Annual Festival Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.

was a very earnest worker , and for many years ; and , therefore , I feel it a great p leasure in connecting Bro . Farnfield with that toast , and I hope you will drink it with cordiality . I give you " The Lodge of Unions , " under the sanction of which this lodge worts . Bro . J . A . FARNFIELD replied , and said : I express my deep obligation to our W . M . for standing aside and allowing me to respond to the toast presented to you by Bro . Fenn . In acknowledging the pride with which the Lodge of Unions

think of their adopted child , I can hardly express words to describe it to you . The child has grown , and so long as it is proud of its parent so long shall we be proud of our adopted child . With regard to the kind words of Bro . Fenn with respect to me , I find it is 36 years since I was initiated in the Lodge of Unions , and in the first year I was made a member of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . I do not think during that time I have missed more than four or five of these annual festivals . I was glad to hear Bro . Fenn say why the allegiance of this

lodge was transferred to the Lodge , of Unions . It is not many years ; looking up the books for the history of the lodge we come upon the fact that the lodge worked first under the sanction of the Perseverance . I came to the lodge an d presented it to the Lodge of Improvement , as we thought they were getting hold of that . I assured the Treasurer we were able to prove it had an uninterrupted existence of 100 years . I only hope when another 100 years have passed we may have the Emulation Lodge of Improvement attached to us , ar . d that it may do as much good as it has done up to the present time .

Bro . Arcndeacon STEVENS , G . Chap ., proposed " The Masonic Chanties , to which Bro . J . M . MCLEOD , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B ., responded . Bro . Col . BINDLEY proposed "The Officers , " which was replied to by Bro . RUSSELL , Sec . The Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings .

Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons.

GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS .

The Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown was held on Tuesday evening last at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen-street , W . C . The Earl of Euston , M . W . Pro Grand Master , presided , and he was supported by Bros . Viscount Dungarvan , Deputy G . Master ; the Earl of Portarlington , S . G . W . ; Thomas Fenn , as J . G . W . ;

the Marquess of Hertford , P . G . M . ; Col . A . B . Cook ; Charles Belton , as G . M . O . ; Richard Eve , as S . G . O . ; R . Clowes , as J . G . O . ; Richard Loveland Loveland ; Major Clifford Probyn , G . T . ; E . Letchworth , Geo . Everett , Major Woodall , James Boulton , Ernest St . Clair , Dr . Balfour Cockburn , G . D . C . ; E . Letch Mason , C . F . Hogard , W . Lake , Dr . Clement Godson , W . Vincent , H . Sadler , Chas . F . Matier ( G . Sec ) , and several other brethren .

After the Grand Lodge had been opened and the minutes of the meeting in December , 1896 , had been read and confirmed , The PRO GRAND MASTER announced that the next business was the

election of the Most Worshipful Grand Master for the ensuing year . Bro . Dr . ORVIN , P . M . 44 , P . P . G . D . Kent , then rose and said : M . W . Pro Grand Master and Brethren , —At the last meeting of this Grand Lodge I had the honour of nominating his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as our Grand Master for the ensuing year , and I beg now to move that he be elected as our Grand Master .

Bro . J . J . THOMAS : M . W . Pro Grand Master , —And I beg to second it . The Earl of EUSTON : Brethren , —I have to put the motion , and I am quite certain that it is hardly necessary for me to put it to you , because you will receive it with acclamation , and with thanks that his Royal Highness accepts the position . The motion was carried unanimously and with loud applause , and Bro . Dr . BALFOUR COCKBURN , G . D . C , proclaimed his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales duly elected as M . W . G . M . of Mark Masons for the

ensuing year . Bro . Major CLIFFORD PROBYN , G . Treas ., then moved that Bro . Geo Henry Parke , P . P . G . W . of West Yorkshire , P . G . S ., P . S . G . W . Derby shire , be elected as Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . Bro . LEACH BARRETT , S . W . 405 , seconded the motion .

The Earl of EUSTON ; Brethren , we have been spared the trouble of an election . I always consider that when there is an election it does not show that good feeling of fellowship that there should be in Masonry . I declare Bro . Parke duly elected Grand Treasurer for the ensuing 12 months , and I congratulate him on his position . ( Cheers . )

Bro . G . H . PARKE * . M . W . Pro Grand Master , —Permit me to express my deep thanks , in the first place , to you for your congratulations , and then to the brethren for the great honour they have conferred upon my provinces as well as upon myself . All I can now say is that as you have placed the office in my hands nothing shall be wanting on my part to add lustre to it . ( Cheers . )

The report of the General Board was then , on the motion of Bro . RICHARD LOVELAND LOVELAND , President , seconded by Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , G . R ., taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . The recommendations in the report were , on motion by Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND , seconded by Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , then carried , and the report moved and seconded by the same brethren was adopted , and Grand Lodge closed in ample form .

Annual Supper Of The Citadel Lodge Of Instruction, No. 1895.

ANNUAL SUPPER OF THE CITADEL LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , No . 1895 .

The third annual supper of the above lodge of instruction was held on Friday fast , in the Caledonian Salon of the Holborn Restaurant . Upwards of 90 ladies and members attended , Bro . F . Dunstan , P . M ., & c , presiding . Bros . Feistel , Jeanes , Bishop , Jones , and W . S . Clark , officiated as Stewards .

Misses Wilmot Briggs , Violet Millin , Gertrude Feistel , and F . K . Schwartz Mrs . F . Clark , and Bros . Jones , Feistel , Howard , A . Bishop , F . W . Bishop , Jeanes , and Charles E . Johnson , contributed to the musical part of the programme . The arrangements generally were carried out by the Hon , Sec , Bro . J Harry Willsmer ,

The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The following lists and additions to lists have been received since the report of the recent Festival appeared , namely :

LONDON . Lodge £ s , d . 157 Bro . L . A . Richardson , additional ... ... 1 1 o ( raising his list to £ 51 Ss . ) 176 „ B . Matveieff , additional ... ... ... G 30 ( raising his list to £ 45 3 s . ) 1 S 1 „ Donald Andrew , new list ... ... ... 31 10 o 1366 •, James Culverwell , additional ... ... 3 G i <; o

( raising his list to £ . 51 15 s . ) 2 _ .,-f » Lennox Browne , additional ... ... ... 220 ( raising his list to £ 165 ns . Cd . ) 2632 „ lames Boulton , additional ... ... ... 220

( raising his list to £ 57 3 s . 6 d . ) Unattached „ E . Cockerell , new list ... ... ... 10 10 o „ „ David M . Murrow , new list ... ... 21 0 o „ „ F . Terrell , new list ... ... ... 550

PROVINCES . BUCKINGHAMSHIRE . 1 4 10 „ Thomas Taylor , additional ... ... ... 550 ( raising his list to £ 21 ) . CHESHIRE . 321 „ W . J . Nash , new list ... ... ... 10 10 o 326 „ William Hardy , new list ... ... ... 10 10 o Unattached Mrs . Sinclair , new list ... ... ... 5 5 o

CUMBERLAND AND WBSTMOR * AND . „ Bro . T . H . Hogg , new list ... ... ... 10 10 o DEVONSHIRE . 70 „ F . B . Westlake , additional ... ... ... 59 17 o ( raising his list to £ 70 73 . ) HERTFORDSHIRE . 2054 „ H . G . Holland , additional ... ... ... 5 S o ( raising his list to £ 179 1 is . )

LANCASHIRE ( W . D . ) 32 „ I . B . Newton , new list ... ... ... 10 10 0

MIDDLESEX * . S 65 „ J . Cox , additional ... ... , „ 550 ( rtfising his list to £ 57 15 s . ) SUSSEX . The Province Bro . J . M . Reed , additional ... ... 10 10 0

( raising his list to £ 126 ) Lodge 2434 Bro . G . A . Skinner / new list ... ... ... 10 10 0 Lodge WARWICKSHIRE . 1021 Bro . J . J . Kendall , new list ... ... „ , 550

FOREIGN STATIONS . MELBOURNE . Unattached Bro . Henri Amelot , new list ... .,, 10 10 0 N . B . —Several new Stewards , principally in West Yorkshire , have been added to the Board since the Festival , and two important alterations must be made in

the Returns as published in our last week ' s issue . ( 1 ) It was Bro . W . Austin , S . W . 168 , not Bro . Thos . Pengelley , who acted as Steward for the Province of Guernsey and Alderney , and returned a total of . £ 115 ios . ( 2 ) Bro . V . P . Freeman , Prov . G . Sec . Sussex , whose list amounted to . £ 105 , was Unattached , and did not , therefore , act as the representative of the Royal Brunswick Lodge , No . 732 , Brighton .

