once-a-year Mason will probably reply :

"Sorry , brother , but I ' m in a great hurry . " The too-hot-weather will answer -. " In trouble , eh :- ' Good lands ! but why didn't you happen to hit me in December , when 1 wasn ' t sweating under the collar ! " The too-cold-weather Mason will reply -.

' •Yes , yes , I know , but it ' s too cold—too cold . Come around next August and I'll do the brotherly act in three sections and six scenes . " There is but one class of Masons worthy of recognition as such—the men who give their time , thought , ancl soul to the Fraternit y , be it hot or cold—be the candidates few or many . The others should be graded in The Tyler ' s market as "doubtful , " " streaked , " " not ripe , " " so-so , " and " short-weight . "—American Tyler

CERTIFICATE . — Gitdicke well says that every brother who travels , and who wishes to visit the lodges in the cities he comes to , must not only provide himself with Masonic clothing , but with a certificate signed by the Grand Secretary , and sealed with th-2 seal of the Grand Lodge to which he belongs . It was ordered by the Grand Lodge of England , July 24 , 1755 , " that every certificate granted toja brother of his being a Mason shall be sealed with the seal of Masonry , and signed bthe Grand

y Secretary . " In the Harleian MS . 1942 , under the new articles , the word certificate is also found , and probably refers to what seems to have been the earlier practice of private lodge certificates . When these new articles were actually passed is not quite clear so far , for though Anderson says St . John ' s Day , 1663 , he gives us no proofs of his statement . The necessity of a Grand Lodge certificate is now universally admitted , and all brethren ought when visiting other lodges to take their certificates with them . —Kenning ' s \ Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry .