Lodge Returns.

but which draws down the scathing denunciations of the District Grand Master if it does not . Who that goes to District Grand Lodge can forget the mingled sorrow and anger with which the District Grand Master says that all the lodges with the exception of Lodge St . Simon Without have rendered returns to date , and the feeling of contempt and displeasure with which the wretched Secretary of that lodge is regarded by all present ?

Who is there that- has sat on the Board of General Purposes whose bosom has not glowed with Masonic indignation when the District Grand Secretary remarks that his statistics would have been quite complete and up to date but for the dilatoriness of the Secretary of No . * * * 1 Everything that anybody present has ever heard to the disadvantage of that Secretary is at once retailed , and his Masonic character may be considered blasted , at all events for the next 12 months .

And then the enemies brother Secretary unconsciously makes . First there is the brother who has gone home on furlough and has decided to shed the light of his presence upon Grand Lodge , but who is driven away with ignominy from its portals because the annual return has not been made

by his Iodge . Then there is the VV . M . of his Iodge who expected District Grand rank , but who has not got it because his lodge returns were not to hand in time . Then among minor enemies there is for instance the joining brother , who lays down his inability to produce either his Grand Lodge Certificate or his Clearance ditto to the account of the Iodge Secretary .

But were we to begin the enumeration of the troubles of the lodge Secretary the limits of an ordinary article would be very considerably exceeded , and we must proceed to discuss those items in his daily toil , which were described at the head of this paper . The returns consist , first , of the quarterly returns sent to the District Grand Secretary , secondly , the annual return of members sent to the Grand

Secretary , and the annual return of Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens , also sent home , and there are the occasional returns of initiations and ceremonial work . These latter may be briefly discussed , inasmuch as the practice is , in this country at all events , to send up the list with applications lor Grand Lodge certificates concerned , say once in six months . All the same the initiate could make it very troublesome for his Secretary if he wished , by demanding Grand Lodge certificates at each stage of his Masonic

career . The annual return of W . M . and Wardens and Past Masters is a very simple affair . Simple as it is , however , many Secretaries manage to make mistakes . One of the commonest is to include Past Wardens , and to exclude worshipful brethren who are not Past Masters of the lodge . The reason for this last omission is that the young Secretary supposes that the

worshiplul brethren in question will be returned by the lodges of which they are Past Masters , and that to include them in his own return would be an unnecessary duplication and give the Grand Secretary trouble . Even if it did , he is paid . £ 1000 a year for it , and in any case he may be trusted to look after himself . The reason would be a good one if all Past Masters kept their names on the books of the lodges over which they once presided ,

but this is not the case . It is an extremely important return as its absence may incidentally cause all sorts of inconveniences to the lodge , which would be under a sort of Masonic interdict . We now come to the quarterly returns , and it is what may be called the cooly work in these which is so tiresome . True it is that in process of time a writer could be trained to do all the actual copying that is needed , but by

the time the writer is properly trained , the Secretary's year of office comes to an end , and it has to be done de novo . In a well ordered lodge there exist duplicate forms of every return bound up into books , and the duplicate book of the quarterly returns is one of the most valuable possessions of the lodge , inasmuch as if it has been well and accurately kept from the beginning it contai ; s the actual history of the lodge .

Ef ch quarterly return is in a great measure a transcript of the last preceding , lt differs from it , first by the addition of the names of new members , and an indication of members retired . This last is shown , not by omitting the name , as many Secretaries thoughtlessly do , but by a marginal note showing the circumstances under which , retirement came about , whether the

brother concerned was in arrears or not , whether he was granted a certificate . As to new members , if they joined from another lodge , it must be clearly shown whether a clearance certificate and the Grand Lodge certificate were produced . These are matters which every District .. Grand Secretary strongly insists on .

With regard to dues , it is provided that if a brother be in arrears , the fact may be noted marginally and dues held back . The value of this concession is not so much that the lodge is saved a few rupees , but that the District Grand Secretary is able to see whether the lodge by-laws be put in force as regards defaulting brethren . Inasmuch as each return is to a great extent a duplicate of the preceding one , it follows that it can be written out

at any time in the quarter , and it is a good plan when sending it in to make a copy at once which will serve as the nucleus of the new one , and then all that remains to be done at the end of the quarter is to make the necessary additions and remarks , which will not take a quarter of an hour , and thus there is no reason whatever why the return should not be sent in actually to date . —Indian Masonic Review .

Masonic Reception At Aldermaston Court.

MASONIC RECEPTION AT ALDERMASTON COURT .

Accepting the fraternal i invitation of Bro . Keyser , a distinguished member of the Masonic body , the ollieers and brethren of the Heading and Newbury lodges passed several hours most pleasantly at Aldermaston Court on Wednesday afternoon , the 21 st ult . The majority of visitors from

Reading drove over in two-horse brakes , but the Newbury brethren travelled by rail , the whole party reaching the stately residence in detachments between three and four o ' clock . Brilliant weather favoured the outing , and the natural beauties of the picturesque and richly-wooded domain were seen at their best .

Bro . KEYSER gave his guests a hearty reception , and when they had all assembled beneath the shade of the wide spreading trees on the lawn overlooking the Jake , the worthy owner proceeded to communicate to the visitors a mass of interesting information relating to the Manor of Aldermaston ( Alderman ' s-town ) , of which there are authentic records dating back to the

Masonic Reception At Aldermaston Court.

time of Harold . 1 he existence of a mansion on this commanding and delightful site is traceable to the eleventh or twelfth century , and Bro . Keyser spoke of the various families who successively held possession here down to the ownership of the late Mr . Higford Duval Burr , whose son , Mr . Higford , sold the property to the present squire , who has materially enlarged and improved the mansion , and opened up new drives . A gentleman of

high attainments and refined taste , and also an accomplished antiquarian , Bro . Keyser has judiciously utilised his knowledge of architecture and art in rendering his new home extremely beautiful and comfortable , and he has , withal , manifested much hospitality since his residence here , and has shown the deepest interest in everything associated with the estate and its surroundings , realising to the fullest degree the truth of the maxim that the holding

of property imposes upon its possessor certain responsible duties as well as recognised rights . Bro . Keyser gave proof of this by freely intimating that after he had "got over" the new works of the Court—which , by the bye , must have involved an expenditure of many thousands of pounds—he hopes to undertake the restoration of the parish church , which possesses some

Norman carving , and examples of nearly all the later periods of architecture , rendering it an unusually interesting , although somewhat puzzling , object to antiquaries , the presence of whitewash and plaster making it difficult to define the original design , or trace out the subsequent additions and alterations .

Bro . Keyser's remarks upon the manor and mansion were supplemented with some observations by the Rev . J . M . GUILDING , who complimented Bro . Keyser upon the graphic way in which he had presented the facts . Bro . Keyser also conducted the party through the principal rooms of the house , pointing out the additions and alterations that had been effected . After tea had been served , Bro . Keyser led the way through some of the wildest and most romantic portions of the park , halting to point out several

of the venerable oaks which had braved the storms of a thousand years . The " snakery " which existed in the late Mr . Burr ' s time has disappeared , but the attractions of the park remain intact , and one and all of the visitors were charmed with the sylvan scenery , the stroll along the broad avenues , through the mossy yew tree walks , the curiously wooded dells , or along the banks of the lakes . Deer , disturbed by the approach of strangers , bounded away to their secluded retreats , and countless rabbits disappeared from view almost as soon as they were seen .

The brethren thoroughly enjoyed the outing , and tendered their warmest thanks to their host . Bro . W . J . MAURICE , W . M ., speaking on behalf of the Union Lodge , observing that it was a matter for congratulation that such a splendid domain had passed into the possession of a gentleman who had already shown how much he appreciated it . Bro . the Rev . J . M . GUILDING , W . M . of the Greyfriars Lodge ; Bro .

A . S . COOPER , W . M . of the Kendrick Lodge ; and Bro . S . KNIGHT , W . M . of Lodge of Hope , also added a few words of thanks , and Bro . KEYSER , in reply , said he regarded it as a privilege to have become the owner of such a beautiful estate in the Royal county of Berks , and it had given him much pleasure to receive the brethren of the Masonic lodges at Reading and Newbury , in two of which he had the honour of holding high office .

Among the guests in addition to those already mentioned were

Bros . Charles Smith , C . Oades , M . J . Withers , J . W . Martin , Prov . G . Sec . ; C . G . Hawkes , W . Sherwood , W . G . Millar , B . Ruddock , John R . Cook , F . Cooksey , R . Dowsett , W . G . Flanagan , J . S . Liddle , J . N . Day , S . Knight , jun ., A . E . Stickland , H . Salt , J . M . Gilkes , G . J . Cosburn , Edwin Head , T . VV . Graham , F . C . Fidler , J . Legg , A . W . Neate , W . Edmonds , J . Rolfe , J . Stradling , J . Howard , G . Elms , E . W . Goddard , R . E . Hodder , W . VV . Ridley , E . W . Ridley , W .

Ferguson , J . D . Brown , jun ., W . B . Reed , E . J . Lewis , D . N . Heron , E . O . Farrer , E . H . Salmon , W . Hemings , W . Ravenscroft , W . Hickie , C . Slaughter , T . Sawyer , J . Greenaway , J . H . Hawkes , W . Collins , T . Mackrill , W . J . T . Stapley , D . Amos , T . F . A . Sargeant , G . F . Fuller , C . W . Sisley , E . Tunbridge , R . C . Nicholls , D . Haslam , R . Todd , Bonny , Goodacre , Sparrow , E . Simmons , C . Haslam , H . Blatch , Stollery , Roberts . Turner , Smith , and others . The party quitted Aldermaston Court at about seven o ' clock .

Completion Of The New Masonic Temple At Cardiff.

COMPLETION OF THE NEW MASONIC TEMPLE AT CARDIFF .

The new Masonic Temple at the corner of Guildford-crescent , Cardiff , 1 = rapidly appoaching completion , the work of converting the building to the purposes of the Craft having been most satisfactorily carried out by Mr . Evans , Cathays , the contractor . The brethren will shortly be in possession of what will undoubtedly be one of the finest Masonic Temples out of London . The alterations necessary in adapting the building to its new uses have met with the entire approval of the local lodges , while the furniture and appointments will be of 'he

most sumptuous character , the whole of the former being of the best old Eng lish oak . Perfect harmony in the matter of colour and arrangement has been studied , and the interior will be in every respect luxurious in the extreme . We understand that the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock has fixed the 26 th instant as the date fo ' the performance of the inaugural ceremony , on which occasion it is expected ths ' there will be a large gathering of prominent Masons from all parts of South Wales .

The Provincial Grand Lodge will hold its meeting on the same day , up ° which also it is intended to consecrate the new Duke of York Lodge . Bro- C . E . Dovey , Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden , is to be the first Worship ful Master , and several of the Past Masters of the Bute Lodee are co-operating *'"]

him to make the event one memorable for its success in the annals of I "'* Masonry . All the lodges of Cardiff will hold their meetings in the new temple when it comes into regular use , it possessing ample ante-room and g eliera , accommodation . Everything , in short , is being done to promote the comfo' , ' ° the Masonic fraternity conducting their gatherings there . Extensive preparali <>" are being made lor the event on the 26 th instant , when an unusually influ entl assemblage of Craftsmen is looked forward to .