Secret Monitor.

Secret Monitor .

Zacharie Conclave , No . 9 . A meeting was held on Friday , the 19 th ult ., at the Holborn Restaurant . Present * . Bros . H . Gadd , P . G . S ., S . R . ; Col . Molyneux , C . ; Frank E . Lemon , M . A ., G . j D . H . W . Kiallmark , Treas . j Dr . A . M . Jessop , Sec . ; W . Canton , V . D . ; W . Amor , Sentinel ; and others . Bro . W . J . Spratling , G . R ., was a visitor . Letters of regret were read from Bros . Dr . Danford Thomas , P . S . R . ; Sir Thomas Wright , P . S . R . ; H . Lewis , P . S . R . ; and others . After the reading of the minutes , a ballot was taken for Bro . F . C . Van Duzer ,

W . M . 2397 . Uro . Van Duzer was inducted by Bro . Kiallmark , who assumed the chair at the request of the S . R . Bro . Col . Molyneux was then elected as Grand Steward to represent the conclave at Grand Festival in June next , and afterwards as Supreme Ruler of the conclave . The S . R . and Bro . Van Duzer were elected Auditors , and , on the motion of the Secretary , five guineas were voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The Treasurer pointed out that that was the fourth like contribution the conclave had made to the Charities , and that the funds would warrant the following

notice of motion for the next meeting : "That no subscription be asked for during the year 1 S 97-S . " Bro . Kiallmark explained that by a wholesome by-law , one-third of the balance in hand at each audit is voted to the Charity Fund , which keeps it well supplied . Meanwhile the brethren would recollect that some years ago the Committee was able to recommend one year's intermission of subscription , a"d now they hoped to repeat it . He knew this was a very usual proceeding in a lodge , but thought its infrequency would add to it " a kind of charm " which seemed to hang about the proposal , if he might interpret the reception it had received among the brethren .

The brethren afterwards dined together under the genial presidency of Bro . H . Gadd , P . G . Stwd ., S . R ., who spoke of overtures that had been made to him concerning the establishment of a conclave in the Masonic province in which he was a Prov . Grand Officer , and which already boasted among its Masonic leaders a name so distinguished as that of the Baron de Ferrieres .

Damon and Pythias Conclave , No . 14 . A regular meeting ol the above conclave was held at the Masonic Hall , Vepery , Madras , on Thursday , the 14 th January , there being present Bros . W . T . Newitt , as S . R . ; James Stiven , Counsellor ; the Rev . A . Westcott , M . A ., Guide ; W . T . Sumner , Sec ; A . J . Cooper-Oakley , S . V . D . ; C . J . Higgs , as J . V . D . ; B . E . Smith , Guarder ; F . W . Jordan , Sentinel ; VV . E . Bishop , and J . H . M . Kyan . The conclave was opened , and the summons convening the meeting read , followed by the minutes of the last regular meeting , which were confirmed . Ballots were then

taken for the election of a Supreme Ruler and a Treasurer for the ensuing year , and resulted unanimously in favour of Bro . the Rev . Arthur Westcott , M . A ., and Bro . W . T . Newitt , respectively . Bro . F . W . Jordan was re-chosen Sentinel for the same period . Bro . the Rev . J . T . Lawrence , M . A ., was unanimously elected for nomination as Grand Steward for 1897-98 . Letters were read , resigning membership , from Bros . G . F . Travers-Drapes , P . G . Steward , and J . Copley Moyle . The Charity collections realistd Rs . 9 . Nothing further offering for the good of the Order in general or for this ccnclave in particular , it was closed .